Service Times
Worship Service
Sun. 9:30am – 10:30am
Sunday School
Sun. 10:45am – 11:20am
Prayer Meeting & Bible Study
Wed. 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Crusaders Club (Seasonal)
Thurs. 3:00pm – 5:30pm
Crusaders Teens (Seasonal)
Thurs. 6:00pm – 8:00pm
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:56 — 42.2MB) Subscribe: 1 Corinthians 1:20-22
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” M-W-F-Sa at 8:04 a.m. and Tu-Th at 7:41 a.m. on WSAL 1230 AM, or at 8:02 a.m. Monday-Saturday on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM. When I am talking with someone going through trials, I often ask, “What is the ultimate goal or outcome you desire?” Once you come to the point you know what you really want, then everything you do must be a step that moves you toward that goal or outcome. God’s ultimate goal for us as His adopted children is to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Everything God does in our lives is designed to move us toward that goal. Such information is important for us, because our all wise God knows exactly when and how to move us toward the goal. Let’s consider
- GOD IS ALL-WISE! Wayne Grudem says “God’s wisdom means that He always chooses the best goal and the best means to those goals.” (Systematic Theology, p. 193). Read Job 9:2-4; Ps. 104:24; and Rom. 11:33-36. Dr. Norman Giesler offers a great outline on this study. He says, 1=God’s word are wise. In Ps. 18:30 we learn they are a foundation for certain confidence in God. In Jer. 8:8, 9 you have to wonder if Paul is remembering Jeremiah’s words when Paul tells us man’s wisdom is foolishness next to God’s! 2= God’s acts are wise. Read Ps. 104:24-30 and Prov. 3:13-20. These verses tell us God is always leading and prompting us to do those things that move us toward Christlikeness! 3= God is the Source of all wisdom. Read Prov. 2:6. As Christians we must not follow the wisdom of the world because it always leads us away from God pointing us to ourselves. Consider
- GOD’S WISDOM IN REDEMPTION. Wisdom in early Greek literature “always denoted a quality, never an action.” Socrates said, “One is not wise by nature; wisdom comes from learning.” In the OT God’s wisdom is presented as cleverness, or knowledge in the books of history; in the prophets it is seen as human ability in general, but always in an eschatological perspective; in the wisdom literature, God’s wisdom is “rules of daily living and behavior”. In the NT God’s wisdom is always Jesus Christ! When considered in a Biblical context there is no way a sin-scared heart or depraved mind could ever devise any system for life and living that has any meaning or merit to it. Such a warped system would always misrepresent God and find excuses that would accept and allow man’s sin. From a Biblical viewpoint, wisdom is a character quality seen in a Christian’s life as a result of the Living Word of God changing the motives and intents of a redeemed heart! We all know when God is prompting us to repent of our foolishness in sin and apply His wisdom to our daily lives. We often, and stubbornly, refuse those promptings because we fear what other people may think of us more than we fear what God may think or do to us. We need to remember the only “role” in life we need to get right is the one we live in front of God! If we get that one right, our role in front of all other people will be right also. Read Prov. 12:1, 2; 8:1, 32-36; and 9:6, 10.
If we can help you answer your spiritual questions, call us at (574) 643-9419.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:00 — 44.6MB) Subscribe: Deut. 6:1-12
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. This first “official summer holiday” most likely brings special memories to most people. It is important to keep making those memories. Memories help us remember. God tells us there are some things we forget (those things which are behind us, Phil. 4:12); and there are things we must remember (those things set before us, Phil. 4:13, 14). Far too many people who call themselves Christians have forgotten God, which is also true of our Nation. Let’s spend some time focusing on what God wants us to remember.
- REMEMBER THE DAY OF YOUR SALVATION! Read Ex. 13:3. About which event do you remember more details, your day of salvation, or your wedding day? (If you have never been married, change the words “wedding day” to any other important day in your life.) The more detail concerning your salvation you remember, the more impact it has on your life. Answer this question: is the day of your salvation real or made up? Real salvation results in a life actually committed totally to God! How you view the day of your salvation say a lot about your dedication to God!
