Middle Street Baptist Church Sermons
302 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsWeekly sermons from Middle Street Baptist Church
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One Flock Following One Shepherd
April 11, 2021 19:14 - 30 minutes - 14.1 MBHow do we understand the church in a post-pandemic world? The Bible offers a series of metaphors to describe the church’s role in the world. This morning we examine Jesus’ description of a shepherd and his flock. “I am the good shepherd,” Jesus claims. “The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” How does the description of a shepherd and his sheep color our role and calling in our world?
How Not to Build a Kingdom
April 04, 2021 15:49 - 25 minutes - 11.7 MBWhen you examine how Jesus begins to build his kingdom after he is raised from the dead, you quickly notice that he does not follow the expected paths or best practices. In fact, he seems to stack the deck against himself. Why would he assign himself such a competitive disadvantage? As we celebrate the resurrection, we see just how unexpectedly perfect God’s plans are.
Feasting as an Act of War
March 28, 2021 16:03 - 29 minutes - 13.7 MBThis morning we continue to reflect on Psalm 23, this time exploring the image of God, the host of a great dinner party, who invites us, his prized friends, to a feast. How does it change your life to know that God not only provides for you and protects you, but he prizes you?
A Song for Dark Days
March 21, 2021 16:01 - 30 minutes - 14.2 MBThe most famous Psalm begins, The Lord is my shepherd. This morning we reflect on the image of a shepherd and his sheep. When the days are dark and we find ourselves in the valley of the shadow of death, lasting hope can only be found with a good shepherd.
A Song for When Sin Seems Good
March 14, 2021 16:08 - 34 minutes - 15.9 MBEach of us looks to various desires to prove our significance in life. We may find our worth in providing for family, finding a spouse to fulfill us, achievement at work or school, establishing a good reputation, or even in physical beauty. The Psalms teach us that those things will inevitably fall short, and that the Christian response is not renounce those desires, but to find a better desire—one that can actually deliver on its promises. Hear this morning how Jesus is our better desire.
Hope is Not Wishful Thinking
March 07, 2021 18:25 - 32 minutes - 14.9 MBWhen we talk about hope, we often mean something too anemic. Hope is not man-made, wishful thinking. Hope is not a sense of denial or passivity. Christian hope is something deeper—stronger—far more durable that we understand. This morning Doran Morford helps us explore a more resilient hope.
A Song for When We are Afraid
February 28, 2021 14:13 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBThe Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? It feels like we have had lots to fear over the past year. How can we find freedom from those fears and anxieties? This morning our region minister, Dale Edwards, shows us how our fears make poor counselors.
A Song for Sleepless Nights
February 21, 2021 17:01 - 32 minutes - 15 MBWhat keeps you up at night? In David’s case, it was his own son trying to kill him, and possibly widespread crop failures, and his opponents ridiculing his reputation. Yet he writes, “I will lie down and sleep in peace.” (Psalm 4:8) Where does such confidence come from? How can we likewise sleep well when we face worry, stress, and anxiety?
The Lord Will Provide
February 14, 2021 17:33 - 30 minutes - 14.1 MBIt’s one of the most chilling stories in the Bible: God tests Abraham and asks him to sacrifice his own son. How does Abraham respond, and what does it demonstrate about Abraham’s relationship with God?
Grace Changes You
February 07, 2021 17:28 - 28 minutes - 13.1 MBIn Luke 5 Jesus causes Simon, a fisherman, to haul in the catch of a lifetime. So many fish that his boat begins to sink. Then Simon leaves the catch of fish on the shore to follow Jesus. If you had just landed the catch of a lifetime, what would motivate you to leave it behind?
Ordinary, Everyday Love
January 31, 2021 17:36 - 32 minutes - 14.7 MBThere is one commandment, God tells us, that is the most important: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. “How can I do that?” you may ask. In Deuteronomy 6 God gives us not only the most important, overarching command, but also some very ordinary, everyday guidance to teach us how we can grow in our love for him.
The Fuel and the Accelerator
January 24, 2021 17:06 - 34 minutes - 15.8 MBA car without fuel won’t go anywhere. Neither will a car full of gas, but without pressing the gas pedal. You need both fuel and an accelerator to get anywhere. Knowing God is similar. We need a fuel—a hunger for him. And we need an accelerator—a way to put that fuel to good use. This morning we consider the accelerator of the Scriptures. How can a consistent, day-in-and-day-out engagement with God’s word draw you closer to God and make you more Christlike?
