Shows
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughLuke 1:1-4 ~ Faith Rooted in History ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThe Gospel of Luke shows us that our faith in Jesus Christ is rooted in history. In the same way that history can verify something of the life of Caesar Augustus, Cleopatra, Winston Churchill, or Abraham Lincoln, Luke wrote an accurate, orderly, historically true account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it can be believed with confidence. What Luke writes is both historically and theologically true.
2020-10-0531 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 15:14-16 ~ Principles for Effective Ministry ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughMicah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
With all this talk these days about social justice, what does it really mean biblically “to do justice and love kindness?”
2020-09-2541 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 15:7-13 ~ Filled with Joy and Peace ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughIn the introduction to this message, Pastor Bill presents God’s plan of redemption and His plan for the ages in the form of a picture book. You will discover a vivid way to both understand and describe God’s plan of redemption from the fall of humankind to the second coming of Jesus Christ. (The picture book illustration has been adapted from Pastor Gerard Hemmings).
2020-09-2529 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 15:5-6 ~ A Symphony of Praise to God ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughA Symphony of Praise to God
A.W. Tozer wrote, “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which one must individually bow.”
“So one hundred worshipers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become “unity” conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive fo...2020-07-2826 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 15:4 ~ How to Keep On Holding On ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughHow can we keep on holding on and hoping when everything seems to be crashing in around us and sometimes right on top of us? When you compare your circumstances and lifestyle to what it was just eight weeks ago, what were you counting on then that you can’t count on now? And how much hope have you lost? It is important to understand what Romans 15:4 has to say about this:
“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might...2020-07-2040 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 15:1-3 ~ How to Build Up One Another ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughHow to Build Up One Another
Just like when you remodel an old home, every believer in Jesus Christ is a remodeling project. There’s a lot of the old that has to go, that has to be torn out and ripped out, before we are conformed to the image of Christ. There’s a lot of demolition that has to take place. But the Christian life is also a building project. It’s out with old and in with the new (cf. Ephesians 4:22-24).
However, as we see in Romans 15:1-3, as believers in Jesus Ch...2020-07-1841 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh2 Chronicles 15:1-7 ~ When God is Left Out of a Nation ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhen God Is Left Out of a Nation
Pandemics, protests, violent demonstrations and riots, looting, murders, abortion, racism, political polarization at every level of the culture: Is there any hope amid this cultural chaos and devolution of America? Is this the judgment of God or is it something else? God’s word in 2 Chronicles 15:1-7 diagnoses the problem and also offers God's solution.
2020-07-0742 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 14:16-19 ~ Kingdom Living in a Fallen World ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughKingdom Living in a Fallen World
We are citizens of the United States of America to which we pledge our allegiance. But according to Philippians 3:11, “our citizenship is in heaven” as well. Plus we live in a world that is fallen, corrupt, and in chaos. So how should we as believers in Jesus Christ live in this world that is not our true home and how should we live as citizens of God’s Kingdom? The answers to these kinds of questions are found in Romans 14:16-19.
2020-06-3036 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 14:10-13 ~ Why We Should not Judge Others ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 14:10-13 (NASB)
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
For it is written,
"AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD,
EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this-- not to put an obstacl...2020-06-2245 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 14:5-9 ~ Living for the Lord with Conviction in Spite of Our Differences ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 14:5-9 "Living for the Lord with Conviction in Spite of Our Differences"
In our polarized nation, where many Christians are on opposite sides of so many issues and have their own strong opinions, how we go about living for Christ in spite of our differences? How do we live for the Lord with conviction? How do you live in such a way that, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God? (1 Corinthians 10:31)
2020-06-1544 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 14:1-4 ~ Getting Along in Spite of Our Differences ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughGetting Along in Spite of Our Differences:
In this day of polarizing opinions—whether they are related to politics, pandemics, or protests—how do we get along in the church in spite of our differences? How do we handle our difference of opinion so that the Gospel is fully preached? So that God is glorified with one voice? How do we handle our differences so that which threatens to tear apart our nation does not tear apart the Church of Jesus Christ?
2020-06-0839 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 13:11-14 ~ Putting On the Lord Jesus Christ ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThe Bible teaches that as Christians we belong to the light, not the dark. We should be awake and alert, behaving as those who have seen the light of the Gospel. We also need to get up, lay aside the deeds of darkness, and get dressed for the day by putting on the armor of light. In Romans 13:11-14 the apostle Paul tells us how we are to dress as those who walk in the light.
2020-06-0141 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 13:8-12 ~ Love for the Day Is Dawning ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThe Lord Jesus said to His followers, “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16). So we are not in darkness. We are not night people. We are not people of the night. We don’t live in mental darkness; we know the truth. We don’t live in moral darkness; we live the truth. As day people we live in a completely different sphere of life than those who live in darkness and don’t kn...2020-05-3130 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 13:7-10 ~ Love is the Fulfillment of the Law ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughJohn MacArthur said, “God’s own love is the inexhaustible well from which, as it were, we can draw the supernatural love He commands to live by.”
