Bbc Sermons

Disappointment happens.  We have no control over the fact that, at times, life will let us down.  What we can manage, though, is how we respond to that disappointment.  Through looking at the story of one of Israel's childish kings, we can discover how not to react when things don't go our way, finding our model instead in the servant king Jesus, who thrived even when he didn't get what he wanted.

Sure, Dr. Seuss' quintessential grad gift can be a bit trite, but its message translates pretty well to our faith.  On a Sunday themed all around considering the places God has taken us as individuals, graduates are challenged to dream about where God might lead if they simply allow themselves to be brave enough to follow.

Memory is a gift.  And like any other gift, it needs to be used wisely.  Otherwise, it can be abused and corrupted and we can find ourselves remembering in ways that God never intended.  Maybe God wants us to remember some things before others, and maybe God would rather us forget other things onto which we stubbornly hold.  Jeremiah gives us a glimpse into God's memory, and in it we find a good model for how we can be good stewards of our own.

Young people are certainly full of spirit, so it's appropriate that BBC's Youth Sunday this year fell on Pentecost, when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit!  Listen as Tyler Wood, BBC's Minister to Children and Youth, challenges us to think more deeply about the ways God spoke to us on that special day.

Summary: Scripture is full of wonderful examples of motherly love.  For Mother's Day this year, we're focusing on six of those mothers and the lessons each of them teach.Listening Note: This sermon was broken up all throughout the service, and to help listeners follow along, we provided a Mother's Day crossword puzzle, where the mothers we discussed and the lessons they teach provided the answers to the clues.  If you'd like to complete your own puzzle as you listen, you can find a copy of it here: http://bensonbaptist.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mothers-Day-Crossword-Blanks.pdf

BBC's Minister to Children and Youth, Tyler Wood, challenges us to model the childlike JOY in our faith.  What would it look like if we trusted, loved, and played because of our belief in Jesus?

The parable of the lost coin doesn't get a ton of attention, probably because it has the bad fortune of immediately preceding its infamous "big brother," the parable of the prodigal son.  But that doesn't mean there is nothing fresh and unique this story of missing change has to teach us.  Perhaps, then, this parable is more than just an appetizer to one of the most popular stories Jesus ever preached. Listening Note: Throughout most of the sermon, a woman in our congregation wandered around the sanctuary looking for her "lost coin."  She served as a visual reminder of God's persistence in pursuing us when we wander astray.

It's easy for us to breeze through stories we know.  But if we're not careful, we might go too quickly and miss out on the deep blessings they hold.  That's why, as we read through the well-known parable of The Good Samaritan today, we're going to take our time, giving God space to speak in the pauses. Listening Note: This sermon utilized a short video which provided a visual telling of the parable of the good Samaritan.  We paused the video at various points along the way to dig deeper into the story.

We're rich.  Maybe not materially, but faith in Christ affords us all the riches of heaven.  But if we pay attention to the parables of Jesus, being rich can be a dangerous thing, because it can trick us into placing all our attention on the future—securing our eternity—and believing that now isn't too important.  That's not what Christ preaches.  Because yes, the Kingdom is coming, but it is also here already.  Thus, as we look forward to heaven, we must always to so being firmly planted in the sacredness of what God is doing now.

Stories are powerful in proving a point.  Jesus knew this, which is why he so often taught in parables. This message is a modern parable, meant to challenge us to consider Jesus' command to love one another through service.  Buckle up, because it's definitely an interesting ride!

Did you remember that Jesus told us he'd be back after he died?  If not, you aren't the only one. Scripture tells us that the women at Jesus' tomb, some of his closest devotees, had all but forgotten that the Resurrection had been foretold.  Perhaps because a resurrection isn't something that you can believe just by hearing.  It's something you have to see.

Perspective makes a big difference.  Just ask Zacchaeus, the wee little man who had to climb a tree to get a closer look at Jesus.  Or Joanna, the childhood friend of Mary who knew the pain of losing those closest to her.  Even Jesus recognized the power that perspective can have over an attitude or loving posture. Listening Note: This "sermon" was divided up throughout the service and delivered through dialogue with three biblical characters, Zacchaeus (Will Massengill), Joanna (Rev. Marie Fox, who created her story), and Jesus (Paul Burgess).  Unfortunately, Zacchaeus didn't have a mic way up in the sycamore tree, so his portion of the message was not recorded.

It's easy to blame God when things go wrong, both in our personal lives and our larger world. Sometimes we can shake our hands toward the heavens, asking "Why won't you help me?!", and we never realize that God is shaking his hands back down, crying, "I have—I gave you my life!  Why won't you accept it and help yourself?!" Listening Note: This sermon references two pieces of art.  One is a painting by Jean Baptiste Huet named "Fox in a Chicken Yard;" the second is a mosaic found in Dominus Flevit ("The Lord Has Wept"), a church near beside the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.

Jesus tells us to love our enemies.  That's frightening.  So frightening, in fact, that it might keep some of us from ever making enemies in the first place.  But what does it say about us if we're the type of Christians everybody loves, people who have no one who dislikes them, who are so concerned with pleasing others that our faith never leads us to stand firm, even if it means making an "enemy" or two?  Yes, loving our enemies is tough.  However, for some, making them is even tougher.

Vision is important.  For Jesus, that vision was squarely fixed on one subject—the Kingdom of God.  Jesus spoke of the Kingdom regularly, even in the Lord’s prayer, and through adopting his vision we can help the Kingdom come today by pursuing three important ideals: Transformation, Engagement, and Community.Listening Note: This sermon is preached by Dr. Larry Hovis, Executive Coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina.

Somehow, we’ve missed something.  We live in a country of abundance, yet in our spiritual lives, in our relationships, even in our churches, we sense a feeling of scarcity.  How can we become people whose lives are satisfied on every level?  Is the answer simply “more,” or does the real answer lie much deeper?

It’s a paradoxical question.  On the one hand, it acknowledges that we know who God is, but on the other, it admits that there’s more to God we’ve yet to discover.  Some like to think they have God all figured out, but as the life of Saul illustrates, maybe the healthiest posture for those following Christ is one that continually asks, “Who are you, Lord?”

We all face big steps in life. Whether or not we take them often makes the difference between living that life to the fullest or just settling for the status quo.  Esther knew a thing or two about big steps; through a look at her story, we can uncover the strength that’s needed to step up and be the people—and the church—God is calling us to be.

We’re blessed this Men’s Sunday to hear from Rayvon Best and Jason Hall, two of BBC’s finest gents eager to share messages that God has placed on their hearts.

We were made in the image of a generous God, a God who has given us everything, including himself.  The fact that generosity has been imprinted upon our hearts has profound implications for how we should view the possessions we “own,” such as money.  Does God desire for us to hoard what we have, or would God rather us “hold on loosely” to the blessings we’re given so that, through us, God can bless others?