I had a conversation with a young mother recently that gave me pause. The young woman, a successful entrepreneur and mother, expressed her concern about her two young children, ages 3 and 10. They were bright, healthy, and seemed okay but had no interest in school, reading, or books. They played on their electronic devices for hours at a time and were doing "ok" in their classes at school. Her concern was that something was wrong with them and that they would not do well in school in the future ...
Jan 07, 2024•43 min•Ep. 152
We always want everyone to be happy – especially in the Christmas season! We hope and pray that people are healthy, that no families will experience the loss of loved ones or accidents during this time of celebration, that children, especially, receive gifts that give them joy, and that they will be safe and secure with their families. We want that to be the case – but it does not always happen, does it? In my small circle of concern, involving my family and friends, my church congregation, and ...
Dec 31, 2023•30 min•Ep. 151
I guess my two youngest grandchildren said it best when asked what Christmas is all about: “Christmas is all about Jesus, and Santa Claus and decorations, and presents. And then, screaming while jumping up and down and with big smiles on their faces, ‘Christmas is about presents!’” For a lot of us, the idea of presents seems to dominate most of our thoughts and actions during the Christmas season. We think about what we will buy, who we will buy for, how much we can or should spend, and then we ...
Dec 24, 2023•32 min•Ep. 150
When I was a fresh-faced kid in our local Boy Scout troop, my first camp-out came in early December. The leaders told us to "be prepared," so to me, that meant wearing a coat, bringing gloves, and buying the cheapest sleeping bag I could find. What a mistake! That weekend's weather turned freezing, with a light covering of snow on top. I was freezing and found comfort only when standing beside the campfire. I couldn't wait to go to bed, knowing I would be warm and cozy in my new sleeping bag. Mu...
Dec 17, 2023•29 min•Ep. 149
I am sure you have noticed how people act when ‘someone special’ walks into the room; it is something to see! This has recently been demonstrated as the wildly popular singer Taylor Swift has made a few appearances during Kansas City Chiefs football games. Swift, as you probably know, has been dating a Chiefs player, Travis Kelce, and has appeared at several of his games. She has been seen with Travis in various events and places and with the wife of the Chief’s quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. Peo...
Dec 10, 2023•39 min•Ep. 148
I recently purchased a pickup from an individual in a neighboring community, and all went well. I took a test drive, looked over the vehicle, agreed on a price, and shook hands on the purchase. Then, after I had made the necessary financial arrangements, we signed papers, filled out forms, and transferred the cash from my hands to his. All in all, it was a good process, and everybody won. He delivered a good product, and I paid him the agreed-upon money. As the children’s stories say, “And we al...
Nov 26, 2023•31 min•Ep. 147
When I was a very young child, I would guess I was 7-8 years old; I heard my preacher say in a sermon, "If you're going to be the Christian God wants you to be, you have to stand on the Word of God." I thought that sounded good, even though I was not a Christian yet. I took that statement to mean that the Bible was very important and that there was something magical about 'standing on the Bible.' So, because I wanted to do what God wanted when it came time for the last song during the service, w...
Nov 19, 2023•32 min•Ep. 146
Season of Gratitude as told by Pastor Dave The best way to support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family. We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/ If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/...
Nov 12, 2023•29 min•Ep. 145
Pastor Dave subs in for Rev Kev to discuss Acts 9, From Saul to Paul. You can best support our Ministry by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family. We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/ If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.face...
Oct 29, 2023•37 min•Ep. 144
Have you ever tried to figure out what someone was like? Not in physical appearance, of course – but who they are, or what sort of character is within them? Several years ago, I talked about one of my good friends from college, and my sister’s ears perked up. She asked various questions, such as ‘How tall is he,’ or ‘What color is his hair?’ And then she turned to my wife-then-girlfriend and asked, “Ok, what is he really like?’ She wanted to know what kind of person he was! Appearances were impo...
Oct 22, 2023•35 min•Ep. 143
The other day, I heard the story of the old hymn, "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus." It has always been one of my favorite hymns and has a ring of truth to the lyrics. The story of the hymn was powerful, as told by a missionary in Africa. A chief of a tribe called out a man from his tribe who was telling people about Jesus, and he wanted him to stop! He threatened the man to reject his faith, and his reply was simple: "I have decided to follow Jesus." The enraged chief had his family brought out ...
