First Baptist Church Canoga Park Podcast
203 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 months ago -These are the sermons presented by Tim Pickard, senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Canoga Park, CA
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Episodes
Grumbling and Grace
June 12, 2022 19:33 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBAs the Israelites left Egypt and moved to the Promise Land, God tested them, they failed but then received God's grace. Tests- the Israelites undergo two kinds of tests- 1) tests of need- a. for water b. for food c. for water and 2) tests of command- to obey God’s commands surrounding the gathering of Manna. They were tests of whether they would trust and obey God. Failures- the Israelites failed the tests- all of them- they did not trust God’s plan and goodness and provision and they did n...
Sing to the Lord
June 05, 2022 22:32 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBThis week we look at the song Moses and the Israelites sang after the crossing of the Red Sea: 1) What About the Song It’s a Celebration Song It’s a Personal Song It’s a Corporate Song It’s a Godward Song It’s a Formative Song 2) What the Song is About Yahweh’s Power Yahweh’s Wrath Yahweh’s Salvation Yahweh’s Sovereignty Yahweh’s Love
You Have Only to Be Silent
May 29, 2022 19:45 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBToday we will be talking about the parting of the Red Sea. Here are some things to think about: What Israel Does Fears Questions Forgets Doubts What God Does Leads Protects Fights Saves What Israel is called to do Do not fear Stand Firm See Salvation Be Silent Key verse- 14:14- “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."
The Passover Lamb
May 22, 2022 21:34 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBToday we will look at the Passover Lamb. There are three points: 1) The Passover Experienced- God’s warnings, instructions, the killing of the firstborn and the deliverance of God’s people from Egypt. 2) The Passover Remembered- in the Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Redemption of the Firstborn 3) The Passover Fulfilled- in Jesus- he is the true and better Passover Lamb who delivers us from our slavery to be God’s holy people.
Exodus 7:6-10:29: That You May Know
May 15, 2022 21:35 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBWhat was God's purpose in the plagues and the exodus? Let's find out.... 1) The Essence of God’s Aim- God’s aim is to make himself known- to show his glory through Pharaoh, the Israelites and the exodus. Everything he does is aimed at this. We see this supremely at the cross where he gloriously displays his wisdom and justice and power and love and grace. 2) The Extent of God’s Aim- God’s aim is to make himself known in the widest scope imaginable. Here we see he is seeking to make himself k...
The Finger of God
May 08, 2022 19:13 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBToday we are going to talk about the first nine plagues. We can divide this sermon into three parts: 1) Yahweh Judges Pharaoh 2) Yahweh Judges the Magicians 3) Yahweh Judges the gods of Egypt
Unexpected Setbacks
May 03, 2022 22:36 - 51 minutes - 47.1 MBThings don't always go as expected, even in ministry. As we look at the life of Moses, let's see how he responds to trials and disappointment: 1) Expect it to Be Hard- Moses and the Israelites seemed to believe that getting out of Egypt would be easy and immediate. They shouldn’t have- God had told them it would be hard and that it wouldn’t happen right away. We need to realize that it is often difficult and painful for follow Jesus and things don’t always happen in the timeframe we would pre...
God’s Passion for His People
April 24, 2022 19:53 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MB1) God’s Passion for His People to Be His- God cares about his people- he wants them to be h is own- to be with him- to worship him. This is seen in how he interacts with Pharaoh. 2) God’s Passion for His People to Be Pure- God cares about the purity of his people- about them being holy and set apart for him. Moses missed this and was only delivered through blood.
The Living Christ
April 17, 2022 19:36 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBThere are three ways Jesus is at work today: 1. The Living Christ is Ruling as King- which gives us comfort in the midst of the craziness and brokenness of our world 2. The Living Christ is Building His Church- which gives us confidence and hope in the face of various obstacles and our weakness. 3. The Living Christ is Interceding for His People- which gives us freedom and joy in the face of our sin and our neediness.
