A Season of Change

It has been a while since any audio or content has been posted.  The main reason is that I got behind in posting sermons and never quite caught up.  This post is strictly informational to let you all know that Pastor Jeff will be moving into a new ministry role with the Dakota Baptist Convention, effective January 1, 2015, and that the congregation at First Baptist Church in Langdon is beginning the process of searching for a new pastor for our church.  Please be in prayer for our church as we seek a new pastor and pray also for Pastor Jeff and his family as they enter this time of transition.

Review – The Four Responsibilities of a Disciple

Life is a funny thing sometimes.  As I have journeyed down the path of discipleship, I have found many things along the way that helped my journey: people, books, audio messages and video messages and music that have inspired me at various times.  In the last couple of years, I have gotten to know a brother in the Lord who sprang from the same hometown as I did; but whom I didn’t know in person at that time, even though I knew his siblings (and even graduated with one of them).  I first started reading Darren’s work on his blog, Digging with Darren, which you will notice is linked in the sidebar here.  Over the last couple of years, we have exchanged the occasional message on Facebook or in the comments at either his blog or mine; but that was the extent of the interaction, until I noticed his posts and musings on discipleship.

Discipleship has been a strong point of emphasis for me as a believer for a long time.  I have long held that one of the reasons that our churches struggle as they do is because of a lack of intentional discipleship on our part.  We have done an excellent job of trying to get as many converts as we possibly can, but we have little idea what to do beyond that other than to tell people to “come to church” and participate in whatever their church has on offer.  This is why I was intrigued and excited to read some of Darren’s ideas regarding discipleship and I am glad to see them placed into written form that can be shared with others.  The Four Responsibilities of a Disciple is a work worth checking out if you are interested in discipleship and how to make disciples.

Darren has done a wonderful job of taking some of the more recent works about how we make disciples and blended these ideas with the “ancient paths” of discipleship that have in many cases been lost or ignored.  Essentially, this booklet has been structured around a simple process of forming disciples in four areas: Dedication, Memorization, Imitation, and Replication.  I will not expound on them here as the booklet does a good job highlighting what is needed in each of these areas.  Let me simply say that this booklet is a quick and challenging read that will give you a clearer vision and some concrete, practical tools for working to become a disciple of our Master, if you are not one already; or else it will give you a framework for working with others who wish to become disciples as well.  After all, you cannot make disciples for Jesus if you are not a disciple of Jesus yourself.  I highly recommend this work for all who wish to undertake the lifelong journey to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Disclosure: Please note that I received a copy of this booklet as a thank you for my work in volunteering to help proof the text and format of the book.  I have included a link in the review to the site where the book is available for purchase at Emet HaTorah.

Sunday Morning Sermon for 6/23/13

We are continuing our look at the parables of Jesus.  This week we examine Jesus’ response to Peter’s question about forgiveness in Matthew 18 as given in parable form.  You can listen by clicking on the sermon titled “Talking about Forgiveness” in the player on the right or by following this link.  As a reminder, there are no sermon notes for the summer sermons.  May you be richly bless through the Word of God.

Sunday Morning Sermon for 6/16/13

We are continuing to look at the parables of Jesus as we go through the summer. This week we examine the parables of Luke 15.  There are no sermon notes for the summer sermons.  You can listen by clicking on the sermon titled “Lost and Found” in the player on the right or by following this link.  May you be richly blessed by God through His Word.

Sunday Morning Sermon for 6/9/13

For the summer we are doing sermons on the parables of Jesus.  This deals with the parables told in Matthew 13.  You can listen by choosing the sermon titled “Seeds and Weeds” in the player on the right or by clicking on this link.  Notes are available below or as a PDF at the linked site. May God richly bless you through His Word.