As a Christian, the love of God has been poured out within your heart (see Romans 5:5). The moment you received Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, the Holy Spirit came to live in you and He poured out the love of God into you. You see, you don’t have to pray for God to give you more love for someone. What you should pray for is for God’s help in le...2020-05-1836 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 ~ Mothers Show Us the Love and Care of God ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughA mother’s love is one of the most strongest and most mysterious forces in the world and that is why it is one of the clearest pictures of God’s love for us. And it’s one of the clearest pictures of how we are to love one another in the church of Jesus Christ. We are to love one another as Christ has loved us and gave up his life for us.
We love our moms for the good we have seen in them and received from their hands. We love them for the many way th...2020-05-1136 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 13:3-7 ~ God's Purpose for Government ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughGod’s Purpose for Government: Romans 13:3-7
In these days of a global pandemic, where we all live under governmental restrictions related to physical distancing, sanitation protocol, and the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines, it is essential that we know what God’s Word has to say about the government’s God-given authority and His purpose for government. And we also need to understand how we should respond to its authority as Christians.
2020-05-0537 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 13:1-2 ~ The Christian's Responsibility to the Government ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughFrom Romans chapter 13, we learn that there are only two legitimate biblical reasons for Christians to disobey the governing authorities: 1) They command you to do something that is in disobedience to God’s Word, 2) They try to prevent you from obeying God’s Word.
So how do we apply these principles in a Covid-19 world devastated by a pandemic and where we are required to follow strict governmental guidelines? What is the Christian’s responsibility to the government?
2020-04-2842 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughJames 1:2-4; 4:8-10 ~ How to Have Intimacy with God ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh"How to Have Intimacy with God"
Have you ever wondered why God created mankind to begin with? Why would God create a creature who would turn on Him, reject Him, and try to live life without Him? Why bother? God created us for one reason: to know Him, to love Him, and have fellowship with Him so that He might be glorified. Put another way, we are created in the image and likeness of God so that we can have an intimate relationship with Him forever. And that brings God glory. This sermon answers the question, “How can...2020-04-2136 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughLuke 23:50 - 24:12 ~ He Has Risen ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh"He Has Risen"
In order to fully grasp the amazement of that first Easter morning there is one precondition: we must realize that no one expected Jesus to rise from the dead—no one. The women who were eye witnesses to the death of Jesus went the tomb to anoint a dead body. They had zero expectations that He would rise from the dead. Then when the women reported to the other disciples that the angels had told them, “He has risen,” the male disciples called it “nonsense.” In Luke chapter 24 we see how the resurrected Christ brings his...2020-04-1339 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughHebrews 6:17-19 ~ The Anchor Holds ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh
The Anchor is the symbol of Christian hope. The anchor became a key Christian symbol during the period of Roman Persecution in the first century. The Christian singer Michael Card wrote in his album, Soul Anchor, “The first century symbol wasn’t the cross; it was the anchor. If I’m a first century Christian and I’m hiding in the catacombs and three of my best friends have just been thrown to the lions, or burned at the stake or crucified, and set ablaze as torches at one of Nero’s garden parties, the symbol that most encoura...2020-04-0636 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughPsalm 46 ~ God Is Our Refuge and Strength ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh“God Is Our Refuge and Strength”
In this message from Psalm 46, Pastor Bill Slabaugh shows us how to lay hold of the sufficiency we have in God who is our refuge and our strength—even if we panic. This is the audio podcast of the live-stream of the worship service of Grace Baptist Church in Emmett, Idaho. The live-stream audio quality was poor but you can hear the message clearly here.
2020-03-3046 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughPsalm 56 ~ "I Shall not Be Afraid - Grateful Trust in God" ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughPsalm 56: “I Shall not Be Afraid – Grateful Trust in God”
This message is part of our first live-stream worship service from Grace Baptist Church in Emmett, Idaho. Like thousands of other churches around the world, we live-streamed our worship service to the homes of the members of our congregation and to others around the world. God has provided wonderful technology to help connect and minister to one another during the Corona Virus pandemic.
From Psalm 56, we learn that God has given us two spiritual tools to handle very difficult and fearful things like the Corona Virus. T...2020-03-2232 minBeholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 12:17-21 ~ Overcomers ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughOvercomers:
As I am writing this, the White House just announced that they are recommending that no groups meet that are larger than 10 people and that all restaurants and bars are to be closed. It’s a nationwide ban. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are not exempt from the Corona Virus epidemic and it’s far reaching effects. But the Bible teaches that as believers we are “overcomers.” So how do we overcome? What does victory look like? And most importantly, what was the Apostle Paul’s aim when he was horribly mistreated and suffered physically? Our aim sh...2020-03-1625 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 12:12 ~ Joyful, Prayerful, Perseverance ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh“Don’t Despair”
Several years ago, a missionary was sitting at her second-story window when she was handed a letter from home. As she opened the letter, a crisp, new, ten-dollar bill fell out. She was pleasantly surprised, but as she read the letter her eyes were distracted by the movement of a shabbily dressed stranger down below. He was leaning against a post in front of the building.
She couldn’t get him off her mind. Thinking that he might be in greater financial stress than she, she slipped the bill into an envelope on which s...2020-03-0934 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 12:11 ~ How to Serve the Lord ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughPsalm 116:12
What shall I render to the LORD
For all His benefits toward me?
The word translated “render” means to repay or give back. “What can I can give back to God for everything He has done for me?” And what the Psalmist is saying is, “I can’t think of thing one that would be equal to what He has done for me.” Fortunately God doesn’t expect us to return in equal.