Send Someone Else
April 10, 2022 19:46 - 39 minutes - 35.9 MBMoses finds it difficult to trust God. He comes up with many excuses. Here is God's response: 1) Yahweh's Patience: God is incredibly patient with Moses- with all of his questions and objections. This should encourage us to come to him with our questions and yet also lead us to trust him and obey him. 2) Yahweh's Provision: God didn’t have to but he did provide for Moses far beyond what he even needed- signs, promises, help, assurances, etc. Whatever callings we’ve been given we can trust tha...
I Am
April 03, 2022 23:15 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBIn Exodus 3, God reveals Himself to Moses: 1) Transcendent: God is transcendent- above and over all. He is holy, self-defining, self-existent, eternal, sovereign. 2) God is immanent- near and with us. He is compassionate, gracious, and faithful.
Not What I Expected
March 27, 2022 23:19 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MBToday we look at the faith of Moses' mother and the faithfulness of God. 1) Unexpected Rescue- Moses rescue from Pharaoh’s edict is surprising in many ways- it echoes how God saves- using even the evil intentions of men to rescue sinners. 2) Unexpected Rejection- Moses thought he should be received and appreciated for trying to help his fellow Israelites- instead he was rejected- he wasn’t ready, he hadn’t learned God’s ways and it wasn’t God’s timing. 3) Unexpected Route- Moses’ 40 years in...
Unstoppable Faithfulness
March 20, 2022 20:24 - 39 minutes - 35.7 MBWe are starting a new series in the book of Exodus. Today's message is Unstoppable Faithfulness. 1) Faithfulness Revealed 2) Faithfulness Relied On
The Keeper of Your Soul
March 13, 2022 20:08 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBQuestion - Where do you turn to get encourage3ment and hope? Jesus is our hope in life and in death. God will keep you as you journey through life. Today's sermon has two parts: 1) Power of the keeper vs 1-2 2) The Care of the keeper vs 3-8 1) God never sleeps or gets tired vs 3-4 2) God covers us vs 5-6 3) God endures to the end. Vs 7-8 When our faith fails, God is still faithful.
A Prayer Before Battle
March 06, 2022 21:10 - 39 minutes - 36 MBPsalm 20 is a prayer of David for the king and commander before he goes into battle. We can learn from this how God is fighting the evil that is in this world and how we can fight with Him in His way. How can we be involved in conquering evil? 1) Name the evil things 2) Prayer - Pray the Psalms like Jesus did. 3) Tell stories how God has conquered evil.
God Has Spoken - Part 4 - What About This Book and Others?
February 27, 2022 23:23 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MBBible Study is meant to be a team sport. There are two parts to today's message: 1) Receive God’s Word Together- Scripture presents a pattern, an expectation and commands that we will receive God’s word together- we will read it together and we will listen to it taught and preached together. 2) Give God’s Word to Each Other- every Christian is called to give God’s word to each other- not just pastors/teachers, but every member. It starts with us receiving God’s word and then we overflow with...
God Has Spoken - Part 3 - What Is This Book About?
February 20, 2022 21:16 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MBWhat is the Bible about? 1) Its About God’s Nature- Scripture reveals what God is like- his various attributes and perfections. 2) Its About God’s Ways- Scripture reveals God’s works- the patterns of how he works and acts in the world. 3) Its About God’s Design- Scripture reveals God’s design for creation and specifically for humanity- what we were made for, how we are to live, etc. 4) It’s About God’s Story- Scripture reveals God’s plan for his creation- Creation, Fall, Redemption, Re-Creati...
God Has Spoken - Part 2: Do You Know What This Book Does?
February 13, 2022 20:45 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBGod’s Word: 1) Created All Things 2) Rules the Universe 3) Directs History 4) Brings Judgment 5) Gives Spiritual Life 6) Brings About Faith 7) Set Sinners Free 8) Nourishes Believers 0) Sanctifies Christians 10) Searches Hearts 11) Equips Us
God Has Spoken - Part 1: What is this Book?
