Sermons on Grant:

Battling Temptation With Scripture Alone

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Feb 22, 2023

Life is filled with trials and temptations. Sometimes we fail. Jesus was also faced with great tests, but He succeeded. Let’s learn how Jesus battled temptations and won, using scripture. Let’s look at the testing of Christ in Matthew 4:1-11.

Life is filled with trials and temptations. Sometimes we fail. Jesus was also faced with great tests, but He succeeded. Let’s learn how Jesus battled temptations and won, using scripture. Let’s look at the testing of Christ in Matthew 4:1-11. Led by the Spirit When Jesus fasted was it a complete ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

Perseverance

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Feb 24, 2023

Does Jesus imply anything about “once saved always saved” or is assurance conditional?

The Holy Spirit was not asleep on the job for 1500 years before Protestant theology came along. Traditional theology contributes great biblical wisdom about our eternal security. God’s Part Does Jesus imply anything about “once saved always saved” or is assurance conditional upon listening to and ...read more

Scripture: John 10:27-28

Denomination: Baptist

Glory

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Feb 28, 2023

To the ancient writers the word glory meant praise, splendor, brightness, majesty, honor and dignity. It refers first of all to God. Glorification also refers to our elevation to an exalted state in eternity.

To the ancient writers the word glory meant praise, splendor, brightness, majesty, honor and dignity. It refers first of all to God. Glorification also refers to our elevation to an exalted state in eternity. What did an ancient lyric writer compose about this? You guide me with your counsel, and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 73:24

Denomination: Baptist

The Ten Commandments

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Mar 12, 2023

How does the law point us to Christ? Are Christians to follow the letter or spirit of the law?

Let’s briefly look at the relevance of Deuteronomy and the Ten Commandments. There are many different ways of counting the Ten Commandments. In their excellent commentary A Survey of the Old Testament, Hill and Walton offer the standard Protestant numbering of the Ten Commandments as an outline of ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Is Deuteronomy For Christians?

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Mar 19, 2023

I'm shocked to learn that some Christians do not read the Old Testament. Let’s review some highlights in Deuteronomy and see how it's still relevant for Christians.

Let’s review some highlights in Deuteronomy still relevant to Christians. Images We’ll begin with statues and pictures in churches. Are such images wrong? What about the images of cherubs and pomegranates in the tabernacle? You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16

Denomination: Baptist

Believe In Jesus & Never Die

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Mar 22, 2023

What can we learn from a resurrection of one of Jesus closest friends?

Let’s learn a couple of ways to examine a Bible passage: 1) solving dilemmas, and 2) finding the Good News. Let’s examine the resurrection of Lazarus in John 11:1-45. What was the setting? Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who ...read more

Scripture: John 11:1-45

Denomination: Baptist

Samuel

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Mar 28, 2023

Samuel the prophet was the last of the judges. 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one book or scroll and describe God’s dealings with Samuel, Saul, David, Bathsheba and Absalom.

Before ancient Israel had kings, they were led in times of crisis by military leaders known as judges. Samuel the prophet was the last of the judges. 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one book or scroll and describe God’s dealings with Samuel, Saul, David, Bathsheba and Absalom. Was Hannah an example ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Salvation

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 1, 2022

In the Bible, temporal salvation is often a rescue from such circumstances as enemy attack, slavery, calamity and sickness. Eternal salvation is deliverance from death (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 5:7; James 5:20) and hell (Matthew 10:28; Jude 1:23).

In the Bible, temporal salvation is often a rescue from such circumstances as enemy attack, slavery, calamity and sickness. Eternal salvation is deliverance from death (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 5:7; James 5:20) and hell (Matthew 10:28; Jude 1:23). Eternal Salvation Eternal salvation is often referred ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23, Hebrews 5:7, James 5:20, Matthew 10:28, Jude 1:23  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Repentance

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 6, 2022

Two main components of New Testament preaching are repentance and faith. Let’s examine how they go together.

Two main components of New Testament preaching are repentance and faith. Let’s examine how they go together. Repent & Believe What do repentance and belief have to do with salvation? Feeling sorry for ourselves but refusing to change does nothing. But, grief with repentance leads to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 7:10, Mark 1:14-15, Acts 3:19, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10

Denomination: Baptist

What Faith?

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 13, 2022

As we repent from sin and turn to God, what must also be included?

As we repent from sin and turn to God, what must also be included? “I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.” (Acts 20:21 NLT) Repentance is also from unbelief to faith. Are good works evidence ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:21, Acts 26:20, Hebrews 11:1, Jude 1:3

Denomination: Baptist

Works Or Not?

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 14, 2022

Doing good works is a very controversial topic among Christians, because they are either overemphasized or underemphasized. It’s hard to find the balance, but the scriptures are the best help.

Doing good works is a very controversial topic among Christians, because they are either overemphasized or underemphasized. It’s hard to find the balance, but the scriptures are the best help, if we’ll listen to them instead of blindly accepting the prejudices of men. There are several factors to ...read more

Scripture: John 6:29, James 2:14-26, Matthew 16:27

Denomination: Baptist

The Age Of Baptism

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 19, 2022

We don’t need to be divided over the topic of baptism. Biblically, there is room for our preferences without disunity, if we ask simple questions. What does the Bible really require? What does the Bible leave up to us?

We don’t need to be divided over the topic of baptism. Biblically, there is room for our preferences without disunity, if we ask simple questions. What does the Bible really require? What does the Bible leave up to us? Let’s look more deeply into baptism than narrow ideas may allow. Age of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:21-23, 1 Corinthians 10:1-2, Colossians 2:11-12

Denomination: Baptist

The Mode Of Baptism

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 20, 2022

What does the Bible mandate about the mode of baptism?

Eisegesis is a bad way to read the Bible. It means to read into the text things that are actually not there at all. One common example is reading that Jesus came up out of the water after being immersed. The text simply does not say that at all. “So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:16, 1 Corinthians 10:2, Luke 12:50, Revelation 7:14

Denomination: Baptist

Confirmation

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 22, 2022

Is confirmation biblical? Does it have anything to do with the biblical doctrine of laying on of hands?

Infant baptism is neither mandated nor forbidden in the New Testament but has forerunners in the Old Testament. In adult baptism, water and laying on of hands occur as one ceremony. Infant baptism often separates the use of water and laying on of hands by many years. The author of Hebrews teaches ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 6:1-2, Matthew 10:32, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 8:14-17

Denomination: Baptist

Contemporary Heaven

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 27, 2022

What does heaven look like now?

What does heaven look like now? Paradise A first glimpse of heaven was the garden. The word Paradise means a garden or park reminiscent of the garden of Eden. What did Jesus tell the thief on the cross? “Jesus replied, ‘I assure you that today you will be with me in paradise.’ ” (Luke 23:43 ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:43, 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, Revelation 22:1-2, Acts 7:55-56

Denomination: Baptist