Sermons on Jim:

Six Testimonies About Jesus Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Nov 3, 2020

Jesus says that He's not going to testify about Himself, but He's got an impressive lineup of witnesses to who He is. What can we learn from them?

- v. 31. Six Testimonies about Jesus: 1. The positive testimony of John the Baptist: Jesus is the Perfect Lamb. - John 5:31-35. 2. The positive testimony of the work: Jesus is the Suffering Messiah. - John 5:36. 3. The positive testimony of the Father: Jesus is the Beloved Son. - John ...read more

Scripture: John 5:31-47

Denomination: Baptist

Facing Resistance To The Gospel Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 6, 2020

Jesus tells His followers that He is being numbered among the transgressors. What does that mean for us today as we try to follow Him?

WHAT I DON'T KNOW: What exactly is going on with the swords here? - Luke 22:36, 38. - The references to swords garner the most attention from most readers. They are intriguing statements that are not easily understood. - I wish I could tell you that I have an incisive, succinct explanation ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:35-38

Denomination: Baptist

Unrepentant Sin Of The World Versus Unrepentant Sin Of The Church Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 14, 2020

Does God treat the unrepentant sin of the church differently than the unrepentant sin of the world?

AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE: Amos opens with God’s wrath for everyone. - Amos 1:1-2:16. - Maybe just focus on the nations’ part under this point. - What does the “three sins, even four” mean? - God is not saying, “I would stop if you would do three or four sins,” although it kind of sounds like ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Is God’s Will An Inscrutable Mystery? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 21, 2020

Many complain that God's will is impossible to discern. God proclaims here, though, that He is regularly and clearly speaking through His prophets.

KEEPING US IN THE DARK? Is God’s will an inscrutable mystery? - Amos 3:3-7. - It is a common complaint that God’s will is an inscrutable mystery? Who can discern that hand of God? Who can understand the mind of the Lord? - And so many presume that because it is an impossibility to understand ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:3-7

Denomination: Baptist

Salt Of The Earth

Contributed by Jim Keegan on Apr 29, 2020

The phrase "salt of the earth" has become a commonly used expression in our society. The dictionary defines it as used in reference to "a very good and honest person or group," but that doesn't begin to do justice to what Jesus had in mind in this teaching.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” (Matthew 5:13) Salt today has become such a commonplace part of our lives, available in every home or restaurant, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13

Ask And You Will Receive

Contributed by Jim Keegan on May 1, 2020

Faithful, believing, heartfelt prayer is a game-changer.

“Ask and You Will Receive” After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, in which evangelist D.L. Moody’s church was destroyed, he decided to take a trip to England as a sort of educational sabbatical while the new sanctuary was being built. He wanted to learn from some of his British counterparts in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:7-11

Strength For Today

Contributed by Jim Keegan on May 6, 2020

Jesus wants us to see the alternative to worry: a life of peace and joy and trust.

“Strength for Today” “I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34

The False Security That Our Wealth Brings Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 12, 2020

God thunders His displeasure with the wealthy. How can we find our security in God instead of money?

A GATED COMMUNITY: Money can bring a false sense of security. - Amos 3:15. - Some aspects: a. We use it separate ourselves. - You see this physically in the way in most places neighborhoods are divided by income. We’ve reached a certain level and so we don’t have to hang out with those from ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:13-15

Denomination: Baptist

Worship That Displeases God Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 15, 2020

Israel was worshiping. They were even boasting about their worship. Yet it displeased God. What can we learn from them?

GOOD WORSHIP? Israel had lots of religious activity, but it was not pleasing to God. - Amos 4:4-5. - Religious activity is not always pleasing to God. - How can worship be bad? - It’s helpful to understand how evil works. Evil doesn’t usually come up with something altogether new. Instead, it ...read more

Scripture: Amos 4:4-5

Denomination: Baptist

God’s Goal In Bringing Hardship Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 20, 2020

It's shocking to many that God sometimes is the cause of hardship in our lives. When that happens, what is He hoping to accomplish?

“HE SAID WHAT?!”: Sometimes hardship is from God. - Amos 4:6-12. - This passage might have been shocking to you. “What do you mean God did all these things?” Today we sometimes think of Him exclusively as a kindly grandfather who would never say a cross word to anyone. That, however, is not ...read more

Scripture: Amos 4:6-13

Denomination: Baptist

Who Cares About The Poor? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 27, 2020

God slams Israel for their actions, primarily trashing their treatment of the poor. What do we learn about how to respond in our own lives?

A PERPETUAL TRUTH: The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. - Amos 5: 7, 10, 11, 12. - It’s a cliché for a reason. It’s the way of the world. - The poor typically get trampled. - Let’s look briefly at the specific accusations levied by God against Israel. a. v. 7 – “You who turn ...read more

Scripture: Amos 5:4-17

Denomination: Baptist

The Problem With Wanting Jesus To Come Back Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 29, 2020

Israel cried out for the day of the Lord to come, but God warned them that they didn't really want that. Today many Christians say, "I just wish Jesus would come back!" but is that something we're actually ready for?

WHEN THE WORLD DEPRESSES US WITH ITS EVIL: “I just wish Jesus would come back!” - Amos 5:18-20. - The point of v. 19 is things going from bad to worse. - There are two illustrations. - In the first, a man runs from a lion. But then, exhausted, he runs right into a bear. - In the second, a man ...read more

Scripture: Amos 5:18-27

Denomination: Baptist

The Problem With Prosperity Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jun 3, 2020

The leaders of Israel were enjoying their prosperity. What does God have to say to them?

BLINDING: Money is not evil, but it is dangerous. - 1 Timothy 6:10. - The dangers of money are not a new problem. Here we are way back in the Old Testament and we see the same thing (although back then it was probably a lot smaller percentage of the population). - It’s a telling passage and it ...read more

Scripture: Amos 6:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

The Good News And The Bad News About God Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jun 9, 2020

We all like to make our own estimations of what we think God is like. This passage is a reminder to us that we must accept God for who He is, not who we wish He was.

- Opening image: the result explosion of Facebook avatars. They are cute and fun and I don’t have a problem with them. But if I may make a gentle observation: some of you don’t look like you think you look! - I’m sure some people intentionally upgraded their appearance, but there are others who ...read more

Scripture: Amos 7:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

When We Ask God To Go Away Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jun 16, 2020

There are times when we instantly reject the message of God because it offends us and hurts us. We don't even want to consider it's true. But what happens when we ask God to go away?

- Image: a broken mirror with most of the pieces missing. - Maybe do the image as a drawing on a piece of butcher paper, with four of the ten pieces colored in blue to look like a mirror. - Discuss how little of yourself you would know if you had such a limited mirror. We look at ourselves and ...read more

Scripture: Amos 7:10-17

Denomination: Baptist