February 06, 2022 20:47 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBThis morning we are starting anew series about the Bible. Today's sermon has two main points: 1) The Ultimate Question: where did the Bible come from is the ultimate question- or in other words, who wrote it? In one sense it was written by man but ultimately it was written by God- breathed out by him. This should blow our minds! We want to come to Scripture every time with an awareness that God is real and that these words are his words. 2) The Massive Implications: there are tons of massive...
More Than Issues - Part 4: Immigration
January 30, 2022 21:32 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBImmigration is an important topic in the Bible. Here are four things to consider: 1) Immigrants and the Bible: in the Bible there are number of immigrants- Adam and Eve, Abraham, Jacob, Israel, Jesus. 2) Immigrants and the Gospel: there are a couple of gospel connections that show how we were and are foreigners/migrants. For one, we were foreigners to God’s kingdom- alienated- shut out and Jesus welcomed us in at the cost of his life. Second, now as Christians we are a part of God’s kingdom ...
More Than Issues - Part 3: Abortion
January 24, 2022 16:51 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBThe subject of abortion can be polarizing. Today we will talk about these two points: 1) Seeing People- 1) seeing the women considering abortions as people- reflecting on their desperation, fears, pain, etc. 2) seeing the babies in the womb as people- they are precious image bearers- real human beings by any measure- and to take their lives is an unspeakable evil. 2) Loving People- how do we love and serve the people involved- MOMS- 1) be the right kind of people 2) be present and listen 3) ...
More Than Issues - Part 2: Race
January 16, 2022 20:26 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBHow does the Gospel enable us to fight ethnic sin and pursue ethnic unity as the church? 1) The Gospel Flattens Ethnic Superiority- the gospel tells us we’re all condemned sinners regardless of our good works, our ethnicity, etc. It also tells us that we’re all invited to come to Christ and be redeemed/forgiven/reconciled. In this there is no room for boasting or any sense of superiority. 2) The Gospel Creates Multi-Ethnic Unity- this same gospel creates a remarkable unity- a unity that bri...
More Than Issues Part 1 - Homosexuality
January 09, 2022 20:50 - 57 minutes - 52.4 MBWhat does the Bible say about homosexuality and how should we respond to those who are gay? 1) Scripture and Homosexuality- dealing with he relevant texts of Scripture- Genesis 1, Leviticus, Romans 1, and 1 Corinthians 6 2) People and Homosexuality- addressing different people- 1) the Christian who feels grieved, fearful, angry 2) the Christian who is questioning the Bible’s teaching 3) the Christian who experiences same-sex attraction 3) the individual living a homosexual lifestyle.
One Thing is Necessary
January 02, 2022 21:21 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBLearning from Jesus is essential. Are you distracted by other things? There are two points to today's sermon: 1) The Danger of the Many Things: there are lots of things we could give ourselves to- lots of things that capture our attention and that seem necessary. But when we view them as necessary it distracts us- it causes anxiety and worry, etc. 2) The Necessity of the One Thing: Jesus himself and his words is what we truly need- he is our life- our joy- everything. Giving ourselves to h...
God With Us
December 19, 2021 21:54 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBAhaz refused to trust God but instead trusted in his own plan. From this we learn: 1) Give Up on Trusting Men- Ahaz didn’t want to trust/depend on God- he wanted to depend on Assyria and its visible, strong looking armies. The result was that they turned on him, he was enslaved. This is what happens when we put our ultimate trust in men. 2) Go All in on Trusting Jesus- in spite of Ahaz’s faithlessness God still acted for his people ultimately sending his Son as a virgin born baby to rescue a...