So motivated by all God’s benefits toward him, the Psalmist says, “OK, this is what I will do:”
Ps...2020-03-0928 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 12:9-10 ~ Sincere Love ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhile in the Upper Room with His disciples the Lord Jesus told them, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34).
The old commandment was to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” Whatever we do for ourselves in meeting our own needs, we are to do for others. But in giving the new commandment, Jesus raised the bar big time. It doesn’t make the old commandment null and void, but we are love one another as Jesus loved us. In a word, we ar...2020-02-0840 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 12:6-8 ~ How to Know Your Spiritual Gift ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughHow to Know Your Spiritual Gift:
In Romans chapter 12, verses 6-8, the Apostle Paul lists seven spiritual gifts that are given to Christians. These gifts have been called the motivational gifts because it is apparent that every believer has one of these gifts as their primary gift of the Spirit. These are certain passions and certain drives that God has given to you. God will use your motivational drive to open up to you where and how you are to serve in the Body of Christ. If you listen to the message and work through the worksheet, yo...2020-02-0138 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 12:1-8 ~ Do You Know Where You Are Going? The Spiritual Gifts of Leadership and Faith ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughA Great Example of the Spiritual Gift of Faith:
Dr. Howard Hendricks gave an excellent example of the gift of faith working in the life of Dr. Harry Ironside. Shortly after the seminary (Dallas Theological Seminary) was founded in 1924, it almost capitulated. It came to the point of bankruptcy. All the creditors were going to foreclose at 12 noon on a particular day. That morning, the founders of the School met in the President’s office to pray that God would provide and in that prayer meeting was Harry Ironside.
When it was his turn to pra...2020-01-2340 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh1 Corinthians 2:4-11 ~ Seeing It as It Is: The Spiritual Gifts of the Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom, and Discernment ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughIf you have ever driven your car when the fog is thick, you know how dangerous it can be when you can’t see clearly. Maybe you have even had a close call or two. Now God gave certain spiritual gifts to believers in Jesus Christ to help the Church penetrate the fog of the deceit and delusion of the age in which we live; as well as our natural inability to “see it as it is.” To see things as they really are, the Holy Spirit provides the gifts of the Word of Knowledge, the Word of Wisdom, and Disc...2020-01-1642 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh1 Peter 4:10-11 ~ Making It Clear: The Spiritual Gifts of Prophecy, Teaching, and Exhortation ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThink about this before your next post on Face Book:
When talking about spiritual gifts, the Apostle Peter writes, “Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God (1 Peter 4:11). Here we see the absolute importance of the Word of God, the Bible, in all that we say or write. This doesn’t just apply to those who are gifted speakers and writers, but it applies to all of us who name the name of Christ. In that we should never give counsel, advice, or an opinion apart from God’s Word. When we...2020-01-1042 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughMatthew 1:18-25 ~ Myrrh: A Gift Fitting for a Sacrifice ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughSome months after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph are settled into a home there. And some visitors arrive, Magi from the East, and they came bearing gifts for the child. I wonder what Mary and Joseph thought as they opened each treasure. The Magi gave Gold, a gift fitting for a king. The parents had never seen such a gift, but on behalf of the Child, they receive it anyway, almost embarrassed. It seems too much. Then the Magi give them frankincense. And Mary and Joseph understand that it is a gift fitting for the Son...2019-12-2532 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughMatthew 2:7-17 ~ Frankincense: A Gift Fit for God ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhen the Magi saw the Christ Child, they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). Frankincense is a gift fit for God. In the Bible, the burning of frankincense pictures our prayers as going up to God as a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to Him. Frankincense pictures the worship of God. It pictures that unique gift—that fragrance that rises out of the human heart to the living and glorious God.
2019-12-2242 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughMatthew 2:1-12 ~ Gold: A Gift Fit for a King ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThis and the next two messages will be an in-depth look at the significance of the three gifts presented to the Christ Child by the Magi: The Gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. What does each particular gift say about its recipient Jesus Christ? What does it say about who He is and what He has done? This message is about Gold: A Gift Fit for a King.
2019-12-1336 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh1 Peter 4:9-11 ~ The Holiday Gifts: The Spiritual Gifts of Hospitality, Giving, and Craftsmanship ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhen it comes to the holiday season, those with the spiritual gifts of Hospitality, Giving, and Craftsmanship are in their element. They are in their grove as it were in their service and blessing to others. Even though it’s not just during the holidays that that bless other with their giftedness, the holidays give them a wonderful opportunity to uniquely serve and minister.
2019-12-0738 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughColossians 3:15-17 ~ The Gift of Music ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWith music, God has given us a wonderful and powerful gift. It’s a gift that not only provokes significant memories but it also gives expression to the deepest feelings and desires of our hearts. When God gives something to the whole world, as He does music, it’s called a common grace. For example God’s gracious provision for His creatures is seen in the giving of the seasons—of seedtime and harvest. That’s a common grace, a gift from God.
