Sermons on Sponge:

Are You Perfect Yet?

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 25, 2022

Are you perfect yet? Perfection is a major topic in Hebrews.

Are you perfect yet? Perfection is a major topic in Hebrews. First of all, does it apply to Jesus? “It was appropriate for God, for whom and through whom everything exists, to use experiences of suffering to make perfect the pioneer of salvation. This salvation belongs to many sons and daughters ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

God's Promises

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 28, 2022

Promises are found throughout the Bible. What’s the most important?

Eternal Life Promises are found throughout the Bible. What’s the most important? “And this is what he promised us—eternal life.” (1 John 2:25 NIV) Are there conditions? “A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:25

Denomination: Baptist

An Offensive Message (John 6)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 28, 2025

What parts of Jesus' message offends us? Let's look at John 6.

Do we water down Jesus’ message because it offends us? Let’s look at John 6. With a large crowd following Jesus, did they have enough money to feed them all? After this, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, to Tiberias). A large crowd kept following him because they ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Rivers Of Living Water (John 7)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 29, 2025

Why do people either love or hate Jesus? Let's look at John 7.

What kind of teacher was Jesus, cautious and weak or bold and confronting? Let’s look at John 7. Did members of Jesus’ own family believe in Him? Do we have doubters in our families? After this, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, because he didn’t want to travel in Judea, since the Jewish leaders ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Choose Life (Deuteronomy 30)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 16, 2025

Do we have a choice? Did God place a choice before Israel? Let's begin in Deuteronomy 30.

Was Israel given a choice between life and death? What did God want them to choose? What is our choice? Let’s begin in Deuteronomy 30. Was there a prophecy of a return from a then future captivity of Israel? So it will be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse ...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

Listen, O Heavens (Deuteronomy 32)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 19, 2025

How great is our God? How weak are we? Let's begin in Deuteronomy 32.

How great is God and how weak are we? Who gave this song to Moses? Is God our Rock? Is He just, fair, faithful and upright? Let’s look at Deuteronomy 32. Do we receive God’s teaching like gentle rain on young plants? Do we understand how just and upright He is? How glorious is our God? Listen, O ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Has God Rejected Israel?

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 12, 2023

Has God rejected Israel? Let's let Paul answer that question in Romans 11.

Paul answers an important question. So I ask you, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not! I’m an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11:1 CEB) Were some in Israel faithful? God did not turn his back on his chosen people. Don't you remember reading in ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Living Sacrifices

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 16, 2023

How can we apply the sacrificial laws in the Spirit to Christian worship? Let's find out in Romans 12.

How do we apply the spirit of the sacrificial laws to Christian worship? Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (Romans 12:1 NASB) Have worldly values ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Obedient Citizens

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 21, 2023

Leaders of nations that oppress Christians are only hurting themselves by persecuting their best citizens. Let's look at why in Romans 13.

Leaders of nations and communities that oppress Christians don’t realize that they are harassing some of their most loyal citizens. A Christian value is to be obedient citizens? We obey civil laws because God wants us to. Every person should place themselves under the authority of the government. ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Christian Liberty

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 30, 2023

How do we handle the freedom we have in Christ? Let's find out in Romans 14.

Christ gives us liberty, but some are weak, and causing unnecessary offense is an abuse of that Christian freedom. How should we treat those who are weak in faith? Welcome the person who is weak in faith—but not in order to argue about differences of opinion. (Romans 14:1 CEB) What about food ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Christians Together

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 8, 2023

How was life in the early church? Let's find out in Romans 15 and 16.

Paul concludes his topic of patience over non-essentials with a glimpse of the early church. If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord's followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. 2 We should think of their good and try to help them by ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

What Is The Church?

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 16, 2023

A town gathering and a few word pictures help us understand what is meant by the word church.

What is the church? A Gathering The early church borrowed a Greek term, ?????s?a (ekklésia), meaning a gathering of citizens. Thus we call the study of the church ecclesiology. Can it describe a local church? To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:2

Denomination: Baptist

What Is The Church's Mission

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 19, 2023

What is the Church's mission? What is the commission?

What is the church’s mission? Studying the church’s mission is called missiology. Witness and Light Where were the disciples to be witnesses of what they had seen and heard? Do we collectively carry on that mission? but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Denomination: Baptist

Paul's Authority

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 28, 2023

Did Paul just go about his missionary work without checking with others in the broader church to make sure that his message was orthodox?

The letter to the churches in Galatia describes a problem that still exists today, how they had fallen backwards from the grace of the Gospel into outward works of the law like circumcision. Thus, the theme of Galatians is justification by faith in Christ’s death and resurrection apart from the ...read more

Denomination: Baptist