Berean Baptist Church

If we want to be used by Jesus to bring people to Him, we must be willing to do whatever it takes. You have been commissioned by God to be a Spirit-filled ambassador to a lost and hurting world! Jesus is exalted when we do whatever it takes to bring those around us to Him.

Jesus did not wait for a lost world to come to Him. He came down from heaven and even left the synagogues and religious places to meet those who were far from the Father. We are called to imitate Jesus by leaving the building and going to share the gospel with those who are far from God and the church.

What was the mission of Jesus? Why did He come and what was the message that He preached? In Mark 1, we see Jesus announcing the kingdom of God had come and inviting all to faith and repentance for salvation. Have you responded to this call? Are you joining Jesus in this mission of proclaiming hope to the world?

A look at 1 Timothy 3:1-7

This week we are kicking off our series on the Gospel of Mark. This Gospel answers the question, "Who is This Man?" In chapter 1, we see that John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus and then baptizes Him. Jesus then demonstrates His authority over sin by resisting temptation from the Devil in the wilderness. From the start we see that John the Baptist and Jesus show us a path to follow.

Today, we celebrate Easter, the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His resurrection changes everything and gives us a light of hope in the darkest night of our sin and in the shadow of death. Jesus changes everything, He came as the conquering King!

We serve a King who suffered for us.

He knows your pain, He experienced the worst rejection and suffering and He willingly took it on His shoulders to have a relationship with you.

He invites you into a relationship with Him.

Draw near to Him today, near to the throne of grace to find mercy and help in time of need.  

King Jesus came as a servant.

He came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. If Jesus was willing to serve, so should we be willing to serve and prefer one another above ourselves.

We have a King who is loving and this is the greatest news. Join us as Pastor Dan launches our Easter series as we look at the identity of the King of Kings. Our King loves, and we should love one another.

God has given us a design for family. For the Church to be at its best, the families within it need to cultivate spiritually health. The health of the families around you needs to matter to you. And the health of all of our families matter to God and the world is watching. Proverbs gives us amazing wisdom to put into action to build healthy families.

How does God want us to think about money?

Proverbs has much to say about how we think of and manage our finances.

If we want to honor God in our lives, our view of money will be integral.

You cannot glorify God unless He is Lord of all parts of your life, including your wealth.

Go to www.BereanFamily.com for a full Sermon Outline.

In Proverbs 10 and 11 we see that God cares for how we live and speak in our lives.

We must learn to walk with integrity and create memories that bring peace and the blessing of God.

God desires humility and integrity in our speech and all we do.

What is wisdom?

How do we find it?

God desires that we be attentive as wisdom shouts, seeking to teach us and offer eternal blessings.

Tim Jollay unpacks from Proverbs 8 the joy and beautify of living according to God's wisdom.

Sermon Notes:
Main Idea:

Be attentive; wisdom shouts, seeking to teach and offer eternal blessing.

-Proverbs 8:1-5

-Wisdom is conspicuous. (8:1-3)
-Wisdom is approachable. (8:4-5)

-Wisdom is vocal. (Proverbs 8:6-9)
*True wisdom comes only from God, who is perfectly holy and will always guide you in righteousness
-Wisdom is invaluable.(8:10-11)
-Wisdom requires humility. (8:12-16)

-Wisdom precedes creation. (8:22-26)
-Wisdom sustains creation. (8:27-31)
-Wisdom found brings life. (8:32-35)
-Wisdom disregarded brings death. (8:36)

*Wisdom is perfectly embodied in the person of Jesus. All of Proverbs 8 points to Him.

Main Idea:

Be attentive; wisdom shouts, seeking to teach and offer eternal blessing.

1. Wisdom shows herself, fully.

2. Wisdom speaks only truth.

3. Wisdom sources all wisdom

4. Wisdom shapes the world.

5. Wisdom secures God's favor

Be aware, sin is at your doorstep seeking to trap you with its momentary pleasures. Are you wise and watching out for sin in your life?