Music is also a gift of common grace to the world. But for believers in Jesus Ch...2019-11-2635 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 12:3-8 ~ Try Lending a Hand ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThis message considers those spiritually gifted believers in Jesus Christ who are willing to pick up a corner of a stretcher in order to help someone do what he or she can’t do for themselves. It looks at those who are willing to take hold of someone and help them do what needs to be done. And it looks at those gifted believers who work quietly behind the scenes so that other believers can do what God called them to do. These are the believers who have been given the spiritual gifts of mercy, helps, and service. These are...2019-11-2636 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ~ Your Niche as a Living Stone ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughAs “Living Stones” in the building that Jesus builds, each one of us fit perfectly into a particular niche. How do we know where we fit and where we are to serve Christ and His Church? Stated as a formula, this is how we know:
Your Spiritual Gift + Your Area or Sphere of Ministry = Your Niche as a Living Stone
2019-11-1635 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughEphesians 4:11-16 ~ The House that Jesus Builds: The Supports ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThe purpose of the ministry of Evangelists and Pastor-Teachers is to support the rest of the ministries of church – for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). Evangelists deal with the beginning of the Christian life while the Pastor-Teacher is involved with the development and growth of that life. Evangelists are much like obstetricians helping to bring new Christians into the world. Teaching Pastors are like pediatricians seeing that these Christians have a healthy spiritual diet so that they will be nourished, healthy, and grow.
2019-11-0539 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughEphesians 2:19-22 ~ The Foundation Laid by the Apostles and the Prophets ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThe foundation is the most important structural element of a building. If the foundation is faulty, the rest of the building will be faulty as well. Jesus said that He would build His Church and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Jesus could make this claim because the Church that Jesus builds is built on a firm, solid foundation: the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. If a church is built on any other foundation, it will be a faulty church.
2019-11-0539 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughEphesians 4:11-13 ~ The Pastor-Teacher's Calling ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhen a man is called to vocational pastoral ministry, there is both an inward call and an outward call. The inner call is the result of the continuing drawing or the eliciting power of the Holy Spirit which in time brings an individual closer to the church’s outward call to ministry. So there is both an inward call of the Holy Spirit and an outward call by the Church. My hope is that this message will help the man who is sensing God’s call and considering pastoral ministry as a vocation--as well as the church who is pray...2019-10-2141 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughEphesians 2:19-22 ~ The House that Jesus Builds ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThis message is an architectural view of the “House that Jesus Builds,” His church. The Lord Jesus is the Divine Architect and Builder of the church. He has designed it to function perfectly to fulfill His intended purpose and plan. It is being fitted together and built together into a dwelling of God. It’s the actual place where God dwells—where God lives. It is the place where each one of us as believers is being fitted together as a “living stone” so that we might offer up spiritual sacrifices to God.
2019-10-0140 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughEphesians 4:7-13 ~ How God Does Extreme Makeovers ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughEach one of us a believer in Jesus Christ is a masterpiece in the making. We are being crafted and sculpted into the masterpiece God wants each one of us to be. But God doesn’t transform us into the image of Christ just to make us into a beautiful work of art to be displayed in a museum, or to put on a shelf, or placed in a vault. He shapes us into what He wants us to be for the work of service, as a tool, to the building up of the Body of Christ. The Holy Spir...2019-09-3038 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughEphesians 2:1-10 ~ A Masterpiece in the Making ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThe One who created all that there is—the One who created you—desires to do an Extreme Makeover for every single person on this earth. As amazing as it is to see the transformation of a house on the reality show Extreme Makeover Home Edition, God wants to do a relational, spiritual, emotional, internal transformation in every man, woman, and child. He wants re-creation. He wants to take the old and put it away. He wants something new to come in. He wants to take the old and cleanse. And He wants to put your past behind you. You...2019-09-3030 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 12:3-8 Exercising Our Gifts in the Right Mind ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughFor through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)
Paul shows us in Romans 12:3 that you are not to think too highly of yourself. But he also shows us that you are not to think too low of yourself. Godly humility is not thinking too low of yourself, but to think as to have sound judgment. If you are a believer you...2019-09-0732 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 12:2 ~ Transformational Living ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughGod’s goal for you as a Christian is for you take the same form as His Son, Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul taught that before time began God chose to save believers so that they might come to have the same form as His Son (Romans 8:29).
This expresses the glorious goal of Christlikeness—of becoming like Jesus in our actions, in our behavior, in our thinking, motivations, compassions, love, and in our service to others. It’s everything that it means to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Romans 12:2). In this we “prove what the will of G...2019-08-3138 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 12:1-2 ~ Presentational Worship ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughTherefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,
acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual service of worship.
Romans 12:1
As we offer our bodies as living sacrifices on the altar of God, we are dead to sin and alive with Christ. So the living sacrifice of the believer doesn’t demand the destruction of the sacrifice as it did in the Old Testament. But it projects the full energy of life that is in Christ Jesus—the fullness of lif...2019-08-2341 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 11:33-38 ~ To God Be the Glory Forever ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughAt the end of Romans chapter 11, the apostle Paul drops to his knees in praise and adoration for God. Before moving on his letter to the practical conclusions which flow from the grand and distinct doctrines of the Gospel, the apostle pauses to marvel at the ground which he had trekked. And looking back on the whole of Romans 1-11, Paul must exalt his Sovereign. God is worthy to be praised for God knows what He’s doing even when we do not. God is control of all of history even when we don’t get it. Therefore, Paul fall...2019-08-2039 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 11:28-32 ~ The Awesome Sovereignty of God ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 11:28-32 shows us that God is control of all of all of history, even when He is disobeyed. The apostle Paul’s lifts up Israel as the prime example. Israel is now at enmity with God because they have rejected Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, God has made irrevocable promises of blessing which He will fulfill. Therefore, we should stand in awe of God because He designs and controls all of history to display His faithfulness to His promises and the glory of His mercy to sinners.