- REMEMBER THE SABBATH! Read Exodus 20:8. This is the fourth commandment. It follows having no other Gods before the True and Living God; and making no graven images to profane God’s name. Having a right perspective on the day of your salvation, leads you to have a right perspective on the Sabbath. God tells us to remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy, set apart, sanctified! Because our individual and national philosophy of holiness has been for the most part forgotten, we have made Sunday just another day! That is because most Christians (the real kind) aren’t willing to repent of their apathy toward worship and actually change their attitude to obey God! By the way, how’s your attitude toward the Sabbath?
- REMEMBER THE MIRACLES GOD HAS DONE! Read 1Chron. 16:7-12.Far too many people today say God isn’t performing wonders and miracles anymore! If you think that, and call yourself a Christian, look in the mirror! You were born dead in sin as God’s enemy. You now stand without condemnation as His adopted child. How miraculous is that? Don’t you think it’s miraculous that God chose you to be His child, and become one of His missionaries to a lost and dying world? Of course God still does miracles today! Isa. 46:8-13 tells us to remember them.
- REMEMBER JESUS CHRIST/GOD! 2 Tim. 2:8. Stop and think a minute. Do you remember Jesus Christ during your day? Is He the Living God or is He a profane expression of disgust or anger? Is He a thorn in your flesh that keeps you from doing openly what you desire in your heart? What you remember about Jesus Christ, is your gospel message to the world. The question then becomes, is your gospel, the same Gospel we read in Scripture? This Memorial Day is for us to remember those who have died in service to our country. It would be wise for us to use it and the other 364 days like it to remember God is still a sovereign God Who has chosen us to be His ambassadors to a lost and dying world.
If we can help you answer your spiritual questions, call us at (574) 643-9419.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:54 — 41.3MB) Subscribe: Job 37:14-24
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. This final speech from Elihu almost seems to prepare Job for God’s only recorded speech. Read chapters 38-41 when you can “be still” because those chapters will certainly help you “know God is God!” Wayne Grudem defines God’s omniscience by saying “God fully knows Himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act.” (Systematic Theology, p. 190) Grudem also provides a concise outline to help us understand this attribute of God.
- GOD KNOWS HIMSELF! Read 1 Cor. 2:10-12 then 1 John 1:5. “No darkness” means purity and no place where God doesn’t know Himself perfectly. Because this is true, 1- God will never double cross, contradict, or violate Himself, His Law, His Word, or His will! That is important to you and me because it also means 2- He will never do any of that stuff to you!! Therefore 3- God can always be trusted in every way.
- GOD KNOWS ALL THINGS ACTUAL! Read 2 Chron. 16:9; Job 28:24, Mt. 10:28-30. God sees all things that exist and all that happens. Isa. 42:8, 9 and 46:8-11 tell us God knows the future as well as He knows the past. David tells us in Ps. 139:1, 2, 4 God knows our thoughts and actions before they come to pass. Mt. 6:8, 10:30 teach us God knows every little event and part of our lives. So what? All this teaches us the reason we need to “walk worthy of the vocation to which we are called.” The Privacy Act does not extend to God! He knows all about everything, and we can’t hide it from Him. Negatively God’s omniscience means we can’t get away with anything, no matter how deep in our hearts we hide it. On the positive side it means all we do secretly to grow in grace, help others, pray for, and do just between us and God is not lost. It is recorded in God’s annuls and we will receive God’s best for all those things. Another positive is all that’s happening, is happening at God’s bidding and under His complete control!
