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Follow along for Rev Kev's Sermons as well as place to keep up on News and Events that pertain to FBC in Independence, MO
Episodes
Sunday May 29, 2022
Sunday May 29, 2022
Don’t waste what you have been given! I remember the first time I heard this in a sermon, and it stuck in my head. The pastor was talking about our spiritual gifts, as well as the other things of value in our lives. His point was that Christians needed to live ‘responsible,’ lives. It was alright to have fun and goof off, but there does need to be a serious side of life, devoted to serving God and others.
Samson had a hard time with this lesson! He was born for greatness, to be sure, and raised in the Nazirite tradition, which was what we would today call an ‘old fashioned’ or ‘traditional’ lifestyle. His parents dedicated their precious son to God for service, and raised him well. Unfortunately, Samson wasn’t interested in a responsible or serious life. He instead liked to fight and drink, and chase the ladies. This lifestyle finally caught up to him!
Towards the end of his life his girlfriend betrayed him, and told a group of her friends the reason for his great powers – his long hair, that had never been cut. The hair wasn’t special, of course – but the devotion of his family towards God, symbolized by the hair, was. The men caught him when he was asleep and cut off his hair; he couldn’t fight them in his weakened condition, so they gouged out his eyes and made him a slave on a farm.
Eventually he was the entertainment at a drunken party. He prayed to God for strength one last time, and God restored him. He pulled down the pillars to which he was chained, and a large group of Philistines, as well as Samson himself, were killed. He was buried later by his family.
What a story of a wasted life! Samson would tell us, “Don’t do what I did – it’s not worth it. Keep the faith, and serve God with all you’ve been given. That is the secret to a life that is worth living.”
The best way you can support our Ministry is by sharing these videos with your friends and family.
We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/
If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/
Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.
Sunday May 22, 2022
Sunday May 22, 2022
Sunday May 15, 2022
Sunday May 15, 2022
We have all made mistakes! Sometimes others know what we’ve done. At other times we get caught, and everyone knows who we really are. It can be a terrible experience!
One day, while Jesus was teaching in the temple, an angry mom brought to him a woman caught in adultery – they wanted to kill her!
They put Jesus to the test – would he join them or not? If he joined in, the crowd would reject Jesus as part of a corrupt religious establishment; if he resisted, he would look ‘soft on crime’ and seem to stand against the Law. However, without saying a word, though, Jesus squatted down and wrote something in the dirt. He commented, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” The crowd drifted away because everyone there had sinned. Finally, it was only Jesus and the woman.
He asked her, “Who condemns you?” She answered, “No one, Lord.” With a loving smile on his face, he then said, “Neither do I; go on your way, and sin no more.”
No one expected this! Without falling for the trap put before him, He saved the woman’s life and gave her another chance. She was guilty; she deserved punishment, but instead, Jesus offered her grace and mercy.
God offers us grace, and mercy, too! Let us receive that grace and live the life of faith; let us also share the grace of God with others. We are all sinners who deserve punishment for our sins, but through Jesus, God gives us another chance.
The best way you can support our Ministry is by sharing these videos with your friends and family.
We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/
If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page
Thank you for listening. We will see you next week!
Sunday May 08, 2022
Sunday May 08, 2022
God is always at work – even when you cannot see it! At one point in the Apostle Paul’s life, he traveled with a group of preachers to a distant land to share the gospel message. At first, things went well, and a wealthy woman converted to the Christian faith. A few days later, though, Paul offended some of the wealthy businessmen, ended up being beaten by an angry mob, and thrown into prison. God worked to release him, though, and God used Paul to lead the jailer and his family to receive Christ. Everything worked out in the long run, but it was a harrowing experience!
If Paul and his friends could talk to us today, they would probably tell us many truths based on their experiences. The first might be that our world is full of corrupt and unjust people! No matter where you go, you will find people who take advantage of others and even use violence to keep them under their control. The other could be the eternal truth that God is at work even though there are evil people in this world! Paul ended up beaten and in jail, but God miraculously set him free and even used him to lead his jailer to faith in Christ. What began as a terrible experience turned out to be one of the more dramatic conversion stories in the New Testament. God was at work!
Not much has changed in this world. There are still very powerful people who are corrupt and unfair; the reality is that God is still in control! God works all the time, giving faith and hope to those who respond to him.
Let us all follow Him and experience his grace and power in our lives.
The best way to support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.
We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/
If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/
Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.
Sunday May 01, 2022
Sunday May 01, 2022
We’ve all had bad days, haven’t we? Something goes wrong, we have a conflict with a family member or co-worker, and we’re upset or ‘off’ the rest of the day. We go on, though, and the next day is usually better. How do you react, though, when something happens of a more serious nature? Do you fret and worry, even cry? Do you talk to others? Or does it put you in a bad mood, to the point where you are rude or dismissive towards others?
The Apostle Paul had many ‘bad days;’ in fact, he sometimes had bad days that ended up hurting him for some time – and in a couple of instances, they affected him for several years! Here’s what he learned to do:
First, he reminded himself of how God had worked in the past and of the ways God’s Word addressed specific fears and situations. Of course, this didn’t really change the situation, but it helped his perspective.
Another thing he did when the ‘bad day’ affected others was encourage them with his faith-based perspective. He knew that if he was suffering, so were others – and he wanted to help them!
Finally, he learned to make the best of a situation and talk to others about the way God has acted in history to help us deal with our struggles and even the sin that tends to make things worse.
