Sermons on Sponges:

Year Of Release (Deuteronomy 15)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 2, 2025

Did the year of release from debts picture a greater release from a greater burden? Let's look at Deuteronomy 15.

Did God give Israel an economic model based upon cycles of 7 and 50 years? How did the year of release work? Did the sabbatical year, the year of freedom from debts, picture a better release, a rest from far greater burdens? Let’s look at Deuteronomy 15. How would a year of release, the shmita, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Annual Feasts (Deuteronomy 16)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 3, 2025

Are modified forms of Israel's ancient feasts still observed by Christians? Let's look at Deuteronomy 16.

What annual reminders of important events did God teach Israel? Are we free to observe annual reminders of Christ? Are modified forms of the ancient festivals still observed by many Christians? Let’s look at Deuteronomy 16. Was Passover originally a remembrance of the Exodus from Egyptian slavery? ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

High Standards (Deuteronomy 17)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 5, 2025

What can we learn from God's high standards of conduct for ancient Israel? Let's look at Deuteronomy 17.

Why did God require sacrifices without defect? Does capital punishment deter evils? What were God’s standards for royalty? Does our king of kings far exceed those standards? Let’s look at Deuteronomy 17. Should a sacrifice not have any blemish or defect? You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Levites & Prophets (Deuteronomy 18)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 5, 2025

What can we learn from the ancient Levites and Prophets for today? Let's begin in Deuteronomy 18.

Did Israel care for the Levites? Did they engage in pagan practices? What was a prophet required to preach? What did Jesus command His disciples to teach? Let’s begin in Deuteronomy 18. How was the entire tribe of Levi including the priests cared for? The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Cities Of Refuge (Deuteronomy 19)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 6, 2025

How did Jesus make the laws against murder even stricter? Let's begin in Deuteronomy 19.

What were the laws about manslaughter, murder, property markers and witnesses? Did Jesus make the law against murder even stronger, applying it to our hearts? Let’s look at Deuteronomy 19. What was the law regarding cities of refuge for those involved in manslaughter? When the Lord your God cuts ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Rules Of War (Deuteronomy 20)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 6, 2025

Were there two kinds of city that Israel conquered, the perverted and those granted a chance for peace? Let's begin in Deuteronomy 20.

Were there two kinds of people that Israel conquered, those who had committed abominations and those who were to be given a chance for peace? Will such abominations become popular again? Let’s review Deuteronomy 20. What was the priest to say to the army before they battled an enemy? When you go ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Love Of Neighbor (Deuteronomy 21)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 7, 2025

How is love of neighbor very different in God's eyes to ours? Let's begin in Deuteronomy 21.

How did they handle unsolved murders, prisoners of war becoming wives, firstborn rights, juvenile delinquency, and hanging as a death penalty? Is human understanding of love of neighbor very different to God’s? Let’s begin in Deuteronomy 21. Was Israel to deal with an unsolved murder with ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Love Of Neighbor 2 (Deuteronomy 22)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 8, 2025

Does our idea of love of neighbor differ greatly from God's? Let's begin in Deuteronomy 22.

Does love of neighbor include such diverse things as their possessions, gender clarity, caring for birds, workplace safety, not mixing things, reminders and sexual relations? Do our ideas of loving our neighbor differ greatly from God's? Let’s look at Deuteronomy 22. Does the love of our ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Exclusive & Inclusive (Deuteronomy 23)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 9, 2025

Are our ideas of exclusive and inclusive very different to God's? Let's begin in Deuteronomy 23.

Are our ideas of inclusion and exclusion very different from God’s? How exclusive was crop ownership? Did Jesus rob a grainfield on the Sabbath or did the law require that some of it be available to hungry passers by? For whom did Jesus' death atone? Let’s begin in Deuteronomy 23. Who could ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

A Civil Society (Deuteronomy 24)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 9, 2025

Was Israel under the old covenant perhaps in many ways a more civil society than ours? Let's look at Deuteronomy 24.

How do our modern societies compare to ancient Israel? Let’s look at divorce, military conscription, loans, wages, kidnapping, foreigners and the poor. Which is actually a more civil society? Let’s review Deuteronomy 24. What were the rules about divorce and remarriage? When a man takes a wife ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Justice & Fairness (Deuteronomy 25)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 10, 2025

The old covenant is not our covenant, but did God give Israel just and fair laws? Let's look at Deuteronomy 25.

Was God’s law concerned with fairness, animal welfare, just inheritances, and honest trade? How does modern justice compare? Let’s look at Deuteronomy 25. Was there a punishment that deserved forty lashes in ancient Israel? Would that deter certain crimes today? When people have a dispute, they ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Covenant Blessings (Deuteronomy 26)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 12, 2025

Are there differences between old and new covenant blessings? Let's begin in Deuteronomy 26.

What blessings did God promise to Israel under the old covenant? Could they rejoice in good things which God gave them, a land flowing with milk and honey? If they were faithful to the covenant would God put them high above all the nations? What blessings does Jesus promise? Let’s begin in ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Twelve Curses (Deuteronomy 27)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 13, 2025

Are curses pronounced under the law removed in Christ? Let's begin in Deuteronomy 27.

Are curses given under the law forever valid or can we be redeemed from them? Can Christians come under a curse? Let’s begin in Deuteronomy 27. What kind of monument were they to erect on Mount Ebal? Now Moses, with the elders of Israel, commanded the people, saying: “Keep all the commandments ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Jesus As Refugee

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 1, 2023

Mistreatment of others is part of every nation’s history. Let’s recognize humanity’s mistreatment of foreigners and innocent children, and Jesus as the world’s only hope, in Matthew 2:13-23.

Mistreatment of others is part of every nation’s history. Let’s recognize humanity’s mistreatment of foreigners and innocent children, and Jesus as the world’s only hope, in Matthew 2:13-23. Fleeing to Egypt Now when they [the wise men] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:13-23

Denomination: Baptist

Chosen

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 2, 2023

Is there a group of people called the chosen ones, the elect?

Is there a group of people called the chosen ones, the elect? If God doesn’t make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of God’s chosen ones [the elect], he will make the time shorter. (Matthew 24:22 CEV) How are people chosen for life? Does God’s sovereignty turn us into ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:22

Denomination: Baptist