Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

Luke 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 disciples to believe what He had promised: “the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again (Luke 24:7).”

Hebrews 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 encourages me in my faith is the anchor. When I see it, I’m reminded that Jesus is my anchor.” 

Psalm 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.

 

Psalm 56 ~ "I Shall not Be Afraid - Grateful Trust in God" ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

Psalm 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. The first spiritual tool to deal with our fears is prayer. And the second tool is to trust God and His Word.

Romans 12:17-21 ~ Overcomers ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

Overcomers:

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 should be the same, “that Christ be exalted in our bodies” (cf. Philippians 1:20).

Romans 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 she quickly penned, “Don’t despair” and she threw it out the window. The stranger below picked it up, read it, looked up, and smiled as he tipped his hat and went his way.

The next day she was about to leave the house when a knock came at the door. She found the same shabbily dressed man smiling as he handed her a roll of bills. When she asked what they were for, he replied, “That’s the sixty bucks you won, lady. Don’t Despair paid five to one.”

Swindoll, Charles R.. The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart (Swindoll Leadership Library) (p. 274). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Romans 12:11 ~ How to Serve the Lord ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

Psalm 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:”

Psalm 116:13-14

I shall lift up the cup of salvation

And call upon the name of the LORD.

I shall pay my vows to the LORD,

Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.While I was giving this message on a Sunday Morning, I gave the people in the congregation the opportunity to share what God had done for them—to testify in the presence of God’s people and to vocally express His benefits toward them.  Before you listen to the message, take some time to recount what God has done for you.

Romans 12:9-10 ~ Sincere Love ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

While 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 are to love others “sacrificially.”  The supreme demonstration of Jesus’ love was when He went to the cross and bore God’s wrath on our behalf.

 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Romans 12:6-8 ~ How to Know Your Spiritual Gift ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

How 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, you will have a really good idea which one is your motivational gift

Romans 12:1-8 ~ Do You Know Where You Are Going? The Spiritual Gifts of Leadership and Faith ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

A 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 pray, he prayed in his characteristically refreshing manner, “Lord, we know that the cattle on a thousand hills are thine. Please sell some of them, and send us the money.”

 While they were praying, a tall Texan with boots on and an open collar came into the business office and said, “I just sold two car-loads of cattle in Fort Worth. I have been trying to make a business deal go through and it won’t work and I feel God is compelling me to give this money to the seminary. I don’t know if you need it or not, but here is the check.”

 A secretary took the check and knowing the criticalness of the hour financially, went to the door of the prayer meeting and timidly tapped. When she finally got a response, Dr. Chafer took the check out of her hand and it was for the exact amount of the debt. When he looked at the signature of the check, he recognized the name of the cattleman from Fort Worth. Turning to Dr. Ironside, he said, “Harry, God sold the cattle.”

Dr. Ironside was a man gifted with faith. He knew God’s Word and claimed its age-old promises for current needs while the other men possessed faith and hoped God would do something. Dr. Ironside expected God to provide the need.