- GOD KNOWS ALL THINGS POSSIBLE! Read 1 Sam. 23:11-13 and Matt. 11:21-23. This is one of the most amazing truths about God! Perhaps this is one of those truths David said “is toowonderful for me, it’s high and I cannot attain it.” David might be saying “This is not just something I don’t get, I can’t get it, it is so high!” God knows every possible combination of every possible choice that could be made. Negatively that means for us, He has recorded every opportunity to learn, grow, minister, or repent we’ve ever had, and not acted! Positively it means He has recorded every opportunity to learn, grow, minister, or repent we’ve ever had, acted!” You get it, don’t you! Finally,
- GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING IN ONE SIMPLE ACT! Read Ps. 50:7-11 and Matt. 10:30. In other words God knows the sum total of everything without having to count, or stop and figure it out! He doesn’t have to stop and rethink, or recount, or remember what’s going on, because He always has a handle on all of everything! Just ponder that a while! All this means God can’t lead you in circles, on a fantasy trip, or cause you to mess up! You can put your life totally in His loving care and know He will work all things for your highest good!
If we can help you answer your spiritual questions, call us at (574) 643-9419.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:08 — 45.2MB) Subscribe: 2 Tim. 3:10-17
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. Anyone who thinks motherhood is a walk in the park has never been a mother! Someone figured out that by the time a child reaches the age of 18 a mother has had to handle some 18 thousand hours of child generated work! There is an old Spanish proverb – an ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy! When we look at Timothy’s life we see the power of a mother’s influence. Read 2 Tim. 1:3-9. Timothy grew to be a minister of Christ and many scholars believe he pastured the church at Ephesus. Let’s consider how his mother, Eunice and his grandmother, Lois, influenced his life. They both:
- INSTILLED AN ADORATION FOR THE SCRIPTURE. Read 2 Tim. 3:12-17. Paul tells Timothy if he is to be a true man of God, persecution is a given. The true heart commitment to God, even commitment to death, isn’t something that happens instantly. It must be cultivated and grounded way before persecution happens. In 2 Tim. 3:14 we learn that Timothy learned the Scriptures as a child. Eunice was teaching Timothy the Scriptures by living them in front of him. As a result, Timothy became convinced or assured by what he learned from observation. Both Eunice and Lois were so dedicated to living the Scriptures in their daily lives that when Timothy was grown and on his own, he was so convinced that what he saw in his mom and grandmother was the only and right way to live. Mom, what are you teaching your child/children now, that will influence them to follow Christ when they “leave the nest?” Notice Eunice and Lois also
- INSPIRED AN AUTHENTIC FAITH! Read 2 Tim. 1:5. An authentic faith is cultivated only from strong adoration for the Scriptures. Timothy’s “faith” in this verse means free from hypocrisy and pretense. The word finds it origin in agape, which defines God’s love for us; it is pure, genuine, real! Read 1 Tim. 1;1-7 and notice in verse 5 how all this is hooked to agape love. The point is that one cannot have authentic faith without agape love! The two are inseparably bound together. Timothy’s mother and grandmother taught him an authentic faith by living it in their daily lives. Is that what you are doing Mom-Grandma? Notice these ladies also
- INSTILLED AN ASPIRATION TO MINISTER. Read 1 Tim. 4:6-8. There are several passages throughout these two letters that indicated Timothy had a heart to minister. Usually a Godly mom/grandmother recognizes skills and talents early in the life of their children. A truly Godly mother or grandmother will never do or say anything to discount or discourage a child’s abilities and talents; nor will they try in any way to steal a child’s dream. In fact Mom-Grandma you should be teaching your child those aspirations come from God. They do if they don’t in any way contradict God’s Word. You should be doing all in your power to encourage your child or children to follow the prompting of God’s Holy Spirit to develop their talents to the fullest for God’s glory. Use your influence to guide your children to Christ as Savior, then to pledge their allegiance to Him all their life.
