Sharing the Gospel (at the altar)
Text: 2 Corinthians 5:20
“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

An Ambassador for Christ
Paul reminds us that we are ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ. An ambassador represents someone greater than himself, speaking and acting on behalf of the one who sent him.
We should be proud to represent our church, but even more importantly, we should be ready to represent our Savior. When someone asks if we know Christ, we ought to be able to say with confidence, “Yes, I do! One day I met Him, He came into my heart, and He changed my life.”
God has chosen to use people to reach people. He sends us into our homes, workplaces, communities, and churches to share the good news of the Gospel.
As we approach special events like our Men’s Night of Fellowship and Ladies’ Night, we should certainly enjoy the fellowship, food, and activities. But we must also pray for the lasting results. Pray for the person who may hear a testimony and realize they need that same victory. Pray for the person who quietly asks God for help. Pray for the souls who may be saved and the lives that may be changed.
These events are not simply about bringing people together. They are opportunities to share Christ with our community. The same is true of our Harvest Festival, Sunday School classes, worship services, Wednesday night services, and every ministry of our church.
Everything we do should help point people to Jesus.

1. It Is Our Job to Share the Gospel
Jesus commanded His followers to reach people with the Gospel. In Matthew 4:19, He said:
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
We are not all called to preach behind a pulpit, but we are all called to be witnesses for Christ. We cannot leave the work of evangelism to the pastor, the staff, or a few dedicated soul-winners. Every believer has a responsibility to share the Gospel.
2. God Uses People to Reach People
Romans 10:14 asks an important question:
“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”
God uses His Word, but He also uses people to proclaim it. He uses the preacher, the Sunday School teacher, the greeter, the musician, the usher, and the church member who takes time to pray with someone in need.
You may never preach a sermon, but you may be the person God uses to help someone understand the Gospel. What a privilege it is to represent Christ!
3. Be Prepared to Help Someone Spiritually
We should not wait until a special event to prepare ourselves to share the Gospel. We should be ready every time we come together as a church.
Here are some practical ways to prepare.
Pray for the lost. Before you come to church, pray that God will work in the hearts of those who attend. It is easy to focus on the music, the message, our schedules, and everything else we have planned. But when was the last time you looked at a congregation and prayed, “Lord, there may be someone here who does not know You. Please work in their heart today”?
Look for people who need prayer. Be spiritually alert. When someone responds to an invitation, be ready to help. We should respect the invitation and the privacy of those responding, but we should also be prepared to step forward when someone needs a spiritual friend.
Keep your Bible ready. Know where to find the Scriptures that explain salvation. Our church app even has a “Lead Someone to Christ” resource at the bottom of the home page. You can use it to review the verses, print them, or keep them handy in your Bible.
Be approachable. Sometimes the smallest things communicate that we are ready to help. Come with a willing heart and a desire to serve. Pray, “Lord, if someone needs encouragement or prayer today, help me recognize the opportunity.”
4. Ask Questions Before You Give Answers
When someone comes forward, do not assume you know why they came. They may be seeking salvation, but they may also be struggling with discouragement, family problems, grief, or another burden.
If you know the person, you might simply ask, “What can I pray with you about today?”
If you do not know them, introduce yourself and ask how you can help.
Sometimes stepping out of a seat and coming to an altar is a tremendous act of courage. A kind question can open the door for someone to share what is weighing on their heart.
Do not simply put your hand on someone's back and assume you know what they need. Listen to them. Find out why they came. Then seek to help them according to their need.
5. Share the Gospel Clearly and Patiently
When someone is responding to the Gospel, we must make sure they understand what salvation means.
Salvation is not merely turning over a new leaf, promising to do better, or trying to make things right with other people. Those things may be good, but they are not what saves us. Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work for us.
When I was in fifth grade, I went forward during a revival service because I wanted to trust Christ. A teacher prayed with me, and everyone was happy. Yet afterward, I could not remember actually praying and asking Christ to save me. For years, that uncertainty stayed with me. When I was sixteen, I finally bowed my head, prayed, and personally asked Christ to save me.
That experience taught me something important: We must help people understand the Gospel rather than rush them through a moment.
Do not pressure someone into making a decision. We should lovingly guide people, explain the Scriptures, and help them understand their need for Christ, but we must never manipulate them into a profession of faith.
The Gospel is powerful enough to do its work. Our responsibility is to present it faithfully and patiently.
When sharing the Gospel, let the person see the Scriptures for themselves. Read the verses together and explain what they mean. The Word of God can reach the heart in ways our own words cannot.
If someone is not ready to receive Christ, do not force the issue. Continue to pray for them, answer what you can, and trust the Lord to work in their heart.
6. Pray for People as Though Their Lives Depend on It
Not everyone who comes forward will need to hear the plan of salvation. Some people simply need someone to pray with them through a difficult season.
If someone is hurting, pray for them sincerely. If they are struggling with family problems, discouragement, or grief, listen and point them toward the help and hope found in Christ.
We do not always have the answers people want. Sometimes there is not enough time to explain why God allows certain things to happen. We must be willing to say, “I may not have the answer, but I would love to pray with you and ask God to strengthen you.”
I have experienced times when I could hardly pray for myself, but friends prayed for me. There have been seasons when I struggled to keep my head up spiritually, yet someone stood beside me and carried my burden in prayer.
Never underestimate what it means to be that person for someone else.
7. Follow Up and Help People Grow
Our responsibility does not end when someone leaves the altar.
If someone trusts Christ, celebrate that decision and encourage them to take the next steps of faith. Invite them to sit with you in Sunday School or worship. Encourage them to follow the Lord in baptism and begin growing in their relationship with Christ.
If possible, get their name and contact information, and follow up with them. Let your pastor or another appropriate church leader know so the church can help provide continued encouragement and discipleship.
Jesus gave us the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20. We are commanded not only to make disciples and baptize them, but also to teach them to observe His commandments.
The goal is not simply to get someone down an aisle. It is to help them come to Christ and grow in their walk with Him.
Conclusion: Be Ready When God Opens the Door
There is no single method for helping every person. Every situation is different, and we must depend on the leadership of the Holy Spirit. But we can all be prepared.
We are ambassadors for Christ. We represent Him in our community, in our church, and in our personal relationships.
As we approach our upcoming church events and continue our regular ministries, let's remember why we do what we do. We want people to know that there is a church that loves them, but more importantly, we want them to know the Savior who loves them and gave Himself for them.
Be ready to pray. Be ready to listen. Be ready to share the Word. Be ready to point someone to Jesus.
You may be the person God uses to change someone's life for eternity.
You are an ambassador for Christ. Live like one, and be prepared to share the Gospel.

Small Group Study : Spiritual Warfare 

This small group Bible study has been developed from sermons preached from the pulpit of West End Baptist Church. It is designed to serve as a guide to help you study, discuss, and grow in your understanding of God’s Word.
This study is not a substitute for the Bible, nor should it ever take the place of reading and studying Scripture for yourself. The ultimate authority is always the Word of God. If questions arise during this study, we encourage you to search the Scriptures, seek God’s guidance, and trust the truth found in His Word above all else.


Week 1: Spiritual Warfare — Understanding Our Enemy

Overview
This session is based on a sermon drawn from Revelation 12:7-17. The passage pulls back the curtain on the spiritual battle taking place in the heavenly realm and reveals the nature, motives, and methods of the enemy. The goal of this guide is to help your group move from awareness of the enemy's tactics to confidence in the victory already won through Jesus Christ.

Key Takeaways

• Satan is identified in Scripture by several names — the dragon, the old serpent, the devil, the deceiver — each revealing a different dimension of his destructive character.
• Satan's anger is rooted in the fact that his time is short and his fate is sealed. He cannot repent, so he works to keep others from repenting.
• Satan specifically targets those who keep God's commandments and have a testimony of Jesus Christ.
• His primary weapons are deception and accusation. He never tells the whole story.
• We are no match for Satan in our own strength, but Christ has already won the victory through His blood and resurrection.
• Our role is to lean on God's strength, answer with God's Word, rely on Christ's blood, pray, confess sin regularly, and submit to God before we resist the devil.

Discussion Questions
Opening Question

1. Before diving into the content, share honestly: when you hear the phrase "spiritual warfare," what is your first reaction? Skepticism, concern, curiosity? Why do you think that is?

Understanding the Enemy

1. The sermon described Satan using four names from Revelation 12:9 — the dragon, the old serpent, the devil, and Satan. What does each of those names suggest to you about how he operates in everyday life?
2. The pastor said Satan's fate is sealed, and because he cannot repent, he works to keep others from repenting. How does understanding Satan's hopeless situation change the way you think about the spiritual pressure you face?
3. Revelation 12:17 describes Satan making war specifically against those who keep God's commandments and have a testimony of Jesus Christ. Have you ever noticed that living faithfully seems to attract more resistance rather than less? Can you share an example without compromising anyone's privacy?

Recognizing His Weapons

1. The pastor pointed out that Satan never gives the whole story. He used the example of advertising that never shows the consequences of destructive choices. Where do you see this pattern of half-truths at work in culture today? In your own thought life?
2. The sermon described Satan as "the accuser of the brethren" — the voice that says you are not good enough, not saved, not worth showing up. Have you experienced that kind of accusation? How did you respond to it?
3. The pastor mentioned that Sunday mornings often bring unusual chaos and resistance compared to other days of the week. Have you noticed patterns like this in your own life around prayer, Bible reading, or church attendance? What did you do about it?

Finding Victory

1. Revelation 12:11 says they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. In your own words, what is your testimony? How often do you actually speak it or lean on it when you are under pressure?
2. The pastor referenced the account of Jesus in the wilderness, where every temptation was answered with "as it is written." What does it practically look like for you to answer Satan's lies with Scripture? Are there specific verses you return to when you are under attack?
3. James 4:7 says to submit to God and resist the devil. The sermon emphasized that most people skip straight to resisting without first submitting. What is the difference between those two things in daily practice? Why does the order matter?

Practical Applications
This week, choose at least one of the following to put into practice:

• Identify one area of your life where you sense spiritual resistance or accusation. Find one or two Bible verses that speak directly to that area and write them somewhere you will see them daily.
• Evaluate whether there is unconfessed sin giving the enemy a foothold. Spend time in honest prayer, confessing and receiving the forgiveness described in 1 John 1:9.
• Before you ask God to help you resist something, spend time in genuine submission — surrendering your own plan, timeline, or preference in that area and asking God for His will instead.
• Talk with someone in your group or a trusted believer about a specific spiritual battle you are facing. Invite them to pray with you and hold you accountable.
• If you have children or grandchildren, consider one intentional step this week to reinforce the spiritual foundation of your home — a conversation, a prayer together, a scripture posted somewhere visible.

Scripture References for Further Study

• Revelation 12:7-17 — the passage the sermon is drawn from
• Ephesians 6:10-12 — a description of the spiritual battle and the call to stand in God's strength
• Colossians 2:14-15 — Christ's triumph over principalities and powers through the cross
• 1 Corinthians 15:57 — the victory given to us through Jesus Christ
• James 4:7 — the call to submit to God and resist the devil
• 1 John 1:9 — the promise of forgiveness and cleansing when we confess our sin
• Psalm 119:11 — hiding God's Word in the heart as a guard against sin
• Hebrews 10:19 — boldness to approach God through the blood of Jesus

Week 2 : Spiritual Warfare –The Battle of the Mind
Based on 2 Corinthians 10:5

Overview
This guide is designed to help your group process and apply the sermon on spiritual warfare and the battle of the mind. The central passage, 2 Corinthians 10:5, calls believers to cast down imaginations and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Use the questions, takeaways, and applications below to encourage honest conversation and spiritual growth within your group.

Key Takeaways
1. Our greatest spiritual battles are fought in the mind. Satan cannot claim the soul of a believer, but he actively works to gain ground between our ears through worry, doubt, insecurity, hatred, impure thoughts, and unforgiveness.
2. Our weapons are not physical, but spiritual. Paul makes clear in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. We cannot fight spiritual battles with physical solutions, whether that is venting on social media, seeking counsel from the unsaved, or spending money to feel better about ourselves.
3. Taking thoughts captive is an active, daily discipline. Bringing thoughts into captivity means running every thought through the filter of whether it leads to obedience to Christ. This is not accomplished through willpower alone, but through the power of God.
4. The mind must be renewed consistently. Just as the physical body weakens without regular exercise, the inner man weakens without regular engagement with God's Word, prayer, Christian fellowship, and service.
5. Christ is our great high priest who has faced every battle we face. He is not a distant or unfamiliar help. He has experienced grief, temptation, betrayal, loneliness, and lack. We bring our battles to someone who fully understands them.

Discussion Questions
Opening

• On a scale of one to ten, how aware are you on a daily basis that your thought life is a spiritual battleground? What has shaped that awareness, or lack of it?

Digging In

1. The sermon identified several common mental battles, including worry, doubt, insecurity, suicidal thoughts, impure thoughts, hatred, and unforgiveness. Without pressure to share details, which of these resonates most with your own experience? Why do you think the enemy targets that area in your life?
2. The pattern in Genesis 3 shows Satan first questioning God's Word, then denying it, then questioning God's goodness. Where do you see that same pattern being used against believers today, whether in culture, in personal relationships, or in your own thinking?
3. The sermon says, "Most of what the devil tells you is untrue." How do you personally distinguish between a thought that is from the enemy and a thought that is a legitimate concern worth addressing? What role does Scripture play in that process?
4. The sermon warns against trying to fight spiritual battles with physical solutions. Can you think of a time when you attempted to solve a spiritual or mental struggle with something physical? What was the result?
5. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. What does that look like practically in the middle of a hard moment, when a destructive thought is pressing in and you do not feel spiritually strong?
6. The sermon references the story of the orphanage director who prayed for two weeks before telling anyone about a need. What would change in your life if you committed to bringing every need to God before bringing it to anyone else?
7. Philippians 4:8 instructs believers to set their minds on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. What habits, relationships, or media in your current life make that kind of thinking harder? What makes it easier?
8. The sermon closes with the reminder that if you know Christ, you already have the mind of Christ, as stated in 1 Corinthians 2:16. How does that truth change the way you approach your mental and emotional struggles?

Practical Applications
Choose one or more of the following to put into practice before your group meets again.
1. Identify your primary battlefield. Name the one mental or emotional struggle that the enemy most consistently uses against you. Write it down. Commit to spending time this week studying what Scripture specifically says about that struggle. Find every relevant passage you can and let God's Word speak directly to that area.
2. Practice the filter. For one week, before acting on or speaking about any significant thought or decision, ask yourself: Will this help me be obedient to Christ? Keep a simple journal of what you notice.
3. Talk to God first. Before bringing a current burden to a friend, family member, or social media, bring it to God in prayer. Spend at least a week praying specifically about that need before discussing it with anyone else. Note what happens.
4. Audit your counsel. Identify the people you most often turn to when you are struggling. Are they giving you counsel rooted in God's Word? If not, prayerfully consider who in your life or church could serve as a source of godly counsel.
5. Build a renewal routine. Based on the sermon's encouragement to renew the mind consistently, evaluate your current habits around Bible reading, prayer, church attendance, fellowship, and service. Identify one area that has grown weak and take a concrete step to strengthen it this week.
6. Carry a verse. Select one Scripture that speaks directly to a mental battle you face. Write it on a card, set it as a phone reminder, or memorize it. When that particular thought comes, respond with the Word the way Jesus responded to Satan in the wilderness.

Week 3 : Spiritual Warfare – Our Personal Battle

Overview
This guide is based on the final sermon in a series on spiritual warfare, drawn from Ephesians 6:10-18. The focus is on personal responsibility in the spiritual battle, the reality of the conflict believers face, and the rights and resources God has given to those in Christ.

Key Takeaways
1. The Responsibility of the Command Every believer has been personally commanded to engage in the spiritual battle. Being strong in the Lord, putting on the armor, and praying always are not suggestions but duties. No one can fulfill these responsibilities on behalf of another.
2. The Reality of the Conflict The enemy is not flesh and blood, yet the battle is intensely personal and close. Paul's use of the word "wrestle" in Ephesians 6:12 suggests hand-to-hand, close-combat struggle. The spiritual enemy is as near as our own thoughts and minds.
3. The Rights of the Christian God has equipped every believer with spiritual armor suited for the fight. This armor is not earned but received by those who are in Christ. The goal of wearing the armor is not primarily to fight but to stand firm while God fights on our behalf.

The Armor of God at a Glance
| Piece of Armor | Spiritual Meaning | |---|---| | Belt of Truth | Anchoring life and decisions in what is true | | Breastplate of Righteousness | Walking in alignment with God's standards, not self-righteousness | | Feet Shod with the Gospel of Peace | Living as a consistent ambassador of the gospel everywhere you go | | Shield of Faith | Trusting God personally and interceding in faith for fellow believers | | Helmet of Salvation | Allowing the reality of salvation to guard the mind | | Sword of the Spirit | Using the Word of God as the one offensive weapon in the battle |
Prayer is described as the connecting thread that runs through all of it.

Discussion Questions
Opening

1. When you hear the phrase "spiritual warfare," what comes to mind? Has your understanding of that phrase changed or grown over time?
2. The sermon described the spiritual battle as intensely personal. In what ways have you experienced spiritual conflict as something close and personal rather than distant or abstract?

The Responsibility of the Command

1. The sermon made the point that no one can put on the armor of God for someone else. In what areas of your spiritual life are you tempted to rely on others rather than taking personal responsibility?
2. The illustration was given that "you can't delegate a haircut." What are some spiritual disciplines or habits that you know only you can develop for yourself, and what is currently getting in the way?
3. The sermon noted that it is not your fault the enemy is against you, but it is your responsibility to put on the armor God has provided. How does that distinction change the way you think about spiritual struggles you are facing?

The Reality of the Conflict

1. Paul's word "wrestle" in Ephesians 6:12 pictures close, hands-on combat. How does understanding the enemy as close rather than distant change how you approach your daily spiritual life?
2. The sermon mentioned that the enemy works in our thoughts and our minds, not just in circumstances around us. Can you share a time when you recognized that a struggle you were facing was spiritual in nature rather than purely circumstantial?
3. How does it help or encourage you to know that every believer is in this fight, not just you?

The Rights of the Christian

1. The sermon used the example of David refusing Saul's armor before facing Goliath, choosing instead the weapon he had proven. What does it look like practically to fight spiritual battles with the tools and truths God has actually given you, rather than reaching for things that do not fit?
2. The sermon described the shield of faith as something that can link together with the shields of fellow believers, creating a wall of protection. How are you currently using your faith to stand in the gap for others in your group, your family, or your church?
3. Jesus responded to every temptation in the wilderness with the phrase "as it is written." What specific areas of your life would benefit from having a verse of Scripture ready to combat the enemy's attacks? How could this group help you identify and memorize those verses?
4. The sermon closed with the observation that the armor described in Ephesians 6:10-18 is less about fighting and more about standing firm while God fights the battle. How does that reframe the way you think about spiritual victory?

Practical Applications
This Week, Choose One or More of the Following:

• Identify your weak point. Reflect honestly on which piece of the armor you are most consistently failing to put on. Write it down and bring it to God in prayer this week.
• Find your verse. If there is a specific area where the enemy regularly attacks you, search for a passage of Scripture that speaks directly to that area. Commit it to memory.
• Pray for a fellow soldier. Choose one person in this group or in your life and pray specifically for them each day this week. Consider letting them know you are praying for them.
• Evaluate your truth intake. The belt of truth ties everything together. Examine what sources of information and content you are regularly consuming and ask whether they are grounding you in truth or pulling you away from it.
• Begin a simple prayer habit. If prayer feels overwhelming or unfamiliar, start small. Set aside five minutes each morning to speak honestly to God about your day, your needs, and your dependence on Him.

Our Personal Battle
Ephesians 6:10–18

We have been studying the subject of spiritual warfare over the past several weeks. We have examined who our enemy is, how he works through deception, and how he attacks our minds and seeks to discourage us. We have also been reminded that we can find encouragement in our relationship with the Lord.
Today, I want to bring this series to a close by focusing on our personal responsibility in spiritual warfare.
There is a battle raging around us. Spiritual warfare is real, and much of it takes place in realms we cannot see or fully understand. But there is also a personal part of this battle that each of us must recognize.
In Ephesians 6, Paul has been giving instructions to different groups of people, including children, fathers, servants, and masters. As he comes to the conclusion of the chapter, he turns his attention to the believers themselves.
He writes:
Ephesians 6:10–11
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Paul is speaking directly to the people of God. He is not merely discussing spiritual warfare in general terms. He is giving each believer instructions that must be taken personally.
We cannot simply acknowledge that a spiritual battle exists. We must accept our responsibility in it.
Let’s consider three important truths about our personal battle.

1. The Responsibility to the Command
Paul gives us several commands in this passage, and we must recognize that these commands are our personal responsibility.
He says, “Be strong in the Lord.” He tells us to put on the whole armour of God, to take unto ourselves the armor God has provided, to stand, and to pray always.
These are not suggestions. They are instructions for every believer.
Notice that Paul does not tell us to be strong in ourselves. He says to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We must be anchored in Him, relying on His strength rather than our own.
We are also commanded to put on the whole armor of God. God has provided what we need, but we must take responsibility for using what He has given us.
These commands are not instructions for earning salvation. Salvation is through Christ alone, and what He accomplished on the cross is sufficient. Rather, these commands concern our daily walk and service as soldiers of Jesus Christ.
Sometimes we are reluctant to think of ourselves as soldiers because it sounds aggressive or militant. But Paul makes it clear that we are involved in a very real spiritual battle, and we must take it seriously.
I can preach to you about being equipped for the battle, but I cannot put the armor on for you. You must take God's Word personally and obey what He has commanded.
Think about our physical bodies. God gave us life, breath, and bodies made in His image. Yet we are responsible for caring for the bodies He has given us. We must nourish them, bathe them, feed them, and sometimes seek help to repair them. There are certain things we cannot delegate to someone else.
Dr. Benny Tate has said, “You can't delegate a haircut.” There are simply some things you have to do for yourself!
The same principle applies to our personal spiritual battle. We must take responsibility for how we live and how we prepare ourselves spiritually.
It is not your fault that the enemy is against you. Satan opposes God's people, and the enemy throws fiery darts at believers. But we must recognize our responsibility when we enter the battle without putting on the armor God has supplied.
We cannot control every attack that comes our way, but we are responsible for how we respond to God's commands.
We must be strong in the Lord, put on His armor, stand firm in the faith, and pray continually.

2. The Reality of the Conflict
Paul reminds us in verse 12:
Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Our enemy is not ultimately flesh and blood. We have discussed the names Scripture gives Satan: the devil, the deceiver, and the accuser of the brethren. He is a real enemy, and we must understand the nature of the conflict we face.
Notice that Paul uses the word wrestle. Wrestling is a close-contact struggle. It involves exertion, resistance, and being close to your opponent.
Danny Gatt is known for wrestling and coaching young men in the sport. He could tell you that wrestling requires you to get close to your opponent. You cannot pin someone from across the room!
That is the picture Paul gives us. Although spiritual warfare takes place in realms we cannot see, the enemy's attacks can feel very close to home.
The enemy works through deception. He attacks our thoughts, whispers discouragement, and seeks to influence how we respond to the people and circumstances around us.
The conflict is real. The enemy is around us, but the battle can also feel as though it is right in our ears, in our minds, and directly in front of us.
Paul does not tell us to ignore the conflict. He tells us to prepare for it.
We are no match for Satan in our own strength. But we do not have to face him in our own strength. God has provided the armor we need, and the Lord we serve is greater than the enemy we face.
When the struggle is close, we must take our spiritual preparation seriously. We must recognize the enemy's schemes, remain grounded in God's Word, and rely on the strength of the Lord.
The reality of the conflict should never cause us to forget the greatness of the God who equips us for it.

3. The Rights of the Christian
This is not a battle we must face without help. God has provided spiritual armor for His children.
Paul begins by addressing the “brethren” and commanding them to be strong in the Lord. The armor is not something we earn through human strength, religious rituals, or our own efforts. It is God's provision for those who belong to Him.
Consider David when he prepared to face Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. Saul attempted to equip David with his own armor, but David was not accustomed to it.
1 Samuel 17:39
And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
David understood that he needed to face the giant using what he knew and trusted, rather than depending on equipment he had never used.
The lesson for us is not to invent our own spiritual weapons or depend on worldly methods to win a spiritual battle. We must use what God has provided and follow His instructions.
You may feel unqualified, inexperienced, or spiritually weak. That does not mean God has left you unequipped. He knows we cannot win this battle in our own strength. That is precisely why He has provided His armor.
Let's briefly consider each piece of that armor.
The Belt of Truth
Paul tells us to have our loins girded about with truth.
The belt helped hold a soldier's equipment together. In the same way, truth is essential to our spiritual lives.
We must seek truth, believe truth, and live according to truth. We cannot afford to build our lives around rumors, deception, or whatever happens to appear on the internet or in the news.
As Christians, we must measure what we hear against the truth of God's Word and remain committed to living honestly before the Lord.
The Breastplate of Righteousness
The breastplate protected a soldier's vital organs. Spiritually, Paul reminds us of the importance of righteousness.
This is not about self-righteousness or walking around believing we are always right and everyone else is wrong. It is about living in a way that honors God and reflects the righteousness He desires in His people.
We must seek to do what is right, not merely what is convenient or pleasing to ourselves.
The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
Paul tells us to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
Wherever we go, we are representatives of the gospel. Our conduct at work, in public, in our homes, and in our daily interactions should reflect the One we serve.
Think about standing in line at McDonald's waiting for your french fries. It is easy to become impatient or lose your temper. But the person serving you needs the gospel, too!
Remembering that we represent Christ should affect how we treat people. The gospel should shape our behavior and help us become peacemakers.
The Shield of Faith
Paul says that the shield of faith enables us to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
In biblical times, soldiers could position their shields together to provide protection for one another. They did not always stand alone. They could join their shields and form a stronger defense.
There is a beautiful lesson here for the church. We need faith for our own battles, but we also need to stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
When we pray for one another, encourage one another, and believe God together, we help strengthen one another in the fight.
Your faith is personal, but you were never meant to live the Christian life in isolation.
The Helmet of Salvation
The helmet protected the soldier's head. Paul is addressing believers, so he is not telling them to earn salvation. He is reminding them to live under the protection and assurance of the salvation they already possess in Christ.
Our identity in Christ should guard our minds and influence how we think about ourselves, how we live, and what we believe God can accomplish through us.
We must remember who we are in the Lord and allow that truth to shape our thoughts and decisions.
The Sword of the Spirit
Paul identifies the sword of the Spirit as the Word of God.
Unlike the other pieces of armor, which are primarily defensive, the sword is an offensive weapon. We must know and use the Word of God if we are going to stand against the enemy's attacks.
When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He repeatedly answered with Scripture. He said, “It is written.”
If Jesus used the Word of God to answer temptation, how much more should we learn and apply it in our own lives?
If you struggle with dishonesty, study what Scripture says about lying and bearing false witness. If you struggle with fear, find the promises of God that speak to your heart. Whatever your particular battle may be, learn the Scriptures that address it and allow God's truth to take root in your life.
We cannot effectively use a sword we never learn to handle. We must read, study, memorize, and apply the Word of God.
Prayer: Our Continual Dependence on God
Paul concludes this passage by emphasizing prayer.
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
We must be people of prayer. We must learn to talk to God honestly about our needs, weaknesses, struggles, and fears.
You do not have to pray an elaborate or eloquent prayer. Sometimes the most meaningful prayer is simply, “God, I need You. I am in this fight, and I need Your help.”
God has given us His Word through which He speaks to us, and He has given us the privilege of prayer through which we can come before Him.
We may not understand everything about prayer, but we can experience the blessing of bringing our needs to the Lord.
Ask Him to strengthen you, equip you, and guard you in the battle.
Let the Holy Spirit Help You Put on the Armor
How do we put on spiritual armor we cannot physically see?
We depend on the help of the Holy Spirit.
Think about a bride or groom preparing for a wedding. They may need someone to straighten a tie, adjust clothing, or help with the final details. There are often people working behind the scenes to make sure everything is in place.
They are helping the bride or groom get ready for the big event.
In a similar way, the Holy Spirit helps us as we seek the Lord, pray, walk in obedience, and depend on His Word. We do not have to prepare for this spiritual battle in our own strength.
We can come before God and say, “Lord, I am in this fight. I need You. Help me stand firm.”
As we walk in the Spirit and seek the things of God, He helps us live according to His truth and depend on the armor He has provided.
The Goal Is to Stand
As I studied this passage again, I was reminded of something important. We often read Ephesians 6 and immediately focus on fighting. And Scripture certainly teaches us to fight the good fight of faith.
But look carefully at Paul's instructions in verses 10–18. He repeatedly tells us to put on the armor, take it up, and stand.
He says that we are to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. He tells us to withstand in the evil day and, having done all, to stand.
The emphasis is not on our ability to defeat the enemy through our own strength. It is on standing firm in what God has provided.
We do not need to become famous spiritual giants or eloquent speakers. We do not have to pretend to be stronger than we are. We need to trust the Lord, put on His armor, and remain faithful.
When the enemy throws his fiery darts, we can stand in the truth of God's Word. When discouragement comes, we can stand in the promises of God. When temptation comes, we can stand in the strength of the Lord.
Our responsibility is to stand in the strength God supplies, trusting Him with the battle.
Conclusion: Are You Equipped for Your Personal Battle?
There is a battle out there, and there is a battle that touches our minds and hearts. We must remain vigilant and recognize that the enemy seeks to discourage, deceive, and distract us.
But God has not left us without help. He has provided His armor, His Word, the privilege of prayer, and the help of the Holy Spirit.
If you feel under attack today, I want to encourage you to seek the Lord. If you feel unequipped, start where you are. You do not have to know how to pray an eloquent prayer. Simply bow your head and ask God for help.
Maybe you feel spiritually weak. Even those who spend time in God's Word and prayer can have days when they feel vulnerable. Do not assume that you are the only one who struggles. We all need the Lord's strength.
And perhaps you have never trusted Christ as your Savior. Paul is speaking to the brethren—those who belong to the Lord. Before you can walk in the assurance of belonging to His family, you must come to Him in faith, repent of your sin, and trust in the salvation He offers through Jesus Christ.
As we close, remember the words of Joshua 24:15:
“...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
May that be our commitment. As for me and my home, we will serve the Lord. As for our church, we will stand firmly on the Word of God.
The battle is real, but our God is greater. Put on the whole armor of God, depend on His strength, and stand firm in the faith.
When you feel weak, ask Him for help. When you feel discouraged, turn to His Word. When you face temptation, remember the truth He has given you. And when the battle seems overwhelming, remember that you do not stand alone.
God has equipped His children to stand. Our responsibility is to trust Him, put on His armor, and remain faithful.
Reflection Questions

1. Am I relying on the Lord's strength, or am I trying to fight my battles in my own strength?
2. Which piece of the armor of God do I most need to apply in my life right now?
3. Am I regularly reading God's Word and spending time in prayer?
4. How can I encourage and strengthen another believer who may be struggling?
5. What practical step can I take this week to stand more firmly in the Lord?