2019-08-2039 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 11:25-27 ~ The Salvation of Israel ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 11:25-26a
For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery-- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation-- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved;
2019-08-0939 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 11:16-24 ~ The Metaphor of the Olive Tree ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughIn using the analogy of the olive tree in Romans 11:11-15, the apostle Paul shows us that in the Christian church, there is no place whatsoever for anti-Semitism or looking down upon the Jews. We are blessed as Gentile believers in Christ only because we are blessed by being connected to an Abrahamic root. We are blessed by becoming people of an Abrahamic covenant through spiritual heritage. We are blessed because we have been grafted into the stock of Semitic blessing. We are blessed because we are grafted into the covenant of salvation that God made with Abraham.
2019-07-2340 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 11:11-15 ~ The Age-Old Problem in the Middle East ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhat is it about the tiny nation of Israel, historically and even now, that makes it incur the wrath and hatred of most of the peoples of the world? The Bible gives us the reason why Israel’s Arab neighbors and the Muslim word are intent on wiping Israel off the face of the earth. We see the reason for the Nazi Holocaust, the reason for the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, the reason for Islamic terrorism and Jihad, and in the Bible we also see the reason for the Palestinian problem today.
This message takes back to th...2019-07-2338 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 11:7-10 ~ Why Some People Just Don't Get It ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhen it comes to the gospel of salvation, why don’t some people get it? Upon hearing the gospel, why don’t they believe? The answer to these kinds of questions lies in the reason that Jesus spoke in parables. And the reason Jesus spoke in parables might be a surprise to you. It might not be what you have thought or have been taught. Listen to the message to see the insightful reason as to why Jesus taught in parables.
2019-07-1341 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 11:1-6 ~ Can God's Promises Fail? ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughIf you pay any attention to the news, you’ve no doubt felt at times that the world is out of control and that the bad guys are winning. You see the horrors of terrorism, war, and natural disasters that wipe out thousands. You hear about school shootings and all kinds of shootings. And you hear about terrible crimes toward little children. You read about corruption in government both here and abroad. You hear about the horrible persecution of Christians throughout the world. The list goes on and on.
Sometimes it can be discouraging and depressing to the...2019-07-1139 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 10:18-21 ~ Why Some Are Lost ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhy Some Are Lost
Why is it that some people believe the Gospel message and are saved; and some do not believe it and are not saved? Why so some receive Christ when they hear the Gospel and why do some reject Him?
Romans chapter 11:18-21 deals with these questions and also shows us what the excuses are for unbelief.
2019-07-1035 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 10:16-17 ~ Faith Comes from Hearing ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhy is it that some hear the gospel and believe, but many hear the gospel and do not believe?
As you listen to this message think about this quote from Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, “All hearing of the gospel does not lead to faith. You can hear the gospel and still have no faith. The offer made to all is not effective or efficacious to all.”
2019-05-2236 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 10:11-15 ~ Good News of Good Things ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughEveryone likes to hear good news. Romans 10:11-15 is built around three wonderful statements that show the massive extent of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
Whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ will not be disappointed.
Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things.
2019-05-2238 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 10:9-10 ~ The Results of the Resurrection ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughIn Acts chapter 16, the desperate Philippian jailer asked the most important question a person could ever ask, “What must I do to be saved?”
The jailer's question raises a series of other questions that need answers: What does a person have to believe to be saved? What is saving faith?
The answers are found in Romans 10:9-10.
2019-05-2226 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 10:5-10 ~ The Way of Salvation ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThe main questions that are answered in Romans chapters 9-10 are: Is Israel really God’s chosen people, and if so, what went wrong? It seems that God is done with them, so why should that matter to us today? Why should we care about an ancient people in Bible times? And why should we care about Israel and the Jews today? Listen to the message to hear the answers to these kinds of questions.
2019-04-2736 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 10:1-4 ~ My Heart's Desire and Prayer ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughEvery false religion and cult seeks to establish their own righteousness and they go about it with their own particular set of rules. But they all have in one thing in common: they try to reach God—or please Him, or be saved, or become righteous—by their own good works and good deeds. It’s all about keeping certain rituals, or doing the right things, or trying to be a better person.
Sadly, like the Christians in the Apostle Paul’s day, many professing Christians can get caught up in this legalistic way to try to obtain r...2019-04-2736 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 9:30-33 ~ A Rock of Offense ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh1 Peter 2:6-8
For this is contained in Scripture:
"BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE,
A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL
NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
This precious value, then, is for you who believe;
but for those who disbelieve,
"THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,"
and,
"A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE";
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word,
and to this doom they were also appoi2019-04-0642 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 9:25-29 ~ They Shall Be Called Sons of the Living God - Pastor Bill SlabaughIt was unthinkable to the Jewish mind of the apostle Paul’s day that Gentiles, who were considered unclean and who were pagan idolaters, would be called “Sons of the Living God.” Yet, in Romans 9:25-29, the Apostle Paul gives us the scriptural basis, prophesied in ages past, for why Gentiles can cry out to God, “Abba, Father”—how Gentiles have been adopted into God’s family and are God’s children.