Scarcity and Abundance
January 17, 2021 16:58 - 33 minutes - 15.3 MBThere are two ways we can live: we can live from a mindset of scarcity, believing that everything is a zero-sum game, and we must get as much as we can, lest we don’t have enough; or we can live from a mindset of abundance, believing that God has limitless resources and wants to bless us abundantly. An abundance mindset leads to a radically generous lifestyle. Hear more:
Rejoice—with joy! Very large! Very much!
January 03, 2021 17:07 - 25 minutes - 11.6 MBThe story of the magi (wise men) is often told as part of the Christmas story, although it probably occurs at least a year after Jesus was born. Far from being distant and irrelevant, we see in their story our own story—of people far from God, who almost unintentionally find God and can’t help but worship.
Mercy in the Darkness (Zechariah's Song)
December 20, 2020 17:19 - 27 minutes - 12.7 MBZechariah finds himself unexpectedly at the crossroads of longing and fulfillment, as his son, John, becomes the last great prophet before Jesus. In his song, he grapples with the mercy of God—how God promises mercy and how God provides mercy. And we find that God’s mercy often takes unexpected turns.
Joy in the Darkness (Isaiah's Song)
December 13, 2020 16:31 - 19 minutes - 8.75 MB“Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem,” God tells the Israelites in Isaiah 52, and two chapters later, “Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy…” Is God so cruel as to command a ruined city to rejoice—to ask an infertile woman to sing for joy? When the world around us is bleak, how do we find joy?
Worship in the Darkness (Mary's Song)
December 06, 2020 14:52 - 23 minutes - 11 MBWhen Gabriel tells Mary she is pregnant with Jesus, we usually focus on why this is such good news. And it is. But for Mary, it’s complicated. Mary is young and unmarried, and her baby bump means sure social condemnation and exile. Yet she sings, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my Spirit rejoices in God my savior.” How can she sing such an exuberant song when her future is murky and uncertain?
Something Good Is Going On Inside
November 29, 2020 17:06 - 27 minutes - 12.5 MBAt one point Luke describes a group of friends who are willing to cut a hole in the roof of a house where Jesus is staying, just to lower their paralyzed friend through the ceiling to Jesus can heal him. To what lengths would you go to encounter Jesus? Listen as Ryan Tankersley, a pastor from our sister church, New Hope Baptist Church, challenges us to seek God no matter what.
Gratitude: the Antidote to Worry
November 22, 2020 17:24 - 25 minutes - 11.8 MBThis year has caused many of us to worry about many things. As our minds this year are drawn to themes of sickness and antidotes, can we find an antidote not to a virus, but to the worry so many of us feel? Terry Shanahan shares how gratitude can transform our attitude and our lives.
The Courage to Wait
November 15, 2020 17:18 - 34 minutes - 15.7 MBPsalm 27 strikes us with an unresolved ending, like a dissonant jazz chord: Wait for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord. This morning we explore what it may look like to wait for the Lord, and how remembering his faithfulness in the past gives us courage to wait well.
Freedom and Submission
November 08, 2020 17:01 - 33 minutes - 15.3 MBSeveral New Testament authors instruct us to submit to government authorities. This is especially difficult in our American culture, which has historical roots in rebellion against authority. And when nearly half of our country is dissatisfied with the results of our election, how can we nevertheless submit? The answer is found in freedom, which is not the opposite of submission, but the prerequisite to submission. You cannot submit, it turns out, unless you are truly free.
Supernatural Civility
November 01, 2020 17:27 - 28 minutes - 12.8 MBOur modern political world seems like a dog-eat-dog world. Kill or be killed. That attitude does not inspire gentleness and civility. Yet Jesus calls us to civility—and greater still, to love. As Christians who want to engage in the political sphere instead of running away, how can we do so with a spirit of civility and love?
Dignity, Responsibility, and Humility
October 25, 2020 16:14 - 34 minutes - 15.8 MBAmerican Christians often struggle to know how to engage politically in our world. On the one hand, withdrawal doesn’t seem like an option, but on the other hand, neither major party can seem all that appealing either. This morning we look at how God calls us to affirm the dignity of all people, the responsibility of all Christians to promote the image of God in all people, and the spirit of humility that ought to leaven all our political engagement.
Christ our King
October 18, 2020 14:01 - 30 minutes - 14.1 MBIn a tense election season many Christians find themselves torn. They hear from one side that Christians should vote Republican, from another side that Christians should vote Democrat, and from still another that Christians should somehow avoid politics altogether. How do we make sense of our faith in a turbulent political world?
Appetites and Cravings
October 11, 2020 14:57 - 29 minutes - 13.4 MBSpiritual practices are gifts God gives us that help us to know him better and become more like him. This morning we think about fasting, a practice many of us may prefer to avoid. It is helpful to think about fasting positively, rather than negatively. That is, fasting is not about what we give up, but about how we are filled up.