He Gets The Glory

Scripture: Jeremiah 9:23–24
“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” — Jeremiah 9:23–24

We have been discussing spiritual warfare over the last couple of weeks, and I believe we live in a day when Satan is on the attack more than ever. We see evil, violence, immorality, and wickedness on every hand. The devil is attacking our families, our finances, our workplaces, our schools, and even our churches.
When we think about spiritual warfare, we often focus on the obvious battles: temptation, addictions, immoral thoughts, anxiety, and the struggles of the mind. These are real battles, and we must take them seriously. However, there is another area of spiritual warfare we sometimes overlook: our own pride and the belief that we are strong enough without God.
Satan doesn't always tempt us with something that looks terrible. Sometimes, his greatest weapon is convincing us that we don't need God because we have enough wisdom, strength, money, or ability to manage life on our own.
That is the warning we find in Jeremiah 9:23–24. The people of Judah had placed their confidence in themselves rather than in God. The Lord reminded them that the things people often celebrate are not necessarily the things that matter most to Him.
Let's consider three important truths from these verses.
1. Our Earthly Focus
“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches.” — Jeremiah 9:23
The Lord identifies three things people are tempted to glory in: wisdom, might, and riches.
We live in a world that places tremendous value on what we know, what we can do, what we own, and whom we know. We are impressed by intelligence, power, success, and financial prosperity. There is nothing inherently wrong with having knowledge, influence, or money. The problem begins when those things become the source of our confidence and cause us to believe we no longer need God.
Think about it. There have always been people in positions of authority. There have always been people with money, and there have always been people recognized for their wisdom and accomplishments. These things are part of life. But Satan knows how to take the very things God has allowed us to have and use them to fill our hearts with pride.
Satan isn't always dangling an addiction in front of us or placing something immoral in our path. Sometimes the temptation is simply this: You have all these things. You are smart enough, strong enough, and successful enough. You don't really need God.
That is a dangerous place to be.
Solomon asked God for wisdom, and God granted his request. Wisdom itself was not the problem. Likewise, money is not the problem. First Timothy 6:10 warns us that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” The issue is not simply possessing something; it is allowing that thing to possess our hearts.
We may say, “I'm educated. I'm strong. I'm successful. I've worked hard for what I have. I can handle this.”
But the truth is that we are never truly independent of God. We need Him every single day.
We must be careful not to let the blessings God gives us become the very things that cause us to forget Him. The devil doesn't care how he causes us to stumble. He simply wants us to fall, fail, and damage our testimony. Sometimes, the greatest danger isn't that we will lose everything we have. It's that we will become so impressed with what we have that we lose sight of the One who gave it to us.
2. The Object of Our Praise
“But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me...” — Jeremiah 9:24
If we cannot ultimately boast in our wisdom, strength, or riches, what should we boast about?
The Lord gives us the answer: knowing Him.
Think about how we talk when we meet someone we haven't seen in a long time. They ask, “What have you been up to?” We begin talking about our work, our accomplishments, our children, our grandchildren, and the things happening in our lives. There is nothing wrong with sharing those things, but we must remember what matters most.
If we are going to brag about anything, we ought to brag about the Lord!
Jeremiah reminds us that our greatest reason for boasting is not what we know about life, but that we know the Lord of life. I don't understand everything that happens in this world. There are things I wish I could change, circumstances I cannot explain, and situations that leave me with more questions than answers. But there is one thing I know: I know Him, and I know He will take care of me.
What a blessing it is to know the Lord personally!
Jesus expressed a similar truth in Luke 10:20:
“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
The disciples had experienced spiritual victories, but Jesus reminded them that their greatest reason for rejoicing was not their power or accomplishments. It was the fact that their names were written in heaven.
We can become so focused on what we accomplish for God that we forget the greatest blessing of all: belonging to Him.
I hope you know tonight that your sins are forgiven and your name is written in heaven. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have something worth celebrating! Your greatest accomplishment is not something you have done for God. It is the salvation God has provided for you through His Son.
The word glory carries the idea of boasting, celebrating, or making much of something. So, if we are going to make much of anything, let us make much of Jesus. Let us celebrate His goodness, His grace, His mercy, and the privilege of knowing Him.
The world may be impressed by what we have accomplished, but our greatest joy should always be that we belong to Him.
3. The Things That Please God
“...that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” — Jeremiah 9:24
In verse 23, we see the things people tend to value: wisdom, might, and riches. In verse 24, God identifies the things in which He delights: lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness.
These are the things that should matter most to us because they matter to Him.
Lovingkindness over wisdom.
We may value intelligence, education, and knowledge, but God places tremendous emphasis on lovingkindness. A person can be intelligent, talented, and highly educated and still fail to love people the way God loves them.
Sometimes our knowledge and experience make it difficult to understand people who live differently from us. We understand our own world, but we may struggle to relate to someone else's. God, however, is not limited by our perspective. His lovingkindness reaches people from every background and every walk of life.
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:1:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”
We can have tremendous knowledge, impressive abilities, and the words to command a room. But if we do not have love, our accomplishments amount to very little. God is not simply interested in what we know. He is interested in whether His love is reflected in our lives.
Justice over might.
We often want strength and influence because we like being in control. Strength can be used for good or evil, to serve others or to advance our own interests.
But God exercises judgment and justice. He is not swayed by personal preferences, favoritism, or public opinion. He does what is right.
As human beings, we tend to judge according to what we like and whom we like. We can allow our preferences to determine what we consider right. But God calls us to a higher standard. We must learn to see things through the lens of His Word and follow His will rather than simply doing what seems right in our own eyes.
Righteousness over riches.
The world is impressed by possessions. People notice our cars, trucks, boats, homes, and other material things. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings God has given us, but our possessions are not the measure of our worth in His sight.
God looks at the heart.
Proverbs 22:1 says:
“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.”
And Proverbs 11:4 reminds us:
“Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.”
One day, we will stand before God. The possessions we accumulated, the money we earned, and the accomplishments we celebrated will not replace a life lived in obedience to Him. God is concerned with who we are, not merely what we own.
Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:19–20:
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”
Should we work hard, have goals, enjoy a vacation, and pursue our dreams? Absolutely! God has given us life, and we should be grateful for the opportunities He provides. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the good things He places in our hands.
But we must never allow the good things of this world to become more important than the God who gave them to us. We must keep our priorities straight and make sure that what matters to God matters to us.
Final Thoughts
Satan is very good at putting the things we consider important in front of us. He knows how to use our desires, accomplishments, and possessions to distract us from what matters most.
We must be careful not to take the glory that belongs to God and place it on ourselves. Our wisdom, strength, and riches are not worthy of the highest praise. Our confidence must not rest in who we are, whom we know, where we go, or what we have.
Instead, let us glory in knowing the Lord. Let us pursue lovingkindness, practice justice, and live in righteousness. Let us measure our lives by what pleases God rather than by what impresses the world.
If we're going to brag about anything, let's brag on Jesus. Let's glory in Him!

The Battle of the Mind
Preacher’s Pen | Spiritual Warfare Series

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:5
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
Introduction: The Greatest Battle We Fight
Last week, we began a series on spiritual warfare by looking at our enemy, the devil. He is strong, subtle, and sneaky, and we are no match for him in our own strength. I don't care how big your Bible is, how long you've been a Baptist, or how religious you may be. You are no match for the devil.
But through Jesus Christ, we already have the victory!
As we continue this series, I want us to recognize that one of the greatest battles we fight is the battle of the mind.
As children of God, Satan cannot have our souls, but he can certainly try to get between our ears. He can attack our peace, our confidence, our relationships, and our walk with God.
For some, that battle looks like constant worry. For others, it is doubt, insecurity, impure thoughts, hatred, or unforgiveness. Some struggle with regret over past decisions, constantly replaying what they did wrong and wondering how much better life might have been if they had chosen differently.
The enemy loves to remind us of our failures, whisper lies about our worth, and convince us that things will never change.
Paul addresses this very battle in 2 Corinthians 10. He reminds us that our warfare is not fought with carnal weapons but with weapons that are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
Our battlefield is not always somewhere we can see. Sometimes the fiercest fighting takes place in our own minds.
The good news is that with God's help, we can experience victory in the battle of the mind.
Let's consider three important truths from this passage.

1. Our Battle Begins in Our Thoughts
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:3–4 that we do not war after the flesh and that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
We often know our physical abilities and limitations. We know what we can do and what we cannot do. But some of our greatest struggles have little to do with our physical abilities. They have to do with what is happening in our minds.
The enemy whispers things to us that can shape how we see ourselves, our families, our church, and even our relationship with God.
Think about how it all began in Genesis 3.
When Satan approached Eve in the Garden of Eden, he began by questioning God's Word:
“Yea, hath God said?”
In other words, Did God really say that?
God had given Adam and Eve clear instructions, but Satan introduced doubt. Then he denied the truth of God's warning and questioned God's goodness. He suggested that God was holding something back from them.
The message was simple: God isn't telling you the truth. God is keeping something good from you. You would be better off doing things your own way.
That is one of the oldest tricks in the enemy's playbook. He still tries to convince God's people that obedience is keeping them from something better, that God is withholding blessings, and that we would be happier if we simply followed our own desires.
Eve listened to the lie, and eventually, the thought led to action. She saw, she took, and she ate. Sin entered the world, and humanity has been dealing with its consequences ever since.
James 1 describes a similar progression: temptation appeals to our desires, sin follows, and sin brings forth death.
Think about David and Bathsheba. Think about Judas, whose betrayal of Jesus was preceded by Satan putting that thought into his heart. Again and again, we see how dangerous it can be when sinful thoughts are entertained and allowed to take root.
What we entertain in our minds can influence what we eventually do with our lives.
The enemy still whispers things like these:

• Nobody at church really cares about you.
• Your family will never change.
• Your marriage is beyond repair.
• You have made too many mistakes to be useful to God.
• You will never get past what happened to you.
• God is holding something better back from you.

We must learn to recognize the danger in those lies. Sometimes we assume that what we feel must be true simply because we feel it so strongly.
But a thought is not automatically the truth just because it enters our minds.
We must be careful what we listen to, what we believe, and what we allow to shape our lives.
Our battle begins in our thoughts, which leads us to the next truth.

2. Our Battle Is Won by Taking Thoughts Captive
Our text commands us to bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
That is a powerful picture. We are not supposed to allow every thought to run freely through our minds. We must examine those thoughts and bring them under the authority of Jesus Christ.
Here is a simple question we can ask ourselves:
Will this thought help me be obedient to Christ?
When I am tempted to say something ugly about another person, will that help me obey Christ?
When I am ready to lose my temper, hold on to bitterness, or make a decision out of anger, will that help me obey Christ?
When I begin believing that I am worthless, that God has abandoned me, or that there is no hope for my future, does that thought line up with the truth of God's Word?
We must learn to stop and examine our thoughts instead of allowing them to control us.
Recognize the Attack
First, we must recognize when a thought is leading us away from the truth of God's Word.
When a thought encourages sin, feeds bitterness, promotes temptation, or contradicts what God has revealed, we must refuse to entertain it as truth.
We can say, “I'm not going to follow that thought. I'm not going to act on it. I'm not going to allow it to lead me away from Christ.”
Not every unwanted thought is a deliberate sin, and not every difficult emotion means we have failed spiritually. But we must learn to recognize when our thinking is pulling us toward something that dishonors God.
Refuse the Enemy's Lies
James 4:7 says:
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Notice the order: submit to God, then resist the devil.
We cannot win this battle simply by trying harder in our own strength. We must run to God, lean on His promises, and trust His power.
When the enemy whispers a lie, we do not have to accept it. We can stand on the truth of Scripture and refuse to follow the temptation.
Request God's Help
Philippians 4:6 reminds us:
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
First Peter 5:7 tells us:
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
When we are struggling, prayer should not be our last resort. It should be one of our first responses.
Unfortunately, we often try to fight spiritual battles with earthly solutions.
We take our frustrations to social media before we take them to the Lord. We tell everybody else about our problems before we pray about them. We seek advice from people who may have no understanding of God's Word, and we sometimes make major decisions without seeking godly counsel.
We must be careful about whose advice we follow.
There is wisdom in seeking counsel from mature Christians who will listen, pray, and help us understand what Scripture teaches. Experience can be valuable, but experience must never take the place of God's truth.
We must also be careful about making life-changing decisions in moments of frustration. Whether we are considering a job change, a church change, or a major decision in a relationship, we should seek the Lord and godly counsel rather than allowing a moment of emotion to dictate our future.
The enemy often urges us to act immediately: Do it now! Make the decision! Get out of there!
But wisdom teaches us to stop, pray, search the Scriptures, and seek godly counsel before taking a step that may have lasting consequences.
We cannot overcome a spiritual battle merely by changing something physical on the outside.
A new car cannot fix a troubled mind. A new appearance cannot heal a wounded heart. A social media post cannot replace prayer. And making a major decision in anger does not guarantee that our circumstances will improve.
The answer is not simply to change our surroundings. We must allow God to work in our hearts and minds.
We do not have the power to overcome every stronghold through willpower alone. Our strength comes from the Lord. By His power, we can recognize the attack, refuse the lie, seek His help, and bring our thoughts into obedience to Christ.

3. Our Victory Is Kept Through the Renewing of Our Minds
Romans 12:2 says:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Notice that Paul speaks of the renewing of our minds.
When we were saved, God made us His children through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Our salvation is not something we must continually earn or repeat. But we still live in this flesh, and our minds still need daily attention and spiritual growth.
Sometimes this old flesh can act as though it has forgotten everything it knows about God.
That is why we need a continual renewing of our minds.
Think about physical exercise. When we become inactive, we lose strength and endurance. We begin to feel sluggish, and things that once came easily become difficult.
But when we begin exercising consistently, we gradually regain strength and energy.
Our spiritual lives can work in much the same way. We cannot expect the spiritual nourishment we received last week to replace our need for God today.
We need the Word of God. We need prayer. We need Christian fellowship. We need the encouragement of the church. We need opportunities to serve and to carry one another's burdens.
We cannot simply be an inlet, constantly receiving spiritual truth without ever putting it into practice. We must also be an outlet, serving others and living out what God has taught us.
So how do we renew our minds?
A. Fill Your Mind With God's Word
Psalm 119:11 says:
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
If you are struggling with the mental battles of life, fill your mind and heart with the Word of God.
When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He answered with the truth of Scripture. He did not allow the enemy's temptations to determine His response. He stood on what God had said.
We need to learn to do the same.
If you are struggling with anger, study what the Bible says about anger. If you are struggling with fear, search the Scriptures for God's promises concerning fear. If you are struggling with unforgiveness, study what God has said about forgiveness.
Do not simply try to fix your problem through your own efforts. Bring Christ and His Word into the middle of the struggle.
The more we learn God's truth, the better equipped we are to recognize the lies that contradict it.
B. Choose What You Think About
We cannot always control which thoughts enter our minds, but we can learn to choose which thoughts we entertain and dwell upon.
Have you ever been upset with somebody, and the longer you thought about the situation, the angrier you became?
Maybe nothing else happened. Nobody said anything new. But you replayed the conversation, remembered every detail, and imagined what you should have said. Before long, the problem had grown much larger in your mind.
We must be careful not to feed negative thoughts until they become stronger than the truth.
Philippians 4:8 gives us this instruction:
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
God gives us a pattern for what should occupy our minds.
We should think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise.
That does not mean pretending our problems do not exist. It means refusing to let our problems become the only things we think about.
It also means helping the people around us.
Husbands, when your wife is discouraged, encourage her. Wives, when your husband is down, speak words that build him up. Parents, when your children come home feeling rejected or defeated, remind them of what is true and help them see things through the light of God's truth.
We ought to be people who encourage one another rather than adding to one another's burdens.
What we choose to dwell upon matters, and the words we speak can help others in their battles as well.
C. Pray About Everything
Philippians 4:6 tells us to bring everything to God in prayer.
Notice the instruction: “in every thing.”
There should be no burden so small that we think God is uninterested, and no problem so large that we believe He cannot help us.
We talked earlier about worry, hatred, envy, unforgiveness, and regret. When was the last time we truly brought those things before the Lord?
We may have posted about them. We may have discussed them with friends. We may have spent hours talking about them with somebody at work.
But have we talked to God about them?
Years ago, George Müller became known for operating orphanages through a remarkable commitment to prayer and faith in God's provision. His example reminds us of the importance of bringing our needs to the Lord and trusting Him to provide.
We often rush to tell everybody else about our problems before we have spent time praying about them.
Let's learn to reverse that order.
Before you tell somebody else how upset you are, talk to God. Before you allow worry to consume your day, talk to God. Before you make a decision out of anger, talk to God.
Seek His wisdom. Ask for His help. Lay your burdens before Him.
We are not promised that every problem will disappear immediately, but we are promised that we can bring our cares to a God who loves us and hears us.
D. Keep Your Mind Focused on God
Isaiah 26:3 says:
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
What a wonderful promise!
Our peace is not dependent upon everything in our lives going exactly as we planned. Our peace is found in the Lord.
Sometimes we spend so much time trying to empty our minds of negative thoughts that we forget to fill them with something better.
It is good to refuse the enemy's lies, but we must also replace those lies with the truth of God's Word.
Do not merely tell yourself that you will not think about the problem. Turn your attention to the One who is greater than the problem.
When fear comes, remember God's faithfulness. When doubt comes, return to His promises. When bitterness rises, remember what He has taught us about forgiveness. When regret overwhelms you, remember that God's grace is greater than your past.
Keep your mind focused on Him.
Conclusion: Christ Has Already Won the Victory
I wish I could tell you that defeating the enemy in every battle is easy. It is not. As we have already established, we are no match for Satan in our own strength.
But Jesus Christ has already defeated him!
Our responsibility is not to defeat Satan through our own power. Our responsibility is to trust the Lord, stand on His Word, and allow Him to fight our battles.
Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is our great High Priest. He understands our struggles and is able to help us in our time of need.
Are you dealing with temptation? Jesus was tempted, yet without sin.
Are you dealing with grief? Remember that Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus.
Are you worried about having enough? Jesus experienced life on this earth without the comforts and possessions many people take for granted. He understands our earthly struggles.
Are you angry? Jesus demonstrated righteous anger, and Scripture teaches us that we can be angry and sin not.
Have people talked about you, rejected you, or turned their backs on you? Jesus experienced rejection and abandonment, even from those who had walked closely with Him.
We have a Savior who understands our struggles. We do not have to face these battles alone.
First Corinthians 2:16 speaks of having the mind of Christ. As believers, we have been given a new relationship with Him, and we must continue to grow in our understanding of His truth.
Think of it this way: Having muscles does not mean you never need to exercise them. They must be trained and strengthened.
In the same way, we must continue to train our minds through the Word of God, prayer, fellowship, and obedience to Christ.
If you are battling anger, spend this week studying what the Bible says about anger. If you are struggling with unforgiveness, study what Scripture teaches about forgiveness. If fear is consuming your thoughts, search God's Word for His promises and learn to trust Him in the middle of your circumstances.
Do not try to fix everything without Christ. Bring Him into the battle.
And please, do not struggle alone. Find a godly friend who will pray with you, encourage you, and help you stand on the truth of God's Word.
Some battles are especially heavy, and seeking help from a qualified professional can be an important part of getting the support you need. Asking for help is not a failure of faith. Continue to lean on the Lord and allow trusted people to walk beside you.
Satan is on the attack, but our victory is in Jesus Christ!
Today, I want to leave you with two questions.
First, do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior? We will all face battles in our minds, but our greatest need is to be reconciled to God through His Son. If you have never trusted Christ, I invite you to come to Him in faith.
Second, what battle are you facing today?
Is it worry? Is it fear, loneliness, hatred, unforgiveness, regret, or discouragement? Have you allowed the enemy's lies to convince you that there is no hope?
Why not bring that burden to the Lord?
You do not have to pretend that everything is fine. You do not have to carry every burden by yourself. Bring your cares to Christ, stand on His Word, and trust Him to help you take your thoughts captive.
And do not become so weary that you throw in the towel. Sometimes we need to step back from certain responsibilities, receive encouragement, and allow ourselves time to rest and recover. Keep your eyes on the Lord and remember that He has not abandoned you.
Let us learn to recognize the enemy's attacks, take our thoughts captive, and renew our minds daily through the truth of God's Word.
The battle is real, but the victory is in Christ.

Spiritual Warfare Week 1
Scripture: Revelation 12:7–17

We live in a day when so many things are happening around us—politically, financially, educationally, and even religiously. The world seems to be operating on a different level than it did 20, 30, or even 50 years ago.
The devil has always been on the attack, but Revelation 12 reminds us that his time is short. It seems that more and more, the enemy is attacking our families, our children, and our homes.
Every time we think things could not get any more wicked, we see something else that reminds us just how broken our world has become.
Now, I know it is October, and when you preach on spiritual warfare in October, some people immediately assume you are about to preach against Halloween. That is not my intention. I want to enjoy this season in a way that honors the Lord. I look forward to seeing my grandchildren in their little costumes, and I am even hoping we buy plenty of candy and nobody comes to the door so we can keep it all!
At the end of the day, we must consider where our hearts are and whether our choices honor the Lord.
However, October is not the only time we need to be on guard. We need to be spiritually alert 365 days a year.
We need to be on guard for our children. Everything they are involved in matters spiritually. What they do at church matters, but what they do when they leave church matters, too. The devil wants nothing more than to ruin their lives and destroy their future.
That is one reason we make such an effort to teach our children the Word of God. We understand that we are in a spiritual fight.
Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood. If this battle were merely physical, we could see our enemy and develop a strategy to defeat him. But Satan operates in spiritual realms we cannot see. He seeks to influence minds, families, leaders, and the world around us.
First Peter 5:8 warns us:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
The devil is not trying to make your life better. He is not trying to help you become a better Christian. His purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy.
My goal in this series is not to throw rocks or point fingers. My desire is to help us recognize when the enemy is at work, understand how he operates, and learn from the Word of God how we can experience victory through Jesus Christ.
In Revelation 12, the curtain is pulled back, and we get a glimpse of the spiritual battle taking place. Although the passage describes a future conflict, the enemy revealed in these verses is the same enemy we face today.
He is the same one who whispers in your ear that you are not good enough. He is the same one who seeks to discourage you, burden your heart, and hinder you from doing what God has called you to do.
So, let us consider our spiritual enemy and, more importantly, the victory we have in Jesus Christ.
1. Who Is Our Spiritual Enemy?
Revelation 12:9 identifies our enemy by several names:
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Notice the different descriptions given to Satan.
He is the dragon. This picture reminds us of his destructive nature. Jesus said in John 10:10 that the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. Satan's desire is to destroy what God has created and disrupt what God is doing.
He is the old serpent. This reminds us of his subtle and deceptive nature. We first encounter him in the Garden of Eden, where he deceived Eve. Satan does not always approach us with something that looks obviously evil. Sometimes he makes the wrong thing look appealing, harmless, or even beneficial.
He is the devil. The word describes a slanderer, one who brings accusations against others.
He is Satan. His name identifies him as an adversary, an opponent who stands against God's purposes.
Finally, the passage tells us that he deceiveth the whole world.
Satan is a deceiver of men, women, boys, and girls. He wants us to believe what is false, embrace what is wrong, and reject what is right.
Think about how things have changed in our homes. Many of us grew up with strict parents. If we wanted to go somewhere, we knew we had to ask permission. And usually, the first answer was no! We had to make our case and see if we could convince our parents otherwise.
Today, it sometimes seems that the situation has been reversed. Instead of parents making decisions for their children, children are making decisions for their parents.
I love children, and we have some wonderful, smart children in our church. But we must remember that children need guidance, direction, and godly boundaries. They are not equipped to make every decision for themselves.
Why does this matter? Because Satan is on the attack, and he wants to deceive them.
We must not be naive about the enemy. He deliberately deceives and destroys. Ephesians 6:12 makes it clear that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, the rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places.
Our enemy is real, his intentions are destructive, and we must be spiritually alert.
2. Why Is Satan So Angry?
Have you ever stopped to consider why Satan is so angry? He rebelled against God, lost his position, and was cast out of heaven. Why is he so determined to attack God's creation?
Revelation 12:12 gives us the answer:
“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
Satan knows his time is short.
His fate is sealed. He cannot undo his rebellion, and he cannot escape the judgment that awaits him. Revelation 20 describes his final destination in the lake of fire.
Even if Christ's return were another thousand years away, that would still be nothing compared with eternity.
Satan knows he cannot win. He knows that God will ultimately triumph, and he knows his judgment is coming.
So what does he do? He tries to wreak as much havoc as possible along the way.
He cannot defeat God, so he attacks God's creation. He cannot win, so he tries to make others lose. He cannot repent, so he does not want others to repent.
Satan wants you to follow him into destruction. He wants to ruin your testimony, damage your family, weaken your faith, and hinder your service to God.
But we must remember something: the fact that Satan is angry does not mean that he is victorious. His time is short, his judgment is certain, and God remains sovereign over all things.
3. Who Does Satan Hate?
The short answer is you and me.
Revelation 12:17 says:
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Satan is at war with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
If you are striving to obey God's Word, build a Christian home, raise your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and live in a way that honors Christ, you should understand that you have a spiritual enemy.
If it is godly, he opposes it. If it brings honor to God, he hates it. If it causes people to praise Jesus Christ, he wants to hinder it.
Think about what we do when we gather for worship. We sing praises to the Lord, open His Word, pray together, and encourage one another in the faith. Satan hates anything that brings glory to Jesus Christ.
Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be to get to church on Sunday morning?
Monday through Friday, most of us have a routine. The alarm goes off, we get up, get ready, grab our coffee, and head to work. Somehow, we usually manage to get where we need to be.
Some men will get up at 3:30 in the morning to go hunting. They have their equipment ready, their clothes laid out, and everything planned. They get out the door without a problem.
But let Sunday morning come around, and suddenly somebody gets sick, somebody spills something on their clothes, or something that was supposed to fit no longer fits!
Why does it seem that so many things happen when we are trying to get to church?
We must not automatically attribute every inconvenience to Satan. Sometimes life simply happens. But we should recognize that spiritual opposition is real and that we must not allow every obstacle to keep us from doing what God has called us to do.
The same thing can happen when we try to read our Bibles or spend time in prayer. The phone rings, distractions appear, and suddenly everything else seems more urgent.
We must learn to protect our time with God and remain faithful to Him.
Satan hates the testimony of Jesus Christ because that testimony points people to the One who has already defeated him.
4. What Are Satan's Main Weapons?
If we could identify Satan's weapons, we might think we could simply develop a plan to defeat them. But Satan has many ways of attacking us. He can use people, circumstances, distractions, and even things that appear good on the surface.
Two of his most effective weapons are deception and accusation.
A. Deception
Revelation 12:9 tells us that Satan “deceiveth the whole world.”
Satan wants people to believe what is not true. He wants us to accept lies as truth and convince ourselves that sinful choices will not have consequences.
Think about the way temptation is presented to us. We rarely see the full story.
You will not see a beer commercial showing a car wrapped around a tree because of impaired driving. You will not see every broken home, every wounded child, or every life damaged by immorality presented alongside the temptation.
Why? Because temptation does not advertise its consequences.
Satan shows us what he wants us to see, but he does not show us the whole story. He presents the pleasure while hiding the pain, the opportunity while hiding the cost, and the temporary satisfaction while concealing the long-term damage.
That is how deception works.
We must be careful not to assume that something is right simply because it looks appealing or because everyone around us accepts it. God's Word must remain our standard for truth.
B. Accusation
Revelation 12:10 describes Satan as “the accuser of our brethren.”
Have you ever heard those accusing thoughts?
“You are not good enough to teach.”
“You should not be singing.”
“You have no business preaching.”
“You are not even saved.”
“Your family will never come to Christ.”
“Why do you keep going to church? You are wasting your time.”
Satan wants to discourage God's people and make them believe that their service is worthless.
He wants you to focus on your failures until you forget God's grace. He wants you to look at your weaknesses until you lose sight of God's strength.
There is a difference between the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the condemnation of the enemy. The Holy Spirit brings our sin to light so that we can repent and be restored. The enemy uses accusations to discourage us, defeat us, and make us want to give up.
When we sin, we must confess it and get it right with God. But we must not allow the enemy to convince us that our failures are greater than God's grace.
Satan is a deceiver and an accuser. He presents counterfeits, tells half-truths, and tries to lead us away from the truth of God's Word.
We must learn to recognize his tactics so that we will not fall into his traps.
5. How Can We Have Victory?
We have spent time looking at the enemy, but I want to turn our attention to the good news.
We have victory in Jesus Christ!
First, we must understand that we are no match for the devil in our own strength. Satan is not all-powerful or all-knowing, but he is a formidable spiritual enemy. We cannot overcome him simply through our determination, intelligence, or personal ability.
Our victory is not found in ourselves. It is found in Jesus Christ.
Colossians 2:15 tells us that Christ spoiled principalities and powers, made a show of them openly, and triumphed over them through His work on the cross.
Jesus Christ has already won the victory. We are not trying to accomplish a victory that He has not yet secured. We stand in the victory He has already accomplished through His death and resurrection.
Revelation 12:11 declares:
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
Notice two important truths.
A. We Overcome by the Blood of the Lamb
We do not overcome Satan because we are good people. We do not overcome him because we attend a Baptist church, know a few Bible verses, or have been involved in ministry for many years.
We overcome because of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Jesus paid the price for our sin. Through His death and resurrection, He defeated the power of sin and death and secured our salvation.
Hebrews 10:19 reminds us that we can enter God's presence with boldness through the blood of Jesus.
Our confidence is not in our own righteousness. Our confidence is in the finished work of Christ.
B. We Overcome by the Word of Our Testimony
What is your testimony?
Is it that you have been in church for a long time? Is it that you know a few songs, have taught a class, or have served in ministry?
Those things may be part of your story, but they are not the foundation of your testimony.
Our testimony is that our faith and trust are in Jesus Christ. He paid it all. He saved us by His grace, and our hope is in Him.
That is the testimony Satan hates.
He hates for you to say, “I love Christ. I love the Lord. I love the church. I love God's people. I want to serve Him and remain faithful to Him.”
Why? Because a testimony that points people to Jesus Christ reminds us that Satan is not the victor.
First Corinthians 15:57 says:
“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Thank God for Jesus!
Satan is strong, but he is not stronger than our Savior. First John 4:4 reminds us that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.
Our victory is in Christ.
6. What Should We Do in the Battle?
If Christ has already won the victory, does that mean we simply ignore Satan and do nothing? Do we pretend he does not exist?
Absolutely not. We must remain spiritually alert and faithfully follow the Lord.
Here are several practical ways we can stand firm.
A. Lean on God's Strength, Not Your Own
Ephesians 6:10 says:
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”
Notice where our strength comes from. It comes from the Lord and the power of His might.
We should never approach spiritual warfare with pride or the assumption that we can handle Satan on our own. We need God's strength every day.
We do not need to seek out the devil or make a spectacle of spiritual warfare. We need to walk closely with the Lord, trust His power, and remain faithful to His Word.
B. Answer Satan with God's Word
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He answered Satan by quoting Scripture.
When Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread, Jesus answered, “It is written.”
When Satan tempted Him again, Jesus responded with the authority of God's Word.
Jesus showed us the importance of knowing and standing on Scripture.
When Satan tells you that you are not good enough, remember what God's Word says about your identity

Helping Our Church Win
1 Corinthians 15:57–58
“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

There is something special about being part of a team.
Every team has a goal. Every coach has something they want their team to accomplish. There are mottos, sayings, strategies, and pep talks designed to motivate the players.
But beyond all the talk, every great team must have a desire to win—and they must understand what winning really means.
The same is true for the church.
We live in a time when the church is facing tremendous challenges. Churches are closing, attendance is declining, pastors are leaving the ministry, and many people who claim to be Christians rarely attend church.
But Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against His church. The church belongs to Him, and because of that, God's people have a responsibility to be faithful to His church, support its work, and continue taking the Gospel to the world.
I'm a Christian today because somebody loved my family enough to bring the Gospel to us. In 1976, someone reached toward my family, and because of that, my family met Christ.
Since then, we've tried to return that favor.
Someone reached us, so we reach others.
Someone invited us, so we invite others.
Someone cared about our souls, so we care about the souls of others.
That is the responsibility we have been given.
We've already been given the victory through Jesus Christ. Now we are called to be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
Those words sound like something a coach would tell his team:
“Don't give an inch.”
“Don't back up.”
“Stay in the game.”
“Give it everything you've got.”
And that's exactly the kind of commitment the church needs.
Church ought to be a spiritual pep rally. The Word of God ought to excite us. The Christian ought to be the happiest person on the planet because we've been given eternal life and victory through Jesus Christ.
The problem isn't that the Gospel has become boring.
We make it boring when we forget what we've been given.
What Does Winning Mean for a Church?
A big building doesn't necessarily mean a church is winning.
Large attendance doesn't necessarily mean a church is winning.
Programs, ministries, finances, or even being debt-free don't necessarily mean a church is winning.
There's nothing wrong with any of those things. In fact, I pray God allows us to do more for His glory.
But none of those things define winning.
So what does winning mean?

1. Winning Means Building What Christ Builds
Jesus said:
“Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
—Matthew 16:18
It is His church.
Our responsibility is to build what Christ is building.
If we are going to be successful for Christ, we must be moving in the direction Christ wants us to go.
We ought to do everything we can to promote His church and His Gospel.
Don't spend your time telling people outside the church everything that's wrong with the church.
Promote the church.
Tell people how good God has been to you.
Tell them what Christ has done in your life.
Tell them about the hope you've found in Him.
We cannot build Christ's church in our own power. We need His power.

2. Winning Means Bringing Glory to God
I prayed before this service and asked God to help me keep the focus on Him.
We're having Team Spirit Sunday. We're wearing jerseys and talking about teams and competition. There's nothing wrong with any of that.
But the focus must remain on Christ.
Ephesians 3:21 says:
“Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
What we do in this church should ultimately have very little to do with us.
People lead.
People serve.
People teach.
People sing.
People organize.
People clean.
People preach.
But ultimately, He must get the glory.
3. Winning Means Reaching Souls
Proverbs 11:30 says:
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”
That's what winning is all about.
Not simply filling seats.
Not simply having a large building.
Not simply having money in the bank.
Souls.
We can have full pews and still be losing if we're not interested in souls.
We can have the biggest building in town and still be losing if we're not reaching people with the Gospel.
Every person who walks through our doors matters.
The question is not simply, “Did they come to church?”
The question is:
“Are they ready to meet the Lord?”
I love seeing visitors come through our doors. I love seeing babies. I love seeing children filling the classrooms. Those are signs of life and hope for the future.
But more than anything, we must care about their souls.
That is winning.
Building what Christ builds.
Bringing glory to Him.
Reaching souls.
What Do We Bring to the Team?
It's one thing to cheer for a team.
It's another thing to be part of the team.
Every player has a position, and every position has expectations.
If you're the quarterback, you have responsibilities.
If you're a lineman, you have responsibilities.
If you're a batter, you have responsibilities.
And if you're a member of God's church, you have responsibilities too.
There are several things every believer should bring to the team.

