Sermons on Jim:

An Ode To The Messed-Up Church Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Sep 11, 2020

This passage details the numerous efforts the Paul made to get the Corinthians back on track and the harsh reality that some churches are just a mess.

- Maybe start with the story of Pastor Mark and church “J.” THE SITUATION FOR THIS MESSED-UP CHURCH: 1. Paul handled his ministry there with integrity. - 2 Corinthians 12:11-12, 17-19. 2. Paul sacrificed for them. - 2 Corinthians 12:13, 14b, 15-16. 3. This was not the first time he’d tried ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:11-21

Denomination: Baptist

Mistaking God’s Patience For Weakness Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Sep 16, 2020

The Corinthians continued to sin despite Paul's repeated warnings. How had they taken his patience for weakness?

A THIRD TRY: Paul had been patient with the sinful Corinthians. - 2 Corinthians 13:1-2a. - Paul tells the Corinthians that he is planning to make a third visit to them. This has been necessitated by the ongoing questionable behavior of the church there. - Paul then quotes Deuteronomy about two ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:1-4

Denomination: Baptist

Looking At Your Own Faith Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Sep 25, 2020

Paul encouraged the Corinthians to examine their own faith. What does that look like?

WHO'S IN? There are a lot of questionable boundary markers for the Christian faith. - If you read the obituary page, you will discover some marvelous realities. Among them: a. Upwards of 90% of people are going to heaven. b. People are members of church despite the fact that they haven’t ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:5-6

Denomination: Baptist

How Does Personal Spiritual Growth Connect To The Church? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Sep 30, 2020

Paul closes out his second letter to the Corinthians with a plea from his heart for their spiritual growth. Why do we today so seldom see that at a practical level in our churches?

- I should note as we begin that v. 8 is a difficult verse. Its meaning is not clear. It’s not essential to grasp that verse in order to be able to understand the larger point that Paul is making, so we’re just going to lay it aside this evening. There’s not any benefit tonight in spending a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:7-10

Denomination: Baptist

Reading The Bible Literally

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Oct 7, 2020

Paul's instruction that the Corinthians were to "greet one another with a holy kiss" provides a nice open door for discussing whether we are to take the Bible literally. This message looks at four considerations that we need to keep in mind to read the Bible correctly.

- I have four questions for you as we begin. Let me hear an “Amen” if you agree with what I say: a. The Bible is the Word of God. b. We believe in the Bible. c. The Bible is literally true. d. When I came into church, I greeted everyone with a holy kiss. - Where were all the cries of “Amen” ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:12

Denomination: Baptist

The Problem Of Weeds

Contributed by Jim Keegan on Oct 14, 2020

This parable may very well be one of the most important teachings for the church to hear in helping us to understand the nature of our witness for good in the world.

The Problem of Weeds Read Matthew 13:24-30 Everyone who has ever farmed or gardened, or taken care of a lawn, is only too familiar with the vexing reality of weeds. Weeds are essentially a mundane example of the fall of Creation and the presence of sin in the world. The dictionary defines them ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:24-43

What Jesus Brings Us Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Oct 21, 2020

This passage early in John gives us important answers to what John did, who Jesus is, and what Jesus brings us.

WHO JOHN THE BAPTIST IS: He is the witness. - John 1:6, 7, 8, 15. a. He was sent from God. - v. 6. b. He was a witness to the light. - v. 7. c. He was not the light. - v. 8. d. He declared Jesus was God Incarnate. - v. 15. WHO JESUS IS: He is God. - John 1:9, 10, 11, 14, 18. a. He ...read more

Scripture: John 1:6-18

Denomination: Baptist

How To Avoid Seeing God Move In Your Life Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Oct 23, 2020

Jesus' healing on an invalid suffering for 38 years provides an interesting example of ways that we sometimes miss out on what God is willing to do in our lives.

HOW TO AVOID SEEING GOD MOVE IN YOUR LIFE: 1. CONSIDER IT TOO LATE. - John 5:5. - Life has a way of beating us down. Especially when we are continually pummeled over many years. - This invalid had been there for nearly four decades. It’s hard not the lose your hope by that point. - Many of ...read more

Scripture: John 5:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

The Son’s Connection To The Father Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Oct 30, 2020

This deep, dense, and challenging passage details the connections between the Son and the Father. What specifics can we learn from it?

EQUAL WITH GOD: The Jews thought Jesus was claiming to be equal with God the Father. - John 5:18. - What exactly is going on in this interaction that the Jews thought Jesus was claiming to be equal with God the Father? a. In v. 16 the Jews persecute Jesus because He violated their rules for the ...read more

Scripture: John 5:15-30

Denomination: Baptist

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

What Does The Bible Say About The Christian’s Relationship With The Government?

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jan 25, 2021

What do Paul and Peter have to say about the Christian and government? Is the church allowed to pursue the violent overthrow of secular governments? What should be our focus if it's not the accumulation of earthly power?

- We are going to dig into a subject this morning that is challenging. We are going to be talking about church and state. It’s one we don’t talk about particularly often. - As we start, I want to acknowledge up front that these passages are difficult. I want to say that I don’t like everything ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17

Denomination: Baptist

Shouldn’t I Trust What The Preacher Says? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jan 27, 2021

This passage showcases the myriad of problems created when you have self-confident religious leaders. How do we avoid that problem with today's preachers?

OF COURSE I SHOULD: If the preacher is God’s messenger, shouldn’t I trust what he says? - Many presume that they should just trust everything that the preacher says. - This passage is a reminder to us in a myriad of ways that religious leaders aren’t always on point. SO MANY MISTAKES IN THIS ...read more

Scripture: John 7:40-52

Denomination: Baptist

Being A Super Servant

Contributed by Jim Moynihan on Feb 1, 2021

A super servant is faithful, obedient and unwilling to give up on the mission God has called him or her to. As a result, a super servant will be richly rewarded by going deep with God throughout their lifetime of serving him.

Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s, once appeared on the cover of their annual report in a knee-length work apron holding a mop and a bucket. He said, “I got my M.B.A. long before my G.E.D. Here M.B.A. doesn’t mean Master of Business Administration. It means Mop Bucket Attitude.” Dave got his ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 14:6-14

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Jesus’ Light Helps Us See Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 2, 2021

This passage is complicated and challenging. This sermon attempts to cut it down to the four interactions and what is going in each. What's the key to seeing Jesus' light?

- This is a very challenging passage. There is a lot going on here in general. There are questions and answers that don’t always flow from one another. There are a lot of theological statements that are not easily processed. - When you add it all up, there’s a lot to handle here. I struggled ...read more

Scripture: John 8:12-30

Denomination: Baptist

Experiencing The Freedom Christ Gives Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 3, 2021

This passage gives us a nice roadmap to moving from our spiritual slavery to the freedom that Christ offers.

- I’m going to take these verses in an order that allow me to make an argument from where we are to where we can be. There are a lot of important ideas in here. 1. WE ARE SLAVES TO SIN. - John 8:34. - We are all slaves to sin. We can’t overcome it. - Romans 6:6. - This, of course, is an ...read more

Scripture: John 8:31-36

Denomination: Baptist