2019-04-0543 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 9:18-24 ~ An Astounding Display of God's Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughIf you are still struggling with the scriptural truth that God has mercy on whom He desires and He hardens whom He desires (Romans 9:18), you need to hear the reason for this that the apostle Paul gives in Romans 9:18-24. In short, it has to do with God’s glory. The final and deepest argument Paul gives for why God acts in sovereign freedom is that this way of acting displays most fully the glory of God—including His wrath against sin and His power in judgment.
2019-03-2331 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 9:14-18 ~ The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughIn the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, God’s Word shows us that God uses evil and evil men to bring about His predetermined purposes. Each time Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he refused to let God’s people go, it resulted in a further display of God’s power so that God’s name would be proclaimed throughout the whole world. When Pharaoh, or anyone else, chooses to reject the right, he will be hardened in the wrong. That’s what sin and rebellion against God does. It hardens the heart more and more against God.
The second p...2019-03-1640 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 9:14-18 ~ Is God Unjust? ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughIs God Unjust?
Romans 9:15-16
For [God] says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
It’s a question of God’s fairness. If He only chooses some to be heirs of the promise and not others, people say that God is unfair. Yet Romans 9:16 teaches that people are not chosen or rejected because of who they were...2019-03-0800 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 9:6-13 ~ The Choice of God ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughIn Romans 9:6-13, the apostle Paul continues to answer objections to what he has been teaching. This time, the God’s word is called into question, “Has the Word of God failed?” Paul answers the basic question, “If the Jews have rejected and crucified Jesus, the Son of God, does that mean God’s purposes were frustrated and His plan defeated?” Has God’s Word failed?
Paul answers literally, “And it is not possible that the word of God has failed.”
2019-02-2645 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 9:1-5 ~ The Tragedy of Unbelief ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughIn Romans 9:1-5, the apostle Paul answers questions that would have been raised in opposition to what he has been writing in his letter to the Romans.
The first question is, “If God offered salvation to the Gentiles (non-Jews), does that mean that God has forsaken His ancient people Israel?”
The second question is, “If salvation is from the Jews and is first of all to the Jews, why did Israel, including her highest religious leaders, reject Jesus as their Messiah, Savior, and King?”
What about Israel today? Does God still have a plan and pur...2019-02-2532 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:31-34 ~ If God Is for Us, Who Is against Us? ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughBefore you listen to the message, rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10:
Then listen to the message to move up the scale!
2019-02-1935 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:29-30 ~ The Purpose of Salvation ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:29-30 is the clearest and most explicit presentation of the truth that a person who is genuinely saved is eternally saved; that is, he or she cannot lose their salvation. In these two verses Paul reveals the unbroken pattern of God’s sovereign redemption from His eternal foreknowledge of a believer’s salvation to its ultimate completion in glorification.
2019-02-1937 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:28-30 ~ Those Who Are Called according to God's Purpose ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughHow do you know you are called according to God's purpose (Romans 8:28)?
How do you know that you are one of God's elect (Romans 8:30)?
How do you know that you were chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4)?
The answer is so simple that it might very well surprise you!
2019-01-2540 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:28-30 ~ The Recipients of God's Greatest Promise ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 5:5 reads, “The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
When you receive Jesus Christ and trust in Him for the forgiveness of your sins, the Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside of you. Romans 5:5 says that when the Holy Spirit indwelt you, the love of God was poured out within your heart. You enter into a spiritual love relationship with God that lasts throughout all eternity.
The phrase “poured out” refers to the lavish outpouring to the point of overflowing. Someon...2019-01-1935 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:28 ~ God Causes All Things to Work Together for Good ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughAnd we know that God causes all things to work together
for good to those who love God,
to those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
Someone has said, “That if the Bible is a great feast for the soul, then Romans chapter 8 is the main course.”
I would add, “Romans chapter 8, verses 28-30, is the main dish.” Without a doubt, these verses are the most glorious of all of Scripture. They are a summary, an encapsulation, of the whole of the Bible, the whole of the Gospel.2019-01-1133 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughLuke 1:39-56 ~ The Magnificat: Mary's Hymn of Praise ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh"The Magnificat:" Mary’s Hymn of Praise
Luke 1:46-55
And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
49 "For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
50 "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION
TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
51 "He has done m...2018-12-1838 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughLuke 1:39-45 ~ The Joy of Blessed Confirmation ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughA young virgin by the name of Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that by the Holy Spirit she would conceive in her womb and bear the Son of the Most High. Mary’s responded to the angel, “Behold, I am the bondslave of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word.”
Think about what Mary’s obedience could potentially cost her. She was betrothed to a carpenter by the name of Joseph. Her reputation in the community would be damaged beyond repair. What would her parents think and how would they treat her...2018-12-1134 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughLuke 1:26-38 ~ The Greatest News Ever Proclaimed ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughLuke 1:26-38
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 "And behold, you will conceive...2018-12-0630 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughPsalm 78:1-8 ~ The Power of Your Own Stories of Faith ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThis message contains practical ways to tell your own stories of faith. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are commanded in Scripture to tell the stories of how God has worked in our lives in a way that we declare His mighty works (See Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 78:1-8). We are to tell stories of who He is and what He has done so that faith might be passed on to the next generation.