People need to hear about Jesus, of course, but they also need encouragement as they go through the struggles of this life. Let’s follow Paul’s example – especially in the bad days of this life! Paul became an encourager based on his faith in Jesus and his love for people.
The best way you can support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.
We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/
If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/
Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.
Monday Apr 25, 2022
Monday Apr 25, 2022
One of the most significant challenges of the resurrection is living ‘the resurrection life!’ This is what following Jesus is all about! You see, it’s one thing to say you have received Jesus as Savior and go through the ritual of baptism, but it’s quite another to allow God to change your heart and affect the way you live your life.
When Paul wrote his letter to the church at Rome, there were Christians who said all the right things, went to church and acted spiritually correct when it suited them. However, they often turned back to their old, sinful ways at other times. Paul confronted them by saying, “Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be!” (Romans 6:1,2) It is a rejection of the Lordship of Jesus to turn back to sin after professing to be a believer and must be resisted at every turn!
Paul explained that one of the reasons resisting sin in one’s life is so important is because we who follow Jesus “have been buried with Him through baptism into death.” (v.4) He makes it clear: “If we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.” (6:5) We are united with Christ in this life of faith! Our baptism symbolizes our unity with Jesus in our ‘death to self’ and being ‘raised to newness of life.’
In short, if you follow Jesus, you have a responsibility to live in a way that accurately reflects the Christ we serve and honor him in every way.
The best way to support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.
We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/
If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/
Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.
Sunday Apr 17, 2022
Sunday Apr 17, 2022
Jesus is alive! Those words rang out from two women very early that first Easter morning, causing everyone to take notice. When people die, they stay in the grave – that is the course of us all. Jesus, though, was different. He had predicted that he would rise again, to be sure, but people really didn’t know what to think when he said it; no-one comes back from the dead!
The story of the resurrection can comfort, of course, but it can also challenge us. What if the stories of the God in the Bible are true? What if there is ‘life after death;’ how would that affect us? This story of Jesus coming back from the dead is a story from human history; it is at least as verifiable as any other story in ancient history. If true, it demonstrates God’s ability, and willingness, to get involved in the affairs of man. Too, based on the change in the disciple’s lives after the resurrection, God’s actions can dramatically change us – make us stronger, bolder, more courageous; even willing to die for a cause!
Finally, the resurrection challenges us to consider the reality of life after death. If the story is true, death is not final – people of faith will live again, to love, and laugh, and know joy. We will be able to face death in all its forms with courage, and even hope – that God can work, now, even as He did then.
Jesus is alive!
The best way to support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.
We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/
If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/
Thank you for listening. We will see you next week!
Sunday Apr 10, 2022
Sunday Apr 10, 2022
God loves us! If the message of Easter says anything at all, it is that simple message: God loves us; He always has, and he always will!
Because of his great love for us, God continues to reach out to us all and extend a hand of forgiveness and fellowship and eternal life. When we consider the story of the cross, several ideas come to mind: God pursues us, even in our sin; 2) Only God has acted to save us from our sin, and 3) God acted because he knew we would fail in our own efforts at self-correction.
As we come to the weekend whereby Christians worldwide consider the cross, let us consider how we might accept this story of God’s actions. He loves us before time began, He loves us as we live in our sin, and He will continue to love us until the end of time.
The picture of the cross is a picture of God’s greatest act of love through his son Jesus, the Christ!
The best way to support our Ministry is by sharing these videos with your friends and family.
We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/
If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/
Thank you for watching. We will see you next week!
Sunday Mar 27, 2022
Sunday Mar 27, 2022
God wants to help us in this life! In the early church, people struggled with their old, sinful ways of life. They were saved, to be sure, but they still struggled to understand what actions were sinful and how those sinful actions and thoughts could hurt them and those they loved. Paul taught them what actions were sinful, ungodly, and inappropriate for those who followed Jesus. Too, he explained to them that there was nothing they could ‘do,’ in terms of good works, that could help them. They were helpless in their battle against sin!
At work in their lives through their faith in Jesus, the reality of God’s grace gave them hope! The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus conquered sin, and those who placed their faith in Jesus could overcome the sin in their lives. When they followed Jesus and submitted to the teachings of God’s Word in the scriptures, they could learn to live in a way that could heal their broken relationships, bring them joy in this life, and hope for the life to come. They learned to rest in the statement’s truth, ‘In Jesus, and in Jesus alone, there is life!’
The best way to support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.
We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/
If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/
Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.
Sunday Mar 13, 2022
Sunday Mar 13, 2022
God wants us to live a godly life – and He will teach us how to do that!
In the early church the Christians were still very much “pagan” in their practices – they had received Jesus as Savior and were learning what to believe, but they needed more. The Apostle Paul knew their situation, and taught them to live a different kind of life – a life that was based on the Truth that was in Jesus. This new life not only had a new set of beliefs and values; it also had a number of specific practices that were distinctly different from that with which they had grown up. Paul taught them to be honest and to control their anger, to restrain their sexual practices, and many other actions that would affect their relationships with others and their witness in the community. Being ‘Christian’ was a lifestyle, and more than just ‘believing in Jesus!’
God wants the same for us today, of course. Receiving Jesus as Savior is the beginning point; allowing Him to change our lives is the lifelong task of discipleship – this is what God wants for all who follow Him!
The best way you can support our Ministry is by sharing these videos with your friends and family.
We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/
If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/
Thank you for listening. We will see you next week!