A. Faithfulness
One of the greatest things you can bring to God's work is simply faithfulness.
1 Corinthians 4:2 says:
“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
I'm not saying everybody can be here every time the doors are open. Families need vacations. People work. Things happen. Life happens.
But we ought to have a pattern of faithfulness.
Our children shouldn't have to wonder on Sunday morning, “Is today a church day?”
As for me and my house, we'll serve the Lord.
You don't have to be talented.
You don't have to sing.
You don't have to teach.
You don't have to preach.
But you can be faithful.
You can be faithful in front of your children.
You can be faithful in your church.
You can be faithful to God.
You don't have to be faithful to be saved, but you need to be faithful to be obedient.
People don't follow absent leaders.
If we want to lead others, we must set the bar high when it comes to faithfulness.

B. Work Ethic
Every great athlete has something in common:
They work.
Kobe Bryant was known for his incredible work ethic. He was often the first one in the gym and the last one to leave.
I'm not saying we need to start our church day at one o'clock in the morning!
But I am saying we ought to take seriously the work we do for God.
Whatever ministry you're involved in, study it.
Improve it.
Learn how to do it better.
If you're an usher, learn how to be a better usher.
If you're a greeter, learn how to be a better greeter.
If you're working in the nursery, ask how you can make that ministry better.
If you're teaching, study.
If you're singing, practice.
If you're serving, give it your best.
Colossians 3:23 says:
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”
We ought to give God our best.
That includes our attitude.
Our attendance.
Our punctuality.
Our preparation.
Our effort.
Our work ethic.
There is something special about being at church early and serving together.
I love walking into this building early on Sunday morning and seeing people fellowshipping, preparing rooms, straightening chairs, cleaning, making coffee, and getting everything ready.
That's part of the work.
That's part of the team.
And I especially want to challenge the next generation:
We need you.
Teenagers, young adults, moms, dads—we need you to learn what it means to show up early, serve faithfully, and help God's church move forward.

C. Contending for the Faith
Jude 3 says:
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
We aren't called to be contentious with people.
But we are called to contend for the faith.
The word carries the idea of striving and giving everything you've got.
You've heard a coach say:
“Don't leave anything on the field.”
That's the picture.
We should not give our best to our jobs, our hobbies, our vacations, our extracurricular activities, and everything else—and then give God whatever is left.
We ought to contend for the faith.
There are churches all across America that are struggling.
There are churches that may close their doors in the years ahead.
But not on my watch.
Not here.
We're going to work.
We're going to serve.
We're going to reach people.
We're going to encourage other churches.
We're going to keep pushing the Gospel forward.

D. Involvement
Every member should be in the game.
When you watch a football game, you see the players on the field, but there are countless people behind those players.
Coaches.
Trainers.
Special teams.
Equipment managers.
Travel coordinators.
Medical staff.
People who wash uniforms.
People who schedule hotels and flights.
There are hundreds of people involved in making the team successful.
The same is true at church.
On Sunday morning, you may see the preacher standing behind the pulpit.
But there's so much more happening.
People are singing.
People are teaching children.
People are keeping the nursery.
People are greeting.
People are making coffee.
People are cleaning bathrooms.
People are vacuuming floors.
People are working security.
People are running the sound.
People are putting things on the screens.
People are practicing music during the week.
There are people serving behind the scenes that most people never see.
And every one of them matters.
1 Corinthians 12:21 says:
“And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee…”
We need each other.
There is a place for you to serve.
Maybe it's a broom.
Maybe it's a microphone.
Maybe it's a lawnmower.
Maybe it's a classroom.
Maybe it's a nursery.
Maybe it's a ministry nobody else sees.
Whatever it is, get in the game.

3. The Holy Spirit Calls the Plays
Every team has playmakers, but every team also has people calling the plays.
They see the bigger picture.
They see what the defense is doing.
They see things the players on the field may not be able to see.
And the church has a Play Caller.
The Holy Spirit of God.
Zechariah 4:6 says:
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Psalm 127:1 says:
“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it…”
And Jesus said in John 15:5:
“Without me ye can do nothing.”
God uses people.
He wants to use us.
But He is the One who knows the whole picture.
He has the wisdom.
He has the power.
He knows what's next.
We must depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us.
We can make our own plans, but without God's direction, we can end up running the wrong play.
We need to trust the Play Caller.
We Must Have a Team Commitment
No great team reaches a championship without commitment.
Nobody wins the Super Bowl, the World Series, or a National Championship because everybody was scattered and doing their own thing.
They pull together.
They persevere.
They overcome injuries.
They overcome losses.
They keep giving their best.
Why?
Because they're committed.
And God's people need that same commitment.

1. Commit Your Life to Christ
If you've never committed your life to Christ, what are you waiting for?
Here's your sign.
Give yourself to the One who gave Himself for you.
Church attendance cannot save you.
Being a good person cannot save you.
Being religious cannot save you.
Only Christ can save you.
Commit your life to Him.

2. Commit Yourself Spiritually to the Lord and His Church
Pray for your church.
And I'm not just talking about saying, “Lord, bless the church.”
Call people by name.
Pray for your Sunday School teachers.
Pray for your children's teachers.
Pray for your pastor.
Pray for the people serving around you.
Ask God to lead you in His Word.
Ask Him to lead you in your personal ministry.
You have a ministry.
Ask God to show you what it is.
Don't simply sit around wondering why you're not being used.
Ask God what He wants you to do next.

3. Commit Yourself Physically to the Lord and His Church
We need you here.
I'm thankful for our online ministry. There are people who are sick, elderly, working, or physically unable to attend who can stay connected through our livestream.
But online church was never intended to replace being with God's people when you're physically able to be there.
You can't hug somebody's neck through a screen.
You can't shake somebody's hand.
You can't experience corporate worship in the same way.
You need the people sitting beside you.
And sometimes those people need you.
Romans 12:1 says:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
After everything God has done for us, isn't it reasonable that we give Him our best?
Give Your Best to the One Who Gave His Best for You
If I were your coach and you wanted to reach the next level, I wouldn't be a very good coach if I didn't challenge you.
Sometimes the best coaches get in your face.
Sometimes they make you work harder.
Sometimes they make you sit down because you're not giving your best.
But the goal isn't to beat you down.
The goal is to make you better.
And that's my desire for our church.
I don't want this message to be about browbeating anybody.
I want our church to be our best.
I want us to give our best to the Master.
Give your best to the One who gave His best for you.
If we'll be faithful…
If we'll work…
If we'll contend…
If we'll get involved…
If we'll follow the Holy Spirit…
If we'll commit ourselves to Christ and His church…
I believe God will allow us to do some great things.
God never blesses unfaithfulness.
He never blesses a half-hearted attitude.
But when God's people give Him their best, I believe we can say with confidence:
The best is yet to come.
And that's how we help our church win.

This small group Bible study has been developed from sermons preached from the pulpit of West End Baptist Church. It is designed to serve as a guide to help you study, discuss, and grow in your understanding of God’s Word.
This study is not a substitute for the Bible, nor should it ever take the place of reading and studying Scripture for yourself. The ultimate authority is always the Word of God. If questions arise during this study, we encourage you to search the Scriptures, seek God’s guidance, and trust the truth found in His Word above all else.

Small Group Guide: I Believe the Scriptures
Based on 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Overview
This week's sermon opened a new series called "I Believe," focusing on the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith. Before exploring specific beliefs, the pastor established why those beliefs matter — by grounding everything in the authority, reliability, and sufficiency of Scripture. This guide will help your group dig deeper into what the Bible claims about itself and what that means for daily life.
Key Scripture References

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 — Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness

Key Takeaways

1. Scripture is God-breathed, meaning it carries the very voice and authority of God, not merely the opinions or wisdom of men.
2. The Word of God is profitable in four specific ways: it teaches doctrine, reproves error, corrects our course, and trains us in righteousness.
3. The Bible is sufficient — it contains everything needed for salvation and godly living.
4. Without doctrine, a church and its members operate on opinion rather than truth.
5. The Holy Spirit will never contradict the Word of God. Any impression or leading that conflicts with Scripture should be tested against it.
6. God has preserved His Word reliably through the ages so that every person might have access to a clear presentation of the Gospel.

Discussion Questions
Opening Question
What is the earliest memory you have of the Bible — a verse, a story, or a moment when Scripture meant something to you? (Or: Did you grow up in a church or home where the Bible was regularly taught? How did that shape — or not shape — how you view Scripture today?)
Digging Into the Text

• The sermon described the Greek word for "inspired" as meaning "God-breathed." How does understanding Scripture as God-breathed rather than simply "inspiring" change the way you approach reading it?
• The pastor drew a parallel between God breathing life into man at creation and God breathing His Word into existence. What does that comparison suggest about how important Scripture is meant to be in a believer's life?
• Have you ever heard someone say, "The Bible was just written by men"? How would you respond to that after hearing this sermon?
• The sermon identified four ways Scripture is profitable: doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Which of these four do you find yourself most resistant to, and why?
• The pastor used the image of road lines and rumble strips as a picture of reproof — warning us when we have drifted too far. Can you think of a time when Scripture functioned that way in your own life?

Going Deeper

• The pastor said, "The book is enough." Do you find that easy or difficult to believe when you are in the middle of a hard season? What makes it difficult?
• The sermon mentioned that the Bible will not always give us specific answers to specific decisions — a home to buy, a medical choice to make — but it will provide wisdom, clarity, and peace. How have you experienced that in your own life?
• The pastor distinguished between doctrinal convictions and personal preferences, using examples like pew versus chair seating or wall colors as preferences, and the virgin birth or substitutionary death of Christ as doctrine. How do you personally tell the difference between the two? Where does that line sometimes get blurry?
• The pastor said the Holy Spirit will never contradict the Word of God. Why is that an important safeguard, and how does it help you evaluate what you hear from others or sense in your own spirit?
• The sermon introduced eight components of the doctrine of Scripture: Inspiration, Inerrancy, Infallibility, Authority, Sufficiency, Clarity, Preservation, and Canonicity. Which of these is most meaningful to you personally right now, and which one do you feel you understand the least?

Personal Reflection
The sermon made the point that we sometimes look for verses that confirm what we want to do rather than allowing Scripture to redirect us. Ask yourself: am I reading Scripture to hear from God, or am I reading it to find support for what I have already decided? What does it look like practically to make Scripture the authority in your life when the culture around you is constantly offering competing voices and perspectives?
Practical Applications

• Start a reading habit. Rather than committing to a full Bible-reading plan right away, open your Bible each morning, ask God for one truth, and spend time thinking about that truth throughout the day. Share what you discover with your group next week.
• Identify a doctrine. Look up your church's statement of faith or doctrinal statement online, mark any point where you have a question, and bring it to your group.
• Memorize a verse on Scripture. Commit one verse about the nature or value of Scripture to memory this week and recite it to a group member or family member before your next meeting.
• Protect your time in the Word. Identify one thing in your daily routine that consistently crowds out Bible reading, and make a specific plan to guard that time.

Closing Thought
Everything the church believes and everything a believer builds their life on has to rest on something solid — and that foundation is Scripture. It is God-breathed, not man-made; sufficient, not lacking; and reliable, having been preserved through the ages so that every person might hold the Gospel in their hands today. Before we can say "I believe" about any specific doctrine, we have to settle this first: is the book enough? This week, let your answer to that question show up in how you actually read it.

Small Group Guide: I Believe in Jesus Christ
Based on John 1:1-5
Overview
This week's message focused on the person of Jesus Christ as the foundation of Christian faith. Rather than simply saying "I believe in Jesus," we are called to know who He is — fully God, fully man, and the one who completely accomplished the work of our salvation. This guide will help your group move from general belief to deeper knowledge and personal relationship with Christ.
Key Scripture References

• John 1:1 — Jesus is described as the Word, who was with God and was God from the very beginning
• John 1:14 — The Word became flesh and dwelt among us
• Hebrews 4:15 — Jesus was tempted in every way we are, yet without sin
• Philippians 2:8 — Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on the cross
• Philippians 2:9-11 — One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus Christ is fully God. He was present at the beginning, and it took one who was fully God to accomplish what no ordinary person could — paying the debt for all of mankind's sin.
2. Jesus Christ is fully man. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He lived, was tempted, wept, grew weary, and died just as we do — yet without sin. Because of this, He is able to sympathize with everything we face.
3. Jesus Christ fully completed His mission. He came to seek and to save the lost. In obedience to His own law, He went to the cross, and one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.
4. Knowing Christ is not a one-time event. Just as relationships deepen over time through shared experiences, our relationship with Jesus is meant to grow richer and more personal throughout our lives.

Discussion Questions
Opening Question
When you were growing up, how would you have described who Jesus is? How has that understanding changed or grown over the years?
Digging Into the Text

• John 1:1 describes Jesus as the Word who was with God and was God from the very beginning. Why does it matter that Jesus is fully God and not simply a great teacher or moral example?
• The sermon made the point that a Savior who is anything less than fully God could never save mankind. How does understanding Jesus as fully God change the way you think about what happened on the cross?
• John 1:14 tells us the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The sermon described this as God choosing to come to us rather than waiting for us to reach Him. What does that say about the character of God?
• Hebrews 4:15 tells us Jesus was tempted in every way we are, yet without sin. How does knowing that Jesus faced real temptation make a difference when you are personally struggling with sin or hardship?
• Philippians 2:8 says Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The sermon pointed out that Jesus was obedient to a law He Himself had established. What does that kind of self-imposed obedience reveal about His character?

Going Deeper

• The sermon drew a distinction between preference and doctrine. What are some examples of preferences you have seen cause division in a church setting? Why is it important to anchor ourselves to what the Bible actually teaches rather than personal preference?
• The sermon mentioned that our love for Christ should cause us to want to know Him more, just as spouses and family members grow to know one another over time. What are some practical ways you have grown in your knowledge of Jesus through a difficult season of life?
• Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. How does that future reality shape the way you live and speak about your faith today?
• The sermon listed many names and titles of Jesus — the Word, the Lamb of God, the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Which of those names or titles is most meaningful to you personally right now, and why?

Personal Reflection
The pastor challenged the group to grow in knowledge of Christ every year, saying that coming out of a valley we should know more about Jesus than we knew going in. Think of a difficult season you have walked through. What did you learn about Jesus on the other side of it? The sermon closed with a reminder that Jesus is currently seated at the right hand of the Father making intercession for believers. How does that truth change the way you approach prayer or face discouragement this week?
Practical Applications

• Study one name or title of Jesus each day this week. Choose from the list mentioned in the sermon or find others in Scripture, and write down what that name reveals about His character and how it applies to something you're currently facing.
• Memorize Hebrews 4:15-16. Let the truth that Jesus faced real temptation without sinning shape how you pray this week.
• Have a conversation about Jesus with someone outside your group. Look for one natural opportunity this week to talk about who Jesus is, not just what Christians do or believe in general terms.
• Reflect on your own testimony. Write down or share with a partner what your life looked like before Christ, how you came to know Him, and how your understanding of who He is has grown since then.

Closing Thought
Jesus Christ is not merely a title we assign Him or a box we check on a list of beliefs — He is fully God, fully man, and the one who completed everything necessary for our salvation. He came to seek and to save the lost, He sympathizes with every struggle we face, and He now intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father. Knowing Him is not a one-time decision but a lifelong relationship meant to grow deeper with every season. The question this week is not whether you believe in Jesus, but how well you actually know Him.


Small Group Guide: I Believe in the God of the Bible
Based on Genesis 1:1
Overview
This week's sermon continued a series on the core doctrines of the church, shifting focus from the doctrine of Scripture to the doctrine of God. The pastor emphasized that God is our Creator, that He is the one true God of the Bible, and that He exists as a Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — each person playing a distinct role in our lives and in the plan of salvation. The central message: whatever you need, God has the answer.
Key Scripture References

• Genesis 1:1 — God establishes Himself as Creator before anything else is said
• Colossians 1:16 — All things were created by God and for God
• Exodus 3:14 — God reveals Himself to Moses as "I Am"
• Matthew 28:19 — The Great Commission, referencing all three persons of the Godhead
• Matthew 3:16-17 — Jesus' baptism, where Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all present

Key Takeaways

1. God is the Creator of all things, and recognizing that truth shapes our understanding of our own purpose — to bring honor and glory to Him, not to ourselves.
2. The God we worship is specifically the God revealed in Scripture. In a world that blurs religious lines, believers must be grounded in the truth of who God is as He has revealed Himself.
3. God exists as one God in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person plays a unique role: the Father planned salvation, the Son accomplished it, and the Holy Spirit applies and seals it in believers.
4. God is actively at work in our lives, often in ways we cannot see or fully understand. He sees the end from the beginning and orchestrates events to bring about His purposes.
5. God is not a last resort. He is a faithful Father and Friend who desires to hear from us and be involved in every area of our lives.

Discussion Questions
Opening Question
Take a few minutes to introduce yourself to the group if needed. Then share: when you think about the word "God," what is the first thing that comes to mind? Where did that image come from?
Digging Into the Text

• The pastor said, "Scripture is the basis for what we believe, but God is the basis for who we are." What do you think he meant by that distinction? How does it change the way you see yourself?
• Genesis 1:1 establishes God as Creator before anything else is said. Why do you think it matters that we start our understanding of God there? How does seeing yourself as a created being — rather than a self-made one — affect your sense of purpose?
• Colossians 1:16 teaches that all things were created by God and for God. In practical terms, what does it look like to live as though your life belongs to Him and exists for His glory?
• God revealed Himself to Moses as "I Am" — meaning He is everything you need. What do you personally need from God right now? How does knowing He is the great "I Am" speak to that need?
• The Trinity can be a difficult concept to fully grasp. The pastor pointed to three moments in Scripture where all three persons of the Godhead are present or referenced — creation, the Great Commission, and Jesus' baptism. Which of those examples helps you understand the Trinity most clearly?

Going Deeper

• The pastor warned against the idea that all religions are simply different names for the same God. Why is that a dangerous belief? How would you respond to someone in your life who holds that view?
• The pastor listed many names and roles of God — Jehovah, Healer, Supplier, Peace, Comforter, Refuge. Which of those names means the most to you in this season of your life, and why?
• Consider the distinct roles in salvation: the Father planned it, the Son accomplished it, and the Holy Spirit applies and seals it. How does seeing salvation as the work of all three persons deepen your appreciation for what God has done for you?
• The pastor noted that God has never been lonely because the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always existed in perfect fellowship, and connected that to the purpose of the church — to fill loneliness with genuine community. How well does your small group or church fulfill that role in your life?
• The pastor shared a story about Kevin, whose job change turned out to be the answer to his mother's prayers — even though Kevin may not have known it at the time. Can you think of a moment in your own life where you later realized God was orchestrating something you did not understand at the time?

Personal Reflection
The pastor said we often treat God like a spare tire — only calling on Him as a last resort. Be honest: in what areas of your life do you tend to rely on your own strength before turning to God? He challenged the group: "When is the last time you talked to God about it?" — referring to concerns about family, finances, health, and government. What is one specific area of your life where you need to move from venting or worrying to actually praying?
Practical Applications

• Daily Creator Awareness — Each morning this week, take sixty seconds before getting out of bed to acknowledge that you are a created being made for God's glory. Ask Him to help you live that day for His honor rather than your own.
• Pray Before You Post — Before you comment, complain, or vent about something this week, make it a rule to pray about it first.
• Learn a Name of God — Look up one of the names of God mentioned in the sermon, such as Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Rapha, or Jehovah Shalom, and study what it means. Share what you find with the group next week.
• Trace God's Hand — Write down three to five events in your life that seemed random or difficult at the time but that you can now see God used for a purpose. Spend time thanking Him for His faithfulness in those moments.
• Pray Specifically — Identify one need in your life that you have been carrying on your own. Write it down, commit to praying over it every day this week, and share it with a trusted member of your group so they can pray with you.

Closing Thought
Whatever you need, God has the answer. He is not distant, not a last resort, and not one voice among many — He is the Creator who made you for His glory, the one true God revealed in Scripture, and a Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who has always been at work in your life, even in the moments you couldn't see it. The question this week is simple: will you actually talk to Him about it?


Small Group Guide: I Believe in the Church
Based on Matthew 16:13-19
Overview
This session explores the pastor's message on the church — what it is, why it matters, and what God intends for it to accomplish in our lives. Drawing from Matthew 16:13-19, we examine three key truths: the church is a place of testimony, a place of transformation, and a place of triumph. This guide is designed to help your group move from hearing these truths to living them out together.
Key Scripture References

• Matthew 16:13-19 — Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, and Jesus' declaration that He will build His church
• Matthew 16:18 — Jesus declares that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church
• Hebrews 10:25 — Believers are instructed not to neglect gathering together
• Proverbs 11:25 — The principle that generosity flows back to the giver

Key Takeaways

1. The Church Is a Place of Testimony. Our presence in the church is itself a declaration of faith. Peter's confession in Matthew 16 was not something he arrived at on his own — it was revealed to him by God. In the same way, the church is where our testimony begins, is shaped, and is sharpened over time.
2. The Church Is a Place of Transformation. Jesus did not call Peter a rock because Peter had always been steady, but because of what Christ had done in him. The church is the environment where that same transformation happens in us — through teaching, encouragement, accountability, and the use of our gifts.
3. The Church Is a Place of Triumph. Jesus declared that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church. We are not a defeated people dragging toward heaven — we are a triumphant people, equipped with authority and carrying heaven's endorsement in what we do.

Discussion Questions
Opening Question
Think of one person or one moment connected to a church that made a lasting difference in your life. Share it in just a few sentences.
Digging Into the Text

• The pastor said, "You do not have to be in church to be saved, but you need to be in church to have a strong testimony for God." Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Why?
• Peter's confession in Matthew 16 came after spending time with Jesus and witnessing what He said and did. How has being part of a church community helped clarify or strengthen your own understanding of who Jesus is?
• The pastor noted that Simon the unstable fisherman became Peter the rock — not overnight, but through time spent with Jesus and in community. Where do you see yourself in that process right now? Are you more in a "Simon" season or a "Peter" season?
• The pastor listed several ways the church facilitates transformation: teaching, training, prayer, encouragement, using gifts, and being loved. Which of these has had the greatest impact on your own growth? Which do you feel you are currently missing?

Going Deeper

• The pastor described faithfulness to the church the way you would describe faithfulness in a relationship — showing up consistently matters. What does a healthy, realistic pattern of faithfulness to the local church look like for someone in your current season of life?
• Hebrews 10:25 instructs believers not to neglect gathering together. What are the most common reasons people drift from consistent church involvement, and how can this group help one another stay connected?
• The pastor said that some weeks it feels like fighting "held by the acre" — that the enemy is constantly pressing in. How does being connected to the local church help you stand against that pressure in a way you could not on your own?
• The pastor described the church as God's answer to nearly every command He gives us — generosity, raising children, bearing burdens, reaching the world. Which of these commands feels hardest for you to obey on your own? How does the church make obedience to that command more possible?

Personal Reflection
The pastor talked about the tendency to speak defeat over our own lives — expecting bad luck, bracing for the worst — and challenged the group to speak in alignment with God's will instead. What is one area of your life right now where you need to shift from speaking defeat to speaking faith? What would it look like to believe that God is not just getting you to heaven, but making you a winner along the way?
Practical Applications

• Identify one habit or pattern that is pulling you away from consistent involvement in your church, and make a specific plan this week to address it.
• Write down three things you are grateful for about your local church, and share them with someone who needs encouragement about the church.
• If you have children, tell them a story this week about what the church has meant to your family, so they understand it is not just a building but a family with a history.
• As a group, identify one person in your church or community who is disconnected from the body of Christ. Pray for that person by name this week and consider one practical way your group could reach out.
• Make a commitment to attend one church service or event in the coming weeks that you would not normally attend, with the intention of encouraging someone else.
• Consider giving financially at a level that requires faith, trusting the principle in Proverbs 11:25 that generosity flows back to the giver.

Closing Thought
The church was never meant to be a building we visit or a box we check. It is the family Christ died for and continues to build — a place where our testimony is formed, where transformation happens through time and community, and where we walk not as a defeated people but as a triumphant one. Jesus said the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. The question for each of us is whether we will show up, get involved, and let that promise shape how we live this week.

Small Group Guide: I Believe in the Priesthood of the Believer
Based on Hebrews 10:19-22

Overview
This guide is based on a sermon exploring what the Bible calls the priesthood of the believer. The central question driving our discussion is this: as followers of Christ, how close can we actually get to God? Through the imagery of the temple veil, the sacrifice of Christ, and the open invitation to approach God directly, we will examine what this doctrine means for our daily lives.

Key Scripture References

• Hebrews 10:19-22 -- The author of Hebrews describes the bold access believers now have to enter the holiest place through the blood of Jesus by a new and living way
• Hebrews 4:14-16 -- Believers are invited to come boldly before the throne of grace because Jesus, as high priest, understands human weakness from personal experience
• Matthew 27:50-51 -- At the moment of Christ's death, the temple veil was torn from top to bottom
• Leviticus 16:2 -- God warned Aaron not to enter the holy place beyond the veil at just any time, or he would die
• Hebrews 9:7 -- Only the high priest could enter the second holy place, and only once a year, and never without blood
• 1 Peter 2:5, 9 -- Believers are described as a holy and royal priesthood, a chosen generation called out of darkness into God's marvelous light

Key Takeaways
1. The veil represented separation. Before Christ, access to God's presence was tightly restricted. Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, only once a year, and only with a blood sacrifice. The average person had no direct access to God. This was not a minor inconvenience -- it was a matter of life and death.
2. Christ tore the veil through His sacrifice. When Jesus died on the cross, the temple veil was torn from top to bottom -- not from the bottom up by human hands, but from the top down by God Himself. This was a deliberate, powerful, divine act signaling that the barrier between God and humanity had been permanently removed.
3. Jesus is a high priest who understands us personally. Unlike the Old Testament priests who were set apart from ordinary life, Jesus walked among people. He experienced hunger, thirst, grief, temptation, and suffering. He is not distant or unreachable. He knows exactly what we are going through.
4. Every believer is now a priest. The access once reserved for a select few has been extended to every person who belongs to Christ. We do not need another human being to mediate between us and God. We can go directly to the throne of grace -- boldly, personally, and at any time.
5. This access demands a personal response. With this open door comes personal responsibility. We must choose to walk through it. Living as though the veil is still in place -- waiting for Sundays, waiting for a pastor to pray, waiting for a special occasion -- means missing one of the greatest gifts the gospel provides.

Discussion Questions
Opening Question
Think of a time when you had access to something or someone that you previously could not reach. What did that access mean to you, and how did it change things?
Digging Into the Text

1. Read Hebrews 10:19-22 together. The passage uses the word "boldly" to describe how believers can approach God. What does it mean to come boldly before God? Does that word feel natural to you when you think about prayer, or does it feel presumptuous? Why?
2. The sermon described the Old Testament system in detail -- one man, one day a year, with a blood sacrifice, entering a place where death awaited the unauthorized. How does understanding that system change the way you think about the access you have to God right now?
3. Read Matthew 27:50-51. The veil was torn from top to bottom, not from the bottom up. What is the significance of that direction? What does it tell us about who initiated this open access?
4. Hebrews 4:15 says Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. The sermon pointed out that Old Testament priests were kept separate from the struggles of ordinary life. How does knowing that Jesus personally experienced hardship, temptation, and grief affect the way you approach Him in prayer?
5. Read 1 Peter 2:5 and 2:9. Peter -- a man who denied Christ and repeatedly stumbled -- wrote that believers are now a holy and royal priesthood. What does it say about God's grace that someone like Peter could write those words and include himself in them? What does it say about you?

Going Deeper

1. The sermon raised this question: if you could ask God anything when you get to heaven, why not ask Him now? What holds people back from praying with that kind of openness and expectation? What holds you back personally?
2. The sermon described how easy it is to live as though the veil is still closed -- only praying on Sundays, only praying in church, only bringing needs to God through another person. In what ways do you think the church as a whole, or you individually, sometimes behaves as if the veil is still up?
3. The sermon made a distinction between preferences and core doctrine. The priesthood of the believer is presented as a foundational biblical truth, not a preference. Why do you think this doctrine matters for how a church functions and how individual believers live day to day?
4. If someone in your group were to ask you right now, "What is the thing you most need God to do in your life?" how would you answer? What would it look like to actually bring that need before God this week in a deliberate and specific way?

Personal Reflection

1. On a scale of one to ten, how much does your daily prayer life reflect the reality that the veil has been torn and the throne room is open to you at any moment? What would need to change for that number to go up?

Practical Applications
This week, practice going through the veil. Set aside a specific time each day this week to pray, not as a religious routine, but as a deliberate act of walking through the open door that Christ purchased for you. Come boldly. Name your needs specifically. Come on behalf of others by name.
Pray for someone who cannot pray for themselves right now. Think of someone in your life who is overwhelmed, sick, grieving, or spiritually lost. As a priest under the new covenant, you have the ability to stand in the gap for that person. Commit to praying for them daily this week and, if appropriate, let them know you are doing so.
Identify one area where you have been waiting instead of praying. Is there a burden, a decision, a relationship, or a fear that you have been carrying without consistently bringing it to God? Write it down. Bring it to the throne room this week and leave it there.
Memorize Hebrews 4:16. Commit this verse to memory this week. Let the invitation to come boldly before the throne of grace become language that shapes how you think about prayer.
Discuss this with someone outside your group. The priesthood of the believer is not just a theological concept -- it is a practical reality that changes how people live. Share what you learned from this study with someone who may not know they have direct access to God.

Closing Thought
The veil that once kept humanity at a distance from God was not quietly folded up and set aside. It was torn -- violently, completely, and permanently -- by the hand of God Himself at the moment His Son gave His life. That torn veil is an invitation. It is also a declaration. The way is open. The throne room is accessible. You are part of a royal priesthood. The question is not whether you can go in. The question is whether you will.

Small Group Guide: I Believe in the Two Ordinances of the Church
Main Text: Acts 2:41–42
Key Verse: Acts 2:42
“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
Opening Thought
Over the past several weeks, we have been studying what we believe as a church through our series, “I Believe.” We have talked about the Scriptures, God, Jesus Christ, and the priesthood of the believer.
These are foundational truths of our faith.
Today, we turn our attention to two things Christ gave specifically to His church that are both visible and tangible: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
We call these the two ordinances of the church.
Neither baptism nor the Lord’s Supper adds anything to the finished work of Christ. We are not saved by being baptized or by taking communion. We participate in these ordinances because we have already trusted Christ and because they give us a physical way to demonstrate and remember the gospel.

1. Baptism Pictures the Gospel
Read: Romans 6:3–4
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Baptism is more than simply getting into a pool and getting wet.
When a believer goes under the water, it pictures the death and burial of Christ. When they come back up, it pictures the resurrection of Christ and the believer’s new life in Him.
Baptism is a public testimony that says:
Christ died. Christ was buried. Christ rose again. And because He lives, I now live also.
It is a picture of the change that has already taken place inside the believer.
Discussion Questions

1. What does baptism picture according to Romans 6:3–4?
2. Why is baptism such a powerful picture of the gospel?
3. What does a believer communicate to others when they publicly identify with Christ through baptism?
4. Why is it important to understand that baptism pictures salvation rather than provides salvation?

Life Application
If you have trusted Christ but have never followed Him in believer’s baptism, consider what may be keeping you from taking that step of obedience.

2. Baptism Follows Faith in Christ
Read: Acts 2:41 and Acts 8:36–37
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
And Acts 8:37 says:
“And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.”
The pattern in Scripture is clear:
Faith in Christ comes first. Baptism follows.
The Ethiopian eunuch wanted to be baptized, but Philip first established whether he believed.
Baptism is therefore called believer’s baptism. It is for someone who has personally placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Baptism is not for infants who cannot personally make that decision. It is not something we do simply because someone wants a fresh start or wants to try something new.
Baptism is the response of someone who has already trusted Christ.
Discussion Questions

1. What order do we see in Acts 2:41—receiving the Word or being baptized?
2. Why is personal faith in Christ necessary before baptism?
3. What is the difference between wanting a “new start” in life and genuinely trusting Christ for salvation?
4. Why is it important for churches to clearly explain what baptism means?

Life Application
Think about your own testimony. Can you identify a time when you personally placed your faith in Jesus Christ?

3. The Lord’s Supper Helps Us Remember
Read: 1 Corinthians 11:23–25
“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Jesus specifically told His followers to remember Him.
The bread reminds us of His body given for us.
The cup reminds us of His blood shed for us.
The Lord’s Supper gives us something physical that helps us remember something spiritual.
When we take the bread and the cup, we are not receiving salvation. We are remembering the salvation Christ has already purchased for us.
Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus gave the church a physical way to remember His sacrifice?
2. What should come to our minds when we take the bread?
3. What should come to our minds when we take the cup?
4. How can the Lord’s Supper help strengthen our faith during difficult seasons?

Life Application
The next time you participate in the Lord’s Supper, intentionally slow down and remember what Christ did for you personally.