Babbling Brooks and Lumps of Coal
October 04, 2020 17:36 - 28 minutes - 13.3 MBSpiritual practices are gifts God gives us that help us to know him better and become more like him. This morning we think about weekly gathered worship, a difficult topic when many of us are unable to gather because of the pandemic. Yet weekly, gathered, worship is an indispensible part of our faith practice. Why does God create us with a need for community, and how can we practice the principles of gathered worship when we’re not in the same room?
The Gift of Rest
September 27, 2020 18:15 - 33 minutes - 15.3 MBSpiritual practices are gifts God gives us that help us to know him better and become more like him. This morning we focus on rest and Sabbath. More than an archaic demand to “reserve a day for God,” Sabbath is God’s gift to restore and refresh us spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. So why do we not take advantage of it? Listen as we parse the true ground for Sabbath, obstacles we face to practicing Sabbath, and how Sabbath can refresh us in our modern world.
Marinating Prayer
September 20, 2020 13:08 - 32 minutes - 14.9 MBSpiritual practices are gifts God gives us that help us to know him better and become more like him. This morning we spend some time thinking about prayer. Jesus teaches us, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.” (John 15:7) But we have all asked God for things and not gotten them. What did Jesus mean? What is the true purpose of prayer? And how can we pray better?
A Bigger Story
September 06, 2020 15:27 - 29 minutes - 13.3 MBThe Book of Ruth ends with what, to our modern ears, sounds like a boring anti-climax: a list of names in a family tree. But read through the lens of an original reader, and knowing what we know about ancient cultures, we find that the author of Ruth makes a meaningful point with that list of names: God is writing a bigger story than you or I could imagine.
Know the God Who Knows You
August 30, 2020 15:41 - 24 minutes - 11.4 MBIn Ruth 3 Naomi instructs Ruth to take a very unusual—and some may say, suspect—series of actions. Though they had the best of intents, we might wonder at the wisdom of their actions. The text is vague enough that we don’t know for certain, but could the story of Ruth 3 still point us to Christ, and perhaps even more effectively, if Ruth turns out to be less savory than we thought?
What's Next?
August 23, 2020 16:40 - 32 minutes - 15.1 MBIn Ruth 2 we see two pictures of active faith from two very different perspectives. Naomi and Ruth demonstrate their faith from a position of weakness, while Boaz demonstrates his faith from a position of strength. Does your faith feel weak right now? Strong? Somewhere in between? This morning we ask how a simple question—“What’s next?”—can act like starter fluid for our faith.
Bitter Mercy
August 16, 2020 16:32 - 32 minutes - 14.7 MBThe story of Ruth is a story of bitterness and mercy. This morning we ask, “How could Ruth still follow the God who had allowed so much bitterness into her life?”
Jonah: God's Priorities
August 09, 2020 15:40 - 21 minutes - 29.1 MBThis is the third and final part of Doran’s study and look into the book of Jonah. Part three focuses on God’s priorities and the final ten verses of the book.
God's Priorities
August 09, 2020 15:40Attached is the worksheet for the third and final segment Doran Morford’s 3 part study of the book of Jonah. The audio file for the sermon will be posted following service on Sunday. God’s Priorities
Jonah: God's Compassion
August 02, 2020 22:43 - 19 minutes - 26.2 MBIn part 2 of Doran Morford’s 3 part study of the book of Jonah, the third chapter is explored. This time, Jonah listens to God and does what he commands. When Jonah tells the people of Nineveh that their city will be destroyed, they repent, which is exactly what God wanted. Doran helps us to understand why exactly God did this.
God's Compassion
August 02, 2020 22:43 - 26.2 MBIn part 2 of Doran Morford’s 3 part study of the book of Jonah, the third chapter is explored. This time, Jonah listens to God and does what he commands. When Jonah tells the people of Nineveh that their city will be destroyed, they repent, which is exactly what God wanted. Doran helps us to understand what exactly God did this. God’s Compassion Worksheet
Jonah: God's Sovereignty
July 26, 2020 04:25 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBIn Part 1 of Doran Morford’s three part study of the book of Jonah, he explores the first 17 verses of the book and takes a deeper dive into the meaning.
Introduction to Jonah
July 26, 2020 04:25 - 34.7 MBIn Part 1 of Doran Morford’s three part study of the book of Jonah, he explores the first 17 verses of the book and takes a deeper dive into the meaning. Below are two study sheets that were alluded to during service on Sunday. Background Sheet God’s Sovereignty Worksheet
The Good Samaritan
July 20, 2020 00:49 - 34 minutes - 16 MBMost Christians are familiar with Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. Most American states even have “good samaritan laws.” This morning we spend some time with a very familiar story, asking the same question as the Jewish expert in the law who talked with Jesus: “What does it mean to love my neighbor?”
