Sermons on Understanding Your Roots:

Peace On Earth?

Contributed by Brian Williams on Dec 18, 2022

Peace is not the absence of war or strife but the presence of God. Peace comes through personally knowing the person, that person is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today, the sermon topic is “Peace on Earth?” The biblical meaning of peace or “shalom” means far more than the absence of war or conflict. Shalom speaks of wholeness, completeness, of well-being, tranquility, prosperity, and security. Rabbinical texts speak of achieving peace on a social level, the ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6-7

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Are All Who Die In Infancy Saved? Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 9, 2021

The Biblical basis for the belief that all infants who die are saved is the atonement of Christ which releases all from the penalty of original sin so that none parish for Adam's sin, but only for their own personal transgressions.

While visiting in the hospital I met a woman who was anxious to talk about the salvation of infants who die without baptism. She had good reason to be searching for information to give her hope. 18 years ago she lost a baby girl who had not been baptized. Her pastor came to call on her, and she ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 4:11

Supernatural Or Superficial

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Dec 15, 2021

When we go into a building filled with people we never know who might be among us.

Illus: Years ago, Dr. Odell Belger, pastor of First Baptist Church of Lykeland, went into a restaurant to get a cup of coffee. This particular restaurant had a lunchroom and a counter that you could sit at to eat your meal. He saw a man that he knew sitting at the counter, the seat beside him was ...read more

Scripture: James 1:26-27

Denomination: Baptist

Divorce And Remarriage

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 13, 2021

The issue is not whether divorce is good or bad, for everyone agrees it is a bad thing to happen. It is never the best, and it always indicates failure on the part of two people.

Divorce, like death, is an unpleasant reality that we have to deal with because it won't ignore us. In one way or another it forces its way into our lives. If we are fortunate enough to have no friends, neighbors, or loved ones caught in its grasp, we must still face the issue because it is a ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 24:1-4

The Paradox Of Pride Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 19, 2021

Man is in a strange predicament, caught between his own dignity and depravity; his own worth, and his wickedness. The result is another great paradox of life. Man's self-love is both an evil and a good.

Some people, probably most people, and maybe all people have to learn how to be humble the hard way, and that is the humpty dumpty way of having a great fall. This was the case with Max Eastman. A film was being made on the life of Christ, and he happened to meet the well known woman photographer ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:3

When Something Is Nothing Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 23, 2021

Man's self-love is both an evil and a good. It is both an essential for a happy life in God's will, and the main cause for most evil that is out of God's will.

Some people, probably most people, and maybe all people have to learn how to be humble the hard way, and that is the humpty dumpty way of having a great fall. This was the case with Max Eastman. A film was being made on the life of Christ, and he happened to meet the well known woman photographer ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:3

Fate Or Freedom Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 25, 2021

Every day the word comes to us, choose you this day whom you shall serve, and every day we choose either for Christ or for some lesser value.

One of the best known stories of the ancient Greeks is that of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. The story is had an influence on both theology and psychology. Briefly the story is this: A child is born into a royal family, and the oracle brings bad news, for he says the child is destined to murder his ...read more

Scripture: John 8:31-38

Perfection Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 25, 2021

John teaches the paradoxical truth that the Christian can be victorious over sin, and yet at the same time be always in need of cleansing from sin.

There's an old story about a couple who lived by the sea and kept a boarding house. There boarders had only one complaint, and that was lack of variety on the menu. Breakfast consisted of fish, chicken, and eggs; dinner consisted of chicken, eggs, and fish, and for supper they had eggs, fish, ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:1

The Beautiful Benedictus Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 26, 2021

The beauty of the benedictus lies in its eloquent description of the salvation of the Messiah. Inverse 78 the tender mercy of God is behind the beautiful dawning of the new day.

One morning the 5-year-old son of a doctor overheard his father tell his mother "I don't know when I will be home. I have been called out on a maternity case." A few minutes after his father left the doorbell rang, and the little lad went to the door. "Is the doctor in," ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:51-80

The Ideal And The Real Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 29, 2021

The real ideal is to always have two people married who are Christians. But the fact is, all through history you have to deal with the mixed marriage of the Christian and non-Christian.

Mary was branded as a backslider when she divorced her husband of 20 years. Her church asked her to resign from all her roles, and the outrage pastor demanded-how could you? Mary endured the pain of criticism as long as she could, and then she moved away. The pastor of her new church questioned ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:12-16

Deliverance Or Destruction

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Jan 4, 2022

Every carpenter should enjoy reading his Bible because much of it deals with building terminology to which he could relate. For example, in...

- Matthew 16:18. We read, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will BUILD my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” - Romans 15:20. We read, “Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should BUILD ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-29

Denomination: Baptist

Spiritual Pitfalls To Be Concerned About

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Jan 21, 2022

Luke 9 is a marvelous chapter. In this chapter we see at least two things.

(1) WE SEE THE DISCIPLES CHOSEN. That is, these twelve men, in some ways, were the most blessed men who ever lived on earth. What an honor to be one of the twelve to follow the Lord from city to city and listen to Him teach and preach, and see Him perform miracle after miracle. These were some ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:1-2

Denomination: Baptist

"Be Still And Know…”

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Feb 3, 2022

If you visit some of the public schools today, and walk down the hallways and look into some of the classrooms, you will see some of the students walking around in the class room.

And those at their desks are laughing and cutting up with each other while the teacher might have one student at his/her desk trying to teach that student something. It seems that school teachers of the past knew some things that the current teachers of today do not know. That is, they knew that ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

Three Kinds Of Peace

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Feb 8, 2022

A Christian man got very involved in collegiate football. He had one team in particular that he pulled for each week. When they won, he had a wonderful week-end, but if they lost he had a terrible week-end.

His joy and peace within his heart each week was determined by the football team that he supported. He was allowing a couple dozen college boys that he did not know personally decide on what kind of week end he was going to have. The fact is, many folks allow THINGS and PEOPLE to decide what kind ...read more

Scripture: John 14:27

Denomination: Baptist

Supernatural Or Superficial

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Feb 9, 2022

When we go into a building filled with people we never know who might be among us.

Illus: Years ago, Dr. Odell Belger, pastor of Lykesland First Baptist Church in Columbia, SC, went into a restaurant to get a cup of coffee. This particular restaurant had a lunchroom and a counter that you could sit at to eat your meal. He saw a man that he knew sitting at the counter, the seat ...read more

Scripture: James 1:26-27

Denomination: Baptist