"A Ruler Will Come Forth"
December 12, 2021 20:52 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBFour Qualities of the Coming King: 1) The Lowly King: Micah emphasizes that this king will come from a lowly and unexpected town. This echoes David himself whose descendant Jesus is. Jesus fulfilled this with much of his life, walking in lowliness as he came to rescue the lowly- us. 2) The Representative King: the Lord says this king will be “for me”. This was supposed to be what the king’s of Israel was to do but only Jesus fulfilled it. He represented God and fulfilled God’s big mission p...
Lament - Part 4 - Trust
December 05, 2021 22:08 - 38 minutes - 35 MBThis last sermon on "Lament" has three parts: 1) Committing to Trust: there is an active seeking to trust we see in the Psalmist- they call truth to mind, they talk to themselves, the commit to trust God no matter what. 2) Struggling to Trust: at the same time trust is clearly a struggle- its not automatic, its not easy- its a struggle and sometimes we are so weak all we can do is ask God to give us strength to trust him. 3) Resting in Trust: when we come to a place of trust and worship ther...
Lament - Part 3 - Ask
November 28, 2021 22:23 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MBThis is the third sermon on the subject of Lament. There are two points: 1) How to Ask- 1) with honesty 2) with dependence 3) with boldness 4) with God-centeredness 2) What to Ask: 1) Hear 2) Save 3) Teach 4) Bring Justice 5) Forgive
Lament - Part 2 - Complaint
November 21, 2021 20:33 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBThe process of Lament has four steps: 1) Turn to God 2) Complaint 3) Ask 4) Trust This week we will look at the area of complaint. This sermon has three parts, 1) Bring Every Pain 2) Bring Every Emotion 3) Bring Every Question Kinds of questions: 1) How Long? 2) Why?
Lament - Part 1 - Turn
November 14, 2021 22:06 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBThe question is, "What do I do when I experience grief and pain?" The answer is to go through a process called lament. There are four steps to this process, 1) Turn to God, 2) Complain, 3) Ask, 4) Trust. Today we will look at the first step, Turn to God.
Made Alive in the Son
November 07, 2021 20:47 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBWe find deep soul satisfaction when we: 1) Receive Jesus (Colossians 3:8-10) 2) Rooted in Jesus (Colossians 3:11-12) 3) Rejoice in Jesus (Colossians 3:13-15) But we must do more than this, we must walk in Jesus (Colossians 3:6-7)
Run
October 31, 2021 19:09 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBHow can we run the race with endurance? Here are three guiding points from Hebrews 12:1-2: 1) Carefully Consider Past Racers- we look to those who’ve come before and listen to their testimony that it is possible by God’s grace to make it to the end and it is worth it. Their lives show that God is indeed faithful. 2) Relentlessly Remove Obstacles- as runners we don’t want to be slowed down. There are two things that can slow us down- weights, which would be anything that burdens us/holds us ...
To be continued...
October 24, 2021 19:05 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBOur last sermon from the book of Acts. This sermon comes in three parts.... 1) Jesus’ Power to the Ends of the Earth- in Malta we see Jesus work through Paul in miraculous ways showing there are no boundaries to his reign and power. He is King everywhere and his kingdom is spreading everywhere. 2) Jesus’ Family to the Ends of the Earth- Paul meets believers along the way to Rome showing again that Jesus’ family is not limited by geography or culture. Everywhere we go we have family. Everywhe...
Shipwrecked
October 17, 2021 19:16 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MBPaul was shipwrecked, but what can we learn from it? Here are two points: 1) God Protects: throughout this storm God protects Paul and the other passengers. Its not simple or comfortable but he protects. And he does it through various means. All of the protection is aimed at preserving his messenger and continuing the unstoppable spread of the gospel. 2) Paul Leads: Paul steps forward a number of times in this passage and speaks up. In this leadership here we see 1) Trust 2) Love 3) Confide...