4. The Lord’s Supper Helps Us Proclaim
Read: 1 Corinthians 11:26
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”
The Lord’s Supper doesn't only cause us to look backward.
It also causes us to look forward.
We remember His death, but we also look forward to His coming again.
The Lord’s Supper sits between two great truths:
Christ came and died.
Christ is coming again.
Every time the church gathers around the Lord’s table, we proclaim that message.
We are saying that Christ died for our sins, that He rose again, and that He is coming again.
Discussion Questions

1. What does the Lord’s Supper proclaim according to 1 Corinthians 11:26?
2. Why is it important that communion reminds us of Christ’s return as well as His death?
3. How does remembering Christ’s return give us hope?
4. How can our participation in the Lord’s Supper be a testimony to others?

Life Application
Let the Lord’s Supper remind you this week that you are not simply living for today. Christ is coming again.

5. We Must Take the Lord’s Supper Seriously
Read: 1 Corinthians 11:27–29
“Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”
Paul gives a serious warning concerning the Lord’s Supper.
We should not treat it casually.
Before participating, believers should examine themselves and consider what Christ's sacrifice means.
This doesn't mean that we have to be perfect before coming to the table. None of us could ever meet that standard.
It means that we should understand what we are doing and approach the Lord's Supper with reverence, faith, and appreciation for the sacrifice of Christ.
Discussion Questions

1. What does it mean to “examine himself” before taking the Lord’s Supper?
2. Why should we never treat communion as simply another church tradition?
3. What can happen when we become so familiar with something holy that we stop appreciating its meaning?

Life Application
Before the next Lord’s Supper service, take time to thank God specifically for Christ’s broken body and shed blood.

Final Reflection
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper give us something tangible in a world where people often want something they can see and touch.
Through baptism, we picture the gospel.
Through the Lord’s Supper, we remember and proclaim the gospel.
But neither ordinance can save us.
Before we can rightly enter the baptistry or come to the Lord’s table, we must first come to the cross.
Jesus said:
“Ye must be born again.”
—John 3:7
The greatest question is not, “Have you been baptized?”
It is not, “Have you taken communion?”
The greatest question is:
Have you trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior?
If you have, then baptism gives you an opportunity to publicly identify with Him, and the Lord’s Supper gives you an opportunity to remember and proclaim what He has done.

Personal Reflection
Take a few moments to consider:

• Have I personally trusted Jesus Christ for salvation?
• Have I followed Christ in believer’s baptism?
• Do I understand what baptism represents?
• Do I approach the Lord’s Supper with the seriousness and gratitude it deserves?
• Am I living with the hope that Christ is coming again?

I Believe: The Two Ordinances of the Church
Acts 2:41–42
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

Over the past few weeks, we have been in a series called “I Believe.” We have been talking about what the church believes—specifically what West End Baptist Church believes—but more importantly, what the Bible teaches us to believe.
One of the things we work hard to do as a church is separate preference from doctrine.
People in this room have different preferences. Some like chairs; some like the old pews. There are a thousand different variables when it comes to preferences. But there are certain things the Bible gives us that are not simply matters of preference. They are what Scripture calls sound doctrine.
The Bible even refers to these truths as “the apostles’ doctrine”—the doctrine given to those men who saw the resurrected Lord.
Over the past few weeks, we have talked about the Scriptures. We have talked about God and proclaimed that we believe in the God of the Bible—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Creator of heaven and earth.
We have talked about who Jesus is and the sacrifice He made for us. We believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life and died a substitutionary death in our place.
Last week, we talked about the priesthood of the believer and how, because of the shed blood of Christ, the veil was torn from top to bottom, opening the way for us to come boldly before the throne of grace.
All of these doctrines help us know God, come to God, and communicate with God.
The Scriptures are tangible. I hope you have a copy of the Word of God today. But they are also spiritual.
God the Father is real, but He is spiritual. Jesus Christ came in the flesh, but now we trust Him by faith. The veil in the temple was physically torn, but we enter into God's presence spiritually.
So today I want to ask a question:
Is there something we can see, something we can touch, something we can participate in that shows the world what has happened inside of us?
The world may not be able to see God. They may not understand faith. They may say, “That's all well and good, but I wasn't there 2,000 years ago.”
So is there something visible that demonstrates what Christ has done in us?
Yes.
Today I want to talk about two things Christ gave the church that we can actually see and touch.
These are not only truths from the Word of God, but physical, visible practices that demonstrate those truths.
Today I want to preach on:
I Believe in the Two Ordinances of the Church
The Bible gives us two ordinances—or practices—that Christ Himself ordained:
Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
We call them the two ordinances of the local church.
We do not call them sacraments.
A sacrament is generally understood as an act that is necessary to complete the work of salvation. In other words, you do this, and then you do that, and eventually you complete your salvation.
But as a church that preaches the finished work of Christ on the cross, we do not believe that baptism or the Lord's Supper adds anything to the work of grace Christ accomplished at Calvary.
We cannot eat enough bread.
We cannot drink enough juice.
We cannot take enough classes.
We cannot get in that baptistry enough times to earn salvation.
Salvation is by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We don't participate in these ordinances to become saved. We participate in them because Christ has already done a work in our lives.
They are a response to the gospel we have already received.
And one of the wonderful things about these ordinances is that they are visible and tangible.
Let's look at them.

1. Baptism Pictures the Gospel
Romans 6:3–4 says:
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Let me briefly describe what baptism looks like at West End Baptist Church.
Normally, at the end of a service, we'll go to the back and prepare for baptism. Sometimes it's funny back there. Somebody forgot a towel. Somebody forgot a change of clothes. Somebody comes out and still has their socks on!
But we have a great time getting ready.
We'll practice in the back. I'll tell the person, “You're going to hold my hand. I'm going to hold your hand. You're going to hold your own nose. I'm going to lay you back, and we're going to bring you back up.”
We'll often give them a baptism shirt that says something like “Raised to Life” or “I Have Decided.”
Then we go into the baptistry, and we normally say:
“Baptizing you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
Then we baptize them and bring them back up.
That's what the baptism service looks like.
But there's much more to baptism than simply getting into a pool and getting wet.
When a person is baptized, they are placed under the water, demonstrating the death and burial of Christ.
When they come back up, they demonstrate that Christ was raised to life again.
But baptism is also a testimony about the believer.
It is saying:
I deserved to die because of my sin. In Christ, I have died spiritually. But Christ didn't stay dead, and I didn't stay dead. I have been made alive. I am a new person, and now I walk in newness of life.
Baptism isn't just a picture of death.
It's a picture of resurrection and new life.
It's not a funeral service. It's a testimony of someone who has been changed and born into the family of God.
When we are baptized, we publicly proclaim:
Christ died. Christ was buried. Christ rose again. And because He lives, I now live also.
What a wonderful picture!

2. Baptism Is for Those Who Have Believed
Acts 2:41 says:
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
Notice the order.
They received the Word—and then they were baptized.
In Acts 8, Philip was sharing the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch. When they came to some water, the eunuch asked:
“See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?”
Philip gave him the right order:
“If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.”
He didn't say, “Get baptized and then we'll talk about what you believe.”
He said, if you believe, then you may be baptized.
That is why we call it believer's baptism.
Baptism is not for infants. An infant cannot personally place his or her faith in Christ. We do believe in dedicating children and challenging parents to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, but baptism is for someone who has personally trusted Christ.
Baptism is also not something we should do simply because we're looking for something new.
Some people want a new beginning. They want to change their life. They may think, “I'll go down to the church and get baptized.”
But baptism isn't about washing away old dirt or old sins.
Baptism is a response to believing the gospel.
It is for the person who has personally placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
So the question is:
What hinders you?
If you've trusted Christ for salvation, I want to encourage you—be baptized. Identify with Christ through the baptistry waters.
But if you have never trusted Christ, the invitation is even greater:
Trust Christ.
And that brings us to the second ordinance.

3. The Lord's Supper Helps Us Remember
The second ordinance of the church is the Lord's Supper.
When we have communion, we have a table prepared with unleavened bread and grape juice. The bread represents the body of Christ, and the juice represents His blood.
We take the bread and then the cup as we remember what Christ did for us.
First Corinthians 11:23–24 says:
“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.”
The Lord's Supper helps us remember.
Jesus took whole bread and broke it.
It was whole.
He broke it.
Now it was broken bread.
That is a picture of Jesus Christ, the perfect man, giving Himself for you and me.
He said:
“This do in remembrance of me.”
Then verse 25 says:
“This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”
We take the bread and remember His body.
We take the cup and remember His blood.
We remember that Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross. We remember that He gave His life for us. We remember that His blood was shed for our sins.
Some of the doctrines we've discussed are spiritual.
But coming to the Lord's table is very physical.
We physically hold the bread.
We physically hold the cup.
Not to be saved—but because we are saved.
The Lord's Supper allows us to physically remember how our salvation was purchased.

4. The Lord's Supper Helps Us Proclaim
First Corinthians 11:26 says:
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.”
Notice where the Lord's Supper is placed.
It is between His death and His coming again.
Jesus gave us the Lord's Supper to remember His first coming and His sacrifice, while also looking forward to His return.
He died.
He rose again.
And He is coming again.
What a day that will be!
That's one reason I encourage you not to miss our communion services unless you absolutely have to.
The Lord's Supper gives us an opportunity to physically participate in the gospel.
We handle the bread.
We take the cup.
We hear the words of Christ.
We remember His death.
And we look forward to His return.
When a hundred or a hundred and fifty people gather around the Lord's table, we are proclaiming the gospel together.
I'm telling her.
She's telling him.
He's telling her.
Christ died for our sins.
Christ rose again.
Christ is coming again.
We get to proclaim the gospel in a physical way through the Lord's Supper.

5. The Lord's Supper Is for Believers
Just as baptism is for believers, the Lord's Supper is also reserved for those who have trusted Christ.
First Corinthians 11:27–29 gives a serious warning:
“Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.”
That's why I am careful when we have communion to make sure people understand what we're doing.
I don't want to simply pass the elements out to everybody without explaining what they mean.
We want to understand and discern the Lord's body.
We want to understand that Jesus was crucified for our sins.
Jesus died in our place.
Jesus took our place on the cross of Calvary.
His blood was shed for us.
He gave His life for you and me.
We never want to treat that sacrifice casually.

Sometimes the church can be accused of being exclusive.
Someone may say, “I went down to that church and all they talked about was being born again, trusting Christ, and believing the gospel. They're just trying to keep everybody out.”
No.
We want everybody to come.
The Bible says:
“For whosoever will, let him come.”
And John 3:16 says:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
We want every person to come.
But we must also be careful not to make everyone a saint who has never trusted Christ.
We need to work with people. We need to love people. We need to teach people. We need to pray for people.
But we also have to let the Holy Spirit do His work in their hearts.
We must be careful about becoming so welcoming that we fail to tell people the truth.
And the truth of the gospel is this:
A man must be born again.
A person must come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and realize that He is the Savior and the only means by which we can have a relationship with the Father.
Before a person can rightly go into that water or sit at that table, they must come to the cross.

I believe Christ knew that sometimes our faith would be weak.
Am I the only one?
Do people in this room sometimes struggle with their faith?
I believe Christ knew there would be times when we would need something tangible.
When you're on the mountaintop, it's easy to have big faith.
But when life gets hard, faith can become difficult.
Sometimes we need something we can hold.
Sometimes we need something we can see.
Sometimes we need to be reminded of the picture of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
That's one reason baptism is so powerful.
Someone says, “Brother Craig, I want to be baptized.”
We prepare the water.
They come through.
We put them under the water.
They come back up.
And somehow, someway, we get to witness the gospel again.
The story gets told again.
Christ did indeed die.
Christ did indeed rise from the dead.
Christ is still changing people.
Sometimes we need something tangible.
That's also why communion is so meaningful.
Several times a year, we come back to the table.
We take the bread.
We remember that He died in our place.
We take the cup.
We remember that His blood was shed.
And we remember:
His death until He comes again.
What hope we find in the two ordinances Christ gave the church!
Come to the Cross
Christ gave us baptism.
Christ gave us the Lord's Supper.
And both allow us to physically participate in the gospel.
I can read the Scriptures, but that's spiritual.
I can believe in God, but that's spiritual.
I can believe in Christ, but that's spiritual.
I can go spiritually through the veil and pray for my friends and family.
But baptism and the Lord's Supper allow me to touch the things of God.
For a lifetime, we get to witness people being baptized.
Our children.
Our grandchildren.
Other people in our church.
And for a lifetime, we get to gather around the Lord's table and physically experience the gospel over and over again.
So today, maybe you need to use the altar and simply say:
“Thank You, Lord, for Your broken body.
Thank You, Lord, for Your shed blood.
Thank You, Lord, for making a way for us to physically hold the gospel.”
In a world where everybody wants proof, God has given us these visible reminders.
He has allowed us to hold and handle the things that remind us of the gospel.
But maybe you're here today and you've never trusted Christ.
The invitation isn't simply, “Come be baptized.”
The invitation isn't simply, “Come take communion.”
The invitation is: Come to Christ.
If you don't know Christ, why not meet Him?
Why not set the example for your family?
Why not be the one who says:
“I was one of those who trusted Christ.”
And then, as a believer, you can represent Him through baptism and faithfully remember Him through the Lord's Supper.
Christ died.
Christ rose again.
Christ is coming again.
And we get to believe it, proclaim it, remember it, and live it.

Bankrupt Before God
Luke 12:16–21
During the course of my ministry here at West End Baptist Church, there have been a couple of occasions when I have felt it necessary to preach on the blessings of God, the faithfulness of God, and the supply of God through different administrations and events—even through COVID.
Trusting God has certainly been put to the test. Expensive groceries, high utilities, and the increase in fuel costs have caused all of us to tighten our belts. And even though it sometimes seems like there is never enough, somehow, for those who are trusting in God, there is always enough.
Though it may sound like a cliché from a preacher, the Bible is true. Philippians 4:19 still says:
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Here in Luke 12, we are told about a man who was extremely blessed.
In verse 16, Jesus said:
“The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.”
But just a few verses later, in verse 21, Jesus said:
“So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
How can a person be extremely blessed, yet Jesus describe him as bankrupt before God?
Let's notice a few things from this story.

1. He Overlooked His Source
Notice verse 16:
“The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.”
But in verses 17–19, this man repeatedly talks about himself. He says, “I,” “my,” and “I will.”
No doubt this man had put in some work. He either worked the fields himself or paid someone to work them. He bought the seed. He purchased the equipment. He built the barns.
But what he forgot was that the ground belonged to the Lord.
The rain came from the Lord.
The sun belonged to the Lord.
The strength to work came from the Lord.
And everything he gained from the ground was ultimately a blessing from God.
But this man thought he had made his own blessings.
We should be very careful to give God praise for all that we are, all that we do, and all that we have.
Psalm 24:1 reminds us:
“The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
And James 1:17 says:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights…”
Everything we have ultimately comes from God.
We may work for it. We may plan for it. We may save for it. We may purchase it. But we should never forget the One who made it possible.

2. He Underserved His Society
Verses 17 and 18 show us something else about this man.
He could have been a tremendous blessing to his neighbors and friends, but instead he chose to be stingy and selfish with his harvest.
Notice that his entire plan is about keeping, not giving.
It never crosses his mind to ask:
Who is in need?
Who can I help?
What can I do to be a blessing since God has blessed me with so much?
The crop he had in previous years was obviously enough, because this crop was described as plentiful. His existing barn had been enough in seasons past, but now he needed more room.
The problem was not success.
The problem was not the blessing.
The problem was that he thought it was all because of himself and all for himself.
May we never come to a place in our lives where we are so blessed by God that we forget to be generous to others.
Someone once said, “You don't have to be rich to be generous. You just have to be generous to be generous.”
That is true.
This man was labeled a fool and was bankrupt before God—not because he didn't give it all away, but because he didn't give any of it away.
God blesses us so that we can be a blessing.

3. He Underestimated His Soul
Notice verses 19 and 20.
This man is thinking only about himself and his future.
Verse 19 says:
“And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years…”
Let's all agree that we hope we have many years ahead of us.
But we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
This man lived for himself, and he stored for himself. He was making plans for his future, but he never made plans for his eternity.
God never asked us to stay poor, refuse to enjoy life, or waste away our retirement. There is nothing wrong with planning, saving, working hard, or enjoying the blessings God has given us.
But we put our souls at risk when we never consider what God wants, what God desires, and what God is doing.
May we never go through life only thinking about our riches, our possessions, and our nest egg.
May we make plans for the day when our soul is required of us.
Notice what happens in verse 20:
“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee…”
The man had made plans for many years.
God said he had one night.
That is the difference between our plans and God's sovereignty.
The Rest of the Story
Notice that Jesus continues this thought in verse 22:
“And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life…”
The word life here is different from the word soul used in the previous verses. Jesus is now dealing with the physical rather than the spiritual.
He says:
“Life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.”
In other words, life is more than what we consume and more than what we wear.
Then look at verse 24:
“Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?”
Jesus uses the same kind of language here that He used when talking about this rich man.
The rich man had barns.
He wanted to tear down his barns and build bigger barns.
But Jesus says the ravens don't have storehouses or barns, and yet God feeds them.
Then He asks:
“How much more are ye better than the fowls?”
If the man in the story had truly understood that he belonged to God, trusted God, and was generous with what God had given him, he would have understood that he did not need to spend his life storing up for many years.
God would supply his needs.
In the model prayer Jesus taught us to pray, He didn't teach us to ask for a lifetime supply of everything we might ever need so that we could fill our barns.
He taught us to pray:
“Give us day by day our daily bread.”
We are instructed to trust God daily.
And that is where faith comes in.
God has blessed us.
God is faithful.
God will supply.
And God wants us to remember that everything we have comes from Him.
The question is not simply, “How much do I have?”
The greater question is:
“Am I rich toward God?”

I Believe: The Priesthood of the Believer
Hebrews 10:19–22
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
And having an high priest over the house of God;
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Over the last several weeks, we have been preaching through our series, “I Believe.” We have been talking about what we believe and, more importantly, what we should believe based upon the Word of God.
Every church has core beliefs. Every business has core beliefs. You can go to Chick-fil-A and ask the majority of their employees about their core values, and they have been trained to know, “This is what we do. This is how we act. And we always say, ‘My pleasure.’”
The church is the same way.
We have a statement of faith. We have doctrinal truths that we adhere to. Some things in our church were put into place many years ago because they help us operate efficiently and orderly. But there are other things that are grounded directly in the Word of God.
Those things are not up for discussion when it comes to whether we still believe them.
They ought to be discussed. We ought to study them. We ought to understand them. But if they are in the Word of God, then we stay with them.
Over the last several weeks, we have talked about the Scriptures. What does the Bible say? Do we believe the Bible? Is it our faith in practice? Is it what we use to gauge the things of life?
We have talked about God—who He is and what He can do in our lives.
We have talked about Jesus Christ—who He is, His place in the Trinity, and everything He accomplished through His sacrifice on the cross.
And in every area of our lives, the fundamentals make a difference.
There is not a baseball team having success that has abandoned the fundamentals. Coaches still teach boys to get their elbow up and keep their eye on the ball. Moms and dads still fuss from the stands when the referee misses a call!
The fundamentals matter.
And in the church, fundamentals matter. They help us start right and stay right. They are the basis, the framework, and the footings.
But it is important that we understand the difference between preference and doctrine.
Some people like pews. Some like chairs. Some like guitar music. Some like piano music. Some like the lights up, and some like them down. Some like Vacation Bible School, and some don't!
There is room for preference.
But the Bible gives us sound doctrine. We often refer to it as the Apostles' doctrine—the truth that Christ gave to those men and that they carried with them as they went out and established churches.
And I pray today that you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you know Christ.
That is the most important thing you can know.
If you don't know Christ, settle that today. Then begin to learn the other things God has given us.
But if you do know Christ, you are in a wonderful position. You have a relationship with God the Father. You have a relationship with God the Son. And you have the Holy Spirit living within you, helping you understand and rightly divide the Word of God.
Sometimes, however, I think we get close to the church without getting close to God.
We get close to people in the church. We get close to a teacher. We get close to an organization.
But today I want to ask you a question:
How close can we really get to God?
Not just as a matter of distance, but as a doctrine of the church.
How close can we get to God?
Today I want to preach on an unusual subject, but an important one:
The Priesthood of the Believer
I believe, continuing our series, in the priesthood of the believer.

1. There Was a Veil That Kept Us Out
Hebrews 10:19 reminds us that we now have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”
But there was a time when we did not have that access.
There was a veil that kept us out.
In the tabernacle, and later in the temple, God commanded that a curtain or veil hang between the holy place and the Holy of Holies.
Behind that veil was the Ark of the Covenant. It represented the presence of God.
This was not a little decorative curtain.
This was a massive veil. In Solomon's Temple, it could have been around sixty feet tall and several inches thick.
And it was not there for decoration.
It was a barrier.
Exodus 26:33 says:
“And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.”
Nobody could simply walk through that veil.
Leviticus 16:2 says:
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.”
You didn't just walk into the presence of God whenever you wanted.
You couldn't peek around the curtain.
You couldn't sneak in.
You couldn't go in and have your own private prayer.
Hebrews 9:7 says:
“But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.”
Think about that.
One man.
Not all the deacons. Not all the Sunday school classes. Not everybody in the congregation.
One man—the high priest.
And he could go in once a year.
Not every day. Not every week.
Once a year.
And he could not come empty-handed. There had to be blood. There had to be a sacrifice.
So imagine carrying a burden in that day.
You have a wayward child.
You have a broken marriage.
You are sick.
You have a great need.
You cannot simply go into the presence of God yourself.
You have to wait.
There was a veil.
The veil kept us out.

2. Christ Tore the Veil
Now let's look at what happened when Jesus died on the cross.
Matthew 27:50–51 says:
“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.”
Jesus died.
His blood was shed.
And immediately, the veil was torn.
Not from the bottom to the top.
From the top to the bottom.
That is significant.
This was not man opening the way to God.
This was God opening the way to man.
That veil was massive. It was thick. It was heavy. It was not something an ordinary person could simply tear apart.
And when Jesus died, God Himself opened the veil.
Think about when the veil was not torn.
It was not torn at the birth of Christ.
It was not torn when Jesus performed His miracles.
It was not torn when He opened blinded eyes, healed the sick, fed thousands, or raised the dead.
But when His blood was shed and the sacrifice was complete, the veil was torn.
Why?
Because Jesus had made the sacrifice necessary for us to enter.
Hebrews 9:11–12 says:
“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
Not once a year.
Once for all.
The access we have today was purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ.
What a Savior we have!
What a God we have!
He opened the way for you and me.
The veil that once said, “Keep out,” was torn open, and God said, “Come in.”
Come and make your petitions known.
Come and talk to the Father.
Come and have a relationship with God.

3. Now There Is No Veil Between Us and God
Hebrews 4:14–16 says:
“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Notice that phrase:
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.”
Why can we come boldly?
Because Jesus tore the veil.
And Jesus is not an untouchable high priest who does not understand what we experience.
He came to this earth.
He walked where we walk.
He hungered.
He thirsted.
He wept at the tomb of Lazarus.
He experienced temptation.
He knows what it is to hurt.
He knows what it is to suffer.
He knows what it is to be rejected.
He knows what it is to carry a burden.
So when we come to Him, we are not coming to Someone who doesn't understand.
We are coming to our High Priest who understands.
And now there is no veil.
No veil between us and God.
Think about how we understand access.
Growing up, there were places in our grandparents' houses we simply did not go.
I remember my grandmother's room. We could play in other parts of the house, but we didn't just walk into Granny's room.
There were things on Pawpaw's dresser we didn't touch.
There was a cigar box we didn't open.
There was a time when there was no access.
But if somebody had said, “You want to see what's in that box?”
I probably would have taken the opportunity!
But spiritually, there was once a time when humanity had no access to the presence of God.
The veil said, “Keep out.”
But now the veil is torn.
And God says:
Come in.
How often do we take advantage of that opportunity?
How often do we come before Him and say:
“God, I need You.”
“God, forgive me.”
“God, I'm coming on behalf of my children.”
“God, I'm coming on behalf of my grandchildren.”
“God, I'm praying for somebody else.”
How often do we take advantage of the open door God has given us?
I love it when people call me and say, “Preacher Craig, I'm having surgery. Would you pray?”
I love the opportunity to pray for people.
But can I tell you something?
You don't have to go through me to pray.
I can pray with you.
We can pray together.
But you can go directly into the throne room of heaven.
You can say, “God, it's me today.”
And you can bring your burden before Him.
We don't have to go through somebody else.
We don't have to fear death from entering His presence.
The Bible says:
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.”
You can step into the throne room of heaven and say:
“God, I'm here as one of Your children, and I've come to make my request known unto You.”
The throne room is always open.

4. We Are Part of the Priesthood
This is where we get to the heart of the doctrine.
Under the Old Testament system, the priesthood was a special position. It was often generational and connected to a particular family and calling.
But look at what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:5:
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
Think about that.
A holy priesthood.
Peter was a fisherman.
Peter had denied Christ.
Peter had put his foot in his mouth more times than he could count.
And yet Peter says, “Ye also...”
You and me.
We are part of this.
Then Peter says in verse 9:
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
Hallelujah!
We don't have to wait on another man.
We don't have to wait on a certain date on the calendar.
We don't have to wait until we have our best sacrifice prepared.
Today I can talk to God.
Today you can go directly into the throne room of heaven.
Today you can go to our High Priest, Jesus Christ, and petition Him for what you need.
That is the priesthood of the believer.
How Close Can We Get to God?
That's the question we started with.
How close can we get to God?
Centuries ago, not very close.
There was a veil.
There was a barrier.
There was a priest.
There was a sacrifice.
There was a particular day.
But today?
You can go into His very throne room.
You can call Him Father.
You can ask Him according to His will.
I've heard people say, “When I get to heaven, I'm going to ask God...”
Why not ask Him now?
“Well, He's not really here before me.”
Oh, yes, He is.
The veil was torn.
The door is open.
And I believe He is waiting with open arms and open ears to hear from His children.
The Door Is Open to Whosoever Will
And let me say one more thing.
If you're lost today, the ground is just as level.
The door is just as open.
Nobody stands between you and God.
Not me.
Not a preacher.
Not a priest.
Not a denomination.
God tore the veil down through the blood of Jesus Christ.
The once-closed veil has been torn open.
Why not come today and begin a relationship with God?
Why not come today and say:
“God, I've never really talked to You before. But now I understand that I can come directly into Your presence.”
Maybe you've got burdens on your heart today.
Sometimes it's hard to pray.
There have been times in my own life when I needed prayer so badly that I couldn't even pray.
Have you ever been there?
You needed to pray, but the weight was so heavy that you didn't know what to say.
Can I remind you?
The throne room is open.
Come and say:
“God, I need You.”
Give God your burdens.
Give Him your needs.
Give Him your desires.
Let Him decide what He will do with them.
Psalm 23:1 says:
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Philippians 4:19 says:
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
God is interested in your heart.
God is interested in your needs.
But if we live as though the veil is still closed, we are missing the great opportunity God has given us.
If I can only talk to God on Sunday...
If I can only talk to God down at the church...
If I can only talk to God when my Sunday school class prays...
If I can only talk to God when we announce prayer requests on Wednesday night...
Then I'm missing the access Christ purchased for me.
The veil is torn.
The throne room is open.
You can go directly to God through Jesus Christ.
You Have Personal Responsibility
I remember how many churches used to have a church covenant hanging on the wall.
It would talk about how church members should live, how we should care for one another, and how we should conduct ourselves.
And somewhere in that covenant you would often find something about personal responsibility.
Can I tell you today?
You have personal responsibility before God.
You must work out your own salvation.
You must live unto God.
You must confess your sin.
Not me.
Not a priest.
You.
But not only do we have personal responsibility.
We have a personal open door.
The door isn't just open to me.
It isn't just open to some priest.
It isn't open only to Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, or anybody else.
The door is open to whosoever will.
Revelation 22:17 says:
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
Isaiah 1:18 says:
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow...”
The invitation is simple:
Come.
If you're thirsty, come.
If you're hungry, come.
If you're burdened, come.
If you're lost, come.
If you're saved, come.
If you need help, come.
If you need forgiveness, come.
If you're praying for your family, come.
If you don't know what to pray, come.
Because the veil has been torn.
The way is open.
Come Boldly
So today, I want to invite our church family to come.
If you're visiting, come.
If you're carrying a major burden, come.
If you're saved, come and tell God what a great Father He is.
But don't forget to tell Him what you're going through.
Ask Him for help.
Cast your cares upon Him.
If you're lost today, come and ask Christ into your heart.
You don't have to go through somebody else.
You don't have to wait for another day.
You don't have to wait for another sacrifice.
You don't have to wait for a priest.
Jesus has already made the sacrifice.
The veil has already been torn.
The door is already open.
And Hebrews 10:22 gives us the invitation:
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith...”
So draw near.
Come boldly.
Come humbly.
Come honestly.
Come with your burdens.
Come with your needs.
Come with your family.
Come with your questions.
Come with your broken heart.
Come with your praise.
Come because the way has been made.
The veil is torn.
The throne room is open.
And because of Jesus Christ, we can come boldly into the presence of God.
That is the priesthood of the believer.
And that is something I believe.

I BELIEVE IN THE GOD OF THE BIBLE
Deuteronomy 6:4
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.”
Last week, we began a series on the doctrines of our faith—the things that we believe and teach as a church.
I never want anybody to come into this church, or any church, and be ignorant of what is being taught or what the church believes. You should know those things.
So, in this series, I want to shed some light on the things that our church believes and preaches.
Last week, we talked specifically about the doctrine of Scripture.
We don't simply have a Bible and say, “We believe the Bible.” We believe the Bible because it is the inspired, God-breathed Word of God.
We believe it is without error. What I type on a screen may contain an error. What I say may contain an error. But what God said—the Word of God—is without error.
We also talked about how the Word of God has been preserved. I am thankful that God, down through history, has preserved His Word and given us a Bible that we can read and study.
It is our comfort.
It is our guide.
It is God's Word to us.
We talked about how the Word of God is clear. I know there are long words in the Bible. There are words we don't use every day. And I'll tell you, if we would just read our Bibles more, we'd probably know those words a little better!
But the Word of God is clear.
It is clear to a lost person.
It is clear to a believer.
The Word of God is not some hidden thing.
And last week, we also talked about how the Word of God is sufficient.
Even in 2026, this Word of God is still sufficient for us.
I know times are changing. Life has changed. The world is much different from the way many of us grew up.
But I'll tell you this:
The Word of God is still sufficient for what we face in 2026.
So, having laid that foundation of Scripture, I want us to go a little farther today.
Today I want us to understand who God is.
God really loves us.
What a Father.
What a Friend.
But who is God?

1. Is Our Creator
Just as Scripture is the basis for what we believe, God is the basis for who we are.
Genesis 1:1 says:
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
As a church, we believe just that:
God the Creator literally created everything.
Every mountain you see was created by God.
Every star you see was created by God.
Every person you see—whether you like them or not—was created by God.
Everything was created according to the Word of God and for His good pleasure.
Colossians 1:16 says:
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible... all things were created by him, and for him.”
If we can ever get past the idea that we are our own, we'll be much better off.
None of us lives unto ourselves.
There is a Creator.
We are the creation.
And one day, we will give an account to that Creator.
When we see God as the Creator and ourselves as the created, we begin to understand our real purpose.
Our purpose is to bring honor and glory to Him.
Not ourselves.
Not one another.
Our purpose is to bring honor, praise, and glory to the One who created us.
So, God is our Creator.

2. God Is the God of the Bible
Now everybody in the room could say, “Yeah, we know. That's why we're here today.”
And I understand that.
But sometimes, especially in a Christian church in the Bible Belt of the United States, that seems like an unnecessary statement.
Yet for many people in the world, and perhaps even for some people in this room, there can be a struggle with believing that the God we serve is the God found in the Scriptures.
We live in a day when religions are being blended.
We live in a day when lines are being blurred and truths are being blurred.
Some people believe that we are all somehow worshiping the same God—we just call Him different names.
We better be careful with that.
Exodus 3:14 says:
“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”
God revealed Himself as the I AM.
Everything we need can be found in Him.
He is the One who declared who He is by His name, His authority, His holiness, and His character.

3. God is the I AM.
And in this series about what we believe, I want to encourage you:
Don't believe a lie.
Don't believe that you can simply believe whatever you want to believe and end up in heaven.
We must believe in the God of the Bible.
We believe the truth.
We believe what the Bible says about who God is.
Jeremiah 10:10 says:
“But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king...”
I'm glad to be serving that God today!
He is a God who has always been.
Before there was anything, there was our great God.
He's the God who made something from nothing.
He's the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
He's the God who parted the Red Sea.
He's the God who set the Israelites free.
He's the God who made a plan of salvation.
Before He ever laid the foundation of the world, God had already made a plan of salvation for you and me to become part of His family.
He's the God who loved mankind so much that He sent His only begotten Son to pay our sin debt.
He's the God who is preparing a place for you and me.
And one of these days, He's coming to get us and take us to be where He is for all eternity.
He is Jehovah.
He is our Healer.
He is our Provider.
He is our Peace.
He is our Comforter.
He is our Refuge in the time of storm.
So I can say today, with all confidence and by the authority of the Word of God:
There is no God like our God.
There is no God like Jehovah.
We serve the God of the Bible.
And what the Bible says about Him is absolutely true.
We serve a wonderful God!

