This week we continue the season of Advent by lighting the 2nd candle, the purple candle of peace. Our 2011 Advent theme is “How Long, O Lord?” and each week we’ll be looking at a passage of Scripture that focuses on the Second Coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. Our text this week comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11: Now as to the…
CONNECT people to Christ and POUR into their lives His teaching so they'll OVERFLOW for the glory of God
CONNECT people to Christ and POUR into their lives His teaching so they'll OVERFLOW for the glory of God
Posts by Ben Simpson (Page 53)
The Thessalonian congregation was given a most prestigious commendation from the apostle, “you are an example to all those in Macedonia and Achaia.” They had become the “pattern” to follow in church life. What “pattern” was established by the Thessalonian church? What traps are lurking near the foundations of the church? How can the contemporary church follow this example? Answering this question involves taking a closer look at some of the essentials of biblical worship in the Church. One of the essentials of biblical worship is the priority of the Word of God…
It’s countercultural today to talk about sin. Let’s face it: the topic of sin is offensive. In fact, we were ministering in Canada in October through a dramatic presentation of the Roman Road, which of course includes Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. A mother of one of the children immediately took her son…
This week, we begin our season of Advent. “Advent” is from the Latin word for “coming” — translated from the Greek word parousia. Speaking of the second coming of Christ, we find parousia translated in the following passages: Matthew 24:3,27,37,39; 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1,8; James 5:7,8; 2 Peter 3:4,12; and 1 John 2:28. Typically,…
In case you haven’t heard, God has a plan for your life. Have you wondered exactly what that is? Although the Bible doesn’t give us individual specifics for our lives other than His revealed will contained in the commandments, we can say one thing for sure: if you are in Christ, God’s ultimate plan for you is to transform you into the…
Does it ever seem to you like the Kingdom of God is losing ground here on the earth? Does it appear that lostness is growing and sin is increasing? Does it feel like nation after nation is openly turning against God? Indeed, the situation does look bleak from our perspective, but I pray that you and I would be people of revelation…
Biblical worship is Christ-centered. The person of Jesus Christ and God the Father’s work through Jesus Christ is to be focus of our worship because it’s only through Jesus that we have redemption. Peter preached this truth by the power of the Holy Spirit in Acts 4:8-12: Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the…
Worship is an essential part of our relationship with God. In fact, we are created, chosen, called, and commanded to worship God. Perhaps you are familiar with the Westminster Shorter Catechism. In it, the writers ask, “What is the chief end of man?” And they answer, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” In other words, humanity…
Canada Trip 2011 from Ben Simpson on Vimeo. From October 22-28, a team of nine short-term missionaries from West Main Baptist Church joined four churches from Texas to come alongside the Johnsons, who are NAMB missionaries to Saskatchewan, Canada. We pray this video will share just a glimpse of all the joy we had in serving the Lord there!
There’s a lot of talk in the church world about being “left behind.” There have been books, both fictional and nonfictional, written on the subject. Add to them the movies, the computer games, the sermons, and the articles, and you’ve got a topic that people like to think, talk, and hear about. Preachers especially love to talk about it at the invitation…