In this sermon Pastor Dan looks at Proverbs 7 to see the wisdom that will help us avoid falling into the clutches of sin.

At the end of the day, only the gospel of Jesus Christ can save us from the power and penalty of sin.

For sermon notes go to www.bereanfamily.com

In Proverbs 3 we learn how to confidently make decisions that align with God's Will. God desires for us to walk with confidence as we trust in Him.

Sermon Notes:

Main Text: Proverbs 3:1-12

Big Idea: Navigating life’s difficult terrain happens best when our confidence is in the Lord.  

Walking with confidence in life requires learning and listening to God and His Word, and holding tightly to His wisdom. 

Where should we be taking our cues from?  
-Trust fully in the Lord. “In all your ways acknowledge Him” means to trust him with everything.
-“Make straight your paths” refers to the guidance of the Lord in your decision making.

Big Idea: Navigating life’s difficult terrain happens best when our confidence is in the Lord.

Conclusion: My hope for all of you is that you will fully surrender and trust in the Lord. I want you to be able to make difficult decision with confidence. Some of your decisions are going to be really hard and you must know that you are in step with the Lord.

I: Hold on tight to what you have learned.

II: Never let go of love and faithfulness. Walking with confidence in life requires a commitment to faithfulness and love.

III: Commit to taking your cues from the Lord.

In Proverbs 6, we see a description of those foolish and ungodly things that the follower of Jesus should not do! Abiding in Christ means producing fruits of righteousness and resisting those things which displease God and that which He hates. Main Text: Proverbs 6 Introduction: Read John 15:1-11. By abiding in Christ, we will be empowered to not only do the things He would have us do: to bear spiritual fruit... Making disciples who make disciples Walking according to His expectations Helping us avoid doing those things that we ought not do.  1. Avoid taking on the debt of others. Proverbs 6:1-5 - My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler. A. The Bible clearly teaches to avoid becoming indebted to anyone. Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ​​​Proverbs 22:7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. ​​B. Don’t let your words turn into a snare. ​​​C. Do whatever it takes to get out of this situation. ​​​E. We can get ourselves into trouble by thinking we are helping sometimes. 2. Avoid laziness. Proverbs 6:6-11 - Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. A. “Consider the ant” – Be a self-starter!  B. Get up and get busy or there will be consequences. C. Laziness leads to poverty. D. There is a ton of Proverbs that deals with laziness, and we will look at some of them in more depth in the coming weeks but the NT is also clear that there is a built-in punishment for those who refuse to work. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 3. Avoid Dishonesty. Proverbs 6:12-15 - A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. A. Some strong language used to describe dishonest people: “worthless” and “wicked”. B. “Winks, signals and points” indicates an arrogant person going all in with their deception. C. “Sowing discord” refers to stirring up trouble between people. D. Paul warns the Church in Rome about such people: (SLIDE) Romans 16:17-18

E. Dishonest people will suffer severe consequences if they don’t repent. 4. Avoid the things that the Lord hates. Proverbs 6:16-19  Conclusion/Pastor’s Challenge: 1. To please God, start with abiding in Him. 2. Learn what it is that the Lord expects us to do and not to do. 3. Understand that your obedience to Christ has implications, not just for you, but for all those who come in contact with you.

Why should we seek wisdom?

Why is wisdom so important?

In this new sermon series we explore the importance of following Jesus by seeking wisdom from God.

Sermon Notes

Main Text: Proverbs 1:1-9; 2:1-22

Main Idea: Seek out God and His wisdom and enjoy the many benefits of having it.

1. Go after wisdom with enthusiasm.

A. “Receive my words” – listen to wise teaching.

B. “Call out for insight” – Need wisdom? Ask for it! -James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

C. “Seek it like silver” – go after it and ask for it like it will be life-changing, because it will be!

D. “Understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God” – God is all-knowing and has all of the wisdom we could ever want or desire…

2. Make sure you get wisdom from the right source.

A. Don’t buy the lie that you can become wise by an alternative means. 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

B. Solomon reminds us, that it is the Lord that gives wisdom. 

C. Not only will He give us wisdom, but He will watch over His children. (SLIDE)

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

3. What are the benefits of having Godly wisdom?

A. You will have a better understanding of: righteousness, justice, and equity. 

B. It will help you avoid evil.

C. It will help you live a life that is pleasing to God.

 Pastor’s Challenge:

1.) Seek God and His wisdom by spending time in the Word and in prayer.

