Sermons on Hcsb:

Facing Opposition (Acts 4)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Aug 15, 2025

Do some love the tongues of Acts 2 but not the example of Acts 4?

Did opposition grow along with increasing church numbers? Were the apostles cowed by hostility or were they bold? How was the atmosphere in local churches? Let’s look at Acts 4. Did both persecution and the number of believers grow? The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Church Growth Spreads (Acts 8)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Aug 20, 2025

Does persecution often create church growth?

Does the church often grow faster in times of persecution? Let’s look at Acts 8. Did the church in Jerusalem scatter due to severe harassment? Who was one of the principal persecutors? Saul was in full agreement with Stephen’s murder. At that time, the church in Jerusalem began to be subjected to ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The 4 Rules (Acts 15)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Aug 31, 2025

What four rules would help Jew and Gentile fellowship over a meal?

Did four rules promote table fellowship between Jew and Gentile? Were the seven laws of Noah a basis for this decision? Let’s look at Acts 15. Did some early Christians believe that circumcision and the law of Moses were still required? But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Destroying Bashan (Deuteronomy 3)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Dec 19, 2024

Why did God want Israel to destroy Bashan? Let's begin in Deuteronomy 3.

Did Israel inherit land from people who no longer deserved it? Do our people deserve to live where we do? Have we allowed a moment of arrogance to ruin our leadership? Let’s look at Deuteronomy 3. What was God’s decree regarding Og and his kingdom of Bashan? Next we turned and headed for the land ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Chosen To Obey (Deuteronomy 7)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Dec 26, 2024

Why was Israel chosen? Let's look at Deuteronomy 7.

What was Israel’s responsibility after taking the promised land from corrupt and perverse nations? What is our individual responsibility in a corrupt world? Let’s look at Deuteronomy 7. Did God forbid Israel from making covenants with corrupt and perverse nations? Why do our politicians do ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Exclusive & Inclusive (Deuteronomy 23)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 9, 2025

Are our ideas of exclusive and inclusive very different to God's? Let's begin in Deuteronomy 23.

Are our ideas of inclusion and exclusion very different from God’s? How exclusive was crop ownership? Did Jesus rob a grainfield on the Sabbath or did the law require that some of it be available to hungry passers by? For whom did Jesus' death atone? Let’s begin in Deuteronomy 23. Who could ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Moses' Farewell (Deuteronomy 31)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 17, 2025

What can we learn from Moses' farewell? Let's look at Deuteronomy 31.

Do we have words planned to say before we die? Have we planned for a successor or an inheritance? Let’s look at Deuteronomy 31. In his farewell speech before his death, what did Moses say to Israel? Moses again spoke to the whole nation of Israel: I am 120 years old, and I am no longer able to be ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

A Prostitute's Faith (Joshua 2)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Feb 4, 2025

What can we learn about faith from a Prostitute? Let's look at Joshua 2.

Are we scandalized that a prostitute can teach us about faith? Does she teach us the difference between a dead faith that does nothing and a living faith that acts? Do we sometimes act imperfectly even in faith? Let’s begin in Joshua 2. Did Joshua send scouts to spy out the walled city of ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Conquer Evil With Good (Joshua 13)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Feb 15, 2025

As Israel conquered the land, are we to conquer hearts? Let's begin in Joshua 13.

As an imperfect nation conquered land but still had much that remained, has an imperfect church still many hearts to conquer? What inheritance do we look forward to? Let’s begin in Joshua 13. Was there land to conquer that had been left out of the conquests to date? Now Joshua had reached old ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

More Important Things (2 Samuel 7)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 4, 2025

Are there more important things than some of our desires in life? Let's look at 2 Samuel 7.

Did David want to build a temple? Were there more important things that God had for him to do? What are the important things God wants us to do? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 7. What did Nathan spontaneously say to David before consulting God? Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Gibeonite Justice (2 Samuel 21)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 18, 2025

Should we settle for Gibeonite justice or is there something better? Let's begin in 2 Samuel 21.

Did David do what the Lord really wanted to atone for the atrocity committed against the Gibeonites or did God bless the land despite David’s inadequacy? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 21. Why was there a famine? Had Saul violated a peace treaty with the Gibeonites that Joshua had made? Were others in ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

God Or Numbers (2 Samuel 24)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 21, 2025

Do we rely on God or numbers? Let's look at 2 Samuel 24.

Do human governments rely on God or military numbers? Does God often defeat a strong enemy using inferior numbers? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 24. Was Israel relying on military numbers rather than God, who often defeated enemies by using inferior numbers? Now the anger of the Lord burned against ...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

Servanthood - The Path To Greatness

Contributed by Jerry Flury on Nov 11, 2003

How to be great in the eyes of God.

Servanthood ¡V The Path to Greatness How to be great in the eyes of God Matthew 20:20-28 Introduction: John C Miller in his book The Question Behind the Question tells the following story: It was a beautiful day in downtown Minneapolis when John Miller stopped into a Rock Bottom restaurant for a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:20-28

Denomination: Baptist

Unrighteous Righteousness

Contributed by Cameron Bottema on Jun 2, 2012

When God works “in us” His cleansing, purifying work, then the truth of Jesus’ solutions for “unrighteous righteousness” will become reality. We must make sure the inner spiritual control center is fully complete – pure – and then the outer control cente

UNRIGHTEOUS RIGHTEOUSNESS Matthew 6:1-24 Text: Matthew 6:1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness before people, to be seen by them; for if you do, you will have no reward from your Father Who is in heaven.” Unrighteous righteousness! This sounds like an oxymoron – two ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-24

Denomination: Friends