Years ago, as a student at a Baptist college, I heard a sermon that seemed so right – but was absolutely wrong! The speaker said something like this: "If you have sin in your life, God won't be able to use you; He will just use someone else and wait for you to get your life straightened out." I, and all the other ministerial students at that service said loudly, "Amen!" The message was a 'hit the sinners hard-with-the-gospel' approach that appealed to our youthful enthusiasm and affirmed our con...
Sep 29, 2024•45 min•Ep. 182
Finding Your Purpose Through Following Jesus Your support is not just important; it's crucial in spreading the message of our Ministry. By sharing these videos with your friends and family, you are not just helping us reach more people. You are playing a significant role in creating a community of believers who can find solace and strength in our shared faith. Your role in this mission is not just invaluable, but it's integral. We are grateful for your contribution and urge you to continue your ...
Sep 22, 2024•32 min•Ep. 181
Have you ever noticed that not everyone can do the same things? I've noticed this with a couple of my grandchildren; they are both beautiful and healthy but have very different abilities! One was born to be 'on stage;' she is a natural entertainer and, even while very young, is comfortable performing in front of a large crowd. She can sing, act, and do anything on stage without getting nervous! Another of my grandchildren is a stone-cold academic and a top-tier athlete. She scores near-perfect i...
Sep 15, 2024•32 min•Ep. 180
There has been a recent series of ads on Facebook, all dealing with the power of our choices. The ads are all very similar: On one side is a man who is well-muscled and physically fit, and the words "This is hard" across the top of the picture; on the other side is a picture of a man who is obviously overweight and unhealthy, with the words, "This is hard." And then, along the bottom border, is the phrase, "Choose your hard." The meaning is clear – 'You can choose the 'hard' of exercise and self...
Sep 08, 2024•37 min•Ep. 179
There are many ways by which people 'define' their lives and choose to live: Some time ago, I stumbled upon an ad for one of those ancestry services that became so popular. The ad focused on the story of a man who had always believed he was of German ancestry. So, to carry on the tradition of his German heritage, he often dressed in traditional Bavarian clothes, sang songs and performed in dance groups that featured German traditions. He was happy with his Germanic heritage and made many good fr...
Sep 02, 2024•45 min•Ep. 178
We've all heard crazy stories that are all but unbelievable, haven't we? Interestingly, though, no matter how bizarre a story is, a few almost always believe it to be true. This is especially true with stories of alien abductions – people who say that they were taken captive by aliens from another world. One of the first of these 'abduction' stories hit the news way back in September 1961, and it made quite a splash! The couple involved in this story were a husband and wife named Barney and Bett...
Aug 25, 2024•46 min•Ep. 177
Have you ever read a 'news report' that didn't sound quite right? Are you familiar with the term 'fake news? Some time ago, I came across an article discussing the years-long fight to get 'fat' out of our American diet. Years ago, scientists had supposedly proven that fat in our diets was a terrible problem and that if we eliminated fats from our foods, we would be thinner, healthier, and probably look better! Interestingly enough, researchers have recently begun to turn away from that perspecti...
Aug 18, 2024•40 min•Ep. 176
Scratch Lotto – Win money, get the girl, travel, have a big house with a pool! That's the commercial, isn't it? It's always the same with the various get-rich-quick schemes: Spend just a little bit of money, take your chances, and even if you lose, you're closer to winning. If you lose, just buy another ticket, and eventually, you'll win, and it will all be yours! And literally, millions of people have bought tickets, over and over, for decades. For some, it's 'just for fun,' but ,it is a life-l...
Jul 14, 2024•38 min•Ep. 175
Years ago, as college students, my fiancé and I made many friends – it was a wonderful time in our lives! One young woman that comes to mind was attractive, energetic, upbeat, friendly, and a true pleasure to have around. She and my fiancé became quite close, and Tammy (my fiancé) revealed that our good friend had a problem – she was, I was told, “a worrier.” This was such a problem in her life that she often could not sleep and tended to ‘fret’ over things that sometimes seemed very minor. As t...
Jul 07, 2024•41 min•Ep. 174
I recently discovered something I'd been searching for – a first-hand account of one of my Father's experiences aboard the U.S.S. Birmingham cruiser during WWII. The ship was ordered to come alongside the U.S.S. Princeton, an aircraft carrier burning for several days. Supposedly, it was safe, as all thought the fires were out. Unfortunately, that was not true! While in tow alongside the Birmingham, the ship exploded, killing over 800 soldiers on deck and causing significant damage to the Birming...