2.) Avoid the wisdom of this world.

3.) Surround yourself with people who “get it”.

4.) Ask God to give you wisdom that will be beneficial to His kingdom (much like Solomon did).  

What is God's will for your life in 2024?

Healthy plants bear fruit, and healthy Christians and healthy churches bear fruit as well!

John 15 challenges us to abide in Christ this year so that we can bear fruit for the glory of His name.

Text: John 15:1-11

1. Every branch should produce fruit.

John 15:1-2 - “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

A. Fruitless branches are removed from the Vine. (See Matthew 7:16-20)

C. Some branches DO produce fruit and these branches are pruned so they can produce even more.

D. Pruning can be painful, in fact many of life’s lessons are very painful. (See Romans 8:28).

2. Bearing fruit doesn’t save you – it’s possible because you are already saved.

John 15:3 - Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

See also Ephesians 2:8-10.

3. Abide in Christ.

John 15:4-10 - Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abidein me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

A. There are 10 “Abides” in this passage! We get the word “Abide” from the Greek “meno” (Minnow), about half the time it is translated as “remain or stay” and the other half “abide, or dwell”

B. This text has to do with both proximity and steadfastness.

C. Proximity – we must rely on Christ. We must be spending time with Him, be connected to the vine if we are wanting to bear good fruit.

D. Steadfastness – we must endure until the end. Don’t stop and think “I’ve got this now”.

Abiding in Christ and bearing fruit is a joy-filled endeavor! There is nothing better than being close to Jesus.

John 15:11 - These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

This year, we will gauge our success as a church by our fruitfulness – and our fruitfulness will come with our enjoying God together. We must abide in Christ if we are to be used by Christ in this world!

Why should Christians pray?

What does prayer look like?

Why is it so important?

Pastor Isaiah Combs preaches from Matthew 6 and explains how prayer should be the lifeblood of the Christian life.

Christmas Eve Service | Sunday, December 24, 2023

We are in a Christmas series that asks the question, is it really joy to the world? The gospel is the greatest news that has ever been told, but it’s only good news to those who hear it and respond in belief. In this sermon Pastor Dan explains how the advent of King Jesus is joy to the world and our expectancy should be for His second advent. More joy is coming!

Sermon Notes:

Scripture: Luke 1:26-38

Jesus isn’t just any King – He is the greatest King ever!

Zechariah 9:9-10 - Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

A. Jesus is a righteous King! Righteous – This word means just, innocent, in the right. How many kings or other leaders has the world known that were just? Perhaps a few. How many of them were innocent?
C. Jesus is a humble King! The One who created everything in the world entered into it with nothing…
D. Jesus is a peaceful King! (Shalom) which is the best kind of peace – it’s all encompassing…
E. Jesus the King brings Salvation! 
F. Israel thought that salvation was political – but it was so much more!

A. This King is the greatest King and WILL rule the entire earth.
B. Every biblical prophecy about this coming King has played out in perfection.

• Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
• Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
• Isaiah 53:5-7 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
• Revelation 19:6-9 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

We can have confidence that what God says will happen, will happen!

We can be filled with joy because God sent His Son on that first Christmas morning.

Joy best experienced is joy that is shared with others.

1. There is joy in the coming King!2. There is joy in who this King is and in the results of His coming.3. This joy is for everyone!

Jesus came into this world to be a joy to the world. Every follower of Jesus is called to share the good news of Jesus with the nations. We are all called to pray, give, send, and go! A hopeless world is crying out, "come and help us!"

Sermon Notes: A Hopeless World Cries, “Come and Help Us!”

