Sermons on Sponges:

Angel Encounter (Judges 13)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Mar 14, 2025

What happened when Manoah's wife encountered an angel? Let's look in Judges 13.

What happened as a couple encountered an angel? Have we ever possibly met an angel unawares? Let’s look at Judges 13. A Nazarene was from Nazareth. A Nazarite took a special vow of service to God. Did an angel appear to Manoah’s wife and talk to her about bearing a Nazarite son who would begin to ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Samson's First Wife (Judges 14)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Mar 14, 2025

How important is it that a marriage have a common faith? Let's begin in Judges 14.

How foolish is choosing a life’s marriage partner solely because of their looks? How important is having the same faith values? Let’s begin in Judges 14. What happened when Samson traveled and saw a foreign woman? Samson traveled down to Timnah. While he was in Timnah, a Philistine woman caught ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

How God Reveals Himself

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Nov 29, 2022

Does God reveal Himself in the Bible? How do we understand the Bible? How was the Bible composed? Let's look at the Bible as special revelation.

Does God reveal Himself in the Bible? How do we understand the Bible? How was the Bible composed? Studying God’s revelation of Himself in the Bible is called bibliology. How God Reveals Himself God reveals Himself to humans in various ways, generally in His creation and specially in other ways. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:21

Denomination: Baptist

Preparing The Way For Christ

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Dec 1, 2022

Is believing without repenting valid? Why did both Jesus and John the Baptist preach repent? Let’s learn why in Matthew 3:1-12.

Is believing without repenting valid? Why did both Jesus and John the Baptist preach repent? Let’s learn why in Matthew 3:1-12. Preaching & Teaching (vs 1) In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea (Matthew 3:1) In the Bible the word "preach" means ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

Bible Canon

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Dec 7, 2022

How did we get the Bible? How do we understand it?

The Christian Bible forms the measure of our faith. While tradition, reason and experience can contribute in valuable ways to our faith, they are not always the teachings of Jesus, the prophets and apostles. Let’s look at the canon of the Bible. Compiling the Bible over thousands of years is ...read more

Scripture: John 17:17

Denomination: Baptist

Offended By Jesus

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Dec 7, 2022

Are we offended by the real Jesus?

Was John the Baptist offended by Jesus? If He walked the earth today would we be offended by Him? Let’s examine the real Jesus and being offended at Jesus in Matthew 11:2-11. Are You the One? And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:2-11

Denomination: Baptist

What Is Salvation

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Dec 17, 2022

People often ask, have you been saved? Do we even know what that means?

What is salvation? How does it work? In Greek the word for Savior or Deliverer is s?t?? (soter) and so we call the study of salvation soteriology. The word save means to liberate, deliver or rescue. We must look at the context to understand what kind of salvation is being referred to. Temporal ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Denomination: Baptist

God With Us

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Dec 17, 2022

The world’s most important birth was about to take place. Why was it almost unknown? What was Joseph's dilemma? What were the baby’s names? Was Mary a perpetual virgin? Let’s look at Matthew 1:18-25.

The world’s most important birth was about to take place. Why was it almost unknown? What was Joseph's dilemma? What were the baby’s names? Was Mary a perpetual virgin? Let’s look at Matthew 1:18-25. Joseph’s Dilemma Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Denomination: Baptist

Christmas

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Dec 18, 2022

Christmas is a season mixed with good and evil. Let’s learn about the good from Luke 2.

Christmas is a season mixed with good and evil. Let’s learn about the good from Luke 2. A Decree “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Called To Be Saints

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Dec 25, 2022

What are Christians called to? Are we called to be holy, set apart by God? Is that what the word saint means? Are all Christians saints?

What are Christians called to? Are we called to be holy, set apart by God? Is that what the word saint means? Are all Christians saints? To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:7 HCSB) Unto the church ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:2

Denomination: Baptist

Conqueror (2 Samuel 8)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 4, 2025

Are we conquerors? Let's look at 2 Samuel 8.

Was David a conqueror? Are we meant to be conquerors, of our own sinful flesh through Christ? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 8. Did David conquer the Philistines and Moabites and as far as the Euphrates River? And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Mephibosheth's Welfare (2 Samuel 9)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 5, 2025

Did David care for a crippled man? Is welfare Christian? Let's begin in 2 Samuel 9.

How kind was David to Saul’s family despite Saul threatening his life for many years? How should we treat former enemies and the weak in our society? Let’s begin in 2 Samuel 9. Did David want to bless any of Saul’s family who were still alive? One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Insult Brings War (2 Samuel 10)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 6, 2025

What are some of the causes of war? Let's begin in 2 Samuel 10.

Do well-educated, intelligent world leaders know the way to peace? Where do wars and fights come from? Let’s begin in 2 Samuel 10. Did the Ammonite king humiliate a peaceful delegation sent by David? Sometime later, the Ammonite king died and his son Hanun succeeded him as king, so David told ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Secret Sins (2 Samuel 11)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 8, 2025

Can we be forgiven of secret sins? Let's begin in 2 Samuel 11.

Have we all had secret sins, committed in full view of heaven? What secret sins do we not want to talk about? Can we be forgiven? Let’s begin in 2 Samuel 11. David made many mistakes, more than is recorded of Saul, except that David repented and Saul just made excuses. What was one of David’s ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Repentance Not Excuses (2 Samuel 12)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 8, 2025

Is the mark of a real leader is repentance, not excuses? Let's begin in 2 Samuel 12.

Is a real leader someone who is ready and willing to repent like David? How many just make excuses like Saul? What about us? Let’s begin in 2 Samuel 12. How tactful was Nathan the prophet in addressing David’s gross sins? Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, “There ...read more

Denomination: Baptist