Sermons on Sponge:

Saul's Death (1 Samuel 31)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Apr 27, 2025

What happened to a man who started out well but became a backslider? Let's look at 1 Samuel 31.

Is Saul’s death a warning to those who started well, but backsliding? Can an unfaithful leader hurt many people? Where are you headed? Let’s look at 1 Samuel 31. Did Saul and most of his sons die on the same day in battle? If God had not intervened, would David have been fighting on the side of ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Lamenting An Enemy (2 Samuel 1)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Apr 27, 2025

How did David honor a man who became his enemy? Let's look at 2 Samuel 1.

Is Bible history blunt and honest, often without a statement of approval or disapproval? Would we honor an enemy with a song of lament? Was David forgiven? Are we? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 1. How did news of Saul and Jonathan’s death first reach David? After Saul’s death, when David had returned ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Waiting Patiently (2 Samuel 2)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Apr 29, 2025

How long must we wait patiently for God? Let's look at 2 Samuel 2)

How many years was it since Samuel anointed David king in Saul’s stead and he became king over just Judah? How much longer would David have to wait to be king of all Israel? How long have we waited for our king from heaven? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 2. Where did God tell David to move to with his ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

An Imperfect King (2 Samuel 3)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Apr 30, 2025

Was David very imperfect but had one important quality? Let's look at 2 Samuel 3.

Did David continue his legacy of faith? Was he a man with large faults, but even larger faith? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 3. Did David feel entitled to take more wives? Is polygamy selfish, where wives lack a husband’s exclusive companionship? Is narcissistic privilege a problem with human ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Ishbosheth Assassinated (2 Samuel 4)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 1, 2025

Are mere words good enough or does God want us to obey? Let's look at 2 Samuel 4.

Do we rely upon a man to protect us or God? Did David support an assassination or punish those involved? Is doing God’s will more important than empty words? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 4. Did Ishbosheth rely on God or Abner for protection? When Saul’s son Ish-bosheth heard that Abner had died in ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

King At Last (2 Samuel 5)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 2, 2025

Is God's timing often a lesson in patience and trust? Let's look at 2 Samuel 5.

Did David have to wait 14-15 years after Samuel anointed him king? Must we also learn to patiently wait on God’s timing? Were David’s marriages a blind spot? Have we ever discovered any blind spots? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 5. Was David finally anointed king for the third time, over all Israel? How ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Uzzah (2 Samuel 6)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 2, 2025

Are we guilty of placing our reasoning above God's instructions? Let's look at 2 Samuel 6.

Was David hasty in recovering the ark? Did he contribute to Uzzah acting carelessly? Do we sometimes unthinkingly act for God contrary to His will? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 6. Did David plan to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem? David brought together 30,000 of Israel's best soldiers ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

More Important Things (2 Samuel 7)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 3, 2025

Are there more important things than some of our desires in life? Let's look at 2 Samuel 7.

Did David want to build a temple? Were there more important things that God had for him to do? What are the important things God wants us to do? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 7. What did Nathan spontaneously say to David before consulting God? Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Angels

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Sep 24, 2022

Angels are mentioned over 300 times in the Christian Bible, slightly more often in the New Testament. Let's learn about angels.

Angels are mentioned over 300 times in the Christian Bible, slightly more often in the New Testament. The word angel comes from a Greek word ???e??? (angelos) meaning a messenger. So, the study of angels is called angelology. Were angels created by God? “For in him all things were created: things ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:14, Luke 2:13-14

Denomination: Baptist

Faith To Forgive

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Sep 26, 2022

Do we have enough faith to forgive? Let’s see what Jesus says about how much faith is needed to forgive in Luke 17:5-10.

Do we have enough faith to forgive? Let’s see what Jesus says about how much faith is needed to forgive in Luke 17:5-10. Faith to Forgive Let’s not isolate Jesus' comments from their context. “One day Jesus said to his disciples, ‘There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:5-10

Denomination: Baptist

Joshua-Judges

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Sep 28, 2022

Joshua took over leadership from Moses. After him came a series of chieftains, who led Israel through a repeated cycle of apostasy, punishment and rescue.

Joshua took over leadership from Moses to bring Israel into the promised land. After him came a series of judges or notable chieftains of various tribes, who led Israel through a repeated cycle of apostasy, punishment and rescue. Leadership How important are the words even today, “be strong and ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Ruth

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Sep 29, 2022

Let's look at Ruth and Boaz, and how Boaz was a type of Christ the redeemer.

In examining Ruth it is essential to discuss one difficulty before we begin, the earlier prohibition against Moabites. “No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.” (Deuteronomy 23:3 NIV) Note that the prohibition does ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Revelation 1-17

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Oct 7, 2022

Revelation is apocalyptic literature, a symbolic genre. Who and what does this book reveal?

Students of Revelation fall into four broad categories, those who believe it’s mostly 1) past history, 2) foretells Christian history, 3) mostly future or 4) symbolic. Revelation is apocalyptic literature, a symbolic genre. Who and what does this book reveal? “The revelation of Jesus Christ, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Sent

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Oct 7, 2022

What is the church’s mission? Studying the church’s mission is called missiology. Let’s discuss a mission trip from Luke 10:1-20.

What is the church’s mission? Studying the church’s mission is called missiology. Let’s discuss a mission trip from Luke 10:1-20. 70 Apostled Short term mission trips are as old as when Jesus sent the 70. They were 1) “sent” or “apostled” as the Greek says. The eastern churches call these the 70 ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

Persistent Prayer

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Oct 10, 2022

God encourages us to be persistent and demanding in prayer.

Do we persist with God? Do we give up praying too soon? Let’s learn that God encourages persistent, demanding prayers. Let’s discuss prayers for ourselves, aggressive prayer and God’s justice in Luke 18:1-8. Purpose “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Denomination: Baptist