Merit and Mercy
July 12, 2020 17:05 - 28 minutes - 13.1 MBThis morning, as we look for guidance in the racial tension so prevalent today, we look for God’s heart in the Old Testament law. What is the purpose, spirit, and goal of the law, and how does God show his compassion through the law?
Repent
July 05, 2020 15:56 - 29 minutes - 13.3 MBWith the deep racial tension in America today, how do we respond? The answers aren’t clear, especially in a majority-white church in one of the whitest states in America. We feel that we have to do something, but we’re not sure what. Our first step is to listen to the stories of our brothers and sisters of color; our second step is to lament as we hear their stories of being treated unjustly. This morning we begin to look at repentance. To repent means to change—it’s a change of mind and...
Lament
June 21, 2020 16:07 - 31 minutes - 14.5 MBWith the deep racial tension in America today, how do we respond? The answers aren’t clear, especially in a majority-white church in one of the whitest states in America. We feel that we have to do something, but we’re not sure what. As we take time to carefully listen to our non-white brothers and sisters, we will inevitably find ourselves drawn toward lament. Although lament seems dark and hopeless, it actually paves the way forward. Hear how the gospel empowers us to lament well.
Stop and Listen
June 14, 2020 14:39 - 35 minutes - 16.4 MBWith the deep racial tension in America today, how do we respond? The answers aren’t clear, especially in a majority-white church in one of the whitest states in America. We feel that we have to do something, but we’re not sure what. Our first step as Christians is to stop and listen. To hear the stories of our non-white brothers and sisters, and even to lean into the discomfort we may feel. And as we listen, we can become like Christ to our brothers and sisters whose voices have for so ...
Relationship and Right
May 31, 2020 17:01 - 37 minutes - 17 MBHow should Christians disagree? Disagreement is inevitable, especially in gray areas where right and wrong isn’t clear. Paul gives us a window into two disagreements that early Christians faced: whether it was ok to eat meat, and whether they should still observe a Sabbath. When we sacrifice our relationships on the altar of our rights or being right, Paul says we get it wrong. How will we relate to one another, and potentially disagree, as we think about our response to the coronavirus?
The Word and Work of God
May 24, 2020 16:30 - 31 minutes - 14.2 MBGod wants to transform us—to make us more fully human. He transforms our lives through his Word. This morning we look at how God uses his Word to draw people who are far from him near to him, and to draw people who are near to God nearer to him.
Remember and Persevere
May 17, 2020 15:53 - 30 minutes - 13.9 MBWhen we’re stuck in the wilderness, and there’s no end in sight, what do we do? The Israelites are at the beginning of a 40-year “exile.” How can they cope with that? God gives the answer: perseverance comes through remembering. Here’s how one simple practice can sustain us almost indefinitely.
God on Trial
May 10, 2020 15:55 - 31 minutes - 14.4 MBIn this third of three consecutive stories, God leads the Israelites further into the wilderness, they find themselves without water, they complain to God, and he provides water. It sounds familiar, but now the Israelites are really fed up. So, in effect, they put God on trial, accusing, convicting, and sentencing him. How does God respond when his people put him in the defendant’s seat?
Give Us This Day Tomorrow's Bread
May 03, 2020 15:49 - 29 minutes - 13.5 MBWhy would God lead his people to the desert where they have no food? The Israelites ask that question of God in Exodus 16, and when we find ourselves in the Wilderness, we often ask the same question. “Why have you brought me here, God?” “Are you still there?” This morning, as we look for God in the Wilderness, we see that God is not only present, but his mercy is over the top.
The Week After Easter
April 19, 2020 16:15 - 17 minutes - 8.21 MBThe week after Jesus rose from the dead his followers were in disbelief. Some had seen him, but most hadn’t. They were tentative. Afraid. Unsure what to think. Thomas famously insisted, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” “Doubting Thomas” often gets a bad rap, but don’t we often feel the same way? When we have to see something to believe it, what happens when Jesus shows up? Can doubt...
Afraid Yet Filled With Joy
April 12, 2020 16:15 - 30 minutes - 14 MBMary Magdalene and the other Mary were the first to discover Jesus’ empty tomb. After suffering the disorientation and fear of watching their Lord and friend killed, they were further confronted by an earthquake and an angel “whose appearance was like lightning.” What was their response? They went where God called them, “afraid yet filled with joy.” Fear and joy are not binary opposites. They coexist, but because of the empty tomb, our joy outweighs our fear.