Mckernan Baptist Church Podcast

Team Preach Pastor Terry - Our Stories Pastor Dave - Sabbath Pastor Mike - Community Pastor Dan - Shalom

WHO ARE WE MOVING FORWARD? Having come through a year and a half of pandemic adjustments and cultural turbulence, this fall serves as a significant timeframe to "reset" our understanding of what it means to be God's people. In Prov. 3:5-6, we're reminded that the best way forward is found not in our own understanding, but in a return to God's truth. This fall, we will look at what the New Testament teaches about who we are as a church. We'll focus on three key images... The Church is an Outpost of the Kingdom of God...We Follow a New Way of Life Jesus summarizes His mission as bringing the Kingdom of God (Mk. 1:13-14). When Paul entered a city, He taught about the Kingdom of God (Acts 19:8-10) and established a church (Acts 20:17). The Greek term for "church" (ekklesia) was used of an assembly of citizens from the city who met to make decisions for the good of the city. The term thus implies that God's people are meant to bless the city by living, displaying and working to advance the good way of life provi

Psalm 67 What's a person saying when they say that they are blessed? What does it mean to give or receive a blessing? What does the word 'grace' mean? Who gives the blessing in the Numbers passage? Who gives the blessing in Psalm 67? A couple of John Piper resources worth checking: 1. Let the Nations be Glad book 2. 'Look at the Book' online lab Three purposes of God's Blessing 1. That the way of salvation would be known v.2 2. That the world would worship the true God. 3. That God would be enjoyed! Three things about God: 1. He's Gracious - 2. He's Just - 3. He's Sovereign - So, if you ask, why am I blessed? The answer is always ______________________ How I can make the way of salvation to my world? 1. Testify 2. Give financially 3. Go! 4. Pray What does it matter if I get involved or not? Discussion Questions: 1. Where are you identifying with God's Blessings in your life? 2. How are you turning those blessings into someone else's life? 3. Which of the four ways of making 'the way of salvatio

Psalm 63 This Psalm is the heart cry of David, a man who was facing difficult circumstances, yet kept his focus on knowing God's love and goodness, desiring relationship with Him, responding in worship, and trusting through difficulties. Knowing God's love and goodness invites us into: 1. Passionate relationship with Him (v1,5a) - The language of thirst that the Psalmist uses implies an insatiable desire for God as a part of understanding His goodness. - Jesus alluded to this "desire" in the beatitudes (Matthew 5:6). 2. A life of worship and praise (v.2-7) - We become like what we worship and are invited to: a. A life of worship (Romans 12:1) b. Gathered worship (Various OT Texts) 3. Trust in the midst of difficulties (v.7-9) - God is our help. a. God hides us in the "shadow of His wings". b. God is with us. Questions for Reflection: What do you think your "hunger thermometer" would reveal about where you are at in your relationship with God? What expressions of worship, in all of life, and when you'

. Traveler's Questions a. What lies ahead? b. Where can I find help? 2. Traveler's Confession a. My help comes from the maker of heaven and earth. 3. Traveler's Blessing a. The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Questions for Reflection As we embark on summer 2021 with what we can see and what we cannot, where can God help you in the journey? Whether you go through a season of challenge or celebration, will you look to God to help you?

A sermon on Psalm 23.

A Life of Faith: Where The Extraordinary is Ordinary

REVELATIONS 3:14-22

The youth takeover the service, and Pastor Dave shares.

Psalms: Knowing God

In the Psalms, we see God's people look beyond their earthly reality to find renewed perspective in God's True Reality. Today we'll see how Psalm 96 calls God's people to declare the Good News that the True God is on the Throne of the world. While we typically think of "sharing the good news" as a New Testament challenge, here we see it as a privilege extended to God's people long before the coming of Christ. What is revealed as the Good News? The True God reigns above all gods. (v. 4-5) This world is not random and chaotic. The True God reigns. Rival gods are mere idols. (v. 5) This world is in upheaval because its people are turning from the true God to gods that are no gods at all. (Mt. 9:36) The True God will bring about the restoration of the world and its people. (9-10) This restoration has been made possible through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor. 5:18-19) What is revealed as God's Heart? God wants all people to be restored to Him. (vs. 7-10) God offers this restoration,