4. God Is a Triune God
Not only is God our Creator, and not only is He the God of the Bible, but He is a triune God.
He is God in three persons.
We've heard that phrase in some of the old hymns:
“God in three persons, blessed Trinity.”
We've gotten away from some of that teaching in modern days, but the truth remains.
We do not worship three gods.
We worship one true and living God who exists in three persons:
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
We see this even in the book of Genesis.
Genesis 1:26 says:
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...”
Notice the words “us” and “our.”
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were present in creation.
And we were made in His image.
Now, we're not three persons in one.
I have many parts to who I am.
I'm a dad.
I'm a husband.
I'm a granddad.
I'm a pastor.
I can weld.
I'm somewhat of a mechanic.
I'm a framer, a builder, and a painter.
I'm not necessarily great at all those things, but those are things I can do.
They all make up who I am.
But God is different.
We are one person with different aspects of who we are.
God is one God in three persons.
Paul even speaks of the three-part nature of man in 1 Thessalonians 5:23:
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We also see the Godhead in the Great Commission.
Matthew 28:19 says:
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
Notice that it says “name”—singular—but then identifies the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
And then we see all three persons of the Godhead represented at the baptism of Jesus.
Jesus was in the Jordan River.
The Spirit of God descended upon Him like a dove.
And a voice from heaven said:
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
There you have God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—all present and all working in different roles.
What an amazing God we worship!

5. God Is Relational
God represents His church well because of who He is.
God has never been lonely.
But God has always been relational.
Before anything was ever created, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit existed in perfect fellowship.
And our salvation is full because of the work of all three persons of God.
Think about it.
God the Father planned salvation.
What a great plan!
God created a plan that would allow you and me to experience redemption.
God the Son accomplished the plan.
Remember, God became flesh.
We call Him God incarnate.
God became flesh, lived approximately thirty-three years, and went to the cross.
God Himself became like you and me so that He could save you and me.
What an amazing plan!
The Father planned it.
The Son accomplished it.
The Spirit applies it and seals it in us.
The Spirit of God seals that great salvation in us when we believe and accept the gift of salvation.
What a wonderful God!

6. God Is Working in Your Life
The work of God in us is greater than we could ever understand because it exists in Him.
When you think about the plan of God for your life, if you're walking with God, His plan cannot fail.
Have you ever taken detours in your life and looked back and said:
“I don't know how in the world I got here.”
But then you realize that somehow, someway, God was orchestrating different events in your life to bring you to where you are.
I was talking to Kevin Ryder's mom one morning, and she told Brother Todd, “We've been praying for you.”
She said they had prayed for a long time that God would put somebody in Kevin's life who would help him in his walk with the Lord.
And she told Brother Todd:
“You're the answer to that prayer.”
Kevin probably has no idea why he quit welding for the company he was working for and went where he did.
He probably wondered when he first got there, “How in the world did I get here?”
“Why did I change jobs?”
“Why did this happen?”
But I believe this:
God makes no mistakes.
Everything God does, He does well.
He's orchestrating parts of your life that you don't even know about.
The person you'll marry.
The person you did marry.
The places you'll go.
The people you'll meet.
The circumstances you'll experience.
I don't know that God ever intends for us to go through hardships and difficult times, but I do know that it is often in those hardships and difficult times that we discover who God really is—and who we really are.
God uses those things to draw us closer to Himself.
God is a wonderful God.
The work of God in us is greater than we can understand because it exists in Him.
God sits on high and looks down low.
God sees the end from the beginning.
God sees the end result.
The Bible speaks of Him giving us an expected end.
God knows where He's taking us.
He knows what He wants to accomplish in our lives.
And He works through all the moving pieces to accomplish His purpose.
I've had people in my life who have been a blessing to me for many years. Somehow, someway, God put us together.
It wouldn't necessarily have been how I would have chosen things.
It wouldn't necessarily have been what I picked for myself.
But somehow, God put me in a place.
God put them in a place.
And God worked all those moving pieces together to give us the result He wanted.
God is at work.
The spiritual, physical, and relational aspects of God are at work in the spiritual, physical, and relational parts of our lives.
Everything God is—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—is at work in you today.
And as a church, we believe in that God.
We Believe in God
So what's the message today?
Last week, we talked about Scripture.
We said what you need in life, you'll find in Scripture.
What you need from God, you'll find in His Word.
If you want God to speak to you, read His Word.
But today, the message is simply this:
We believe in God.
We believe it as one of our doctrines.
We believe in a God who can do all things and who is everything the Bible says He is.
In creation, God is everything the Word says He is.
In government, God is everything the Word says He is.
You get rattled about what's happening in government—don't worry.
The government rests on His shoulders.
God has everything under control.
In the universe, God is in control.
In dominions and powers, God is in control.
In the Spirit, God is in control.
In the flesh, God is in control.
In His kingdom, God is in control.
And that same God who is eternal, all-knowing, everywhere present, and all-powerful is at work in your life.
Don't ever think you're just floating through life and whatever happens, happens.
Oh no.
There is a great God in heaven.
He's watching you.
If His eye is on the sparrow, can I tell you that He's watching you?
God is watching you.
God is at work in your life.
And He is more than able to help you and meet your needs.
We serve a great God.
We have a big God.
We have a God who created everything simply by His voice.
Don't you think God can meet your needs today?
But the doctrine doesn't end with:
“Boy, He's a big God.”
It ends with:
“He's a big God, and He loves little old me and you.”
And He's available to us today.
When Is the Last Time You Talked to God?
When is the last time you talked to God?
You know what we want to do?
We want to get on our phones and complain about the school system.
We want to talk about the principal.
We want to talk about Washington.
We want to talk about who's in office and what they're doing.
But when is the last time we talked to God about our children in school?
When is the last time we talked to God about what's happening in our country?
When is the last time we talked to God about our husband or our wife?
Our children?
Our health?
Our finances?
Our taxes?
When was the last time we simply said:
“God, I need You.”
“I need Your touch.”
“I need Your strength.”
“I need Your wisdom.”
“I need You to stretch every dollar I make.”
“God, I'll try to be a good steward. I'll try to be wise. But I need You to help me.”
“God, this old body is playing out on me. Would You give me the strength to do what I need to do?”
Ask God for His help in your life.
Because God is a need-meeting God.
He's a chain-breaking God.
He's a pain-taking God.
He's a strength-giving God.
He's a wonderful God.
Hollywood and other places sometimes try to make God out to be a joke.
Sometimes people portray God as some mean God who is waiting to put nails in front of your tires or make your washing machine quit.
Can I tell you?
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
God is good.
God is faithful.
His Word is true.
And if we'll live unto Him, I believe He will bless us in a mighty way.
I'm not preaching some kind of pie-in-the-sky religion today.
I'm simply telling you:
God is a good God.
Whatever You Need, God Has the Answer
I don't know what your need is today, but the message is this:
Whatever you need, God has the answer.
Maybe you came today discouraged.
Respond to God.
Maybe you came today carrying burdens.
Bring them to Him.
Maybe you're struggling in your marriage.
Bring it to God.
Maybe you're struggling financially.
Bring it to God.
Maybe you're struggling at your job.
Bring it to God.
Maybe you're struggling with your health.
Bring it to God.
At our church, we have an opportunity for people to respond to the message. Our altar is open, and you can come and pray:
“God, I need You.”
You may respond in your seat, and that's fine.
But I want to encourage you to respond to what God has said to your heart.
Don't just hear the message.
Respond to the message.
Many times people only call on God as a last resort.
God becomes our spare tire.
But God shouldn't simply be our last resort.
He's a good God.
He's a faithful God.
He's a Father.
He's a Friend.
And He wants to hear from you.
He wants you to seek His advice.
He wants you to bring your life to Him.
Why not come today and simply say:
“God, I'm struggling.”
“My wife and I are struggling.”
“My finances are struggling.”
“I'm struggling on my job.”
“I'm struggling with my health.”
“God, I need You.”
And maybe today you don't know God.
Maybe you only know God because of what other people have said.
Maybe you know there's a church where people talk about God, but you don't personally know Him.
Today, you can enter into a relationship with God.
Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
You want to know God?
Meet His Son.
Get access to the Father through Jesus Christ.
You may say, “That sounds complicated.”
It isn't.
Just say yes to Him.
And if you do, He'll meet you right where you are.
We Believe in God
So today, let's remember what we believe.
We believe in the God who created the world.
We believe in the God who gave us His Word.
We believe in the God who planned salvation.
We believe in the God who sent His Son to accomplish salvation.
We believe in the Holy Spirit who applies and seals that salvation in us.
And we believe in a God who is still working in our lives today.
Don't put your trust in works.
Don't put your trust in religion.
Religion will fail you.
Don't put your trust in good works.
They will let you down.
Don't simply try to turn over a new leaf.
Don't simply try to improve yourself.
Pour your whole life on God.
He has shoulders strong enough to carry your burdens.
He has wisdom like none other.
And God can do in your life what nobody else can do.
Maybe somebody came today discouraged.
I pray you'll leave encouraged in God.
Maybe someone came today carrying a burden.
I pray you'll leave with a lighter load.
Because we serve a good God.
We serve a faithful God.
We serve a loving God.
We serve the God of the Bible.
And I believe in God.

I Believe in Jesus Christ
John 1:1–5
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

We have been in a series of messages called “I Believe,” where we are looking at what we believe as a church—not simply our preferences, but the doctrines and truths that are rooted in the Word of God.
Preferences can vary. Some people prefer pews while others prefer chairs. Some prefer piano music, some guitar, some old hymns, some newer songs, and some prefer a blend of all of it.
There is nothing wrong with having preferences. But preferences cannot be the foundation of our faith.
There are some things that are not gray areas. There are some things God has clearly established in His Word as the foundation and framework for His work, His kingdom, His ministry, and His church.
We need to know what we believe—and more importantly, why we believe it.
If you're a young person and you say, “I don't really know what I believe,” then dig into these doctrines. Don't just say, “I believe in God.” Ask, Who is this God? Don't just say, “I believe the Bible.” Ask, What is the Bible? Where did it come from? Who gave it to us?
And don't simply say, “I believe in Jesus.”
Know Jesus.
Because the more we know Him, the more we will want to believe in Him, love Him, and know Him.
Today, I want us to think specifically about the Jesus of the Bible.
Jesus Christ Is the Foundation
We have a Christian church. We have Christian principles. We sing Christian songs. We preach Christian sermons. We have Christian activities.
But we must never allow Christianity to become nothing more than a collection of traditions and activities.
We must keep our focus on the person of Jesus Christ.
He is the Christ in Christian.
He is the Christ in our Christian songs.
He is the Christ in our Christian sermons.
He is the Christ in our Christian activities.
West End Baptist Church is built on the person of Jesus Christ.
When we talk about what West End Baptist Church believes and teaches, I don't want anybody to be confused:
We believe in Jesus Christ.
He is the foundation for what we do, and everything we do in this room and on this property should be built upon Him.
So let's dig a little deeper.

1. Jesus Christ Is Fully God
John 1:1 says:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John doesn't beat around the bush. He doesn't ease into it. He doesn't sugarcoat it.
He tells us that Jesus—the Word—was present at the beginning.
He was with God.
And He was God.
The Word mentioned here is none other than Jesus Christ.
This doctrine is paramount to everything we teach and believe at West End Baptist Church.
Why?
Because it took a Savior who was fully God to save us.
Jesus was not simply a good man who came to teach us how to live.
He wasn't merely a prophet.
He wasn't just another religious leader.
This was God coming to us.
A Savior who was anything less than fully God could never save mankind.
It took God Almighty.
It took a perfect sacrifice.
It took sinless blood.
It took a spotless Lamb.
And Jesus Christ—fully God—was the only One worthy and able to fulfill that task.
It took God to do for man what man could never do for himself.

2. Jesus Christ Is Fully Man
Now wait a minute.
We just said He was fully God.
How can He also be fully man?
John gives us the answer in verse 14:
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
The Word was God.
The Word was with God.
All things were made by Him.
And then the Word became flesh.
We know the Christmas story. We know that Jesus was born into this world.
But stop and think about what that really means.
Before Bethlehem, man could only think about the glory of God. Man saw God through types and pictures. There were times in the Old Testament when people could not even look upon God's glory.
Man wanted to know God.
Man wanted to touch God.
Man wanted to be near God.
And at Bethlehem, God became flesh.
God became man.
For the first time, man could behold His glory.
The God of Heaven could be held in the arms of a mother.
God put on flesh.
God put on human skin.
He lived nine months in the womb of a mother.
He humbled Himself to be fed and changed.
He humbled Himself to learn to crawl and walk.
Think about it.
The One who gave us life and taught us to walk was now being taught to walk.
He was fully man.
He lived approximately thirty-three years as a human being.
He became hungry.
He became thirsty.
He became sleepy.
He even wept.
And He was tempted.
Hebrews 4:15 says:
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Jesus knows what it is like to walk where we walk.
He knows what temptation feels like.
Everything that could be put before your eyes was put before His eyes.
Everything that could be put before your ears was put before His ears.
Yet the Bible says He lived without sin.
That's why Hebrews 4:16 continues:
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Are you battling something?
Go to Jesus.
Are you fighting temptation?
Go to Jesus.
Are you hurting?
Go to Jesus.
Jesus has been here.
Jesus has walked where we walk.
Jesus knows what we're going through.
He is fully man.
And because He is fully man, He is close enough to know us.
Because He is fully God, He is holy enough to save us.

3. Jesus Came to Complete the Work
Why did Jesus come?
Was it for the miracles?
The miracles were amazing, but that wasn't the ultimate reason He came.
Was it for history?
Was it for fame?
Jesus was popular, but popularity wasn't His purpose.
He came to seek and to save that which was lost.
Philippians 2:8 says:
“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himsel

I Believe the Scriptures 
Bible Text: 2 Timothy 3:16–17
Series: I Believe
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
This morning we began a new series entitled “I Believe,” focusing on the Bible doctrines that every believer should know and understand. Our first message dealt with the Scriptures—their inspiration, profitability, and sufficiency.
Tonight, I want to go a little further and give us some truths that I hope will cause us to love our Bible even more.
I love my Bible. I have several Bibles that are special to me. Some have different covers, and some belonged to family members and people who have meant something to me. But what makes the Bible precious is not the cover, the notes written inside, or who owned it before me.
What makes the Bible precious is what God said.
The real test of what the Bible means to us is not simply what we say about it in church. The rubber meets the road when we are walking through a difficult time, facing a dark day, or trying to find our way through something we don't understand.
What the Bible means to us in our darkest moments is far more important than what somebody else can tell us about the Bible.

1. THE WORD OF GOD WAS WRITTEN FOR A PURPOSE
The Bible was not written merely to be impressive.
It is an amazing book. Forty different human authors, writing across different periods of history and from different backgrounds, give us one unified message. The Bible contains historical information, practical wisdom, instruction about marriage and family, finances, relationships, and countless other areas of life.
But the greatest purpose of the Bible is not simply to teach us how to live a better life.

The Bible was written to tell us about Jesus Christ.
John 20:31 says:
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
The Bible was written so that we might know who Jesus is, believe on Him, and have life through His name.

The Bible was also written to give us hope.
Romans 15:4 says:
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
When we go through difficult times and wonder if God will be faithful, we can look at the people who have gone before us.
God was faithful to Moses.
God was faithful to Abraham.
And the same God who was faithful to them will be faithful to us.

The Bible is also written to give us assurance of our salvation.
1 John 5:13 says:
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life…”
God knew that we would sometimes struggle with doubts and questions about our salvation, so He gave us not only His Son but also a Book about His Son.
You can know.

A Bible With Everything We Need
Years ago, I heard a story about a young man who became rebellious and wandered away from his family.
He left home and went to the next town, living a life of rebellion. His father told him when he left, “When you get to where you're going, if you need anything, just let me know.”
Eventually, that young man got to the bottom of himself. He had lost everything and found himself in a desperate situation.
So he wrote his father a letter.
He told him, “Dad, I'm in a tough place. I'm in a difficult way, and I could really use $100.”
The father received the letter.
A few days later, the young man received a package in the mail. He rushed out and grabbed it, expecting to find the $100 he had requested.
But when he opened the package, there was a box inside.
He opened the box, and inside was a Bible.
Being the rebellious young man that he was, he said, “What's this? He's always trying to force the Bible down my throat. He's always trying to get me to read the Bible.”
And he threw the Bible to the side.
Six months to a year later, he finally came to himself and decided that perhaps the best thing he could do was go home.
He returned home, sat down with his family, and began to repair his relationship with his father.
After the meal, he said, “Dad, I have one question. You told me that if I ever needed anything, I could reach out to you and you'd help me.
“I sent you a letter telling you exactly what I needed. I needed $100. You got my letter, and you sent me a Bible.”
His father looked at him and said,
“You must have never opened it.”
The young man went and got the Bible. He opened it—and inside that Bible was the $100 bill.
His father had given him exactly what he needed. It was there all along. He just never opened the Book.
I believe that's a picture of the Word of God for us.
Everything we really need in life is found in this Book.
The comfort you need is here.
The strength you need is here.
The peace you need is here.
The wisdom you need is here.
The hope you need is here.
Don't leave the Book unopened.

2. THE WORD OF GOD HAS GREAT POWER
We often say, “The Bible is powerful,” but that is more than a church cliché.
The Bible describes its own power.

The Word Is a Fire
Jeremiah 5:14 says:
“Behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire…”
The Word of God is like a fire that does a work in the heart of man.
The hardest heart can be softened by the Word of God.

The Word Is a Hammer
Jeremiah 23:29 says:
“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”
The Word of God can break through the hard places of the heart.
That's why we need to give the Word of God to people who are lost.
We don't have to come up with clever words or impressive arguments.
Give them the Word.
It is a fire.
It is a hammer.

The Word Is Surgical Instrument
Hebrews 4:12 says:
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword…”
The Word of God gets beneath the surface. It exposes our thoughts and intentions. It identifies the problem. It cuts away what needs to be removed.
It does a surgical work in our hearts.
There is power in the Word of God.

3. THE WORD OF GOD GIVES US OUR STANDARD
We live in a world where very few people want standards.
People don't want to lead.
People don't want to set an example.
People don't want to be told what is right or wrong.
But the Bible was given to give God's people precepts by which we can live.
The church is not supposed to gather in a building, hide from the world, and become secret disciples of Jesus.
We gather together so that we can be strengthened by God's Word and then go back into the world and live for Christ.
We influence people every day.
The question is: What kind of influence are we having?
We cannot live according to God's standard if we don't know God's Word.

The Word Keeps Us From Sin
Psalm 119:11 says:
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
If you show me someone who is constantly dabbling in sin, I'll show you someone who has drifted from the Word of God.
We need the Word every day because it helps keep us on the straight and narrow.

The Word Keeps Us From Drifting
Deuteronomy 11:18 speaks of God's Word being before our eyes.
Just as blinders help an animal stay focused and plow a straight line, the Word of God helps us stay focused when the world is pulling us in every direction.
We are constantly being distracted.
We're looking to the left.
We're looking to the right.
We're being influenced by the world around us.
We need the Word of God keeping us on course.

The Word Helps Us Serve
Colossians 3:16 says:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”
Not poorly.
Not occasionally.
Not just a little bit.
Richly.
When the Word of Christ dwells in us richly, it affects how we teach, how we worship, how we sing, how we encourage one another, and how we serve the Lord.
The Word of God makes a difference in how we live.

DON'T LIVE BENEATH YOUR BLESSINGS
There was another story told of a man who traveled from New York across the Atlantic to England on a steamship.
He had spent everything he had to purchase his ticket. Because he had nothing left, he brought some fruit and crackers with him to eat.
The next morning, passengers invited him to breakfast, but he declined.
At lunchtime, they invited him to lunch, but again he declined.
At dinner, he was invited to join the other passengers for a wonderful meal, but he declined again.
Eventually, the captain heard about the man who wasn't eating with the other passengers. He went to him and asked, “Why haven't you come to breakfast, lunch, or dinner?”
The man explained, “Captain, buying this ticket took everything I had. I could afford the ticket, but I couldn't afford the meals.”
The captain looked at him and said,
“I don't think you understand. When you bought the ticket to get on the ship, it included all the other blessings that came with it—including the meals.”
That man had been living beneath the blessings that were already his.
And I wonder how many Christians do the same thing.
The day you trusted Christ, if I can use the illustration of a “ticket” to heaven, that ticket came with blessings.
It came with the comfort found in this Book.
It came with the encouragement found in this Book.
It came with the conviction found in this Book.
It came with the correction, reproof, and rebuke found in this Book.
But it also came with the joy, strength, peace, hope, and wisdom found in this Book.
Don't live beneath your blessings.
Everything you need for the journey has already been provided.
You just have to open the Book.
OPEN THE BOOK
We can preach about the Bible until we're blue in the face, but eventually the rubber meets the road.
What are we doing with the Word of God?
Are we reading it?
Are we studying it?
Are we digesting it?
Are we allowing it to correct us?
Are we allowing it to encourage us?
Are we allowing it to direct our lives?
The Bible is not simply something to carry into church.
It is not something to put on a shelf.
It is not something to use to prove how much we know.
It is God's Word given to us for our good.
The Father has already provided what we need.
The Book is in our hands.
The blessings are inside.
Open the Book.
Read it.
Study it.
Believe it.
Live it.
And let the Word of God do its work in your life.
What a blessing it is to have the Word of God.
And what a blessing it is to know the One the Word of God reveals to us—
Jesus Christ.

I Believe: The Scriptures
Bible Text: 2 Timothy 3:16–17
Series: I Believe
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” — 2 Timothy 3:16–17

We are beginning a new sermon series today that will take us through the month of September entitled “I Believe.” Over the next several weeks, we are going to discuss some Bible truths and doctrines that every believer should know.
These are not simply proverbs, church clichés, or my preferences as a pastor. These are doctrines of the Word of God and, specifically, doctrines that we stand upon as West End Baptist Church.
I never want anyone to be a part of West End Baptist Church and not know where we stand doctrinally. I want every person to be able to leave each service saying, “I learned something today. I know something today. The Bible says this, and now I can have it as part of my belief system and move forward with it.”
Because without Bible doctrine, a church is operating on opinion.
There are certainly things that are preferences. Whether a church has pews or chairs is a preference. What color we paint a wall is a preference. There are things that matter to us personally that are not necessarily doctrinal issues.
But there are things clearly taught in the Word of God that we cannot move on. The virgin birth of Christ is doctrinal. The fall of man and his sinful condition is doctrinal. The substitutionary death of Christ on Calvary is doctrinal.
So it is important that we know what the Bible teaches and that we don't get hung up on preferences while neglecting doctrine.
And before we can say, “I believe this” or “I believe that,” we need to understand why we believe it and where our belief comes from.
Today, we begin with the foundation of everything we will discuss over the next several weeks:
The Scriptures.

1. THE SCRIPTURES ARE INSPIRED
2 Timothy 3:16 says:
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God…”
The word translated “inspiration” carries the thought of being God-breathed.
The Bible is not merely an inspiring book like a beautiful sunset or an encouraging speech. It is not simply good advice wrapped in leather.
It is the very breath of God.
The Bible is God's plan and God's voice given to us.
Think about man. In Genesis, God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.
And here in 2 Timothy, we find that God's Word is also God-breathed.
Don't you think God intended those two things to go together?
We need the Word of God. We need God's breath. We need God's voice in our lives.
Somebody may say, “The Bible was written by men.”
Well, that's true to a degree. Men held the pens. But while man was holding the pen, God was breathing the words.
Second Peter 1:21 says:
“Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
The Scriptures are inspired because they came from God.
The Bible does not need my endorsement. It does not need your endorsement.
The Word of God stands alone.
And every doctrine we will study in this series is built upon one foundation:
The Word of God.
If the Bible is not what it claims to be, then nothing else we say in this series really matters. But if we believe this Book is true and that it is truth from God Himself, then everything else becomes easier to believe.

2. THE SCRIPTURES ARE PROFITABLE
The second part of 2 Timothy 3:16 says that Scripture is:
“…profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
The Word of God is beneficial to us in four specific ways.
Doctrine — It Tells Us What Is True
Without doctrine, we don't know what is true.
Two plus two is four. That's a standard. If someone tells you two plus three is four, you know that is not true.
In the same way, biblical doctrine establishes what is absolutely true according to the Word of God.
Reproof — It Shows Us Where We Are Wrong
Can I tell you something?
We need to be reproved often.
If you're driving down the road and begin drifting too far to the right or left, the lines on the road are there to tell you that you've gone too far.
Those lines are there to keep you out of a ditch and away from a head-on collision.
The Word of God does the same thing.
Every day, God's Word tells us:
“Don't say that.”
“Don't go there.”
“Don't do that.”
“Don't think that way.”
“Think this way.”
“Live this way.”
The Word of God reproves us and keeps us out of the ditches of life.
Correction — It Sets Us Back on the Right Path
The Bible doesn't just show us where we're wrong. It shows us how to get right.
The Word of God always teaches repentance.
If I'm going wrong, I need to repent.
If you're going wrong, you need to repent.
Sometimes we want the Bible to give us all the green lights.
“God, show me from Your Word how I can go buy that new thing.”
But sometimes what we really need is:
“God, if I shouldn't do this, please show me a stop sign in Your Word.”
We need to be willing to accept not only the doctrine, but also the reproof and correction.
Instruction in Righteousness — It Trains Us to Live Godly
We live in a difficult day spiritually. The world has taken what the Bible calls the straight and narrow way and tried to make righteousness into a broad way.
“Everybody has their own feelings.”
“Everybody was raised differently.”
“Everybody has their own opinion.”
But righteousness is not determined by our feelings. Righteousness is defined by the Word of God.
I am thankful that I was raised around people who were grounded in the doctrines of Scripture. I had Sunday school teachers who knew the Bible. I heard preachers who were grounded in the things of God. I heard music that was grounded in biblical truth.
I was taught right from wrong from the Word of God.
And that's why we need the Word of God today.

3. THE SCRIPTURES ARE SUFFICIENT
Verse 17 says:
“That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
The word “perfect” here does not mean sinless. It carries the idea of being mature or complete.
The Word of God matures us into fruit-bearing Christians.
If you're going to grow fruit, there are certain things you need: good soil, water, sunlight, nutrients and oxygen.
And the Word of God provides what the Christian needs spiritually.
It gives us light.
It gives us nourishment.
It helps us grow.
It matures us.
And it is impossible to become a mature Christian without it.
If you've been saved for many years and you're still spiritually where you were when you first got saved, you need to get in the Word of God.
We have preaching. We have Sunday school. We have books, podcasts, Bible studies and all kinds of resources.
But there is still nothing quite like sitting down alone with a good cup of coffee, opening the Word of God and saying:
“God, give me one truth today that I can think about all day.”
Sometimes we get discouraged because we try to read through the Bible too quickly. We rush through chapter after chapter and never stop to digest what we have read.
Instead, take one truth.
Think about it.
Study it.
Ask what it means in its context.
Ask how it applies to your life.
Then take that truth with you throughout the day.
The Bible says we are “throughly furnished.”
That means we are completely equipped from the inside out.
It is like a soldier who has been properly equipped and trained for battle. The Christian who is grounded in the Word of God is equipped to face the battles of life.
The Book is enough.
Whatever you're going through, the Bible is enough to give you the truth, wisdom, direction, strength and hope you need.
That doesn't mean we shouldn't seek godly help. There are times when we need counselors, pastors, doctors, or other people God has placed in our lives.
But don't ever jump over what the Word of God can do.
The Bible can give you a peace like nothing else.
We don't need to change it to fit our lives.
We need to let it change us from the inside out.

THE DOCTRINE OF SCRIPTURE
When we say, “I believe the Bible,” that statement by itself doesn't fully describe the doctrine of Scripture.
The doctrine of Scripture is made up of several biblical truths.

Inspiration
The Scriptures are God-breathed.

Inerrancy
The Scriptures are without error.
I may put something on a screen and there may be a mistake in it. But the Word of God is without error.

Infallibility
The Scriptures cannot fail in what they teach or promise.
When God says, “My God shall supply all your need,” He will.
When He says, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” He will not.
Every promise of God is true.

Authority
The Scripture is the final rule for faith and practice.
What does the church believe?
The Bible.
We try our best to know what the Bible says and then put those truths into practice as a church.
You don't have to be mean about biblical truth.
You don't have to be ugly about it.
You don't have to beat people over the head with the Bible.
But you can lovingly say:
“The Bible is my authority, and I am not changing from that.”

Sufficiency
The Scriptures contain everything we need for salvation and godly living.
I am thankful that salvation isn't based upon our good works. If it were, we'd have to determine how many good works are enough.
Instead, our hope and faith are in Jesus Christ.
The Bible gives us everything we need to know for salvation and godly living.

Clarity
The core message of Scripture can be understood by ordinary believers.
There are difficult words in the Bible. There are passages we need to study. There are things we may not immediately understand.
Study them.
Use a concordance.
Read a good commentary.
Talk with mature believers.
But the central message of Scripture is clear:
Faith in God and faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on Calvary.

Preservation
God has preserved His Word through the ages.
Think about what God did when He sent His Son to the cross. Jesus bore the sins of mankind. He shed His blood for us.
Don't you believe that the same God, in His wisdom, strength and foreknowledge, would preserve His Word and make sure it reached us?
The Word has not failed.
The Word has not been lost.
The Word has been preserved and given to us so that we can hear a clear presentation of the Gospel.

Canonicity
The word canon refers to a rule, standard or measuring stick.
We believe the 66 books of the Bible belong in the canon of Scripture—no more and no less.
There are other historical documents and writings that may be useful in understanding history, but the Word of God is the 66 books that God has given us as Scripture.
The church did not create the canon.
The church recognized what God had given.
And what a wonderful Book God has given us.

WHAT A BOOK WE HAVE!
The Bible is the greatest living document ever given to mankind.
If you have a copy of the Bible today, you are blessed.
Not everyone in the world has a Bible.
We live in an area where we are free to open the Bible whenever we want. We have no excuse for leaving it closed.
If you don't know what to do, get in the Book.
If you don't know where to go, get in the Book.
The Bible may not tell you whether to buy this house or that house, but it will teach you how to trust God.
It may not answer every modern question word-for-word, but it will give you wisdom and principles for living.
The Bible gives us strength and direction for everyday life.
It is God-breathed, God-given and God-ordained.
And it has been given to us so that we can be our best for God.
THE BIBLE IS ALL ABOUT JESUS
When you get into the Word of God, you will find Jesus throughout the entire Book.
In Genesis, Adam and Eve sinned, and an animal was sacrificed. Blood was shed to cover their sin—a picture pointing us toward Jesus.
Abraham and Isaac went up the mountain. Isaac asked where the lamb was, and Abraham said:
“My son, God will provide himself a lamb…”
A picture of Jesus.
Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish—a picture pointing toward Jesus.
Noah and the ark give us a picture of salvation and refuge.
You can go book after book, chapter after chapter, and what will you find?
Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
If you get into the Word of God, it will help you keep Jesus as the main thing.
THE WORD OF GOD IS SWEET
Psalm 119:103 says:
“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
There are widows and widowers sitting in this room who have experienced bitter days. And yet, there have been times when you opened the Word of God and found something sweeter than honey.
It brought comfort.
It brought strength.
There have been people who were financially broken and found that God's Word reminded them:
“My God shall supply all your need…”
There have been people walking through the darkest days of their lives who found:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
The Word of God has been our comfort.
It has been our strength.
It has been our wisdom.
Jeremiah 15:16 says:
“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart…”
The Word of God is more than a list of rules we don't like.
It is the very thing our souls need.
STAY IN THE BOOK
We are living in an anti-Bible, anti-truth culture.
Everywhere you turn, somebody has a new interpretation.
“This isn't what the Bible meant.”
“That isn't what Paul meant.”
“That isn't what Jesus meant.”
Now, certainly, there are passages that require study, and there have been people who have taken a hobby horse and run with it far beyond what Scripture teaches.
But we should never approach the Bible looking for loopholes.
We should study the Bible because we want to know what God says.
We should not dissect Scripture simply to find a way around it.
We should search the Scriptures so that we can draw closer to God and obey Him.
And we need to remember this:
The Holy Spirit will never contradict the Word of God.
God will never lead you to do something that violates His Word.
The Spirit will never contradict the Scriptures.
God's Word will always agree with God's Word.
So when someone says, “God told me this,” we should always ask, “Does it line up with the Bible?”
Because God will never contradict Himself.
THE RESPONSE
As we prepare to close, you may wonder, “What is the response to a message about the Bible?”
Maybe today we simply need to say:
“God, thank You for giving me the Word of God.”
Some of you have Bibles that belonged to grandparents, parents, aunts or uncles.
What a treasure.
But perhaps our prayer today should also be:
“God, forgive me for not opening Your Word and finding out Your will for my life.”
Maybe you need something fresh from heaven today.
You wish God would speak to you.
Take His Word and read it.
You'll hear from Him.
We can have church opinions without the Bible.
We can have rules and regulations without the Bible.
We can have preferences without the Bible.
But if we want to be a church that pleases God, we must see the Bible as God's direction for the lost, God's direction for the saved, and God's direction for His church.
The lost need the Word of God because:
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” — Romans 10:17
The saved need the Word of God.
When you're discouraged, get in the Word.
When life is hard, get in the Word.
When you don't know what to do, get in the Word.
God didn't leave us without an owner's manual.
He gave us the Word of God.
And the church needs the Word of God.
When I came to West End Baptist Church, I didn't come and create our doctrine. It was already here.
And if we ever change direction as a church, I don't want us to change unless we're going with Him.
We can change chairs.
We can paint a wall.
We can change programs.
We can change preferences.
But when somebody asks, “What are we going to preach?”
The answer is simple:
It's right there in the Book.
We're not changing from it.
BELIEVE THE BOOK ABOUT JESUS
And if you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, I want to invite you today to believe the Book about Jesus.
Because this Book is about Jesus from beginning to end.
The Bible says:
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Kevin Ryder recently bowed at this altar and confessed with his mouth that he wanted Jesus in his heart. We have several people preparing to be baptized who have confessed that Jesus is Lord.
The greatest word you need to know today is salvation.
The greatest thing you need to know is that God loves you and wants you to be a part of His family.
You don't have to understand every theological word we talked about today.
You need to know Jesus.
You need to believe Him.
You need to trust Him.
The Book points us to Jesus, and Jesus is the answer.
What a Book we have.
What a Savior we have.
And what a blessing it is that God has given us His Word.
Stay in the Book.
Believe the Book.
Live the Book.
And most of all—
Follow the One the Book is all about: Jesus.