Series: Joy to the World?
Passage: Acts 16:1-10

Did you know? 3.4 Billion people don’t know the name of Jesus and have no access to the Gospel. There will be about 150,000 die today, and every other day. Of the 150,000 people, about 65,000 will die never hearing the Gospel.

But, how and where you do this requires you to stay in step with the leading of God’s Spirit… He doesn’t want you to go everywhere…

 As we seek to obey Christ, we need to learn and discern the voice of His Spirit because... 

Pastor’s Challenge:
• Pray for the unreached – the people in harm’s way seeking to bring them the gospel – asking God to use YOU to share the good news.
• Give – of your time and your resources. You are only a steward of both.
• Go – be willing to go – but only go where the Spirit directs.

I: Clarity spurs on faithfulness.

A. As Paul and Timothy traveled and delivered the apostles decisions, the Church flourished.

B. They brought clarity about how Christians should conduct themselves and as a result the Church grew.

C. We tend to complicate things and by doing so, we risk stunting the Churches growth. But Jesus was abundantly clear in what He expects from us. (The Great Commandment and the Great Commission)F. You want clarity? Love God, love others and share the Gospel here, near and far.

 II: Sensitivity to the Spirit may cause you to change your plans.

A. Asia needed to hear the gospel – but it wasn’t part of God’s plan for Paul and Timothy in that moment. ​

B. Paul and Timothy must have been doing two very important things: praying and listening.

C. For us to hear the Holy Spirit, we need to regularly (daily) practice emptying ourselves and asking Him to fill us with His Spirit.

III: Obedience to the Spirit leads to opportunity and fruitfulness.

A. Paul and Timothy waited on the Lord and He directed them.

B. The vision of the Macedonian man is one that is haunting to me – “help us”. 

C. There are over 3.4 billion people crying out right now, “help us”.

D. Paul and Timothy immediately made preparations to go.

E. Would you be willing to pray that God would give you a vision of who He would have you share the gospel with?

God calls every disciple of Jesus to take part in bringing about peace on earth by multiplying disciples across the globe. Jesus came to bring peace with God. The way this happens is through disciples multiplying by making more disciples, living like Jesus, and keeping their eyes on the prize.

Sermon Notes:

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-10

This Christmas we remember that PEACE entered into this world and into our lives. This is good news because we need peace in at least three areas of our lives:

1. Peace with our Creator.
2. Peace with others.
3. Peace within ourselves.

We must remember, we are called to live in peace, but also to be peace makers. And the best way we can make peace in this world is by making Jesus known to all. 

Main Idea:

In this portion of text, Paul gives his disciple, Timothy 3 things that a disciple should do to bring peace to the world. 

Pastor’s challenge:  

• Pray and ask God to reveal to you if you are lacking in one of these areas – if you are, do something about it!
• Share the areas you are struggling to do with a trusted friend.
• Look for one person you can disciple.

1. Disciples should multiply.

2. Disciples should live like Jesus.

3. Disciples should keep their eye on the prize.

There are three areas of life that we need to be sure we have the right view of: the right view of money and possessions, the right view of eternity, and the right view of the loving Father.

This looks like, first, cultivating the right view of money and possessions by avoiding the trappings of worldly wealth. Second, we cultivate a right view of eternity by preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord, and third, we can cultivate the right view of our loving Father by living a life that is filled with faith.

____________________________________________________

Passage: James 5:1-20

What does it mean to walk in wisdom? On James' mind throughout this Epistle are the rich and the poor. James has said quite a bit about the perils of the rich in this letter. There are people who agree that one of the false teachings of the early Church recipients of this letter was one that we still have being taught in the Church today. That is the prosperity doctrine. Which ascribes spiritual growth and maturity with physical wealth, health and prosperity. 

Big Idea: Three areas of life that we need to be sure we have the right view of: right view of money and possessions, right view of eternity, and the right view of the loving Father.