If we can help you answer your spiritual questions, call us at(574) 643-9419.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:10 — 39.9MB) Subscribe: Exodus 20:4-6
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. At times every Christian has probably wondered, what is God actually made of. What did Isaiah really see when He saw God high and lifted up? God shares enough about Himself with us that we can get the point He is not to be toyed with, but rather to be feared and worshipped for Who He is. Let’s consider just two truths that will help us see why God says, “make no graven images.”
- GOD IS SPIRIT! The word spirit in the OT means “breath, mind intellect.” In the NT is means “breath, wind, invisible, immaterial powerful.” Read John 4:21-23. In this discussion, Jesus is telling the woman she does not need to be in the Temple in Jerusalem to worship God, because He is not bound to just one location. Worship is an act determined, not by location, but by state, condition of heart or mind. God tells Man not to make any graven images because anything Man can conceive is fall infinitely short of what God really is! Aaron’s golden calf may have represented power, strength, and life which are all attributes of God, but the image woefully misrepresented God because there is nothing about the calf that represents God’s wisdom, grace, mercy, truthfulness, and so on. God is a jealous God. For us jealously is wrong because we use it to harm others, including God. God is jealous of all His perfections, and won’t tolerate them being misrepresented by fallen Man. How do you limit God’s perfections by images you’ve constructed in your life?
- GOD IS INVISIBLE. FYI, if you take away your body, you are invisible also! Scripture is abundantly clear in telling us God is invisible. John 1:8; 1Tim. 1:16, 17; John 4:14. Even though God is invisible, He shows Himself in various ways called “theophany’s.” Someone said the most complete theophany was Jesus! David says in Ps. 145:3 God’s greatness is unsearchable. When we get to heaven we get to see Jesus in all His divine glory, majesty, power which will be visible to us. If we consider just these two truths about God we can begin to see why He says make no graven image. God is angered when Man is so arrogant as to think he can make an idol that represents all God is. Consider this: how do you see God in your mind? Does God have any limits or boundaries there? Is the God you see in your heart infinite in His wisdom, power, knowledge, mercy, grace and independence; or do you impose your own limitations in those things on Him? We all know what idols and images of God we have built in our lives hoping He accepts them, even though we know they are less than right! The only way we can worship God in spirit and truth is to tear down every graven image we have erected in our hearts and lives. We must then replace them with the Almighty, Infinite God Who is the only true and Living God.
If we can help you answer your spiritual questions, call us at (574) 643-9419.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:02 — 42.5MB) Subscribe: Psalm 139:7-10
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. Children often ask, how big is God anyway? Even as adults we wonder, don’t we! We think of everything in relation to size or boundaries. Let’s consider how God’s omnipresence relates us as helpful. I like Wayne Grudem’s outline of this doctrine.
- GOD IS PRESENT EVERYWHERE! Read Ps. 137:7 H. C. Leupold writes, “never has the pen of man more effectively described the omnipresence of God.” Notice in verse five of this Psalm David declares God’s intimate knowledge of him for David’s benefit, not his destruction. When you read verse seven, does it strike fear or comfort into your heart? Your answer may give you insight into your true spiritual attitude toward God. The OT prophet records that God declares “do I not fill heaven and earth?” (Jer. 23:23, 24). If you are walking contrary to God’s Word, this idea probably doesn’t excite you much, because you have probably figured out there is nowhere you can hide from God. On the other hand if God’s Word is your delight, then you findthis a blessing. It is one thing to believe in God’s omnipresence, but quite another to actually live it in your daily life. Read Romans 8:28-39. The inner feeling that nothing can separate us from God’s love either looms large or it brings unspeakable comfort.