How We Come to God
Bible Text: 2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
—2 Peter 3:9

This week has been such an amazing week of celebration and reflection for our church as we enjoyed our annual homecoming revival. We had some much-needed preaching on the subject of who God is and what God can do.
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in who we are, what we have, or what we don't have that it becomes almost impossible for us to go forward or do anything greater for God. But when we hear preaching about who God is, it reminds us that we cannot do all things in ourselves, but we can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth us.
The preaching this week was such an encouragement. I did not tell the preachers what to preach or give them a particular theme, yet God directed every message with an amazing common thread.
Brother John preached about the Almighty God—how He is both powerful and personal.
Brother Brent preached about the God of the impossible and how He wants to do amazing things in our lives.
Brother Kenny preached about the God who sees us in our storms and what to do when the rowing gets tough.
Every message pointed us to a God who can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves—a God who can perform the miraculous, provide, protect, and still be personal.
I needed the revival meeting. I needed the preaching. I needed the encouragement and fellowship.
But today I want to change course for just a little while.
I don't want to preach only to those who know God. I want to preach to those in the room who may not know God.
We're in a Baptist church on a hot summer Sunday. You could have been anywhere, but you chose to be in church today. I would imagine the majority of people here have a relationship with God. But there could be someone here who doesn't.
If that's you, I want to encourage you to meet the God we've been talking about all week. Get into a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
So today I want to ask a simple question:
How Do We Come to God?
If you're already saved, take these truths and tuck them away. Learn them, study them, and use them to help someone else come to know Christ.

1. GOD TAKES THE INITIATIVE
When we begin a relationship with God, we often think we are the ones searching for Him.
But understand this:
Before you ever started searching for God, God was already searching for you.
Before you sought Him, He was already seeking you.
Before you understood the Bible, God was already working in your life.
Our text says that God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
God wants you to come to repentance. God wants you to know Him.
Jesus said in John 6:44:
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.”
God does the drawing.
I believe salvation is by invitation. And when Christ is drawing you, you ought to step out and step toward Him.
There is a story in the Bible about a king who prepared a great wedding and invited people to come. One after another, they made excuses.
“I can't come. I'm busy.”
“I've bought some land.”
“I've got work to do.”
They refused the invitation when it was given.
Can I tell you today, if God is inviting you and God is drawing you to Himself, you ought to accept the invitation.
God takes the initiative.
Before I came to God, He was already drawing me.
Before I sought Him, He was already seeking me.
Before I understood everything, God was already working in my life.
When I look back at my own salvation story, I realize it didn't begin on the day I got saved. It began much earlier.
Somebody reached somebody else.
Somebody prayed for somebody.
Somebody shared the Gospel with somebody.
And it all eventually trickled down to me coming to a saving knowledge of Christ.
It's God. It's always been God.
He's the seeker. He's the One who desires man—not the other way around.
Think about your Bible.
God sought Adam:
“Adam, where art thou?”
God called Abraham.
God called Moses.
God called Samuel.
God called the disciples.
And God calls you today.
“Come unto me, be ye saved.”
Don't think for one minute that you made the first move toward God.
He took the initiative.

2. GOD SPEAKS THROUGH HIS WORD
God is doing the drawing, the pulling, the inviting, and the initiating of the relationship with man.
But how do we know what to do?
God speaks through His Word.
The Word of God is absolutely essential when it comes to people coming to God.
Romans 10 gives us the progression:
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Then:
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
I love that word whosoever.
That's how you and I got in!
I'm glad He didn't say the rich.
I'm glad He didn't say the poor.
I'm glad He didn't say one particular race, nationality, political party, or social class.
He said:
“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Then Paul asks:
“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?”
And:
“How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?”
And:
“How shall they hear without a preacher?”
And finally:
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Do you see the progression?
They have to hear.
They have to believe.
They have to call.
That's why we send missionaries.
That's why we support Bible translation.
That's why we preach.
That's why we teach.
That's why you should tell your coworkers, your family, your friends, and your neighbors.
Somebody has to tell the Gospel story.
And that doesn't just mean a preacher standing behind a pulpit.
That's you at your job.
That's you at school.
That's you in your family.
That's you wherever God has placed you.
We need to be careful about downplaying the Word of God and thinking we just need to get people through the doors and somehow sway them into Christianity.
People need the Word of God.
It's the Word of God that changes hearts.
Paul said:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation.”
The Bible says the Word of God is:
“quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword.”
The Word of God does a surgical work in the heart of a sinner.
Hebrews 4:12 tells us that.
Isaiah 55:11 says God's Word will not return unto Him void.
So what a waste of time was that church service?
It wasn't.
What a waste of time was that Sunday School class?
It wasn't.
Teacher, maybe you walked out of your class thinking, “They weren't listening. They were running around. I don't think they heard one word I said.”
If the Word of God went out, it was time well spent.
Psalm 119:105 says:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
What does the world need in this dark day?
Light.
And the Gospel gives that light.
Psalm 119:130 says:
“The entrance of thy words giveth light.”
John 17:17 says:
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
James 1:21 says:
“Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
How important is the Word of God?
The Word of God needs to be proclaimed.

3. GOD'S WORD REVEALS CHRIST
God isn't simply drawing people to become religious.
God isn't merely telling people to become better.
God is drawing people through His Word to Christ.
Jesus said in John 12:32:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
Christ must be lifted up.
He was physically lifted up on the cross.
He was lifted up from the grave in bodily resurrection.
And He must be spiritually lifted up through our preaching and proclamation of the Gospel.
Every other religious leader has died.
But there's only One who rose again.
That's Jesus Christ.
The Gospel is not simply, “Believe in God.”
The whole world believes in some kind of God.
Jesus said:
“Ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
The Gospel is believing in Christ.
Believing who He is.
Believing that He bore our sins.
Believing that He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Believing in His burial.
Believing in His resurrection.
That's the Gospel.
And what a story of hope and forgiveness and salvation it is!
Sometimes we look at the cross and think, “What a horrible story.”
It was bloody.
It was brutal.
It was a crucifixion.
But for the lost sinner, what a wonderful story of hope!

4. JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD
One of the most important statements Jesus ever made is found in John 14:6:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
But Jesus didn't stop there.
He said:
“No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Jesus didn't say He was one of the ways.
He didn't say you could come to God however you choose.
He said:
“No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
He is the way for the detoured man.
He is the truth for the deceived man.
He is the life for the dead man.
If you want a relationship with God the Father, you must have a relationship with His Son.
Greater than having a relationship with West End Baptist Church, you need a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Greater than having a relationship with a denomination, you need a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Greater than having a relationship with any organization, you need a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus isn't merely an important part of salvation.
Jesus is the only way to the Father.
Paul said in 1 Timothy 2:5:
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
There is one mediator.
The man Christ Jesus.

5. GOD HAS BEEN DRAWING YOU
God is drawing sinners all day, every day.
When I look back over my own life, I can see story after story of how God was working long before I ever came to Christ.
I was saved on March 24, 1991. It was a Sunday evening.
I was actually running sound in the service. We had a little sound booth with a window in the wall.
That morning, our youth pastor's wife came forward and said she had never truly trusted Christ and wanted to get it settled.
I thought, If Miss Lynn isn't saved, there ain't nobody saved.
She was a wonderful lady and a good woman.
But she got saved that morning.
And that whole afternoon, God troubled my heart.
I wasn't running from God.
I wasn't trying to avoid Him.
I just began thinking:
Have I ever truly done that?
Have I ever really said yes to God?
And I realized that I had not.
All day long, God was drawing me.
God was encouraging me.
Come.
Come to Me.
That night I went to church thinking, If I can just make it through this service, maybe this feeling will go away.
I was back in the sound booth.
The choir was singing, and I got a lump in my throat.
I was swallowing hard.
I thought, If we can just get out of this service, I'll be okay.
Normally, when the preacher began preaching, I would step out of the sound booth and sit on the back row.
That night I did.
And there was a friend of mine, Kevin Keith.
He hadn't been to church in weeks.
Of all nights for him to come, he came that night.
We sat beside each other.
We whispered back and forth a little, and I felt like the devil was trying to distract me.
I'd get distracted for a moment, then go back to listening.
And the Spirit of God would get on my heart again.
He was working on me.
Drawing me.
Pulling me.
Then the preacher got up and used the Word of God to confirm what the Spirit of God was already telling me.
He preached about the things Christ saw from the cross.
He talked about Jesus seeing His mother.
He talked about Jesus seeing His disciples.
And then, while he was preaching, he said something I'll never forget.
He said that Jesus, while He was on the cross, looked through time and saw me.
He didn't point over here.
He didn't point back there.
He pointed right at me.
The sound guy sitting on the back row.
He didn't know what I was dealing with.
But the Spirit of God had drawn me.
The Word of God had convicted me.
And God used that man of God to tell me, “You're the one who needs to come tonight.”
When the invitation began, I thought about going back to the sound room.
I thought about Kevin sitting beside me.
I wondered what he would think.
Surely he's saved.
Surely I'm saved.
He's going to think I'm crazy if I go down there.
But God said in my heart:
Today's the day.
I stepped out and went to the altar.
I told that preacher:
“I'm not saved.”
He said, “I could stand here and show you every verse in the Bible, and that would be okay. But you know what the Bible says. Get down here and just ask Christ to save you.”
And I did.
As a sixteen-year-old young man, it changed my life.
I'm not who I was before.
I didn't have a horrible past.
I hadn't been incarcerated.
I hadn't been in and out of rehab.
I didn't have great addictions.
But I'll tell you this:
Jesus Christ made a huge difference in my life.
He changed my history.
He changed my life.
He changed my destiny.
He changed my future.
What a wonderful change Christ made when He came into my life!

6. WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH CHRIST?
The Word of God gives us the Gospel.
God's will is that you do not perish, but that you come to repentance.
If you're here today and you've never trusted Christ, why not do it today?
I'm not talking about doing something emotional.
I'm not talking about coming forward and telling everybody your business.
I'm talking about bowing your knee and bowing your heart before God and saying:
“God, I want You in my life.”
Maybe when you look back over your life, you can see that God has been drawing you all along.
Maybe today is the day you say:
“God, I'm saying yes to You.”
He is not willing that you perish.
He wants you to come to repentance.
Will you come and receive Christ?
Will you receive what Christ did for you on the cross of Calvary?
7. IF YOU ARE FAR FROM GOD, COME HOME
Maybe you did that a long time ago.
Maybe you remember the day you got saved.
Maybe you remember when you were born again.
Maybe you remember when you committed your life to Christ.
But today you would have to admit:
I'm a long way from that day.
Maybe you're not where you used to be.
Maybe you feel like you've missed God.
Maybe you feel like He's not as close to you—or you're not as close to Him—as you once were.
You have burdens.
You have needs.
You have trouble.
And you're wondering:
“Preacher, how do I get back to where I once was?”
I want to suggest to you that the path is the same.
Realize that God has been drawing you.
He's standing there with open arms saying:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
He's waiting on you.
And then you have the Word of God.
The Bible gives us a clear path back to Him:
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
Think about the prodigal son.
He finally came to himself and started walking toward the Father.
And when he came home, the Father received him.
If you're distant from God today, let me remind you:
He hasn't moved.
If God seems a long way from you, let me remind you:
He hasn't moved.
Take a step toward God.
Come to Him.
Say, “God, I'm broken. I'm desperate. I'm hungry for You.”
Do you know what He'll do?
He'll receive you with open arms.
You can come on the authority of Jesus Christ.
Maybe you wonder, “I want to pray, but I don't know if God will hear me.”
Let me tell you how you have access to the throne room of God:
Come in Jesus' name.
You come before the throne of God and say, “I'm here in Jesus' name.”
And the Father says, “Come on in. That's My Son. Come on in.”
If you know Him, you're welcome in the throne room.
Whatever you're going through today, bring it to God.

CONCLUSION
If you don't know Christ today, today could be your day.
It should be your day that you say yes to God.
Don't battle it.
Don't fight it.
Don't go to bed every night wishing you were a Christian.
Don't get up every morning and go through your workday wondering, I hope nothing happens to me. I hope I make it home. I hope I'm right with God.
You don't have to live that way.
You can know for sure today that your sins are washed away.
You can know that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
You can know that you are in a relationship with God.
You can know it today.
The God who has been drawing you is still drawing you.
The Word of God has told you the truth.
Christ has been lifted up.
The invitation has been given.
Now the question is simple:
Will you say yes?

Don’t Stop Building
Bible Text: Haggai 2:1–9
“Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts.”
—Haggai 2:4
Today marks a great milestone in the history of West End Baptist Church. For 103 years, people have walked through these doors. Thousands of sermons have been preached, countless songs have been sung, children have been taught, missionaries have been supported, and many souls have been saved through the ministry of this church.
Today, we honor the people who built West End Baptist Church—not merely the building, but the people.
At one time, this building was the schoolhouse for the mill village. Children met here, and the church began meeting here in 1923. In 1961, this building was deeded to West End Baptist Church, and it has served as a church ever since.
We are thankful for this building, but today we are especially thankful for the people who have built this church through the years.
We honor their prayers. Every time we come into this church and lift our voices in prayer, we are honoring those who prayed before us.
We honor their labor. Every time someone cuts the grass, cleans the building, paints a wall, changes a light, cleans a baseboard, or does one of the countless jobs that keep this church going, we are honoring those who worked before us.
We honor their giving. Why should we give to the work of the church? Because people before us gave so that we could sit here today.
And we honor their service.
I believe we are foolish if we forget our past. Paul said we are to forget those things which are behind and press forward, but I don't believe Paul was talking about having spiritual amnesia. He wasn't telling us to forget God's faithfulness or forget what God has done.
West End Baptist Church has a wonderful history, and we should never forget it.
I don't believe we can fully enjoy the blessings of today without honoring those who came before us.
So today, let's give God thanks for them.
But while we honor the past, we also have a responsibility for the future.
We have a job to do.
We must continue building a local church for the glory of God.
This isn't a civic organization. This isn't an “us four and no more” club. This is a church built upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our mission is to encourage the saints, build up believers, train those who have been born again, and reach those who are lost by giving them a clear presentation of the Gospel as often as we can.
We must build—and we must build wisely.
So we have to ask the question: How would God have us build West End Baptist Church in this generation?
That brings us to Haggai 2.

1. Their Perception Was on Yesterday
The people of God had drifted away from God.
If you read the Old Testament, you will see this pattern repeated over and over again. They would serve God, then fall into idolatry and turn away from Him. God would judge them, they would return to God, and then eventually the cycle would begin again.
God sent prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, and others to warn His people.
Eventually, Babylon came. Jerusalem was destroyed. The great temple Solomon had built was destroyed, and many of God's people were taken captive.
For seventy years, they lived in captivity.
Then a king named Cyrus conquered Babylon and allowed God's people to return to Jerusalem.
When they returned, they didn't want to go back to their old ways. They had learned their lesson.
The first thing they did was build an altar. Then they began laying the foundation for a new temple.
Think about that.
The temple Solomon had built had stood for more than 400 years. It had enormous cedar timbers, gold, beautiful artwork, and incredible craftsmanship. It was one of the greatest structures of its day.
And now God's people were trying to rebuild it.
They laid the foundation. They started the work.
But something happened.
They lost their excitement.
The work stalled.
The construction stopped, and for sixteen years the temple sat unfinished.
Sixteen years!
For 86 years total, God's people were without the temple they had once known as the center of worship.
Then God sent a prophet named Haggai to stir them up again.
Haggai comes along and begins challenging them to get back to work.
He says in Haggai 2:3:
“Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?”
In other words:
“Who remembers the old temple? Who remembers what it looked like? And now look at what you're building. Doesn't this seem like nothing compared to what you remember?”
Some of the older generation had actually seen Solomon's temple. They remembered its greatness.
And now they looked at this new foundation and thought:
“Is this all we're going to build?”
Their perception was on yesterday.
They couldn't see what God could do today because they were focused on what God had done in the past.
And one of the greatest dangers for any church is to become so concentrated on the past that we fail to see what God wants to do today.
I love our past.
We honor our past.
We are thankful for those who came before us.
But if our worship stops in the past, our vision will stop there too.
Their eyes were on yesterday's temple instead of today's job.
The new temple seemed too small compared to the one they remembered, so they complained and quit working.
And that's still a danger for churches today.
The danger isn't remembering Solomon's temple.
The danger is trying to recreate Solomon's temple.
Some of us remember great services. We remember great revivals. We remember times when people were saved. We remember nights when the altars were full.
I remember a service where we baptized 26 or 27 people in one night.
Would you like to have another night like that? Absolutely!
I remember services where people were standing in the aisles, people were at the altar, and the Spirit of God seemed to fall on the place in a powerful way.
I remember hearing the Hegwoods sing and thinking the roof was going to come off the building.
I remember services where we said, “Sing it again!”
Those are wonderful memories.
But if we're not careful, we can build monuments to those moments.
We can say, “It was good then, but it isn't as good now.”
We can become so focused on what God did that we fail to see what God wants to do.
It's wonderful to remember the past.
But if your vision and allegiance are only to the past, you'll miss what God has for you today.
And that isn't just true in church.
It's true in life.
It's true in relationships.
It's true in every season of our lives.
Don't stop building because yesterday was different.

2. God's Presence Matters Most
Look at verses 4–5:
“Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:
According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.”
Three times God says:
“Be strong.”
And then He tells them why they can be strong:
“I am with you.”
God didn't promise them more money.
He didn't say, “I'll send you Solomon's resources.”
He didn't promise them more workers.
He didn't promise them cedar timbers like Solomon had.
He didn't promise them gold.
He promised them His presence.
And I just want to say today:
That's enough.
They didn't need Solomon's money if they had God's presence.
They didn't need Solomon's wisdom if they had God's presence.
They didn't need Solomon's connections if they had God's presence.
God said, “I am with you.”
And that is the same promise we have today.
In 103 years, a lot has changed at West End Baptist Church.
Pastors have come and gone.
Members have come and gone.
Music has changed.
The building has changed.
The community has changed.
Today we have livestreaming, social media, websites, apps, and technology that nobody could have imagined 103 years ago.
But one thing has not changed:
God is still with us.
It doesn't matter who's sitting in the pulpit.
It doesn't matter who's sitting in the pew.
It doesn't matter who used to sing that song.
It doesn't matter who used to teach that class.
What matters is God is with us.
Some people can't move forward for God because they're thinking about the resources they used to have.
“I can't do this anymore because I don't have that person.”
“I don't have my right-hand man.”
“I don't have that teacher.”
“I don't have that singer.”
“I don't have the people we used to have.”
Can I tell you something?
None of that limits God.
God is with us.
This group of people probably thought they couldn't move forward without Solomon's money, Solomon's wisdom, or Solomon's connections.
But God said:
“Be strong. I am with you.”
God was reminding them that He was the One who empowered Solomon in the first place.
Solomon didn't build that great temple because Solomon was so great.
God was with him.
And if God could use Solomon, God could use them.
And if God could use them, God can use us.
God wants to use every person in this room to build West End Baptist Church.
I'm not just talking about building a bigger building. I'd love to have a newer building and a bigger facility one day, and if God wants us to do that, we'll do it.
But we're not just building a building.
We're building people.
We're building classes.
We're building ministries.
We're building families.
We're building disciples.
We're building one another up.
And God will do that through us if we will lean on Him.
God's power isn't in a building.
I love this building.
I'm thankful for this building.
But what happens if we don't have this building?
What will the church do?
We'll have to rest on Him.
God's power isn't in a program.
It isn't in an event.
It isn't in a singer.
And I'll even say this:
It's not in a preacher or pastor.
Our hope is in God's power, God's resources, God's promises, and God's ability.
And God's ability isn't limited by time, space, location, or generation.
Our hope is in Him.
God is everlasting, and He will meet the needs of this church if we will be obedient and work for Him.

3. God's Place Is Still Worth Building
The people had been focused on the past.
Then they realized that God's presence mattered most.
And finally, they understood that God's place was still worth building.
Let me put a plug in right here:
Working around West End Baptist Church is still something valuable to do.
If you're on the grass-cutting team, can I say thank you?
That is not wasted time.
If you cleaned the building this week, that's not wasted time.
If you've changed diapers in the nursery, that's not wasted time.
If you've taught boys and girls, that's not wasted time.
If you've stayed after church for choir practice, that's not wasted time.
If you've sat and listened to me preach week after week, that's not wasted time!
We are working together to build God's place.
The people in Haggai's day looked at this new temple and compared it to Solomon's temple.
They looked at the smaller foundation and thought it was inferior.
But eventually they realized something:
God wasn't in the cedar beams.
God wasn't in the gold.
God wasn't in the size.
God wasn't in the artwork.
God's presence was what mattered.
And once they understood that, they got back to work.
But the story doesn't end there.
In verses 6–9, God gives them a promise that is almost too big for them to understand:
“Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.”
God didn't say, “Go back and rebuild Solomon's temple.”
He said, in essence:
“Build what I have given you to build, and I will fill it with My glory.”
Then He says:
“The silver is mine, and the gold is mine.”
God was saying, “Get your eyes off the silver and gold. Get your eyes off the size. Get your eyes off the appearance.”
Then He makes this incredible statement:
“The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former.”
How could that be?
Solomon's temple was bigger.
It was more elaborate.
It had more gold.
It had more impressive architecture.
So how could this smaller temple have greater glory?
Because about 500 years later, something would happen in that temple that would make it greater than Solomon's temple ever was.
A young Jewish couple would walk into that temple carrying a baby.
They would bring Him to a man named Simeon.
And Simeon, led by the Spirit of God, would take that baby in his arms and say that he could now depart in peace because he had seen the salvation of the Lord.
That baby would be circumcised according to Jewish tradition.
That baby would be given the name that the angel had told His parents to give Him.
And that name was:
Jesus.
Jesus never walked into Solomon's temple as a baby.
But Jesus walked into this temple.
The little temple.
The temple that looked inferior.
The temple that people had compared to Solomon's and said, “This is nothing.”
That was the temple God chose to glorify.
And I believe there is a message for us in that today.
What you do for Christ doesn't have to be big to be valuable.
It isn't about bigger.
It isn't about smaller.
Greater isn't necessarily more.
Less isn't necessarily better.
The question is:
Are we doing what God wants us to do?
That's the most we can do for Him.
Don't Build Monuments to the Past
Let me close with this.
Be careful about building monuments to people, places, and things simply because they are great memories.
We say:
“I remember when…”
And there's nothing wrong with remembering.
But if we're not careful, those memories can discourage us from giving our best today.
I appreciate the music we have around here. Brother Brant and our people work hard to keep things fresh, and I appreciate that.
I like fresh music.
And if you're going to expect me to come in here week after week with a fresh message, you can hold the music department to the fire too!
Give us some new songs once in a while!
But I've seen something happen through the years.
Somebody sings a song at Christmas, and somebody says, “That was a good song.”
The next year, Thanksgiving rolls around, and somebody says, “Are you going to sing that song again?”
The next year, somebody says, “It just wouldn't be Christmas if you don't sing that song.”
And before long, we have built a monument around that person and that song.
There's nothing wrong with singing the old songs.
There's nothing wrong with the old hymns.
Bring them out!
Sing them!
Enjoy them!
But if all your soundtracks are still on tape, get a new song!
Get some new material.
Why?
Because sometimes we build monuments around what was and what we enjoy, and then we become unable to see what God wants us to do next.
We say:
“It isn't the same if she doesn't sing it.”
“It isn't the same if we don't do it that way.”
“It isn't the same if we don't have that person.”
And we've forgotten something:
God isn't in that song.
God isn't in that particular service.
God isn't in doing things the same old way simply because that's how we've always done them.
God's presence is powerful.
And God wants to do new and fresh things in our lives and in His church today.
So as we celebrate 103 years of West End Baptist Church, let's honor yesterday.
Let's thank God for the people who prayed, gave, served, sacrificed, taught, sang, preached, cleaned, worked, and built.
Let's thank God for every soul that has been saved.
Let's thank God for every life that has been changed.
Let's thank God for every sermon that has been preached and every prayer that has been prayed.
But let's not stop there.
Let's keep building.
Let's keep reaching.
Let's keep serving.
Let's keep giving.
Let's keep praying.
Let's keep preaching.
Let's keep teaching.
Let's keep singing.
Let's keep telling people about Jesus.
Because there is still a community around us that needs a church that is alive.
There is still a generation that needs to hear the Gospel.
There are still boys and girls who need to be taught the Word of God.
There are still families that need hope.
There are still sinners who need Jesus.
And there is still work to be done.
So, West End Baptist Church:
Honor the past.
Trust God's presence.
Keep building.
Don't stop building because yesterday was bigger.
Don't stop building because things have changed.
Don't stop building because you don't have the resources you once had.
Don't stop building because the work looks smaller than it used to.
Don't stop building.
God is still with us.
And if God is with us, we have everything we need to keep moving forward for His glory.

This small group Bible study has been developed from sermons preached from the pulpit of West End Baptist Church. It is designed to serve as a guide to help you study, discuss, and grow in your understanding of God’s Word.
This study is not a substitute for the Bible, nor should it ever take the place of reading and studying Scripture for yourself. The ultimate authority is always the Word of God. If questions arise during this study, we encourage you to search the Scriptures, seek God’s guidance, and trust the truth found in His Word above all else.

Small Group Bible Study #1
The Language of Salvation- Condemnation
Romans 3:19–20; Romans 8:1
Opening Thought
No one enjoys hearing the word condemnation.
The word sounds harsh, negative, and hopeless. Yet one of the greatest truths of the Gospel is this:
We cannot fully appreciate salvation until we first understand why we need it.
Before someone can rejoice in being forgiven, they must first recognize that they are guilty.
Before someone can celebrate being rescued, they must first realize they are lost.
That is why we begin our study, The Language of Salvation, with this important Bible word.
Over the next several weeks, we will examine some of the great words found throughout the book of Romans. These words are familiar to many believers, but often misunderstood.
Our goal is not simply to know Bible words. Our goal is to understand God's truth and allow it to transform our lives.
The first word we must understand is:
Condemnation.
Condemnation is the legal declaration that someone is guilty and deserving of punishment.
Spiritually speaking, condemnation is God's righteous verdict against sinful humanity.
Earthly courts can make mistakes, but God's judgment is always perfect. His verdict is always right because He judges according to truth.
The difficult reality is this:
Every person stands guilty before God.

1. The Cause of Our Condemnation Is Sin
Read: Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
The reason mankind stands condemned is simple:
Sin.
Sin entered the world through Adam and has affected every generation since.
It does not matter whether someone is:

• Religious or irreligious
• Wealthy or poor
• Young or old
• Moral or immoral

Every person has inherited a sinful nature and every person has personally sinned.
One of the greatest mistakes people make is comparing themselves to others.
"I am not as bad as that person."
"I have never done what they have done."
"I am a pretty good person."
But God has never measured us against one another.
He measures us against His perfect holiness.
And when we compare ourselves to God’s standard, every one of us falls short.

Read: Romans 3:19–20
"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
The law of God was never given as a ladder for us to climb into heaven.
It was given to reveal our inability to save ourselves.
The law shows us our sin and points us toward our need for a Savior.

Discussion Questions

1. Why do people naturally compare themselves to others instead of comparing themselves to God?
2. Why is it important to understand our sin before we can understand salvation?
3. What purpose does God's law serve according to Romans 3?

2. The Reality of Our Condemnation Is Serious
Read: Romans 3:19
"That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
Notice what Scripture says:
"All the world may become guilty before God."
Our guilt is not merely before society.
It is not simply before other people.
Our guilt is before Almighty God.
Every sin is ultimately an offense against the holiness of our Creator.
David understood this when he confessed after his sin:
Read: Psalm 51:4
"Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight..."
One day every excuse will disappear.
Paul says:
"Every mouth may be stopped."
Many people imagine they will stand before God and explain why they rejected Him, ignored His Word, or refused His Son.
But there will be no argument that can overturn God's verdict.
God's judgment will be completely righteous.

Read: John 3:18
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already..."
Condemnation is not simply something waiting in the future.
For those without Christ, condemnation is their present condition.
Every person apart from Jesus already stands under the sentence of sin.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it important to understand that our sin is ultimately against God?
2. Why do people often try to justify themselves before God?
3. What does Jesus mean when He says a person is "condemned already"?

3. The Cure for Condemnation Is Jesus Christ
Read: Romans 8:1
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus..."
After spending the first several chapters of Romans explaining mankind’s guilt, Paul gives us one of the greatest promises in Scripture.
"There is therefore now no condemnation..."
What wonderful words!
The believer's condemnation has been removed because Jesus took our place.

Illustration
Imagine someone carrying an impossible debt.
The amount is so great that there is no possible way to repay it.
Then someone steps forward and pays the entire debt.
The account is marked:
Paid in Full.
The burden is gone.
The debt is removed.
The person is free.
That is what Jesus Christ did for us.

Read: Isaiah 53:6
"The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
At the cross:

• Jesus took our guilt.
• Jesus took our punishment.
• Jesus took our condemnation.

The judgment we deserved was placed upon Him.
He became condemned so that we could be forgiven.

Discussion Questions

1. How does the cross change our standing before God?
2. Why can good works never remove our condemnation?
3. What does it mean that Jesus became our substitute?

4. Freedom From Condemnation Should Change How We Live
Being free from condemnation does not mean sin no longer matters.
Grace is not permission to continue living however we want.
Instead, grace gives us a desire to honor the One who saved us.
There is a difference between:
Conviction and Condemnation
The Holy Spirit convicts believers to restore fellowship with God.
Satan condemns believers to keep them discouraged and defeated.
Conviction says:
"Come back to God."
Condemnation says:
"You are a failure. Give up."
If you are in Christ, your case has already been settled.
The Judge has declared you forgiven because Jesus took your place.

Discussion Questions

1. What is the difference between conviction and condemnation?
2. Why do some believers continue carrying guilt after God has forgiven them?
3. How should freedom from condemnation affect the way we live each day?

Personal Reflection
Every person belongs to one of two groups.
You are either:
Still under condemnation because you have never trusted Christ,
or
Free from condemnation because you have placed your faith in Him.
The cure for condemnation is not:

• Religion
• Good works
• Self-improvement
• Trying harder

The cure is Jesus Christ.
He paid the debt we could never pay.
He took the judgment we deserved.
He gave us the forgiveness we could never earn.
Read One More Time:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."
What a wonderful Savior we have!

Closing Prayer

Small Group Bible Study #2
The Language of Salvation-Justification
Romans 3:21–26; Romans 5:1
Opening Thought
One of the greatest needs of mankind is to understand our standing before a holy God.
The Bible tells us that every person has a sin problem. We are guilty before God, and we cannot fix our condition through our own efforts. Yet the amazing message of the Gospel is that God has provided a way for guilty sinners to be made right with Him.
The Bible calls this justification.
Justification means that God declares sinful people righteous through faith in Jesus Christ.
A simple phrase often used to explain justification is:
"Just as if I'd never sinned."
While that phrase does not fully explain everything about this great doctrine, it helps us understand the incredible truth that God no longer sees us through the record of our sin, but through the righteousness of His Son.

