Sermons on Jim:

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

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

A Friend For Life

Contributed by Jim Keegan on Feb 3, 2021

God, who has given himself to us wholeheartedly in the person of Jesus Christ, is the most faithful, gracious, loving friend and heart’s companion we could ever desire.

John 15:9-15 As with so many of the great hymns of our faith, there’s an inspirational backstory to the popular gospel song, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.” The author of these verses was an Irishman named Joseph Scriven, who found God’s deep, faithful friendship in the midst of intense ...read more

Scripture: John 15:9-17