First, we need to cultivate the right view of money and possessions by:

• Being wealthy isn’t a sin – but how you view and how you use money can lead you to sin. In fact, there are great and many temptations that come with wealth.
• Money can create an insatiable appetite – the more money you have, the more money you want.
• Wealth can easily become an idol.
• Wealth, when made an idol, will turn you into its slave. And a slave to wealth is greedy and self-indulgent. (5:4-6)
• One thing that seems clear about the problem of too much wealth – it seems those with it exploited those who did not.
• So how do we avoid this? We are a wealthy people! View what you have and what you are trying to gain as resources you have been entrusted with for Kingdom purposes.
• If you view your money as something other than a resource given to you to steward from Kingdom purposes, you may have a problem. 

Second, we cultivate a right view of eternity by:

There is nothing more counter-intuitive than to say it is good for us to patiently endure suffering, but that’s one of the ways James says we should prepare ourselves.

• Jesus is returning – every generation has believed that the coming of the Lord could be in their lifetime. We should live like He could return at any minute because we don’t know when His return will be.
• The early churched used to greet one another with an Aramaic word – “Maranatha” which means “Our Lord comes” or “ Our Lord is coming." They believed then and we believe now that our Lord is coming and we need to be ready for His coming.
• While we wait patiently, James gives us the following instructions:

Third, we can cultivate the right view of our loving Father by:

In this last part of his letter, James explains what a faith filled like looks like.

• If you are suffering – pray.
• If you are cheerful – praise God.
• If you are sick – call the elders of the church. 
• The faithful confesses their sins to one another and prays for one another.
• James links confession of sins with the supernatural healing. (See also taking the Lord's Supper unworthily in 1 Corinthians 11).
• James then likens his readers to Elijah – a man who prayed for miraculous things to happen and they happened. 

Conclusion: Let’s get real practical here in terms of cultivating the right views on wealth, eternity, and a faith-filled life.

1. Wealth – Give obediently and sacrificially
2. Eternity – Live life like Jesus could return at any minute
3. A Faith-filled Life – Confess your sins and ask God to do those things that only He can do.

I: Avoid the trappings of worldly wealth. (James 5:1-6)II: Prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord. (James 5:7-12)III: Live a life that is filled with faith. (James 5:13-20)

Pastor Dan Krause continues in our series on the book of James in chapter 4 and unpacks the nature of the battle for our hearts.

Who will we submit to?

Will Jesus be our Lord and master?

Big Idea: We all fight the same battle and the keys to victory are humility and submission to God.

1. There is a battle that rages within us all.
When we talk about a battle that rages within us all, we probably think about the battle for our minds. There is good reason for that, there is a battle that we need to wage in our minds. We must battle to keep from thinking about things that aren’t glorifying to God and good for us. And it’s not easy, is it? 

2. Who does your heart belong to?
When you accepted Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you committed to serve Him above all else. Jesus doesn’t want to share your devotion!

Our God is a jealous God – Exodus 34:14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God). There is no middle ground, either Jesus is your Lord or Satan, and your flesh is. When we chose to submit to God, Satan will flee from us.

There is no more fulfilling of a life than when we have committed to give our hearts to Jesus alone.

3. Once again, humility for the win.
In order to win the war between the Spirit within us and our flesh, we must humble ourselves before the Lord. It’s when we get too puffed that we are in danger of sinning against one another and against God. Pride says “I can do what God can do." Humility submits to God’s perfect will, knowing that He is in control.

Big Idea: We all fight the same battle and the keys to victory are humility and submission to God.

Conclusion: We need to stop fighting God for His throne. That may sound extreme, but pride is extreme. The effects of pride are extreme. One day we will see Jesus, the nail scars in His hand. In that instant, pride will forever vanish.
When you have turned your eyes on Jesus, there will be no room for pride. So humble yourself today.

Big Idea: If we want to glorify God, we must learn to control our mouths.

1. Pray for the leaders in the Church.
2. Nothing testifies to our fallen nature quite like our tongues
3. We can’t praise God if we are cursing His children.