Seeds and Weeds

Matthew 13:1-43

Sermon notes 6/9/13

1. Seeds Must Grow

   1. Three against one

      1. Unyielding seed – Disinterest, Distress, Distraction

      2. Great yielding seed – v. 23; Luke 8:15; John 15:1-8

   2. Parables with purpose – Psalm 78:1-8

2. Weeds Must Go

   1. Work of the Enemy

   2. Uprooting the weeds?

      1. Causes of sin

      2. Law-breakers

Sunday Morning Sermon for 6/2/13

Getting back to catching up on posting the summer sermons.  This sermon is on devotion as a disciple and is entitled “No Casual Christianity.”  You can listen by choosing the sermon with that title in the player on the top right of the page or by following this link.  Sermon notes are available below or on the sermon page at sermon.net.  May God richly bless you through His Word.

No Casual Christianity

Hebrews 12:1-13:17

Sermon notes 6/2/13

1. A Difficult Discipline

   1. A Patterned Endurance – 12:1-3

   2. A Parenting Example – 12:5-10

   3. A Peaceful Ending – 12:11

2. A Directional Decision

   1. Straight Paths – Proverbs 3:5-6

   2. Selfish Pains – 12:15-17

3. A Divine Duty

   1. Serious Business – 12:18-29

   2. Shaken Buildings

   3. Sacrificial Behavior – 13:13-17; Romans 12:1-2

Sunday Morning Sermon for 5/26/13

Rather than make a separate post for it, just wanted to note that the sermon audio for 5/19/13 is unavailable because I forgot to take the recorder to church with me.  This week’s sermon is available however.  You can listen by clicking on the sermon entitled “Taking a Holiday” in the player on the right or by following this link.  Notes are available below or on the audio site as a PDF.

Taking a Holiday

Hebrews 3:7-4:11

Sermon notes 5/26/13

1. Living Today

   1. Exhort one another – v. 13

   2. Today, not tomorrow – Psalm 95

2. The Good News

   1. The same good news – Hebrews 4:2

   2. Trust and Obey

   3. The importance of obedience – Hebrews 5:8

3. The Time of Rest

   1. When is it? – 4:1-11

   2. The Sabbath and the Kingdom of God – Matthew 11:28-30

   3. Striving to rest?

Sunday Morning Sermon for 5/12/13

We have audio for this week.  You can listen by clicking on the sermon entitled “Follow the Leader” in the player on the right or by following this link.  Note are available below or on the site with the audio as a PDF file.  May God richly bless you through His Word.

Follow the Leader

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon notes 5/12/13

1. Complete Joy

   1. Same mind

   2. Same love

   3. Same spirit

2. Consider Jesus

   1. True Servant

   2. Total Humility

   3. Tested Obedience

3. Confess Jesus

   1. With your lips – Romans 10:9-10

   2. With your life – Romans 12:1-2

   3. With your love – John 15:9-17

Sunday Morning Sermon for 5/5/13

No sermon audio is available for this Sunday.  We had a recorder/mic malfunction.  It happens to me from time to time.  Let me take this opportunity to say thank you to those of you who listen online and who pray for me and for the ministry of First Baptist Church, Langdon.  May God bless you.

Sunday Morning Sermon for 4/28/13

We have been seeing God at work in our midst at FBC Langdon and it is only fitting that we remember one of the main duties of a disciple of Jesus Christ.  We are called to be His witnesses and to tell our story.  You can listen to the audio by clicking on the sermon “Tell Your Story” in the playlist at the right or by following this link.  Notes are below (I have filled in the names in the areas that I mention were blank) or at the audio site as a PDF.  May you be richly blessed through the Word and may you share that blessing by telling your story about Him.

Tell Your Story

Sermon notes 4/28/13

1. Teaching – Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 20-25

   1. Training for ourselves

   2. Training the next generation

2. Testimony – 1 Peter 3:8-17

   1. Sylvia

   2. Collin

   3. Clif

3. Take it with you – Acts 1:8

   1. Into your homes

   2. Into your community

   3. Into the world