Sermons on Jim:

The Failure Of A Borrowed Faith Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 9, 2022

King Joash had signs of faith in his life - but did they really belong to him or his uncle?

“RAISED IN CHURCH”: Joash had a faith-filled upbringing. - 2 Chronicles 24:1-2. - 2 Chronicles 23:18-21; 24:4-14. - Other passages that we aren’t going to look up: a. Rescued at age one when his wicked grandmother slew all his brothers. b. Raised secretly around the temple by his uncle ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 24:1-2

Denomination: Baptist

Four Kinds Of Half-Heartedness Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 9, 2022

King Amaziah's story gives us four examples of half-heartedness.

FOUR KINDS OF HALF-HEARTEDNESS: 1. DO RIGHT BUT NOT WHOLEHEARTEDLY. - 2 Chronicles 25:1-4. - What an eloquent and straightforward statement of half-hearted belief. - This is not belief that says that God doesn’t exist or that the Word of God isn’t true. No, they will publicly respect those ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 25:1-2

Denomination: Baptist

The Danger Of Success Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 10, 2022

King Uzziah provides a dramatic examples of great success and the poison that success can bring into our lives.

SUCCESS: King Uzziah sought God and God elevated Uzziah. - 2 Chronicles 26:1-15. - Uzziah seeks God. - vv. 4, 5, 15b. - Types of success mentioned: a. Rebuilding and restoring cities. - vv. 2, 6b. b. War. - vv. 6a, 7, 11-15a. c. Brought tribute. - v. 8. d. Construction. - vv. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 26:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

The Fear Of God

Contributed by Jim Keegan on Aug 11, 2022

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” as the Book of Proverbs stresses repeatedly. May we seek to live as God-fearing people who humble our hearts in reverence of His glory and live in faithfulness to His will.

The year was 1845. A man named Carl Steinman was fascinated by volcanoes, and going against the advice of his guide, he ventured to the edge of a dormant volcano while visiting Mount Hecla in Iceland. Although it had last erupted over fifty years earlier, the guide noticed there had been ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:12-13

Who Is Going To Follow God? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 12, 2022

King Ahaz provides a surprising contrast to the kingdom of Israel as we see a dramatic example of the limits of our traditional morality.

IT'S OBVIOUS, RIGHT? “Good people” are more likely to follow God. - We have a traditional morality with “good people.” The respectable citizens are more likely to follow God. TWO EXAMPLES: 1. KING AHAZ HAD A GOOD HERITAGE BUT TERRIBLE BEHAVIOR. - 2 Chronicles 28:1-4, 16-25. - Came from a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 28:1-27

Denomination: Baptist

Where Revival Starts Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 12, 2022

King Hezekiah's powerful actions point us to where revival starts.

Where Revival Starts: - v. 2 – Hezekiah did what was right. - As we discussed last week, his father Ahaz was a terrible king. - Revival cannot be scheduled. It’s when God moves. 1. It starts with God’s house. - 2 Chronicles 29:3-9. - We so often look at the world and complain at their ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 29:1-36

Denomination: Baptist

When You’ve Been Way Off Track, What’s Coming Back Look Like? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 15, 2022

Judah has been so far off-track that they haven't celebrated Passover in forever. What does it look like coming back?

- This is a picture of revival. WAY OFF TRACK: Something as central as Passover had been lost. - 2 Chronicles 30:1, 5. GETTING BACK: They needed to return to God by humble obedience. - 2 Chronicles 30:6-9. a. Return to God. - We are returning to God, not church. b. By humble obedience. - ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 30:1-27

Denomination: Baptist

Why Do Bad Things Happen To People Trying To Be Faithful To God? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 16, 2022

King Hezekiah has tried to be faithful and yet a frightening attack from the Assyrians is headed his way. Why would God allow that and what can we learn from Hezekiah's response?

BUT KING HEZEKIAH WAS FAITHFUL: Why do bad things happen to people trying to be faithful to God? - 2 Chronicles 32:1. - Dismiss the idea of “why do bad things happen to good people?” with a discussion of the fact that none of us are good people. - This verse uses the word “faithfully” and that ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 32:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

How Gone Is Too Far Gone? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 19, 2022

Manasseh does great evil as king. Is he too far gone for God to forgive?

WAS MANASSEH TOO FAR GONE? 1. HIS FATHER SET A GODLY EXAMPLE. - 2 Chronicles 29:1-32:33. - Sin nature within all of us, no matter how we’re raised. - Each of us must choose the path we will take. Our parents can’t live for us. - This is one of the greatest tragedies of parenting. Certainly ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 33:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

When A Teenager Held Back God’s Judgment Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 29, 2022

Josiah stands strong for what's right and, in the course of doing that, holds off God's judgment on a nation.

When a Teenager Held Back God’s Judgment: 1. Sometimes it takes a new generation to move back toward God. - 2 Chronicles 34:1-3. - He’s a young man: eight when he begins to rule and sixteen when he begins seeking the Lord. - It’s easy for us to berate and deride the younger generations, but ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 34:1-33

Denomination: Baptist

When You Reach The End Of The Line Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 31, 2022

Exile is imminent because of the judgment of God. What does the final chapter before that teach us?

CYCLES AND CRASHES: This era of Israeli history comes to a final descent. - 2 Chronicles 36:1-14. - Let’s talk for a moment about cycles vs crashes. Cycles are those ups and downs that are part of everyday life. They are what we expect. Things are a little better then they’re a little worse but ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 36:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

The Gospel Of Might Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 4, 2022

The arrest of Jesus puts a spotlight on the "Gospel of Might" versus the "Gospel of Jesus." What are the differences? And how does the backward stumbling that's described there sum it all up?

THE GOSPEL OF MIGHT: By all outward indications, Jesus is in a losing situation. - John 18:1-11. - Pieces of this outward situation: a. Jesus has a betrayer with inside information. - John 18:2. b. Jesus is in an enclosed area. - John 18:1. - It’s an olive grove and they went “into it,” so ...read more

Scripture: John 18:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

The Forgotten Trial Of Jesus Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 17, 2022

This overlooked portion of the trial of Jesus reveals a deep lesson on power.

- Talk about how this is the forgotten part of the trial, as well as the overall pieces of the trial. - There are basically three pieces to the religious trial and three pieces to the civil trial: 1. Religious trial. a. Here before Annas. b. Before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:57-68; ...read more

Scripture: John 18:12-24

Denomination: Baptist

When We Fail Jesus Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 27, 2022

A look at Peter's betrayal and what we can learn from it concerning the times we fail Jesus.

OVERCONFIDENT FAITH: Peter fails Jesus three times. - John 18:15-18, 25-27. - Sometimes we have false confidence. - We think too highly of ourselves or too lightly of sin or Satan. - What was at the heart of Peter’s denials? a. Fear of death? b. There was a convenient way out (just lie)? c. ...read more

Scripture: John 18:15-27

Denomination: Baptist

Five Challenges With Finding The Truth Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jun 9, 2022

Pilate's iconic "What is truth?" question is the centerpiece of a passage that highlights several of the ways that we struggle with truth in our lives.

PILATE ASKS A GREAT QUESTION: “What is truth?” - John 18:38a. - Many ways to take it: sincere, sneering, lost, confused. - But at the end of the day, it is an essential question. - It’s not enough to be sincere in our beliefs, we need to sincerely believe something that’s true. - What about ...read more

Scripture: John 18:28-40

Denomination: Baptist