- GOD CAN BE PRESENT FOR MANY PURPOSES. God can be present to punish when necessary. Read Amos 9:1-4. The first 39 chapters of Isa tell us how God will be present to punish the sin of Israel and all world powers. (All includes America) The most horrifying reality of God’s presence to punish sin was Calvary! But God is also present to sustain. Read Neh. 9:20, 21. In Ps. 55:22 David tells us to cast our cares on the Lord and He will sustain us. Also read Col. 1:17 and Heb. 1:3. There is another reason God wants His presence to be known and even felt by all. Can you think what it might be? Read Psalm 16 and David tells us God wants His presence known because He wants to bless us. Notice here David declares God his refuge (v. 1-3). Apart from God there is not even 1 good thing. Because of God’s goodness, David also refuses other gods (v. 4). It takes courage to stand against the crowd and refuse the gods of this world. Often they are attractive and popular, but David wasn’t afraid to stand apart for his God. How is it with you? Are you that courageous? You and God know, don’t you! Notice in verses 5-8 God is David’s reward. Don’t miss verse eight: because David establishes God as the beginning and ending point in his life (for the most part), God rewards David with security. It is interesting and important to notice that when God says “will not” He is telling us from His perspective “will not” means “cannot.” It is the same idea as in Ps. 23 when David says because the Lord is his Shepherd, he shall (cannot) want. Finally, because of David’s allegiance to God, he is able to rejoice in God (v. 9-11). Once we see God’s presence as blessing, we discover it also becomes a sustaining presence that it is, as David said, refuge, security, and pleasant. Does God fill your personal space?
If we can help you answer your spiritual questions, call us at (574) 643-9419.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:11 — 30.5MB) Subscribe: Isaiah 46
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. Isaiah 46 is a powerfully interesting chapter that teaches God’s eternity as well as His sovereignty. It also teaches us as 21st Century Christians to be very aware of Who this eternal God is because as much as He is our Redeemer and Deliverer, He is also our ultimate Judge. The message of this chapter is not only pertinent to us as individual Christians it speaks to America, and all other nations, in their current state of arrogance and rebellion to God. We can see strong warning to repent, but we also see strong assurance from God that He is right now working all things together for His glory.
- THE HUMILIATION OF ILLEGITIMATE GODS! V.1, 2 The origin of the word Babylon is interesting because it finds its roots in Scripture in Gen. 11:9. Babel means “confusion” and throughout Scripture Babylon is a symbol of confusion caused by Godlessness! Bel and Nebo were the two most powerful gods in Babylon. Because of Babylon’s allegiance to them, she (and the rest of the world) thought she was invincible. Verses 1-4 show us how God humiliated them by causing their idols to be taken away on weary beasts of burden. It is a vivid picture of how idols have no power to save anyone, including themselves. God was showing the empty power the Babylonians believed in was just an illusion. Is America, other nations, under that same illusion? Here is a more pertinent question: as people who use the word “Christian” to define ourselves, are we also living under the illusion we are invincible? Does our “religion” make us think we are automatically in with God? To many, the word “Christian” is all they think they need to know to be invincible. Perhaps they should read vs. 1, 2 over.
- THE EXALTATION OF THE INFINITE GOD! In verses 8-11 God shows Israel that He is not happy with her. The KJV says “now show yourselves men…” That happens when men remember/fix in their mind all that God has done. God is telling Israel to stop living like God never existed or that He never intervened for them. To us as Christians He is saying – stop living like those who are yet unsaved. God continues to minister and we as Christians, and as a nation, keep forgetting that it is Him Who is keeping us intact, not us! Wise men don’t keep God waiting, but immediately seek His redemption.
- SALVATION IMMEDIATELY GIVEN FROM GOD! In verse 13 we see God has brought His salvation to us now! So many people think eternity is a lifetime away. It is in truth only one heartbeat away. In less than one second every person’s eternity is sealed. Our eternal God offers us an eternal salvation, but we must claim it before we enter into eternity. Dear Reader, it is not the word Christian that is salvation, it is the shed blood of Christ applied to the believing heart of a condemned sinner that is salvation. Read Romans 9:10-13; and John 3:16 then accept the eternal God’s eternal salvation, before it is eternally too late! Come to God now while it is still NOW!
If we can help you answer your spiritual questions, call us at (574) 643-9419.
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