Jun 30, 2024•40 min•Ep. 173
I grew up in a typical Baptist church in the Midwest, and I remember well when I first heard of the Holy Spirit. It seemed that no one really understood who or what the Holy Spirit was! Particularly challenging was the public anger aimed at those who often spoke of the Holy Spirit and began to practice and manifest the " signs of the spirit," such as speaking in tongues and all things "charismatic." Churches split over these issues, and I was confused and a little bit suspicious of those who sai...
Jun 17, 2024•45 min•Ep. 172
God Can Give us a sense of belonging. The best way to support our Ministry is by sharing these videos 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/...
Jun 09, 2024•32 min•Ep. 171
talk about what had made a positive difference in their grief process. They were church members, practicing Christians, and began to experience peace when they prayed. Nothing of the situation changed, of course, but their prayers seemed to help. Too, the prayers of their friends began to make a dramatic impact. They said they really couldn’t explain it, but they could “feel” when others were praying for them! Many in their church visited and sat with them for months, talking and praying and som...
Jun 02, 2024•39 min•Ep. 170
Some time ago, I was walking in a large crowd of people during a local street fair when I encountered a young Latino family. The crown was large and a little loud, and the young mama held her children close. She was calming one, holding another, and keeping up a pleasant chatter with the family, a big smile on her face the whole time. I could not understand what she was saying, as I don’t understand the Spanish language; at the same time, though, I could tell what she was saying to her family: “...
May 26, 2024•31 min•Ep. 169
A few weeks ago, my wife and I got into our car and pulled out of the driveway, going down the hill. I looked over at Tammy, and, as she looked at her phone, she commented, “Siri, find (the address we were given for an event). Siri said something in her pleasant, annoying, computer-generated voice and gave us directions in a timely fashion for the next hour or so. On our way, I got confused in one of the new Round-a-bouts in K.C., and Siri, without insulting me at all, re-directed us immediately...
May 19, 2024•43 min•Ep. 168
If you go to a “DIY” section of any bookstore or Library, you will find a fascinating and entertaining series of books, the titles all beginning with a very similar title: Computing for Dummies, How to Fix Everything for Dummies, Woodworking for Dummies, etc. There are over 30 books in this top-rated series! In fact, the DIY section in most bookstores is often very large – we in our culture have a very strong desire to do things ourselves without hiring someone else to complete a task or fix som...
May 05, 2024•33 min•Ep. 167
Our nation is currently in a political ‘battle’ to choose a new President. Although some enjoy this experience, most of us rather dread the whole process: One candidate criticizes the other, political parties and followers line up with ‘their’ candidate, and we are forced to endure a seemingly endless number of political speeches, TV commercials, and even cleverly-written bumper stickers. Worst of all, in my opinion, is the continuous pleading of the candidates, each saying essentially the same ...
Apr 21, 2024•35 min•Ep. 166
Rev Kev is on vacation this week, so Pastor Dave is filling in. He shares a message about how Christians can Live In the World, Not Of It. 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/fi...
Apr 14, 2024•32 min•Ep. 165
Following Jesus is easy and clear—until it isn't! What I mean by that is when someone first receives Jesus as Savior, the issue is usually very simple: "Do you want to be forgiven of your sins and commit to following Jesus?" The answer is usually, "Yes, I do." However, at some point, when the new convert begins to struggle against the sin that is their life, or they struggle with biblical teachings that challenge them, they begin to realize just how 'extreme' this Christian faith can become! The...
Apr 07, 2024•39 min•Ep. 164
Several years ago, my wife and I bumped into an old college friend; he was a great guy, and we both liked him very much. He went by a nickname that fit his character, and I could never remember calling him by his proper name. He seemed ok with that, so I had no reason to question the practice. When we ran into this old friend, he was with his young wife, whom we had never met. I walked up to him and called him by the nickname I had always used, and the situation immediately became very awkward. ...