Unlikely Opportunities
October 10, 2021 21:10 - 54 minutes - 50.4 MBThis week's sermon looks at 5 different topics found in Acts 24-26. They are: 1) Judges- Felix, Festus, Agrippa 2) Accusations- causing riots, illegal religion, defiling temple 3) Defense- Paul denies allegations, points out there is no proof, presents what he was actually about and what he actually did 4) Offense- Paul doesn’t just defend himself- he is looking to preach the gospel to these rulers and see them come to Christ 5) Verdict- while they don’t ever give a verdict because of their ...
An Infusion of Courage
October 10, 2021 00:33 - 38 minutes - 34.8 MBHow did Paul have courage to continue his mission for the Lord? Let's look at Paul's life from Acts 23. 1) Paul’s Actions: Paul acts to avoid death. In a trial where its clear he’s just going to get a guilty verdict he acts wisely/shrewdly to avoid death. And in the course of it he also gets to proclaim the fulfillment of Jewish hopes of the resurrection in Jesus. There’s a lesson here that we’re called to act, to act wisely, etc. 1) Jesus’ Protection: Jesus comes to Paul and speaks words g...
A Final Attempt
September 26, 2021 19:56 - 44 minutes - 41 MBThis is Paul's final attempt to share the good news of Jesus Christ to his fellow Jews. Again they reject his message. Paul carefully shares his message by: 1) Tearing Down Objections: as Paul speaks to the Jewish people he seeks to tear down their objection that the gospel is anti-Jewish or somehow goes against the OT. Instead, he honors Jewish tradition and points to the gospel as the fulfillment/completion of all the OT spoke of. The way the Paul is sensitive to where they are at and work...
Following Jesus
September 22, 2021 02:00 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBIn this passage we see three ways we are called to follow Jesus: 1. On Mission Like Jesus: Paul’s experience echoes Jesus’. He is headed towards Jerusalem, there are predictions of danger awaiting there, and he’s determined to go anyways. He is committed to his mission. His mission is not to die for/save people but to spread the good news of Jesus. And he is willing to pay any cost to see that happen. Are we following Jesus on mission? 2. Uniting People Like Jesus: Paul works hard here to u...
Care for the Flock
September 12, 2021 20:20 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBToday's sermon is the longest sermon directed toward Christians in the church. During this sermon Paul is calling the elders to shepherd the flock faithfully- He does this through his instruction and through recounting his example. The primary way he calls them to shepherd is through word ministry- teaching, testifying, admonishing, etc. This word ministry is done with 1) humility 2) heart 3) courage 4) comprehensiveness 5) authenticity 6) alertness 7) persistence 8) relationships
Willing to Suffer
September 05, 2021 19:37 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBPaul suffered but continued to be bold in his preaching of the Gospel. Here in 2 Timothy, Paul shares how he can be so bold in the midst of persecution: Key themes: call to not be ashamed, call to be willing to suffer for the Gospel, emphasis on what the Gospel is that we are to be willing to suffer for, and finally Paul’s example of suffering well.
Truth-Filled Symbols
August 29, 2021 21:27 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBBaptism and Communion. We need to understand the truth of these symbols. Here are two points: 1) Saved Through the Waters: highlighting the theme of waters being judgment through Scripture and how we are saved through these waters of judgment- with Jesus receiving the judgment and us coming through the other side to new life. That’s what’s being symbolized in baptism. 2) Remembering Through Memorials: noting how important it was throughout Scripture to remember God’s saving acts- and he se...
Encouragement
August 22, 2021 23:28 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MBThis week's sermon is about encouragement... 1) Why Encourage: what is encouragement- its a calling alongside to help someone- to exhort, comfort, etc. and we all need this- the people Paul spoke with did- many were newer Christians enduring very difficult circumstances. They needed help. So who around us needs help? And what about us- have we sought help? 2) How to Encourage: Paul encourages primarily through words- spoken and written. They are words of different sorts that give people what...