Psalm 16 In the Psalms, we see God's people look beyond their earthly reality to find renewed perspective in God's true reality. On this Mother's Day, we'll look at Psalm 16 and see how the Psalmist looks beneath the surface of our everyday existence and shows how God is the one worthy foundation of our homes, whether we're single, married or parents. The Psalm offers a number of affirmations that raise some significant questions. To affirm that the True God is our Foundation... We affirm that Jesus is Lord (vs. 2-4) David revealed the ultimate emptiness of idols that vie for our allegiance. Current idols in our culture include self, control, stuff, and image. We affirm the Goodness of God's Provision and Instruction (vs. 5-8) God has provided a place in which we are counted among His people and given direction (good boundaries) to guide us in knowing His design for life. We affirm the Blessings that Flow from God (vs. 9-11) These blessings include an unshakeable path marked by joy and eternal hope. Founda

"God's desire for representatives, unity, and relationship" - John 17 John 17 is very important in our understanding of what Jesus sacrificed through His death as this passage records a beautiful prayer of Jesus and gives us a glimpse into what was going through His mind right before His death. Jesus' prayer in John 17 reveals to us God's heart for how we are to live in the world, how we treat one another, and how He desires to be in relationship with us. God's heart for us is that we would be sent into the world as carriers of His truth (17:14-19). Jesus does not want us to be taken out of our struggles and circumstances. Rather, He 'sends us' into the world with His truth (truth as reality, not just rightness). God's heart for us is that we would be united to the Father and one another (17:20-23). Jesus prayed for unity between believers as Jesus wants to see us get caught up into the relationship between Him and His Father. God's heart for us is that we would be in relationship with Him. (17:24-26) "Des

John 12:12-13; 19:38-42; 20:11-22 On this Palm Sunday we continue our journey with the book, "40 Days of Decrease." Our current readings in the book of John have brought us past the events of Palm Sunday to describe scenes of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. As we see various characters begin to understand the nature of Jesus' Kingship, we start to see responses that appropriately proclaim Him as King, not just through waving palm branches and mouthing words, but through real actions. To Truly Proclaim Jesus as King...

Ephesians 2:11-21 What is the Gospel? Pastor Harry Lehotsky influence - www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJfnsnXwbfQ Cheap grace results when we reduce the gospel to forgiveness of sins, limit salvation to fire insurance from hell, and grasp only half of what the Bible says about sin. The question is not, 'Do you want to have your soul saved for heaven?'. The question is, 'Do you want to join the kingdom of God that will transform your soul and the entire future of our society?'

Matthew 6:13 Jesus said we are to pray, "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one." Believers are in a battle. We all have temptations. We all have trials. And no one is above yielding to them and damaging our lives. How are we to handle temptation? We must not be surprised by it, but rather we are to expect these trials. And we are to view the trials and suffering in our lives, through the love of the Father, that in all things, he works for the good of those who love him. And that "good" is God making us more and more like Jesus. How are we delivered from evil? With God's help, we overcome evil with good, by loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us.

God tells us time and time again how much He loves us. He invites us into a relationship with Him and desires to engage in the kind of dialogue there would be between a parent and their child. We are encouraged to present our requests to God in that similar kind of relationship, trusting that God cares so much more for us than any earthly parent ever could. How do we process what is going on when God says "No" to our earnest petition? This morning Pastor Mike will examine three questions we might ask when God says "No" Question 1: Who does God say "No" to? Question 2: Why does God say "No"? Question 3: What am I to do when God says "No"?

In the Psalms, we see God's people look beyond their earthly reality to find renewed perspective in God's true reality. Even from the cross, Jesus quoted twice from the Psalms (Ps. 22:1; 31:5). Many of the Psalms were written out of the experience of great difficulty, expressing deep lament over desperate circumstances. Today, we will look at an example of one such Psalm (Psalm 13) and explore how it invites us to see both honestly about ourselves and then beyond, to see honestly about God. The Psalms invite us to come to God in complete honesty. (vs. 1-4) David's heartfelt cries to God in the midst of his desperation express the truth that... God can handle our honest outbursts and prayers. We need communities of honesty. The Psalms challenge us to focus on God's True Authority (vs. 5-6)

John 18:1-11 On this fourth Sunday of Lent, we continue our journey with the book, "40 Days of Decrease." Our current readings in the book of John have brought us to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is arrested. The story paints an amazing scene in which trained, rugged soldiers fall back on the ground at the sound of Jesus' voice. The irony in this account is thick. Jesus is the one arrested, yet we're left with the clear picture that He is firmly in control. He is not forced to go to the cross but goes willingly, having affirmed with the words "I Am He" that He is God in the flesh. John has previously described a number of "I AM" declarations which Jesus willingly embraces and fulfils as He makes His way to the cross. Jesus said... I Am the Bread of Life (John 6:30-35) Those who heard Jesus make this declaration would have known God fed His people miraculously in the desert during the Exodus and that Jesus had very recently miraculously fed a crowd. As God's people were sustained in the wilderness

March 7, 2021 - LENT: LIFE BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE "WORLD"