2018-12-0438 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThe Pilgrims: A People of the Book ~ The Story of Thanksgiving ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughDid you know that during that first winter in America, half of the Pilgrims died and half of those who died were children? Also, fourteen out the eighteen wives who came to these shores died as well.
The story of the first Thanksgiving is the story of a people of the Book. Listen to the message to hear how their commitment to the Word of God affected their faith and their lives in the worst conditions possible.
2018-11-2140 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughPsalm 78:1-11; Romans 15:4 ~ Pass It On: The Purpose of History ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhy do we study and teach history? Why do we tell the stories of the Bible and stories of faith from history?
Romans 15:4 gives us the biblical purpose of history, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
This is the first message Pastor Bill’s expository preaching series: “The Power of Stories of Faith.”
2018-11-1035 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughLuke 10:25-37 ~ Developing a Love for Jesus with the Head and Hands ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughMany polls show that the vast majority of young adults who are reared in Christian homes are now turning their backs on Christianity. Recent surveys indicate that seven out of every ten Christian kids are leaving their faith after high school.
According to the research from the PEW Research Center, each successive generations of American includes fewer Christians. Older generations of Americans are not passing along the Christian faith as effectively as their forebears. It’s not as if young people today are being reared in a way completely different from Christianity, but as adults they are si...2018-11-0337 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughDeuteronomy 6:4-9 ~ It's Not Rocket Science ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRearing our children is not rocket science, because rearing our children is much more complex than rocket science. With rocket science the drawings and calculations are done by dozens of scientists for each component of the rocket. Then over a period of months or years, each component is tested separately over and over again and necessary changes are made to the design.
The child come pre-assembled at birth with God-given bents, personality, and gifts already built in. Plus, the baby is already in motion. With children, there is no set science. Each child is different with millions...2018-10-3039 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughPsalm 139:1-3, 13-18 ~ Directing and Shaping Your Arrows ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhat is the promise of Proverbs 22:6? That our children will drift or go away from their Christian faith for a time, but if they have been reared correctly they will find their way back? Or is it a promise that they will not depart?
Proverbs 22:6 can be translated this way:
Adapt the training of your child
so that in keeping with his or her
God-given tendencies
--when he or she comes to maturity--
they will not depart from the training
they have received.
2018-10-2929 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughPsalm 127:3-5 ~ Like Arrows in the Hand of Warrior ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughHow do we know that when our children grow up and leave home, that they will be loyal to God? How do we know that when they face the giants of life and experience struggles, temptations, and suffering, that they will put their confidence in God? How do we know that they will not forget the works of God and that they will obey Him in spite of their circumstances?
Psalm 78:7 says that the answer to these kinds of questions is the main goal of parenting. That when our kids leave home, “That they should put their con...2018-10-1335 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughEphesians 5:15-33 ~ The Spirit-Filled Marriage ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughCharles Haddon Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers in the 19th Century, said, “When home is ruled according to God’s Word, angels might be asked to stay with us and they would not find themselves out of their element.”
It could be added to that, “Where Christ is Lord in the home, angels might be asked to stay with us and they would find themselves right at home.”
Both of these statements are the result of a Spirit-Filled marriage. The secret of harmony and unity in the home is the fullness of the Spirit. It is power fr...2018-10-0638 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughEphesians 5:22-33 ~ God's Pattern for Marriage ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhen I love my wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, I serve her and minister to her a servant of Jesus Christ. When my wife respects me as her husband, she ministers to me as servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The first thing required of every wife, required of every husband, is a servant’s heart toward one’s mate; to be submissive to one another in the fear of Christ, to minister to one another as Christ would minister to your mate if He were physically present in the home...2018-10-0541 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughEphesians 5_22-33 ~ The Mystery of Marriage ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThe Apostle Paul’s teaching on marriage creates a head-on collision with the beliefs and practices of our culture. A congressman once argued, “We need to get past the medieval ancient concept of marriage between a man a woman.” Much misunderstanding concerning marriage occurs today because we fail to understand the great mystery of marriage that Paul reveals in Ephesians chapter 5.
The “great mystery,” as Paul calls it, is that marriage was designed by God to be a living illustration of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church. The question if not what same-sex marriages and unions say...2018-09-2538 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughPsalm 127 ~ God's Blueprint for a Godly Home of Influence ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThis is the introductory message in a new expository sermon series on Psalm 127 by Pastor Bill Slabaugh. He takes his experience as a licensed architect and applies it to our understanding of God's Word as to what it means when the Lord Builds the House.
Part One of the series is based on Psalm 127:1-2 and is called. "The Lord: the Architect of the Home." In Part One we will look at God's blueprint for a godly home in Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. What is God's pattern for husbands? For Wives? For Children? Psalm 127:1 says, "Unless...2018-09-1434 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:23-25 ~ The Believer's Groan for Glory ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh“It’s Better Higher Up”
The famous preacher D.L. Moody told about a Christian woman who was always bright, cheerful, and optimistic, even though she was confined to her room because of illness. She lived in an attic apartment on the fifth floor of an old, rundown building.
A friend decided to visit her one day and brought along another woman -- a person of great wealth. Since there was no elevator in the building the two ladies began the long climb upward. When they reached the second floor, the well-to-do woman commented, "What a dark...2018-09-0237 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:14-18 ~ The First Fruits of Our Inheritance ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughAs parents, we try to do everything that we can to protect our children from suffering. We try to alleviate their pain whether it is physical or emotional.