1. We Must Understand Our Condemnation Before We Appreciate Justification
Read: Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Before we can understand what it means to be justified, we must first understand why we need justification.
The Bible does not describe mankind as basically good people who simply need improvement. Scripture teaches that we are sinners who need salvation.
Every person has fallen short of God's perfect standard.
Many people struggle with this because they compare themselves to other people.
"I am not as bad as someone else."
"I try to do good."
"I have always been a moral person."
But God does not compare us to one another. He compares us to His own holiness.
When we see ourselves in light of God's perfection, we understand our need for grace.

Illustration
A person may look clean standing beside another person who is dirty. But when both stand beside a bright white wall, the difference becomes obvious.
God's holiness is that perfect standard.
When we compare ourselves to Him, we realize we all need a Savior.

Discussion Questions

1. Why do people often struggle to recognize their need for salvation?
2. What is the danger of comparing our goodness to other people?
3. Why must we understand our guilt before we can appreciate God's grace?

2. Justification Is Made Possible Through Jesus Christ
Read: Romans 3:24–25
"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood..."
The question naturally follows:
How can a holy God declare guilty sinners righteous?
The answer is Jesus.
God did not ignore our sin.
He did not simply overlook our failures.
He dealt with our sin through the sacrifice of His Son.
The cross accomplished what we could never accomplish.
The Cross Shows God's Grace
Romans says we are:
"justified freely by his grace."
Grace means we receive what we do not deserve.
Salvation is free to us, but it was not free to God.
Our forgiveness was purchased through the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The Cross Purchased Our Redemption
Jesus did not simply teach us how to live. He came to save us.
Through His death, He purchased our freedom from sin.
We were slaves to sin, but Christ paid the price to set us free.
The Cross Satisfied God's Justice
This is where propitiation enters the picture.
God did not sweep sin away.
He judged sin completely through Jesus Christ.
The punishment we deserved was placed upon Him so that God's justice could be satisfied and His mercy could be extended.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it important to understand that salvation cost God something?
2. How does the cross demonstrate both God's grace and His justice?
3. What does it mean that Jesus purchased our redemption?

3. Justification Is Received Through Faith
Read: Romans 5:1
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Notice what Paul says:
"Being justified by faith..."
Justification is not earned.
It is received.
We cannot work our way into a right relationship with God.
Our good deeds cannot erase our sin.
Our religious activities cannot save us.
Only faith in Jesus Christ can justify us before God.
Faith is trusting completely in what Christ has already done.
It is saying:
"I cannot save myself, but Jesus can."

Discussion Questions

1. Why can good works never be the basis of our salvation?
2. What is the difference between knowing about Jesus and trusting Jesus?
3. How would you explain justification by faith to someone who believes they must earn God's acceptance?

4. Justification Gives Us Peace With God
Read: Romans 5:1
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
The result of justification is peace.
Notice Paul does not say we simply have the peace of God, although believers experience that as well.
He says we have peace with God.
Before Christ, we were separated from God because of sin.
We stood guilty before the Judge.
But because Jesus paid our debt, the relationship has been restored.
The war is over.
The believer is no longer an enemy of God but a child of God.

Forgiveness and Justification
Forgiveness says:
"You are guilty, but your debt has been canceled."
Justification says:
"You are declared righteous because of Christ."
God does not simply remove our record of sin. He gives us the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions

1. What does it mean to have peace with God?
2. How should knowing we are justified change the way we approach God?
3. How can this truth help someone struggling with guilt and shame?

Personal Reflection
Justification is one of the greatest truths in all of Scripture.
We are not accepted by God because of what we have done.
We are accepted because of what Jesus has done.
Our righteousness is not found in our efforts.
Our righteousness is found in Christ.
The question we must answer is:
Have you been justified?
Religion cannot justify you.
Good works cannot justify you.
Human effort cannot justify you.
Only faith in Jesus Christ can make a guilty sinner right with a holy God.
And for those who have trusted Christ, we can rejoice in this promise:
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Closing Prayer

Small Group Bible Study #3
The Language of Salvation-Propitiation
Romans 3:21–26
Opening Thought
Last week we studied the word justification—the amazing truth that God declares guilty sinners righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. But that truth brings up an important question:
How can a holy God forgive sinful people and still remain just?
If God simply ignored sin, He would no longer be a righteous Judge. Sin must be dealt with. Justice must be satisfied.
The answer is found in one of the most important words in Scripture:
Propitiation.
Romans 3:25 says:
"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God."
Propitiation means that Jesus Christ fully satisfied the righteous demands of God by taking our place and bearing the judgment our sins deserved.
Because of Christ, God did not ignore our sin—He dealt with it completely at the cross.

1. Sin Demands Judgment
Read: Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Before we can understand the beauty of propitiation, we must understand the seriousness of sin.
Our culture often views sin as a mistake, a weakness, or simply a poor decision. But Scripture teaches that sin is rebellion against a holy God.
God is perfectly righteous. Because He is holy, He cannot simply overlook sin.
A good judge does not ignore wrongdoing. A good judge must uphold justice.
In the same way, God’s holiness requires that sin be judged.
Read: Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Sin has a price.
The question is not whether sin deserves judgment. The question is:
Who will bear that judgment?
We cannot pay the price ourselves. We needed a substitute.

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think people often struggle to see sin as serious before God?
2. What happens when we compare ourselves to other people instead of comparing ourselves to God’s holiness?
3. Why is understanding our sin necessary before we can truly appreciate salvation?

2. Jesus Became Our Substitute
Read: Isaiah 53:5
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities..."
The cross was not an accident. It was God's plan of redemption.
Jesus did not simply die as an example of love. He died as a sacrifice for sin.
At Calvary, Jesus took our place.
The judgment we deserved was placed upon Him.
The punishment we earned was received by Him.
The wrath that belonged to us was poured out upon Him.
This is the heart of propitiation.
Jesus satisfied what God's justice demanded so that sinners could receive what God's grace provided.

Illustration
Imagine standing in a courtroom guilty of a crime you committed. The judge has every right to pronounce judgment.
But before the sentence is carried out, someone steps forward and says, "I will take their punishment. I will pay their debt."
That is what Jesus did for us.
He did not say our sin did not matter.
He said, "I will pay for it."

Discussion Questions

1. What does the substitutionary death of Jesus teach us about the seriousness of sin?
2. What does it teach us about the depth of God's love?
3. Why is it important to understand that Jesus did not simply make salvation possible, but actually accomplished it?

3. The Cross Reveals God's Justice and Love
Read: Romans 3:26
"To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
This verse gives us a beautiful picture of the cross.
God is both:
Just — He does not ignore sin.
The Justifier — He declares sinners righteous through Christ.
The cross did not make God less holy.
The cross revealed how holy God truly is.
Sin was so serious that it required the sacrifice of His Son.
But the cross also revealed how great God's love is.
God provided the sacrifice Himself.
The Father gave the Son.
The Son willingly gave His life.
The Spirit applies that salvation to those who believe.
At the cross, justice and mercy met.

Discussion Questions

1. How does the cross demonstrate both God's holiness and God's love?
2. Why is it important that God did not simply "forget" our sins?
3. How should understanding propitiation change the way we worship God?

4. Propitiation Gives Us Confidence Before God
Read: Romans 8:1
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus..."
Because Jesus satisfied God's wrath, believers no longer have to live in fear of condemnation.
We do not stand before God based on our goodness.
We do not trust our church attendance, our morality, our accomplishments, or our efforts.
We stand accepted because of Jesus Christ.
The believer can say:
"My sin has been paid for."
"My debt has been canceled."
"My Savior has made me acceptable before God."
That truth should not make us careless about sin. It should make us more grateful for grace.
The more we understand what Christ saved us from, the more we desire to live for Him.

Discussion Questions

1. How does propitiation give believers confidence before God?
2. What is the difference between living under condemnation and living in gratitude?
3. How should Christ’s sacrifice affect the way we respond to temptation?

Personal Reflection
Propitiation reminds us that salvation is completely a work of Jesus Christ.
We could not satisfy God's justice.
We could not remove our guilt.
We could not pay our debt.
But Jesus could.
He became our substitute.
He bore our judgment.
He satisfied God's wrath.
He made peace between God and man.
Because of Jesus, we are not only forgiven—we are accepted.
Closing Prayer

Small Group Bible Study #4
The Language of Salvation-Reconciliation
Text: Romans 5:6–11
Theme
Salvation is more than forgiveness. Through Jesus Christ, God restores a broken relationship with sinful humanity and welcomes us into fellowship with Himself.

Opening Icebreaker
Think about a relationship in your life that was strained but eventually restored.

• What made reconciliation possible?
• Was simply forgiving enough, or did rebuilding the relationship take intentional effort?

Today we'll discover that God's goal in salvation wasn't merely to forgive us—it was to bring us back into fellowship with Himself.

Read Together
Romans 5:6–11
As you read, notice how Paul describes our condition before salvation and what God accomplished through Jesus Christ.


1. Why Did We Need Reconciliation?
Read verses 6, 8, and 10.
Paul describes humanity with four words:

• Without strength
• Ungodly
• Sinners
• Enemies

Discussion

1. What do these four descriptions reveal about mankind's spiritual condition?
2. Why is it important to recognize how serious our separation from God really was?
3. Why do you think many people are comfortable living apart from God today?

Key Truth
Sin didn't simply make us imperfect.
Sin made us enemies of God and separated us from a holy relationship with Him.

2. God’s Heart for Relationship
Read Genesis 3:8–9 and Romans 5:8.
Throughout Scripture, God has desired fellowship with His people.
Even after Adam sinned, God came looking for him.
Even while we were sinners, Christ died for us.
Discussion

1. Why do you think God desires a relationship with people?
2. How does Romans 5:8 demonstrate God's initiative in salvation?
3. What does this passage teach us about God's love?

Key Truth
God did not wait for us to seek Him.
He came seeking us.

3. The Work of Reconciliation
Read Romans 5:10.
Notice who performed the work.
"We were reconciled to God..."
Not by our efforts.
Not by religion.
Not by good works.
But by the death of His Son.
Discussion

1. Why couldn't mankind reconcile ourselves to God?
2. How is reconciliation different from simply being forgiven?
3. What role does Jesus alone play in restoring our relationship with God?

Key Truth
Forgiveness removes guilt.
Reconciliation restores fellowship.


4. The Means of Reconciliation
Read John 14:6 and 2 Corinthians 5:18–21.
Jesus is the only bridge between holy God and sinful man.
He bore God's wrath.
He carried our sin.
He gave us His righteousness.
Because of Christ, we are welcomed into God's family.
Discussion

1. Why is Jesus the only way to God?
2. What does it mean to be "reconciled" instead of merely forgiven?
3. How does understanding reconciliation deepen your appreciation for the cross?

Personal Reflection
Take a few moments to reflect.

• Have you personally been reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ?
• Is your fellowship with God as close as it should be?
• Is there unconfessed sin hindering your walk with Him?
• Is there a broken relationship in your own life where God is calling you to seek reconciliation?

Remember:
Our relationship with God is established at salvation.
Our fellowship with God must be maintained through obedience, confession, and daily walking with Him.

Digging Deeper
Read these passages during the week.

• Romans 5:1–11
• 2 Corinthians 5:17–21
• Colossians 1:19–22
• Ephesians 2:11–18
• John 14:6

As you read, underline every reference to peace, reconciliation, or being brought near to God.

Memory Verse
Romans 5:10 
"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

Leader's Notes
Main Teaching Points

• Humanity was separated from God because of sin.
• God initiated reconciliation through His love.
• Jesus accomplished reconciliation through His death.
• Salvation restores our relationship with God.
• While our relationship is secure in Christ, our fellowship can be hindered by unconfessed sin.
• God's desire has always been relationship, not merely religious activity.

Closing Challenge
Ask each participant:
If someone asked you, "What does it mean to be reconciled to God?" how would you answer after today's study?
Encourage everyone to thank God that salvation is more than escaping judgment—it is being welcomed into His family and restored to fellowship with Him.

Closing Prayer

Small Group Bible Study #5
The language of Salvation-Glorification
The Final Step of God's Saving Work
Main Text: Romans 8:28–30
Key Verse
"Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
Romans 8:30 (KJV)

Introduction
Throughout this series, we have traced God's wonderful plan of salvation.
We began with Condemnation, where we learned that every person stands guilty before a holy God.
We studied Propitiation, where Jesus satisfied God's wrath by taking our place on the cross.
We examined Justification, where God declared believing sinners righteous through faith in Christ.
We rejoiced in Reconciliation, where we were brought back into fellowship with God.
Now we arrive at the final word in the language of salvation—Glorification.
Salvation is far more than forgiveness. God is not simply interested in rescuing us from hell or improving our lives on earth. His ultimate purpose is to make His children like His Son, Jesus Christ. One day every believer will be completely free from sin, suffering, temptation, sickness, and death. We will be perfectly conformed to the image of Christ forever. That future reality is called glorification.

Footnote: Understanding God's Foreknowledge
Before we examine glorification, we need to understand the progression found in Romans 8:29–30.
Paul writes:
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son..."
These verses have been discussed for centuries, but one truth is abundantly clear throughout Scripture: God desires for every person to be saved.
Peter wrote:
"The Lord... is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
Paul declared that God "will have all men to be saved" (1 Timothy 2:4).
Jesus Himself invited, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17).
God did not arbitrarily choose some people to be saved while excluding everyone else. Rather, because God is eternal, infinite, and all-knowing, He possesses perfect foreknowledge. Before the foundation of the world, God already knew who would respond in faith to the gospel.
Romans 8 does not say believers are predestined to become believers. It says those whom God foreknew were predestined "to be conformed to the image of His Son." The destination God determined for every believer is Christlikeness.
Notice the beautiful progression:

• God foreknew.
• God predestined believers to become like Christ.
• God called through the gospel.
• God justified those who believed.
• God will glorify every person He has justified.

John 1:12 beautifully summarizes man's response:
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."
From beginning to end, salvation is God's gracious work, yet He lovingly calls every person to place their faith in Jesus Christ.

Discussion Question
When you think about Heaven, what are you most looking forward to?

1. Glorification Is God's Final Work of Salvation
Read Romans 8:30
Paul presents salvation as a completed work.
Notice the progression:

• Called
• Justified
• Glorified

Although glorification is still future from our perspective, Paul speaks of it in the past tense because God's promises are absolutely certain. What He begins, He always finishes.
Every person God has justified will one day be glorified.
Discussion Questions

• Why do you think Paul used the past tense when speaking about glorification?
• How does this strengthen your assurance of salvation?
• What does this teach us about God's faithfulness?

Application
Our future is secure because our salvation rests in the faithfulness of God, not in our own strength.

2. Glorification Means Becoming Like Christ
Read Romans 8:29
Also Read 1 John 3:2
Everything God has allowed into our lives has one ultimate purpose—to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ.
Every answered prayer.
Every trial.
Every mountain.
Every valley.
Every disappointment.
Every blessing.
God is shaping us into the likeness of His Son.
Glorification will be the completion of that lifelong work.
On that day:

• Sin will be gone.
• Temptation will cease.
• Weakness will disappear.
• Corruption will end.
• Death will be defeated.

We will finally be like Jesus.
Discussion Questions

• How has God used difficult seasons to shape your character?
• Why is becoming like Christ God's ultimate goal for believers?
• Which promise about glorification encourages you the most?

Application
God never wastes our experiences. Every circumstance is preparing us for eternity.

3. Glorification Is the Longing of Every Believer
Read Romans 8:19–23
The curse of sin affected not only mankind but all of creation.
Creation groans under the weight of the curse while waiting for redemption.
The believer shares that same longing.
Deep within every child of God is a desire for home.
We long for:

• A place without sin.
• A body without pain.
• A home without sorrow.
• Reunion with loved ones.
• The day we finally see Jesus face to face.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:53–54
Our corruptible bodies will become incorruptible.
Our mortal bodies will become immortal.
Death itself will be swallowed up in victory.
Discussion Questions

• In what ways do you see the effects of the curse in today's world?
• Why do believers often feel that this world is not their home?
• How should the hope of Heaven shape our priorities?

Application
Our greatest hope is not found in this life but in the eternal life Christ has promised.

4. Glorification Makes Every Suffering Worthwhile
Read Romans 8:18
Paul endured imprisonment, beatings, persecution, shipwrecks, rejection, and loneliness.
Yet after comparing present suffering with future glory, he concluded:
"I reckon..."
In other words, after adding it all up, it will be worth it all.
No suffering experienced by God's children can compare with the glory that awaits us.
Discussion Questions

• Why do you think Paul could make such a confident statement?
• How does the promise of glorification help us endure hardship?
• How can we encourage one another with this hope?

Application
Today's suffering is temporary.
Tomorrow's glory is eternal.

5. Glorification Is Guaranteed for Every Believer
Read Romans 8:31–39
Paul closes this chapter with one of Scripture's greatest promises.
Nothing can separate God's children from His love.
Our salvation is secure because it depends on God's power—not ours.
Those whom He justified, He also glorified.
Glorification is not merely a possibility.
It is God's promise.
Discussion Questions

• Which verse in Romans 8:31–39 gives you the greatest assurance?
• How does this passage strengthen your confidence in God's promises?
• How should the certainty of glorification affect the way we live today?

Application
Because our future is secure, we can live courageously, serve faithfully, and endure patiently.

Personal Reflection
Take a few moments to consider these questions.

• Am I living more for this world or the next?
• Am I allowing God to use life's circumstances to make me more like Christ?
• Does the certainty of glorification change how I face today's struggles?

Memory Verse
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
Romans 8:18 

Closing Challenge
What a journey we have taken together.
From Condemnation...
to Propitiation...
to Justification...
to Reconciliation...
and finally to Glorification.

The story of redemption does not end there. One day the Bride of Christ will stand before her heavenly Bridegroom. We will be glorified, crowned with His grace, and forever united with the King of kings and Lord of lords at our Coronation.
The story of mankind began in condemnation, but for every person who has trusted Jesus Christ as Savior, it ends in glory.
If you have never trusted Christ, don't begin by looking for forever—begin by looking for forgiveness. When you receive God's gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, the promise of forever becomes yours.
Closing Prayer

The Language of Salvation: Glorification
Text: Romans 8:28–30 

"Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." — Romans 8:30
As we come to the final message in our series, The Language of Salvation, we arrive at one of the most beautiful words in all of Scripture: glorification.
What a journey this has been.
We began with condemnation, where we discovered the terrible reality that every person stands guilty before a holy God. Then we saw the beautiful truth of propitiation, where God's righteous wrath that was reserved for us was poured out upon His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Through justification, God now sees the blood of Christ instead of our sin, declaring us righteous in His sight. Because of that, reconciliation has taken place—we have been brought back into fellowship with God, welcomed into His family, and embraced by His grace.
But God's work of salvation does not end there.
God is not simply trying to clean us up. He is not merely interested in making us better people while we live on this earth. His ultimate purpose is far greater. He is determined to make us like His Son forever.
That final step is called glorification.
The story of mankind began with condemnation, but for every child of God, it will end in glory.

I. Glorification Is God's Final Work of Salvation
Romans 8:30
Paul gives us an incredible progression:

• God called.
• God justified.
• God glorified.

Everyone whom God justifies, He will glorify.
What is especially interesting is that Paul speaks of glorification in the past tense, even though it is still future for us. Why? Because in God's eternal plan it is so certain that it is as good as already accomplished.
God finishes what He starts.
Our salvation is not incomplete or uncertain. The God who called us and justified us has already guaranteed the final outcome.

II. Glorification Means Becoming Like Christ
Romans 8:29
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son..."
See also 1 John 3:2
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God... we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
Everything God has allowed into our lives has been working toward one great purpose—making us more like Jesus Christ.
Every prayer.
Every lesson.
Every mountain.
Every valley.
Every hardship.
Every victory.
God has been shaping us into the image of His Son.
Glorification will simply be the graduation of that lifelong process.
On that day:

• Sin will be completely removed.
• Temptation will disappear.
• Weakness will be gone.
• Corruption will be no more.
• Death itself will be defeated.

Why?
Because we will finally be like Jesus.

III. Glorification Is the Longing of the Saved Soul
Romans 8:19–23
When sin entered this world, it affected far more than humanity.
Creation itself was cursed.
Thorns appeared.
Pain entered.
Storms began.
Decay took hold.
The oceans are not what they once were.
The animal kingdom bears the marks of the curse.
Even nature itself longs for redemption.
Paul says creation "groaneth."
Just as creation groans for the curse to be lifted, I believe every believer has that same longing deep within the soul.
There is something inside every child of God that says:
"I can't wait to be home."
"I can't wait to leave this broken world behind."
"I can't wait to see my loved ones again."
"I can't wait to see my Savior face to face."
Paul described that future in 1 Corinthians 15:53–54:
"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality... then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."
This is not an unhealthy longing to escape life.
It is a holy longing.
It is the anticipation of the day when faith becomes sight, hope becomes reality, and we exchange condemnation for glorification.

IV. Glorification Will Be Worth All the Suffering
Romans 8:18
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
Paul says, "I reckon..."
In other words, after adding it all up, after comparing the suffering with the coming glory, the conclusion is clear:
It will be worth it all.
Remember who is saying this.
This is a man who endured imprisonment.
Beatings.
Persecution.
Shipwreck.
Loneliness.
Rejection.
Yet Paul declares that all the suffering of this present life cannot even be compared with the glory waiting for God's children.
I don't know what burdens you have carried.
I don't know what pain you've endured.
I don't know what valleys you've walked through.
But I do know this:
It will be worth it all when we see Christ.

V. Our Glorification Cannot Be Prevented
Romans 8:31–39
What assurance these verses give!
Our future is secure.
Our eternity is settled.
Our glorification is guaranteed.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Who is this promise for?
Romans 8:30 answers the question:
"Whom he justified, them he also glorified."
Glorification belongs only to those who have first been justified.
Only those who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb will experience the glory that is to come.

Conclusion
Don't begin by looking for forever.
Begin by looking for forgiveness.
When you find forgiveness through Jesus Christ, forever in Heaven becomes yours.
What a journey we have taken together.
From condemnation...
to propitiation...
to justification...
to reconciliation...
and finally to glorification.
But the story doesn't even end there.
For the Bride of Christ, there is also a CORONATION.
One glorious day we will stand before our heavenly Bridegroom. We will be united with Him forever, and we will reign with the King of kings and Lord of lords.
What a wonderful thing it is to belong to the King.
The story of mankind began in condemnation, but for every believer who has trusted Christ, it ends in glory.
And what a glorious ending it will be.

Footnote 
Before we understand glorification, it is helpful to understand two important words found in our main passage: foreknew and predestinated (Romans 8:29).
Throughout church history, sincere believers have held different views regarding these verses. As Baptists, we believe the Bible teaches that God desires for all people to be saved. Scripture tells us that He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, and the invitation of the gospel is extended to whosoever will believe.
God did not arbitrarily pick some people to be saved while refusing others the opportunity. Rather, because God is infinite, eternal, and all-knowing, He possesses perfect foreknowledge. Long before the foundation of the world, God knew every person who would respond by faith to His gracious invitation.
Romans 8 does not say that God predestined certain people to become believers. Instead, it says that those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. In other words, God's predestination in this passage concerns the destiny of believers, not the selection of believers.
The sequence is beautiful:

• God, in His foreknowledge, knew those who would trust Christ.
• Those believers were predestined to become like Jesus.
• In time, God called them through the gospel.
• They responded by faith and were justified.
• One day they will be glorified.

From beginning to end, salvation is God's gracious work, yet He never removes man's responsibility to respond to the gospel by faith. Everyone who comes to Christ is welcomed, forgiven, justified, and one day will be glorified.
As John 1:12 declares:
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."
What an encouragement to know that God not only saves us, but He already knows the glorious future He has prepared for every believer.

The Language of Salvation: Reconciliation
Romans 5:6–11
Over the past several weeks we've been studying what I've called The Language of Salvation—those great Bible words that are often used in church but not always understood. These are more than theological terms; they are God's explanation of what He has done for us through Jesus Christ.
We've already examined:

• Condemnation — Our guilty verdict before a holy God.
• Justification — God's declaration that the believer is righteous because of Christ.
• Propitiation — Christ satisfying the wrath of God by taking our place.

All of those wonderful truths naturally lead us to one final question:
Why would God do any of this?
Why would God make a way for condemned sinners to be justified? Why would He pour His wrath upon His own Son? Why would He go to such incredible lengths to save people who had rebelled against Him?
The answer is found in one beautiful word:
Reconciliation.
God did not simply want to forgive us. He wanted to restore a relationship with us.
Sermon Outline
The Language of Salvation: Reconciliation
Text: Romans 5:6–11

I. The Need for Reconciliation
Romans 5 describes mankind with four sobering words:

• Without strength
• Ungodly
• Sinners
• Enemies

Those descriptions paint a clear picture of humanity's condition apart from Christ. Sin had broken the relationship between God and man.
Every person today is in one of two places:

• In fellowship with God through Jesus Christ.
• Or separated from God because of sin.

The tragedy is that many people become comfortable living apart from God. They convince themselves they don't need Him.
But what may be acceptable to man has never been acceptable to God.
God was not content to leave us separated from Him.
He loved us too much.
From the very beginning, God's desire has always been relationship. In the Garden of Eden, God walked with Adam. He fellowshiped with him. Sin interrupted that fellowship, but it never changed God's desire.
Many human relationships experience forgiveness without reconciliation. Family members may simply "move on," yet never truly restore the relationship.
God refused to leave our relationship that way.
He wanted us restored.
Reconciliation is the act of restoring a broken relationship—turning enemies into friends and replacing estrangement with peace through Jesus Christ.

II. The Work of Reconciliation
Romans 5 reminds us that we did not reconcile ourselves to God.
God did the work.
Verse 8 says,
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Notice the direction of that love.
It wasn't mankind pursuing God.
It was God pursuing mankind.
Normally, guilty people seek mercy.
But in our case, the innocent One came searching for the guilty.
God could not bear the thought of eternity without us.
So He acted.
He made reconciliation possible through the cross.
Our salvation is never about what we accomplished.
It is always about what God accomplished through Jesus Christ.

III. The Means of Reconciliation
God could have chosen many different ways to deal with humanity.
He could have simply declared everyone forgiven.
He could have demanded mankind earn reconciliation.
He could have placed the entire responsibility upon human effort.
But none of those would satisfy His holiness.
Sin had to be judged.
Justice had to be satisfied.
Romans 5:10 tells us:
"...we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son."
Jesus became the only bridge between holy God and sinful man.
While we were still sinners...
Christ died for us.
While we were still ungodly...
Christ died for us.
While we were still enemies...
Christ died for us.
God dealt with our sin—not in us—but in His Son.
That is the only means of reconciliation.
An Illustration of Salvation
To help our church visualize these great Bible words, we used a simple illustration.
Imagine three people standing together.
One represents sinful humanity.
One represents God.
The third represents Jesus Christ.
Because of sin, mankind stands condemned and separated from God.
God, being perfectly holy, cannot ignore sin.
Then Jesus steps between the two.
He receives the wrath that mankind deserved.
That is propitiation.
Because Christ bore our punishment, God now sees the believer through the righteousness of Christ.
That is justification.
But God doesn't stop there.
He doesn't merely remove our guilt.
He restores the relationship.
Through Christ, the sinner is brought safely into the Father's embrace.
That is reconciliation.
The cross didn't simply make forgiveness possible.
The cross brought us home.

A Final Thought
Every person reading this stands somewhere.
Perhaps you've never trusted Christ.
You remain separated from God—not because He doesn't love you—but because sin still stands between you.
The good news is that Jesus has already done everything necessary to reconcile you to God.
If you've trusted Christ as Savior, then you have been reconciled forever.
However, while our relationship with God is secure, our fellowship with Him can still suffer.
Unconfessed sin, spiritual coldness, grieving the Holy Spirit, and neglecting our walk with God can rob us of the joy and closeness we once enjoyed.
The relationship remains.
The fellowship needs restoring.
Friend, there is nothing in this world like walking closely with God.
He didn't merely save you from hell.
He saved you for Himself.
What an incredible God we serve.
He loved us enough to bring us home.

The Language of Salvation: Propitiation
Romans 3:21–26

In this series we have considered some of the greatest words in Scripture like condemnation and also justification. We discovered that through faith in Jesus Christ, God declares guilty sinners righteous. We are not made righteous because of our own goodness, but because of the perfect righteousness of Christ placed upon us.
But this raises an important question: How can a holy God forgive sinful people? How can God declare us righteous without compromising His own justice? How can He remain a righteous Judge while showing mercy to those who deserve judgment?
The answer is found in one of the most powerful words in all of Scripture: propitiation.
Romans 3:25 tells us:
"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God."

Propitiation is not a word we commonly use today, but it is a word we desperately need to understand. It speaks of the complete satisfaction of God's holy justice through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It means that the wrath we deserved was fully satisfied through the offering of God's Son.
Because of propitiation, God does not ignore sin, excuse sin, or overlook sin. Instead, He dealt with sin completely at the cross.

Sin Requires Judgment
Before we can understand the beauty of propitiation, we must first understand the seriousness of sin.
Our world often minimizes sin. We call it a mistake, a weakness, a bad choice, or simply something everyone does. But Scripture presents sin much differently. Sin is an offense against a holy God.
God is not only loving; He is also righteous. He cannot simply look at rebellion and pretend it does not matter. A judge who ignores crime is not a good judge. In the same way, a holy God cannot ignore sin and still remain perfectly just.
Romans 6:23 reminds us:
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Sin has a penalty. Sin demands payment. God's justice requires that sin be judged.
The problem is that every person stands guilty. Every one of us has broken God's law and fallen short of His glory. We are not simply people who need improvement; we are sinners who need redemption.
The question is not whether sin deserves judgment. The question is: Who will bear that judgment?

Jesus Satisfied God's Wrath
This is where the cross becomes the greatest demonstration of God's love.
At Calvary, Jesus Christ willingly stepped into our place. He took upon Himself the judgment that belonged to us.
Isaiah 53:5 says:
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
The cross was not an accident. It was not simply the tragic end of a good man's life. It was God's eternal plan to redeem sinners.
Jesus did not merely suffer physically. He endured the full weight of God's judgment against sin. The wrath that should have fallen upon us was poured out upon Him.
Every sin we have committed, every failure we regret, every act of rebellion against God—all of it was placed upon Christ.
He took our punishment so we could receive His righteousness.
That is propitiation.
God's justice was satisfied, and God's mercy was extended.
The Cross Reveals Both God's Justice and God's Love
Romans 3:26 gives us one of the most amazing truths in Scripture:
"To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
Notice the balance Paul gives us. Through the cross, God remains just, and He becomes the justifier.
God did not become merciful by becoming less holy. He did not forgive us by lowering His standards. He forgave us because Jesus fully met those standards on our behalf.
The cross shows us that God takes sin seriously, but it also shows us that God loves sinners deeply.
At Calvary, justice and mercy met.
The holiness of God demanded payment.
The love of God provided the payment.
Jesus Christ became the sacrifice.
What a Savior!
Propitiation Gives Us Confidence Before God
Because Christ has satisfied God's wrath, believers no longer have to live in fear of condemnation.
Romans 8:1 declares:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus..."
The believer does not stand before God hoping that our good outweighs our bad. We do not stand before Him trusting in our efforts or our religion. We stand before Him trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
The same God who was once our Judge has become our Father.
The same holiness that once condemned us now welcomes us because we are covered by the righteousness of Christ.
This does not give us a license to sin. Instead, it gives us a reason to love and serve Him more. When we understand the price Jesus paid, our hearts should desire to honor the One who gave everything for us.
Have You Trusted the Sacrifice?
Propitiation reminds us that salvation is not something we can earn. It is something Christ accomplished.
Religion cannot satisfy God's justice.
Good works cannot remove our guilt.
Human effort cannot pay our debt.
Only Jesus could do that.
He became our substitute.
He bore our judgment.
He satisfied God's wrath.
He made peace between God and man.

The question we must answer is this:
Have you trusted in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?
If you have never placed your faith in Him, today you can come to the One who paid the price you could never pay.
And if you are a believer, rejoice in this wonderful truth:
Because of propitiation, the wrath of God has been satisfied, the penalty of sin has been paid, and through Jesus Christ we can stand forgiven, justified, and accepted before a holy God.

The Language of Salvation: Condemnation
Romans 3:19–20; Romans 8:1

No one enjoys hearing the word condemnation. At first glance, it sounds harsh, negative, and hopeless. Yet one of the greatest truths of the gospel is that we cannot fully appreciate salvation until we first understand why we need it. Before a person can rejoice in being forgiven, they must first recognize that they are guilty. Before they can celebrate being rescued, they must realize they are lost.
That is why we begin our new series, The Language of Salvation, with this important Bible word. Throughout the next several weeks, we'll define and explore some of the great words found in the book of Romans—words that are familiar to many Christians but often misunderstood. My desire is that we not simply own a Bible, but understand it, obey it, and allow its truths to change our lives.
The first word is condemnation.
Condemnation is the legal declaration that someone is guilty and deserving of punishment. Spiritually speaking, it is God's righteous verdict against sinful humanity. While earthly courts sometimes convict innocent people, God's court never makes a mistake. His judgment is always according to truth, and His verdict is always just. The sobering reality is that every one of us stands guilty before Him.