• Colossians 4:6 - Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
• Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
• Matthew 12:33-37 - “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
• 1 John 4:20 - If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

Action Step:
Repent – ask God to fill us with His Holy Spirit and strengthen us so that we may not sin against Him with our mouths.

Primary Text: 
James 3:1-12

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

God cares about how we talk about one another:

Spiritual life is not invisible. When you experience new spiritual life through faith in Christ you are given a new heart (2 Cor. 5:17), old things have passed away, all things have become new, you are raised to new life, and you are born again. This new reality of life in Christ WILL WORK ITSELF OUT in your life. This doesn’t look like perfection but it will certainly be reflected in progress in the same direction. Like a wounded, suffocated, or netted fish we may struggle to swim at times but even that struggle is a sign of life. FAITH WORKS.

Outline.
1. Living Faith Shows (James 2:14-17)
2. Works Verify Faith (James 2:18-24)
3. Works Cannot Save (James 2:25-26)

Other Key Passages: Ephesians 2:8-10; James 1:17-18; Romans 3:28; Titus 3:4-5; Galatians 3:11

Action Step:
What is God doing in your life today? The greatest travesty would be for you or I to read or hear this passage and walk away today, thinking about someone else.
Examine yourself!

Reflect > Confess > Rest > Repent

Know that even the conviction of sin in your life is evidence that God is working in your life!

Partiality is in complete contradiction to the gospel. No one is able to save themselves – all are sinners, all are enemies of God. If Jesus was willing to die for the lowliest of sinners, the most wretched enemies of godliness, the most perverse, distorted, cruel, self-absorbed – with nothing to gain but pain. Then who am I to select who I’m going to serve or love based on what I think I may gain?

We are called to love one another and love our neighbors.

October 29, 2023

We continue our series in the Book of James and see that we are called to be "battleship Christians." Too often we are just a Christian ammo depot when we God calls us to be Christian battleships. We are called to love, serve one another, and obey by the power of Christ! Don't just be a hearer of the Word, be a doer.

Challenge: How can we be different than the world?

• Be quick to hear, be slow to speak and slow to anger.

• Be doers of the Word.

• Serve the powerless.

• Flee from sin.

October 22, 2023

The Book of James teaches us that trials are not without purpose. Actually, the proper handling of trials will lead to a stronger faith! In the midst of trials and suffering we must be careful of sin. God wants us to resist temptation at the heart level, the level of our desires, and avoid the maturation of sin. We know, that no matter the temptation or circumstance, the Lord gives us everything we need for victory.

Pastor’s Challenge:

• Do you recognize life’s trials as opportunities to grow in your faith? This is important because we may be facing bigger challenges later in our lives.

• Who do you have that you confess your sins to?

• Find one person that you can be completely transparent with.

The church is called to gather! But what should gatherings look like?
Do we encourage new believers to assimilate into a local church?
Do we tend to just go through the motions when we gather?
Do we contribute to the unity of the Church? Is Christ the focus of my heart?

October 8, 2023

From the Sermon Series Called Out, originally taught on Sunday October 1, 2023.

From the Sermon Series Called Out, Originally Taught on Sunday, September 24th, 2023, by Lead Pastor Dan Krause, from Berean Baptist Church.

From the Sermon Series Called Out, Originally Taught on Sunday, September 17th, 2023, by Lead Pastor Dan Krause, from Berean Baptist Church.

Berean Baptist Church

Refocus Our Hearts Toward God

Originally Taught on Sunday, August 27 , 2023, by Pastor Lentrail Abston speaking at Berean Baptist Church.

August 20, 2023

From the sermon series "Summer in the Psalms"

From the sermon Series "Summer in the Psalms"

Disciple Makers

From the Sermon Series "Summer in the Psalms"

From the Sermon Series "Summer in the Psalms"

From the sermon series "Summer in the Psalms"

From the sermon series "Summer in the Psalms"

From the Sermon Series "Summer in the Psalms"

From the series "Summer in the Psalms"

From the Sermon Series "Summer in the Psalms"

From the sermon series "Summer in the Psalms"

Special combined Memorial Day service