So if God is our all-powerful and all-loving Father, then why doesn’t He do the same with His children?
Several years ago, Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote a bestselling book called, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People.” Kushner proposed that God cannot be both all-powerful and all-loving. Because if He is both, a loving God would certainly do something about our suffering. Because it was more comfortin...2018-08-1837 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:14-16 ~ The Marks of the Child Adopted by God ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhen we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are immediately adopted into God’s Family. J. I. Packer has a wonderful chapter in his book Knowing God which is called “Sons of God,” where he writes on the subject of our adoption as children of the Father.
Packer writes,
You sum up the whole of New Testament teaching in a single phrase if you speak of it as a revelation of the Fatherhood of the holy Creator. In the same way, you sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the...2018-08-1535 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:10-13 ~ What Happens when You Have the Holy Spirit? ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhen we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside of us. He indwells us, He empowers us, He fills us, and He transforms us more and more into the image of Christ. But by the Holy Spirit, we also have a responsibility to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13). This is called the mortification of sin. How exactly does mortification take place? How do we put the deeds of the flesh to death?
2018-08-0728 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:9-11 ~ The Indwelling Spirit ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughLife is full of important questions that need to be answered such as: “Who will I marry?” “What will I do for a living?” “Where shall I go to college?” “Should I even go to college?”
Questions like these are important, but what is the most important question of all? If you don’t get the right answer on the most important question, then the answers to many of life’s other questions are difficult to find.
The most important question of all is, “Do you belong to Jesus Christ?” because if you belong to Christ, then you are indw...2018-08-0436 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:5-8 ~ Walking in the Spirit ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:5-8 explains why the Lord Jesus sent His Holy Spirit as He promised. This is it in a nutshell: The Holy Spirit is the way that Jesus lives His life in us and through us for His Glory. That’s why Jesus sent His Spirit.
This passage of Scripture also answers the question, “What does it mean to walk in the Spirit?” To walk in the Spirit is to live moment by moment in dependency upon Him, sensitive to His voice, and in obedience to Him.
To live any other way is to live in rebe...2018-08-0435 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 8:1-3 ~ Set Free ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThe Christian’s Independence Day
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free
from the law of sin and of death.
Romans 8:1-2
2018-07-0234 minBeholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 7:14-25 ~ The Portrait of a Struggling Christian ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans chapter 7 paints a portrait of a struggling Christian who cannot do what he wants to do and he does the very thing that he does not want to do. The apostle Paul shows us that this person has a problem with self. He is self-absorbed and he would say, “It is all about me.” When we are self-absorbed and it’s all about “me,” sin gets the better of us every time. When we try to do it ourselves in our own way and in our own strength, sin wins every time. Paul shows us a better way to live in th...2018-07-0238 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughFatherhood: A Warrior's Tale ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughBased on Bruce Wilkinson’s comparison of The Three Chairs, this message answers the all-important questions:
“What can we do to ensure that our faith in God abides and flourishes in the next generation?”
“What can we do to ensure that our children will put their confidence in God and will be men and women of faith who will not turn their backs on God?"
As you listen to this message, keep asking yourself, "Which chair do I sit in and what do I have to do to move into the first chair of faith?"2018-06-2143 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 7:1-6 ~ Dead to the Law ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans chapter 7 contains one of the thorniest, most hotly debated, issues in Christianity. What is the believer's relationship to the Old Testament Law? Are Christians required to keep it or not? It is essential that we understand what the Apostle Paul is writing in these verses.
2018-06-0534 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughGenesis 1-2 ~ God's Purpose for Humankind ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhy did God create Adam and Eve and what was their purpose? In what ways are we made in the image of God and why did He make us the way He did? There are three distinct ways that we bear His imprint on our souls. We discover these in the first two chapters of Genesis.
2018-04-2439 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 6:11-14 ~ The Life of the New Man ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
In the New Testament, the Christian life is often described as “putting off” and “putting on.” If we are to live as new creations in Jesus Christ, then we need to understand exactly how to put off the old self and put on the new self which has been recreated in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11-14 tells us exactly how to do this.
2018-04-1433 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 6:4-9 ~ The Resurrection Assurances of the Believer ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughPresident John Adams said, "Facts are subborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.
In Romans 6:4-9, we discover four breathtaking facts about Jesus' resurrection from the dead: Christ rose from the dead; Christ will never die again and He reigns triumphant over death; Through faith, we are united to Christ and die with Him; and We shall rise like He rose and live with Him forever.
"He is Risen!" "He is Risen Indeed!"
2018-04-1430 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 6:4-7 ~ Dying to Live ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughWhat does it mean to die to sin? It means dying to live.
2018-03-3135 min
Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughRomans 6:1-3 ~ God Is not Done with Us Yet ~ Pastor Bill SlabaughThere is always hope because God doesn’t just make us better, He makes us new. When God begins a work, He finishes it. You and I may write people off as hopeless, but God never does. You might write yourself off as hopeless, but God never does. If you are in Christ, you are a new creation.
A businessman once put a warehouse up for sale. As he took a prospective buyer around the warehouse, he pointed out the building’s flaws. “The place has been vacant for a while,” he said. “Vandals broke out the windows and kicked in th...2018-03-2424 min