No Little Disturbance
August 15, 2021 21:41 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBThis sermon is about the idols in our lives and is based on Acts 19:21-41. There are two points: 1) Jesus Exposes Your Idols: when Jesus arrives he threatens and exposes idols as he changes lives. For the Ephesians it was Artemis- but it was really sex, wealth and cultural identity. For us it may be other things but we all have idols that need exposed. 2) Jesus is Better Than Your Idols: Jesus is real (idols aren’t), Jesus cannot die (our idols do), Jesus satisfies our souls (our idols don’t...
Unrivaled Power
August 08, 2021 23:38 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBToday's sermon is from Acts 19:11-20. It is about the miracles God performed through Paul in Ephesus. Also, the seven sons of Sceva try to use the words of Paul to cast out deamons. Here are the three points: 1) The Power of Jesus: through Paul the power of God is demonstrated- beyond anything that the Ephesians had ever seen. 2) The Attempt to Use Jesus: the seven sons of Sceva attempt to use/harness Jesus’ power for their own means/gain. It doesn’t go so well. We try to do this in ways a...
Never Settle For Less
August 01, 2021 20:15 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBToday we learn of people who have accepted the teachings of John the Baptist but knew little of Christ: 1) The Limitations of John- both Apollos and the group of disciples in Ephesus knew only the baptism of John. This meant their knowledge of and experience of Christ was deficient and limited. John’s ministry and message simply didn’t give them all they needed- he wasn’t the Savior. Sometimes we look to people/sources besides Jesus and we need to realize they are limited. 2) The Fullness of...
Help
July 25, 2021 19:22 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBGod provides for us as we minister for Him. Here is how God provided help for Paul: 1) Help in the Form of Friends: God gives Paul friends- first Priscilla and Aquila who give both companionship and financial help and then Silas and Timothy who bring encouraging words, financial help and companionship. There’s a lesson here for us to step out on mission and serve with others- not alone. 2) Help in the Form of a Vision: it seems that Paul was weak- fearful and Jesus appears to him and gives ...
Mars Hill
July 18, 2021 19:51 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBPaul saw the idol worship in Athens and it provoked him to speak.... 1) See Something: Paul saw the idols of Athens- but he didn’t just see- he saw beneath the surface to the futility and emptiness of it. He felt the grief and jealousy of God as he saw the idolatry. He saw that people were eternally lost and that Jesus was being dishonored. 2) Say Something: because Paul saw- truly saw- he spoke. He declared to them the living God- so unlike their imaginary gods. The living God is 1) supreme...
How to Hear
July 11, 2021 20:48 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBPaul experienced this during his second missionary journey: 1) Blind Rejection: the Jews in Thessalonica by and large blindly rejected the gospel. This wasn’t driven by intellectual objections or not understanding it- it was driven by what they loved- by their commitment to the status quo. They loved having crowds come to synagogue- they loved their comfortable interpretation of Scripture- and when Paul’s teaching got in the way they reacted with jealousy and hostility. Far too often this is ...
The Surprising Ways of God
July 04, 2021 19:57 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBGod works in amazing ways. Here are some insights: 1) Surprising Direction: God gives rather unexpected and somewhat mysterious direction- prohibiting them from ministering in certain place and clearly directing them to another. We don’t know his reasoning or in some cases even how he directed. What we can know is that he directs us- he is active in leading us to places where he wants us to share Jesus. 2) Surprising Means: God uses means we wouldn’t expect. On the one hand he uses a demon-...
Gospel Teamwork
June 27, 2021 20:06 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBCan God us conflict within ministry for good? Often He does. This week's sermon is divided into two parts: 1) The Struggles of Gospel Teamwork- Paul and Barnabas have a sharp disagreement over Mark and separate. There is good here though- 1) it gives us a realistic picture and therefore expectations for the church 2) it results in two teams of missionaries instead of one 3) it teaches us about restoration as Mark is eventually restored and affirmed by Paul. 2) The Sweetness of Gospel Teamw...