Oct 15, 2023•30 min•Ep. 142
I watched a recent news report on the ongoing political controversies in our nation's capitals, and one analyst gave his opinion. The following is not a quotation but gives the gist of his comments: " It is all about power. Political power and the power to get things done the way you want them done. That is the simple explanation of what is happening." Power! It is an essential element of everything in life: in politics, current events, and even when it comes to faith! In the book of First Peter...
Jul 23, 2023•38 min•Ep. 141
Several years ago, I attended a worship service at a large Pentecostal church in Kansas City, Mo. My friend had attended there, and had invited me to go with her. We went, and honestly, it was a real eye-opener for me! We stood up and sang for well over a half-an-hour, and twice the songs were stopped so we could all ‘pray,’ meaning that it was time for us to ‘speak in tongues.’ I had never participated in anything like this, so I just chose to watch. I looked around for the next 15-20 minutes, ...
Jul 16, 2023•42 min•Ep. 140
I heard a woman named ‘Wanda’ tell her story – a powerful testimony of her faith in God helping her through a very difficult life! Wanda was abandoned as a young child and grew up angry and rebellious. She lived a miserable existence, lived the life of a drug addict and alcoholic, and ended up pregnant and by herself by the time she was 19. She admitted she was miserable and alone and wanted to die. One day, at the very bottom of her life, she decided to kill herself. She walked into her apartme...
Jul 09, 2023•40 min•Ep. 139
The father took his son to the WWII memorial, hoping to teach him something about the world. The boy was not interested in history, but the father thought it might be a good trip. They looked at the different clothes and uniforms, the tanks and trucks and motorcycles, and pictures of everything. It was fascinating! Even the little boy seemed to enjoy the day. One of the displays had to do with the number of those injured and killed in the years-long conflict and explained that the Allied Forces ...
Jul 02, 2023•43 min•Ep. 138
Several years ago, a good friend, a Deacon of a church in the Ozarks, told of a woman in his congregation struggling to provide for the needs of her several children. The Church had previously helped her family and was familiar with her situation. During a ‘special offering’ drive over Christmas, a plea was made in Church for offerings for the poor in other parts of the world. People gave different amounts, and some publicized their gifts by announcing them at the end of the services. After one ...
Jun 25, 2023•38 min•Ep. 137
The story’s title captured my attention: “Love Means Reporting Back to Duty.” Written several years ago, the article told the story of Captain David Rozelle, who lost a part of his leg in battle in Iraq. He wasn’t sure how his life was going to work out. Still, after a year of surgeries and rehabilitation and being fitted and trained with a prosthetic foot and ankle, he was declared “fit for duty.” He didn’t hesitate for even a moment – he immediately began the process of going back to active du...
Jun 18, 2023•35 min•Ep. 136
God gifted King Solomon with great wisdom. He pursued pleasure, wealth, knowledge, and accomplishment for meaning. By the end, through wise reflection, he learned that all good things are from God and should be used for His will & glory. You can best support our Ministry by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family. We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/ If you ...
Jun 11, 2023•39 min•Ep. 135
Wisdom comes in all forms – sometimes it is very ‘academic’ in nature, focusing upon something you can know and understand, and sometimes it requires almost no ‘book smarts’! Wisdom is not just something you can ‘know,’ sometimes wisdom is something you ‘do.’ For instance, you can understand human biology and sexuality and even grasp something of the tension between the races; but that may not mean you have a clue as to how to get along with people. Some of the smartest and most capable people l...
Jun 04, 2023•44 min•Ep. 134
A few years ago, a national survey asked respondents several questions regarding how they felt about Christians and the Church. Unfortunately, the opinions of many were quite negative! 91% said Christianity had an anti-gay image. 87% said it was too judgmental. 85% claimed that the Church and Christians were hypocritical. The report was hard to read because the results were so negative. The very things Jesus warned us about have become an accepted part of the church in America! One day Jesus tol...