Mar 31, 2024•32 min•Ep. 163
I was talking to a good friend recently, and we were lamenting that it was becoming increasingly difficult to believe what our political leaders would tell us. Sometimes, it is obvious they do not understand what they are talking about; sometimes, we get the distinct impression that we are being lied to, even though we cannot prove it. To emphasize that this has happened before, I mentioned a report that recently came out regarding our government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which began ...
Mar 24, 2024•42 min•Ep. 162
Have you ever heard a story that seemed impossible? The Bible has many such stories! In one Old Testament book, the book of Jonah, there is the story of a man who was in a boat during a tremendous rainstorm; the situation was so desperate that the sailors on board began to throw everything off the ship to lighten its load and raise it in the water. The man, Jonah, realizing that he was the reason for the storm because of a wrong decision on his part, told the sailors to throw him into the water;...
Mar 17, 2024•37 min•Ep. 161
Sometimes, in times of stress or hardship, we may wonder if God is doing anything! As a student preacher in college many years ago, I wondered how God would get me into a church. I didn’t know much, I wasn’t connected to influential people, and I was struggling with deciding which Seminary I would attend to finish my education. I was slightly afraid of the whole thing. I even wondered if I had correctly discerned God’s call on my life into the preaching ministry. Looking back, though, I can now ...
Mar 10, 2024•39 min•Ep. 160
The story could have been taken from today’s tabloids – it was so bizarre and unbelievable! There were two prostitutes living together in a dirty, run-down part of town. Both were pregnant and finally gave birth just a few days apart. Everything was going as well as they could, considering their miserable circumstances. One night, though, one of the women rolled over in bed on her baby, suffocating it. She woke up in horror the following day and was terribly distraught – her baby was dead! But t...
Mar 03, 2024•40 min•Ep. 159
I am so glad God changes people and puts them to work in His Church! Several years ago, our praise team needed a drummer in a church where I served as Pastor. These are not easy to find, especially for a Sunday morning ‘gig!’ We played for several months without one, as our drummer, who had played with us for several years, had graduated from High School and gone off to college. Finally, a woman who had started visiting our church told me about her husband. He had been a drummer for many years, ...
Feb 25, 2024•41 min•Ep. 158
While a student in 'Preacher School' many years ago, a guest speaker said something that we young preachers were very pleased to hear. In a sermon dealing with personal devotion, he said, with great conviction, this statement: "God will never use someone who has sin in their lives." We almost cheered! We were young and enthusiastic and often encountered people struggling in their battle against sin. We wanted to preach the truth, and at that very early stage in our ministry, we all wanted to con...
Feb 18, 2024•43 min•Ep. 157
Have you ever noticed that many Bible stories contain great ‘life lessons?’ I am beginning a series of messages about how God uses people to do great things. The list is long, of course, of great stories in the Bible, and many of the stories have a ‘star’ in the center: a man or woman of faith who responded to God’s call in a time of crisis. I began with the story of Noah and the great flood. You no doubt remember the story: In the days after the Fall of man and expulsion from the garden, humani...
Feb 11, 2024•43 min•Ep. 156
Just last week, I attended one of my grandson’s basketball games – it was sheer joy! My grandson is a tall boy for seven years and talks a big game when the subject of basketball comes up. He just knows he’s going to be a big star when he grows up and that his height will be a major plus for him. (His father is 6’7”, so he has a good idea that he will be very tall when grown). After hearing him talk and knowing how much he wanted us to come to see him play, I just knew I was going to be impresse...
Feb 04, 2024•53 min•Ep. 155
For the last few weeks, I’ve spoken about ‘Scary Church;’ these churches failed their members by not teaching them proper biblical teachings and practices and not leading them in the past of discipleship. These were ‘scary churches’ because the Christians were either uninterested or incapable of sharing their faith and representing their faith in the presence of others! Today, though, I will talk to you about a different type of ‘scary’ church – a church that takes its responsibilities of traini...
Jan 28, 2024•38 min•Ep. 154
Several years ago, I mentioned in a sermon that I liked to keep old service manuals for all my vehicles. I used them often and wanted to keep them in case another similar vehicle needed service. I mentioned this fact in a sermon because I likened the Bible to a ‘service’ manual for living the Christian life. We needed to read and study it and, at times, go over it word-for-word to help us ‘fix’ a problem or at least recognize that something needed to be done. Interestingly, later that week, I ha...
Jan 21, 2024•42 min•Ep. 153
