In Sermons: showing 16-30 of 239

Answering Questions Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Dec 14, 2009

Have you ever asked a question and not gotten the answer you were looking for? I think we all have. The fact is, that just because a person is asking a question, doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re looking for an answer. Especially if the answer goes ag

Have you ever asked a question and not gotten the answer you were looking for? I think we all have. Many times we will even ask a question with an answer already in our heads that we are looking for. Sometimes, we will even frame the question in such a way that even the way we ask it is designed ...read more

Scripture: John 6:22-59

Denomination: Baptist

Encouraging Frail Faith Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Dec 7, 2009

When a person is born again, they are like a newborn baby. The disciples were really no different. They had a lot of growing up to do in just a short period of time, and all through the Gospels, Jesus grew them and nurtured them. He purposely put them in

We all know what happens when a person is born again, right? The very instant that we’re born again, we’re automatically fully mature Christians, right? We’re able to handle anything the devil and the world has to throw at us, right? We have all of the wisdom, experience, knowledge that we need, ...read more

Scripture: John 6:16-21

Denomination: Baptist

What The Light Of Christmas Brings Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Dec 7, 2009

Today, we’re beginning a new three part Christmas series on the first 7 verses of Isaiah 9. Over the next three messages, we will be looking at What the Light of Christmas Brings, Who the light of Christmas is, and What the light of Christmas Promises.

When the winds got up high this past week, I know that some of you lost power. Fortunately, it was during the daytime and it wasn’t too cold out. But even then, it’s not very much fun to lose power. I’ve told you that when Miranda and I were first married, we lived overseas. And in the Azores ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

When I Suffer Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Nov 30, 2009

This is our fourth and final look at suffering in the book of Job—and today we’re going to get personal. We’re going to talk about how to deal with it when we are the ones who are suffering. How can we suffer well?

Horatio Spafford was a very wealthy man. He was a very well-known lawyer in Chicago. He had a beautiful Scandinavian wife named Anna and they had a son and four daughters. Even though Horatio was a lawyer, he made most of his money as a real estate investor. By the late 1800s, he owned much of ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

What Are You Looking For? Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Nov 23, 2009

Have you found what you’re looking for? The people in our passage today thought they found what they were looking for in Jesus. But He wouldn’t have anything to do with them. Why was that? Because they were looking for a king, but they were looking for

One of the most popular music groups over the past 25 years has been a band called U2. The lead singer of U2 is a man named Bono. It seems like every couple of years it gets reported that Bono is a professing Christian. I don’t know whether he is or not. I do know that several years ago, he ...read more

Scripture: John 6:14-15

Denomination: Baptist

When Others Suffer Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Nov 16, 2009

We’ve all been around people who are suffering. When someone around us is suffering, those can be some of the most helpless times of your life. What do you do? What do you say? How should you react? That is what we will look at today in this message

We have all had someone close to us have to go through suffering. Whether it was someone as close as a spouse or a child, or whether it was only a friend or even an acquaintance. We’ve all been around people who are suffering. And I don’t know about you, but those times can be some of the most ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Purpose In Suffering Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Nov 16, 2009

Why? Isn’t that the question most of us ask when we experience suffering? Is there a purpose for suffering? If so, what is it? The answers to those questions are not easy to discover. And many times, when we find the answer, we don’t like what we find.

I’m sure that many of you were doing the same thing that I was doing on Thursday evening. We had finished with the evening session of the pastors conference and I was planning on going back to the room and doing some studying. My laptop had other plans. It crashed. So I turned on the TV to catch ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Source Of Suffering Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Nov 16, 2009

Each of us has to deal with the question of suffering at one point or another. Today we are starting a new four part survey of the book of Job that will specifically deal with the question of suffering. The messages go together, so, if possible, you shoul

Over the next four weeks, we are going to be doing something a little bit different. Tonight, we’re going to allow Job to show us the Source of Suffering. Next week, we’ll see the Purpose in Suffering. After that, we’ll see how we should respond When Others Suffer around us. And we’ll finish ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Remember Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Nov 16, 2009

How can this great book on leadership end this way? This chapter is a reflection on everything that has gone on up until this point. But it’s not a rose-colored reflection. It is an honest look at how quickly the remnant fell away and it demands an hones

That was a lot to read, so I want to briefly give you an overview of what’s going on here. Sometime, either before the chapter, or after verse 3, Nehemiah leaves town to fulfill the promise he made to the king back in chapter 2. We don’t really know exactly how long Nehemiah was gone. It could ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 13:1-31

Denomination: Baptist

The Continuing Celebration Of Support Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Nov 16, 2009

After the remnant completed the impossible task of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, they did what most of us do when we complete a great accomplishment—they celebrated. But their celebration didn’t just end when the party was over. Today we’ll see a very

Today is October 11th. Do you know what that means? It means that there are only 74 shopping days till Christmas. Now, for me, that’s not really that big of a deal because I have been known to do my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve. But for many of you, that’s a big deal. The question is, ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 12:44-47

Denomination: Baptist

Celebration! Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Nov 16, 2009

What do you do when somebody in your family has a birthday? What about if you have an anniversary? You have a party! You celebrate! Are there ever times in the church when we should celebrate? Of course there are! In our passage today, the remnant w

What do you do when somebody in your family has a birthday? What about if you have an anniversary? You have a party! You celebrate! Are there ever times in the church when we should celebrate? Are there ever times when we should have a party? Of course there are! We shouldn’t spend all of ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 12:27-43

Denomination: Baptist

Everyday People Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Nov 16, 2009

As you look at our passage today, you will notice that it is just a list of names—names we don’t recognize and that we can’t pronounce. So why are they important? Because all of these people were everyday people just like we are, and God loves everyday pe

Even though we only read the first 3 verses of chapter 11, our passage tonight goes all the way through verse 26 of chapter 12. So what all is contained in this passage? It’s just another name list. It’s a list of plain, ordinary, everyday people. I don’t know anybody like that, do you? The ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Full Baskets Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Nov 16, 2009

Today, we are looking at one of the most beloved events in all of the New Testament—the time when Jesus fed the 5000 with five loaves and two fish. But despite our familiarity with the account, there are many things we can still learn from it.

This morning we have come to one of the most beloved stories in all of the Bible. Probably most of us have pictures of this event in our mind from children’s story books or Sunday school lessons. On the one hand, it’s good that many of us are very familiar with this event. But on the other hand, ...read more

Scripture: John 6:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Four Witnesses Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Nov 16, 2009

Who is Jesus to you? Is He just a moral teacher? Is He just a storybook character? Throughout John chapter 5, Jesus claimed to be God. And in today’s passage, He brings four witnesses to the stand to corroborate His testimony.

How many of you have ever served on a jury before? I haven’t. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but never have been able to. I’ve been summoned before—several times. We lived in Denver, CO when I joined the Air Force. And almost all of my time in the Air Force, I kept my state residency ...read more

Scripture: John 5:30-47, John 5:39-54

Denomination: Baptist

The Claims Of Christ: Jesus Is God In Judgment Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Nov 16, 2009

As part of our ongoing study in the book of John, we have spent several messages examining some of the claims of Christ. In each of those messages we have seen different ways that Jesus claims to be God. Today we will finish this mini-series as we look

“It’s just not fair!” You’ve heard that before, haven’t you? I can guarantee you that if you’re a parent, you’ve heard that. “All the other kids get to go. Why can’t I go?” And then, being the reasonable person that you are, you give them a logical, well-reasoned defense of your position. You ...read more

Scripture: John 5:25-29

Denomination: Baptist