The cause of our condemnation is not difficult to identify—it is sin.
Romans 3:23 reminds us, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Sin entered the world through Adam and has stained every generation since. It does not matter whether a person is religious or irreligious, moral or immoral, wealthy or poor, young or old. Every one of us has inherited a sinful nature and has personally chosen to sin.
One of the greatest mistakes people make is comparing themselves to others. They think, "I've never committed the sins that person has," or, "I'm a better person than most." But God has never measured us against one another. He measures us against His own holiness. Compared to a holy God, every person falls short.
James reminds us that if we offend in just one point of the law, we are guilty before God. The law was never given as a ladder to climb into heaven. It was given to reveal that we could never climb high enough on our own. It exposes our sin and points us to our need for a Savior.

The character of condemnation is equally serious.
Romans 3:19 tells us that "all the world may become guilty before God." Notice the wording carefully. Our guilt is not simply before society or before one another. It is before Almighty God. David understood this after his great failure when he confessed, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned." Every sin is ultimately an offense against the holiness of God.
One day every excuse will disappear. Paul writes that "every mouth may be stopped." How often people imagine they will stand before God and explain why they neglected Him, ignored His Word, or refused His Son. But there will be no defense and no bargaining. God's judgment is according to truth and righteousness. His verdict will stand forever.
Jesus Himself declared, "He that believeth not is condemned already." Condemnation is not merely a future possibility for those without Christ—it is their present condition. Every person apart from Christ already stands under the sentence of sin.
Thankfully, the story does not end there.
After spending the first seven chapters of Romans proving mankind's guilt, Paul reaches one of the most glorious verses in all of Scripture:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."
What wonderful words!
Imagine carrying an overwhelming financial debt that you could never repay. Then one day someone steps in, pays every penny, and your account is marked Paid in Full. The burden is lifted, the debt is gone, and you are free.
That is exactly what Jesus Christ did for every believer.
Isaiah tells us that "the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Paul declares that Christ was "made...to be sin for us." On the cross, Jesus took our guilt, our condemnation, our curse, and our judgment upon Himself. God's holiness was satisfied because His justice was fully poured out upon His Son.
The cure for condemnation is not self-improvement, religion, or good works.

The cure is salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
You cannot balance your good deeds against your bad ones and hope the scales tip in your favor. Heaven is not awarded to those who are "better" than someone else. Salvation comes only through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. He became condemned so that we could be declared forgiven.
That truth ought to change how we live.
Far too many believers continue living under the weight of guilt long after Christ has removed their condemnation. Yes, we should confess our sins when we fail. Yes, we should pursue holiness. But once our sins are under the blood of Christ, we must stop allowing the devil to keep us chained to our past.
There is a tremendous difference between conviction and condemnation. The Holy Spirit convicts us to bring us back to fellowship with God. Satan condemns us to keep us discouraged and defeated. If you are in Christ, the Judge has already declared your case settled because Jesus took your place.
Charles Spurgeon once said, "Either sin is upon you or it is upon Christ." That is the decision every person must make.

In the end, every individual belongs to one of two groups. You are either still under condemnation because you have never trusted Christ, or you are free from condemnation because you have placed your faith in Him.
If you have never received Christ as your Savior, don't remain under a sentence that Jesus has already paid. Come to Him in faith and receive the gift of salvation.
And if you are already a child of God, then live like someone who has been set free. Walk in the joy of forgiveness. Stand in the confidence of God's grace. Rejoice that your guilt has been removed forever.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." What a wonderful Savior we have!

The Language of Salvation: Justification
Romans 3:21–26; 5:1

Last week we considered the difficult word condemnation. This week we come to one of the most beautiful words in all of Scripture—justification. Throughout Romans, we read of being justified, the Justifier, and justification. The word simply means that God declares guilty sinners righteous because of Jesus Christ. We are not merely forgiven; through Christ we stand before God as though we had never sinned. While no simple phrase can fully define the doctrine, "just as if I'd never sinned" certainly helps us appreciate the wonder of what God has done.
To Be Justified, We Must First Be Condemned
Before anyone can be declared righteous, they must first recognize that they stand guilty before a holy God. There are only two possibilities: either we have lived a perfectly sinless life, or we have been condemned by our sin. Scripture leaves no doubt which category we belong to. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Many people struggle with this truth because they compare themselves to others instead of comparing themselves to God's holiness. They see their good deeds, respectable family, or moral lifestyle and wonder how God could possibly declare them guilty. Yet our condemnation is not based merely on what we have done, but on who we are by nature. We are sinners.
Until we understand our condemnation, we will never appreciate our justification. It's difficult to value water until you've been thirsty, and it's difficult to rejoice in being found until you first realize you were lost. The wonderful news is that every condemned sinner is a candidate for God's amazing grace.
The Cross Makes Justification Possible
The question naturally follows: How can a holy God declare guilty sinners righteous and still remain holy?
The answer is found at the cross.
God did not simply overlook our sin or pretend it never happened. The cross demonstrates God's grace while satisfying His justice.
First, the cross reveals God's grace. Romans tells us we are "justified freely by His grace." Those two words belong together. Grace is free to us because someone else paid the price. Salvation cost us nothing, but it cost God everything.
Second, the cross purchased our redemption. Redemption was not accomplished through Christ's miracles or His teachings alone. Redemption was secured through His finished work on Calvary. There, Jesus became the mediator between God and man, purchasing our salvation with His own precious blood.
Third, the cross satisfied God's justice. This is where the great Bible word propitiation comes into view. God's holiness demanded that sin be judged. His wrath could not simply disappear. Instead, every ounce of divine judgment that should have fallen upon us was poured out upon His Son.
God did not sweep our sins under the rug. He judged them completely. The sins of Adam, David, Abraham, Peter, and every believer today all met at the cross. Christ bore the wrath we deserved so that God could remain perfectly just while also becoming the Justifier of those who believe in Jesus Christ.
What an amazing Savior! He willingly took our place so that we could stand in His.
Justification Produces Peace with God
Because Christ has accomplished everything necessary for our salvation, there is no room for boasting. Paul asks, "Where is boasting then?" The answer is simple—it is excluded.
No one will stand in heaven boasting about education, wealth, church membership, family heritage, or good works. Every crown will ultimately be laid at the feet of Jesus because our justification rests entirely upon Him.
Romans 5:1 gives us the glorious result:
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Notice the wording carefully. Paul doesn't simply say we have the peace of God, though every believer enjoys that during life's trials. He says we have peace with God.
Before salvation we were enemies. We stood condemned before the Judge of all the earth. But because Jesus satisfied God's justice, the war is over. We have been reconciled to God.
Forgiveness says, "It happened, but you're forgiven."
Justification says, "It is as though it never happened."
When God looks upon His children, He no longer sees the record of our sin. He sees the righteousness of His Son.
That truth should never encourage careless living. Grace is not permission to continue in sin. Instead, it is the greatest motivation to pursue holiness. Since Christ was willing to give everything for our salvation, we ought to desire to live lives that honor Him.
The question each of us must answer is simple:
Have you been justified?
Religion cannot justify you. Good works cannot justify you. Turning over a new leaf cannot justify you.
Only faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ can declare a guilty sinner righteous before a holy God.
If you have never trusted Christ, today is the day to place your faith in Him. And if you have been justified, rejoice in this wonderful truth: because of the cross, you now stand at peace with God—not because of what you have done, but because of what Jesus has already done.

Brothers and Sisters:

If you've spent any time in a Bible-believing church, you've likely heard people refer to one another as "Brother" or "Sister." To some, it may sound old-fashioned or simply like a church tradition. But the truth is, these titles have deep biblical roots and remind us of a wonderful spiritual reality.
When a person places their faith in Jesus Christ, they are not only forgiven of their sins—they are adopted into the family of God. Salvation doesn't just change our eternal destination; it changes our identity. We become children of God and members of His household.
Jesus Himself taught this truth. In Matthew 12:49–50 He said:
"And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."
Our relationship with Christ creates a spiritual family that is even greater than earthly relationships. Because we have the same Heavenly Father, we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
The Apostle Paul reinforced this truth when he instructed Timothy:
1 Timothy 5:1–2
"Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity."
Notice how Paul describes the church—not as an organization or merely an institution—but as a family. We are to love, honor, encourage, and care for one another as members of the same household.
I've occasionally heard people say that churches should stop calling one another "Brother" and "Sister" because it might make visitors or those who are unfamiliar with church feel unwelcome. While I understand the concern, it's important to understand what those titles actually mean.
The word church refers to the called-out assembly of believers in Jesus Christ. It is not simply a gathering of people who attend the same place each week. The church is made up of those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and adopted into the family of God. That shared relationship is what makes us brothers and sisters.
These titles are not intended to create an "us versus them" mentality or to make anyone feel like an outsider. They simply acknowledge the spiritual relationship that exists between those who have trusted Christ.
At the same time, the family of God is unique. Not everyone is automatically a part of it. Jesus said we must be "born again," and John reminds us:
John 1:12
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"
In that sense, the family of God is exclusive—but not because God is unwilling to receive people. It is exclusive because there is only one way into the family: through faith in Jesus Christ. Yet the invitation is wonderfully inclusive because it is extended to every person. No one is excluded because of their past, their background, or their failures. Anyone who repents and believes the gospel is welcomed into God's family.
So when we call one another "Brother" and "Sister," we aren't building walls around the church. We're celebrating what Christ has done. At the same time, we're extending the same invitation Jesus gives to everyone. There is always room for another brother or sister in the family of God.
Throughout the New Testament, believers are repeatedly referred to as "brethren." This wasn't simply a title of respect; it was a reminder that Christ had made them one family through His sacrifice.
So when someone calls me "Brother Craig," I don't hear an outdated custom. I hear a reminder of the grace of God that brought sinners together into one family. It's a testimony that regardless of our backgrounds, occupations, or life experiences, we have one Father, one Savior, and one eternal home.
The next time you hear someone say "Brother" or "Sister," remember that it is more than church language. It is a biblical declaration that we belong to the family of God. And if you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, the invitation is still open today. Through faith in Jesus, you too can become part of God's forever family.

Be Strong – Small Group Study
This small group Bible study has been developed from sermons preached from the pulpit of West End Baptist Church. It is designed to serve as a guide to help you study, discuss, and grow in your understanding of God’s Word.
This study is not a substitute for the Bible, nor should it ever take the place of reading and studying Scripture for yourself. The ultimate authority is always the Word of God. If questions arise during this study, we encourage you to search the Scriptures, seek God’s guidance, and trust the truth found in His Word above all else.

Week 1: Be Strong in God's Presence
Scripture: Joshua 1–2
Icebreaker
Share about a time in your life when you had to step into something new or unfamiliar. What emotions did you experience? What helped you move forward?

Opening Thoughts
Joshua begins with one of the greatest leadership transitions in Scripture. Moses is gone, Israel has spent forty years wandering in the wilderness, and now Joshua is called to lead God's people into the Promised Land.
God didn't begin by giving Joshua military strategies or leadership advice. Instead, He repeatedly told him:
"Be strong and of a good courage."
God knew Joshua's greatest need wasn't more ability—it was confidence in God's presence.
The same is true for us.

Read Together
Joshua 1:1-9

Discussion 1 – Strength Comes from God's Presence
Key Verse:
"For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:9)
Discuss

1. Why do you think God repeated "Be strong and courageous" three different times?
2. What fears do you think Joshua may have been facing?
3. Where do people commonly look for strength today?
4. How is God's presence different from simply believing God exists?
5. What helps you personally become more aware of God's presence during difficult seasons?

Life Application
True strength isn't self-confidence.
It is God-confidence.
When we know God is with us, we can face situations we never could on our own.

Read Together
Joshua 1:8

Discussion 2 – Strength Grows Through God's Word
Joshua was instructed to meditate on God's Word continually.
Discuss

1. What does it mean to "meditate" on Scripture?
2. How does regular Bible reading strengthen our faith?
3. Why is it difficult to stay consistent in God's Word?
4. What practical habits help you spend time in Scripture each week?

Life Application
Strength doesn't appear overnight.
It grows as we consistently spend time with God and allow His Word to shape our thinking.

Read Together
Joshua 1:10-18

Discussion 3 – Strength Spreads Through Unity
The people immediately supported Joshua's leadership.
Discuss

1. Why was Israel's unity so important at this moment?
2. How can unity strengthen a family?
3. How can unity strengthen a church?
4. What attitudes usually destroy unity?
5. How can each of us help protect unity within our church?

Life Application
God accomplishes great things through believers who move forward together.
Unity encourages leaders, strengthens faith, and advances God's work.

Read Together
Joshua 2:1-21

Discussion 4 – Faith Produces Action
Rahab had heard about God.
She believed.
Then she acted.
Discuss

1. What impressed you most about Rahab's story?
2. What risks did Rahab take by hiding the spies?
3. Why wasn't belief alone enough?
4. How does Rahab demonstrate genuine faith?
5. What step of obedience might God be asking you to take right now?

Life Application
Faith is more than agreeing with truth.
Real faith moves us to obedience.

Digging Deeper – The Scarlet Cord
Read:

• Exodus 12:1-13
• Joshua 2:18-21
• Hebrews 11:31
• James 2:25

Discuss

1. What similarities do you see between the Passover blood and Rahab's scarlet cord?
2. How do both point us to Jesus Christ?
3. What does Rahab's story teach us about God's grace?
4. Why is it encouraging that Rahab became part of Jesus' family line?

Gospel Connection
The scarlet cord reminds us that salvation has always been by faith in God's provision.
Just as Rahab trusted the scarlet cord, we trust in the blood of Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice provides forgiveness and eternal life to everyone who believes.

Personal Reflection
Take a few quiet moments to think through these questions.

• Where do I need God's strength today?
• Am I relying more on myself or on God's presence?
• Am I spending consistent time in God's Word?
• Is there someone I need to encourage to strengthen unity?
• What act of faith is God calling me to take this week?

This Week's Challenge
This week:

• Spend time in Joshua 1 every day.
• Memorize Joshua 1:9.
• Pray each morning, asking God to help you rely on His strength rather than your own.
• Look for one opportunity to encourage someone else in your church or family.
• Take one specific step of obedience that you've been delaying.

Memory Verse
Joshua 1:9
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

Closing Prayer

Week 2: Be Strong in God's Direction
Scripture: Joshua 3–4
Key Verse: Joshua 3:5
"And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."

Icebreaker
Share about a time when you had to trust God without knowing exactly how things would turn out. Looking back now, how did you see His hand at work?

Opening Thoughts
Last week, we learned that our strength comes from God's presence. God told Joshua three times to "be strong and of a good courage" because He promised to be with him wherever he went.
This week, we see another lesson about strength.
Israel has arrived at the Jordan River. The Promised Land is within sight, but there is one more obstacle standing in the way. The river is overflowing its banks, making it impossible to cross on their own.
Before God performs a miracle, Joshua tells the people:
"Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."
God was preparing them—not just for a miracle, but for obedience.
Sometimes God's direction requires us to trust Him before we see how He is going to work.

Read Together
Joshua 3:1–5

Discussion 1 – Strength Remembered From Yesterday
Key Verse:
"Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you." (Joshua 3:5)
The Jordan River wasn't the first body of water Israel had faced. Forty years earlier, God had parted the Red Sea so their parents could escape Egypt.
Now God was about to do another miracle.
Discuss

1. Why do you think remembering God's past faithfulness gives us courage for today's challenges?
2. What similarities do you see between the Red Sea and the Jordan River?
3. Why do we often forget what God has already done for us?
4. Can you share a time when remembering God's faithfulness helped you trust Him again?
5. How can we intentionally remind ourselves of God's goodness during difficult seasons?

Life Application
Our present obstacles should remind us—not of our weakness—but of God's faithfulness.
The same God who helped us yesterday is still leading us today.

Read Together
Joshua 3:6–17

Discussion 2 – Strength Required for Today
The priests were instructed to carry the Ark of the Covenant into the flooded Jordan River.
God didn't stop the water first.
He told them to step first.
Discuss

1. Why do you think God required the priests to step into the water before performing the miracle?
2. What fears do you think they may have experienced?
3. Why is obedience often harder than it sounds?
4. What are some ways God asks believers today to step out in faith?
5. Is there an area of your life where God is asking you to trust Him before you see the outcome?

Life Application
Faith is not believing after we see.
Faith is obeying before we see.
God often reveals His power after we take the first step of obedience.

Read Together
Joshua 4:1–9

Discussion 3 – Strength Reserved for Tomorrow
After Israel crossed the Jordan River, God instructed Joshua to build a memorial using twelve stones taken from the river.
The memorial wasn't for God.
It was for future generations.
Discuss

1. Why was it important for Israel to build a memorial?
2. What kinds of "memorials" help us remember God's faithfulness today?
3. How can our testimonies encourage younger believers?
4. Why is it important to pass our faith to the next generation?
5. What legacy of faith do you hope to leave for your children, grandchildren, or others who follow you?

Life Application
Our faith is never meant to stop with us.
God wants every generation to hear how faithful He has been.

Digging Deeper – Faith Before the Miracle
Read the following passages:

• Joshua 3:13
• Matthew 14:28–29
• John 5:8–9
• Luke 17:11–19

Discuss

1. What do these stories have in common?
2. Why does God often require obedience before revealing His power?
3. How does stepping out in faith strengthen our relationship with God?
4. What keeps believers from taking that first step?

Gospel Connection
Throughout Scripture, God calls people to trust Him before they fully understand His plan.
Our greatest example is salvation itself.
We trust Christ by faith, believing that His death and resurrection provide forgiveness and eternal life—not because we can see it with our eyes, but because God has promised it in His Word.

Personal Reflection
Take a few moments to quietly consider these questions.

• What "Jordan River" am I facing today?
• Am I remembering God's faithfulness from the past?
• Is there an area where God is asking me to step out in faith?
• What testimony of God's faithfulness can I share with someone this week?
• What kind of spiritual legacy am I leaving for those who come after me?

This Week's Challenge
This week:

• Read Joshua chapters 3 and 4.
• Memorize Joshua 3:5.
• Write down three times God has been faithful in your life.
• Share one of those testimonies with a family member, friend, or fellow believer.
• Ask God to give you the courage to take one step of obedience, even if you cannot yet see the outcome.

Memory Verse
Joshua 3:5
"And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."

Week 3: Be Strong in Our Obedience
Scripture: Joshua 6:1–20
Key Verse: Joshua 6:2
"And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour."

Icebreaker
Think of a time when you had to follow instructions that didn't make sense at first. What happened when you trusted the process?

Opening Thoughts
Over the past two weeks, we've learned that our strength comes from God's presence and from following God's direction.
This week, Joshua chapter 6 teaches us another important lesson—strength in obedience.
It's one thing to believe God is with us. It's another to trust His direction. But true strength is revealed when we choose to obey God even when His plan seems unusual, requires patience, or doesn't make sense from a human perspective.
The battle of Jericho reminds us that God doesn't ask us to understand everything before we obey. He simply asks us to trust Him.

Read Together
Joshua 6:1–5

Discussion 1 – Strong Obedience Trusts God's Plan
Key Verse:
"And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho..." (Joshua 6:2)
Before Israel ever marched around the city, God declared the victory.
His plan wasn't built around military strategy. It was built around faith and obedience.
Discuss

1. Why do you think God's battle plan for Jericho seemed so unusual?
2. Why is it often difficult to trust God's plan when it doesn't make sense?
3. Have you ever experienced a time when God's plan turned out to be better than your own?
4. What are some situations where believers today struggle to trust God's methods?
5. How does knowing God already sees the outcome help us trust Him?

Life Application
God's plans are always trustworthy—even when we don't fully understand them.
Our responsibility is obedience.
God is responsible for the outcome.

Read Together
Joshua 6:6–14

Discussion 2 – Strong Obedience Requires Complete Submission
Joshua instructed the people to march around the city in silence.
They weren't just told what to do.
They were also told what not to do.
Discuss

1. Why do you think God required the people to remain silent?
2. Why is submission sometimes harder than action?
3. What are some areas where believers struggle to surrender their own desires?
4. How can pride keep us from fully obeying God?
5. What does complete submission look like in everyday Christian living?

Life Application
Obedience isn't only doing what God says.
It also means refusing to do what He tells us not to do.
Strong believers submit both their actions and their attitudes to the Lord.

Read Together
Joshua 6:15–20

Discussion 3 – Strong Obedience Waits on God's Timing
For six days, nothing appeared to happen.
Day after day the people simply walked.
Then, on the seventh day, God gave the victory.
Discuss

1. Why is waiting one of the hardest parts of obedience?
2. What do you think the Israelites may have been feeling after several days with no visible results?
3. How has God used waiting seasons to strengthen your faith?
4. What is the danger of giving up too soon?
5. How can we remain faithful while waiting on God's timing?

Life Application
God is always working—even when we cannot yet see the results.
Faithful obedience means trusting God's timing as much as His promises.

Read Together
Joshua 6:17–19
(Optional: Read Joshua 7:1 to see what happened when God's instructions were ignored.)

Discussion 4 – Strong Obedience Honors God's Holiness
God instructed Israel not to take anything from Jericho except what had been dedicated to Him.
Sadly, Achan later disobeyed, and his sin affected the entire nation.
Discuss

1. Why was it important for Israel to obey every part of God's command?
2. What does Achan's story teach us about "small" acts of disobedience?
3. Why do people sometimes want God's blessings without following His commands?
4. How does obedience demonstrate our respect for God's holiness?
5. Are there areas where partial obedience has become acceptable in our culture?

Life Application
God desires more than occasional obedience.
He desires hearts that honor Him in every area of life.

Digging Deeper – Obedience Before Victory
Read the following passages:

• 1 Samuel 15:22
• John 14:15
• James 1:22–25
• Luke 11:28

Discuss

1. What do these passages teach about obedience?
2. Why is obedience an expression of love rather than merely following rules?
3. How does obedience strengthen our faith?
4. What blessings come from consistently walking in obedience?

Gospel Connection
No one has obeyed God perfectly except Jesus Christ.
Where we have failed, Christ succeeded.
Through His perfect obedience—even to death on the cross—we receive forgiveness and righteousness by faith.
Because we have been saved by grace, we now seek to obey Him out of love and gratitude, not to earn His favor.

Personal Reflection
Take a few quiet moments to consider these questions.

• Is there an area where God has clearly spoken, but I have delayed obedience?
• Am I trusting God's plan even when it doesn't make sense?
• Am I willing to submit both my actions and my attitudes to Him?
• Am I patiently waiting on God's timing?
• Is there anything in my life that is keeping me from wholehearted obedience?

This Week's Challenge
This week:

• Read Joshua chapters 6 and 7.
• Memorize Joshua 6:2.
• Ask God to reveal one area where He is calling you to greater obedience.
• Take one specific step of obedience, even if it requires faith and patience.
• Encourage someone else who may be waiting on God to remain faithful.

Memory Verse
Joshua 6:2
"And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour."

Closing Prayer

Week 4: Be Strong in Your Integrity
Scripture: Joshua 7
Key Verse: Joshua 7:11
"Israel hath sinned..."

Icebreaker
When you hear the word integrity, what comes to mind? Who is someone (past or present) whose integrity has made a lasting impression on you, and why?

Opening Thoughts
Over the past several weeks, we've learned that our strength comes from God's presence, God's direction, and our obedience.
This week, Joshua chapter 7 reminds us that strength also requires integrity.
After Israel experienced an incredible victory at Jericho, they expected the next battle to be easy. Instead, they suffered an unexpected defeat at the small city of Ai. The problem wasn't their military strategy or lack of ability—it was hidden sin within the camp.
One man, Achan, chose to disobey God's clear command, and his private sin affected the entire nation.
Joshua 7 reminds us that integrity isn't simply about what others see. It is about faithfully honoring God when no one else is watching.

Read Together
Joshua 7:1–5

Discussion 1 – Integrity Is Proven in Private Obedience
Key Verse:
"But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing..." (Joshua 7:1)
Achan appeared to be just like every other soldier.
He crossed the Jordan.
He marched around Jericho.
He shouted when the walls fell.
But while everyone saw obedience on the outside, God saw a heart that had wandered.
Discuss

1. Why is it often easier to maintain an outward appearance than an obedient heart?
2. How does temptation usually begin before it becomes outward sin?
3. Why is private integrity so important to God?
4. How can we guard our hearts against hidden sin?
5. What spiritual habits help us stay close to the Lord?

Life Application
Integrity isn't measured by public appearances.
It is measured by faithfulness when only God knows.

Read Together
Joshua 7:6–13

Discussion 2 – Integrity Is Never Just Personal
Israel expected an easy victory over Ai.
Instead, they suffered defeat because of one man's disobedience.
Discuss

1. Why do people often believe their private choices only affect themselves?
2. How did Achan's sin impact the entire nation?
3. In what ways do our choices affect our families, church, and testimony?
4. Why is character so important for Christian leadership and influence?
5. How can we encourage one another to walk faithfully?

Life Application
Our lives are connected.
Faithfulness strengthens those around us, while hidden sin often impacts more people than we realize.

Read Together
Joshua 7:14–21

Discussion 3 – Integrity Brings Sin Into the Light
God already knew who Achan was.
The process of identifying him wasn't for God's benefit—it was for the people and for Achan.
Joshua called him to confess his sin before the Lord.
Discuss

1. What does true confession mean?
2. Why do people often try to hide their sin instead of confessing it?
3. What is the difference between being sorry for consequences and genuinely repenting?
4. How does the Holy Spirit help believers recognize sin today?
5. Why is immediate confession better than delayed confession?

Life Application
God already knows our hearts.
Confession isn't informing God.
It is agreeing with Him and restoring fellowship.

Read Together
Joshua 7:22–26
(Optional: Read Joshua 8:1–2 to see God's promise after Israel dealt with sin.)

Discussion 4 – Integrity Restores Fellowship With God
After sin was dealt with, God immediately encouraged Joshua again.
"Fear not, neither be thou dismayed..." (Joshua 8:1)
God's desire wasn't simply judgment.
His desire was restored fellowship.
Discuss

1. What does Joshua 8:1 reveal about God's grace?
2. Why is restoration one of the greatest blessings of repentance?
3. How does 1 John 1:9 encourage believers today?
4. What is the difference between living under guilt and living in forgiveness?
5. How can we help restore fellow believers who have repented?

Life Application
God is holy, but He is also gracious.
When we honestly confess our sin, He restores our fellowship and invites us to continue walking with Him.

Digging Deeper – Walking in Integrity
Read the following passages:

• Proverbs 28:13
• Psalm 51:1–12
• 1 John 1:5–9
• Galatians 3:13

Discuss

1. What do these passages teach about confession and repentance?
2. Why is integrity more than simply avoiding obvious sins?
3. How does Jesus make restoration possible?
4. How can we develop lives marked by honesty, humility, and integrity?

Gospel Connection
Achan bore the judgment for his own sin.
Jesus Christ willingly bore the judgment for ours.
Through His death on the cross, Christ took the punishment we deserved so that everyone who trusts Him can receive forgiveness, cleansing, and eternal life.
Because we have been forgiven by grace, we are called to walk in integrity—not to earn God's acceptance, but because we already belong to Him.

Personal Reflection
Take a few quiet moments to consider these questions.

• Is there an area of my life where my public image is stronger than my private walk with God?
• Is there any hidden sin I need to confess?
• Am I allowing the Holy Spirit to search my heart daily?
• How are my choices affecting my family, church, and testimony?
• What step can I take this week to strengthen my integrity?

This Week's Challenge
This week:

• Read Joshua chapters 7 and 8.
• Memorize Proverbs 28:13 or Joshua 7:11.
• Ask the Lord to search your heart and reveal anything that needs to be confessed.
• Spend time in prayer thanking God for His forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
• Look for an opportunity to encourage someone else to remain faithful in their walk with the Lord.

Memory Verse
Proverbs 28:13
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

Closing Prayer

Week 5: Be Strong Until the End
Scripture: Joshua 23–24
Key Verse: Joshua 23:6
"Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses..."

Icebreaker
Who is someone whose faithfulness to Christ has inspired you? What is it about their life that has left such a lasting impression?

Opening Thoughts
As we conclude our "Be Strong" study through the book of Joshua, we've discovered that strength comes from God's presence, God's direction, our obedience, and our integrity.
Now we arrive at Joshua's final message.
Joshua is an old man. The battles have largely been fought, the land has been divided, and the people are settled in the Promised Land. Before his death, Joshua gathers the nation one last time—not to celebrate his accomplishments, but to remind them how to continue faithfully after he is gone.
Joshua began his leadership hearing God say, "Be strong and of a good courage." Now, near the end of his life, he passes that same challenge to the next generation.
His message reminds us that the Christian life isn't simply about starting well.
It is about finishing well.

Read Together
Joshua 23:1–6

Discussion 1 – Strong People Remember God's Faithfulness
Key Verse:
"And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done..." (Joshua 23:3)
Before Joshua looked toward Israel's future, he reminded them of God's faithfulness in the past.
They had crossed the Jordan.
They had watched the walls of Jericho fall.
They had seen God fight battles they could never have won on their own.
Discuss

1. Why is remembering God's faithfulness so important?
2. How does looking back strengthen our faith for today?
3. What are some ways we can intentionally remember what God has done?
4. Can you share a time when remembering God's faithfulness helped you during a difficult season?
5. How can we help the next generation remember God's work?

Life Application
God's past faithfulness gives us confidence for today's challenges.
When we remember what He has done, we are encouraged to trust Him for what lies ahead.

Read Together
Joshua 23:7–11

Discussion 2 – Strong People Remain Faithful
Joshua challenged the people:
"But cleave unto the LORD your God..." (Joshua 23:8)
The word cleave means to cling tightly, remain joined, and hold fast.
Joshua wasn't calling Israel to casual religion.
He was calling them to wholehearted devotion.
Discuss

1. What does it mean to "cleave" to the Lord?
2. Why is it easy for believers to gradually drift away from God?
3. What habits help us remain close to the Lord?
4. What are some warning signs that someone is beginning to drift spiritually?
5. How can our church encourage one another to remain faithful?

Life Application
Strong believers don't simply know about God.
They stay close to Him through a daily, growing relationship.

Read Together
Joshua 24:14–15

Discussion 3 – Strong People Make a Personal Decision
Joshua declared:
"Choose you this day whom ye will serve..." (Joshua 24:15)
Every generation must make its own decision to follow the Lord.
Faith cannot simply be inherited.
It must be personally embraced.
Discuss

1. Why is serving God ultimately a personal decision?
2. What choices helped shape your own spiritual journey?
3. How do our daily decisions reveal who or what we truly serve?
4. What does Joshua's statement, "As for me and my house," teach about spiritual leadership in the home?
5. What decisions can we make today that will strengthen our walk with God tomorrow?

Life Application
Strong faith isn't accidental.
It grows through daily decisions to trust, obey, and follow the Lord.

Read Together
Joshua 24:29–31

Discussion 4 – Strong People Finish Well
Joshua's life came to an end, but his influence continued.
He was remembered as "the servant of the LORD."
Even after his death, the people continued serving God because of the example he had set.
Discuss

1. What stands out most to you about the way Joshua finished his life?
2. Why is finishing well often harder than starting well?
3. What kind of spiritual legacy do you hope to leave?
4. Who has invested spiritually in your life?
5. How can you intentionally invest in someone else's faith?

Life Application
A life devoted to Christ leaves an influence that continues long after we're gone.
Strong believers don't simply grow personally.
They help others grow as well.

Digging Deeper – Finishing the Race
Read the following passages:

• 2 Timothy 4:6–8
• Hebrews 12:1–2
• Philippians 3:13–14
• Matthew 25:21

Discuss

1. What do these passages teach about finishing faithfully?
2. Why does endurance matter in the Christian life?
3. How does keeping our eyes on Christ help us remain faithful?
4. What does it mean to hear, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"?

Gospel Connection
Joshua faithfully led God's people into the Promised Land.
Jesus Christ leads His people into an even greater inheritance.
Because of Christ's perfect life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, everyone who places their faith in Him has the promise of eternal life.
Our strength to finish well does not come from ourselves—it comes from the One who has promised never to leave us nor forsake us.

Personal Reflection
Take a few quiet moments to consider these questions.

• Am I remembering God's faithfulness in my life?
• Am I clinging closely to the Lord, or have I begun to drift?
• What decisions am I making today that will shape my future?
• What kind of legacy am I leaving for my family and those around me?
• If my life ended today, what would I want people to remember most about my walk with Christ?

This Week's Challenge
This week:

• Read Joshua chapters 23 and 24.
• Memorize Joshua 24:15 (or Joshua 23:6).
• Write down five ways God has been faithful throughout your life.
• Encourage someone younger in the faith by sharing one of those testimonies.
• Ask God to help you remain faithful and finish well, no matter what lies ahead.

Memory Verse
Joshua 24:15
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Closing Prayer