May 28, 2023•40 min•Ep. 133
Even when you get just what you ask for, it may not be what you thought! A few weeks ago, I walked out of a store into a large, car-filled parking lot, and my eyes immediately fixated upon a small, bright-red sports car. It was beautiful! I walked up to the car, looked it over, and then realized that someone was sitting in the driver's seat. Just as I caught his eye, he opened the door and began an excruciating climb out of the low-slung car. Because there was no way for me to escape the situati...
May 14, 2023•31 min•Ep. 132
God brings the good out of bad situations. The best way to support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family. We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/ If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/ ...
May 07, 2023•26 min•Ep. 131
If there are no ‘newborns,’ things cease to exist, don’t they? This goes for plants, animals, people, and people of faith! Many years ago, there was a religious group who were fervent in their Christian faith and lived isolated from the world as much as they could. They were called ‘Shakers’ because one of their religious rituals involved a sort of dancing that involved a very rhythmic shaking while they held a strict formation. They were known for moral purity and love for others; they became f...
Apr 30, 2023•35 min•Ep. 130
Several years ago, I purchased several ducks for my small farm with the hope of watching them raise baby ducks. I thought this might be interesting and a source of delight for my grandchildren. Unfortunately, my ducks were not interested in laying on their eggs and hatching them, so for the first couple of years, none of their eggs hatched. But then, something happened that really surprised me! A couple of my older hens (chickens) went ‘broody’ (which meant they wanted to sit on eggs) and began ...
Apr 23, 2023•33 min•Ep. 129
Many years ago, I found myself lost while on a family vacation! Instead of a map, I had been using an early version of what was then called a Garmin, which served as a high-tech electronic map. My Garmin developed a glitch in its software, and I found myself and my family lost at the end of a dirt road in the mountains of Arkansas. Out of desperation, we turned off the Garmin, backtracked to a gas station we had passed a few miles back, and bought an old-fashioned map. That map was clear and con...
Apr 16, 2023•33 min•Ep. 128
Faith in Jesus isn't just another religion – it is a life-changing relationship with the Living God! I recently came across a story of an individual who left his home in India as a young man and moved to London, where the opportunities for a good income were much better. He soon purchased a business, and he and his young wife invested their lives in this new venture. The years passed, and one shop turned into two, then three, and he finally stopped with five. He was doing great! One day he was i...
Apr 09, 2023•39 min•Ep. 127
Several years ago, after a move to a new community, I started doing business at a different bank. After establishing my accounts, I began using the ‘drive-through’ facility, which was faster and closer to my house. I soon began to dread my trips through this drive-through because I felt like the woman working there was cold, rude, and unprofessional. I continued to feel this way for over a year until, one day, I decided to give this woman another chance. I started to be more friendly to her, ask...
Apr 02, 2023•33 min•Ep. 125
We all remember the old Army promotional campaign – "Be all you can be." Pictures of young soldiers, accompanied by a snappy song in the background, with the words of the campaign sung with great joy. It was a tremendous success in its day! Interestingly, the Army leadership has recently decided to use the same slogan and approach with its new enlistment campaign. Today's younger generations need meaning and significance in this life, and this campaign seems to reach them where they are. They wa...
Mar 26, 2023•37 min•Ep. 126
Changing your life is hard; it is so hard that many never even try! That is a sad truth, isn’t it? We all know someone who needs to make changes in their life to keep their job, family, or health – yet, it is so complex they often give up and lose some of the essential things in their lives! In the Bible, there is a story of a man who wanted to change his life but couldn’t do it. He had made a fortune doing something that drove everyone he loved away from him: he was a tax collector for the Roma...
Mar 05, 2023•37 min•Ep. 124
Years ago, I lived in a small Ozark town that featured a university with an engineering emphasis. The ‘engineering’ students came from all over the world, and I loved how they approached everything in their lives. They were logical thinkers and liked to develop and live by rules. Whenever they created a machine or worked on a project, they developed ‘design parameters.’ A ‘design parameter’ was a set of guidelines on how to use and maintain whatever machine they were building. When the user foll...
Feb 26, 2023•40 min•Ep. 123
