http://www.fbfellowship.org/news The Sermons of Faith Bible Fellowship Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:31:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc en hourly 1 © podcast@fbfellowship.org () podcast@fbfellowship.org() 10080 Christianity, sermons The Sunday Sermons of Faith Bible Fellowship in Farmville, Virgnia The Sermons of Faith Bible Fellowship podcast@fbfellowship.org No no http://www.fbfellowship.org/images/fbf-logo144144.png http://www.fbfellowship.org/news 144 144 http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/06/01/sunday-notes-may-29-2011/ http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/06/01/sunday-notes-may-29-2011/#comments Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:31:51 +0000 jmarken http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/?p=890 http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/06/01/sunday-notes-may-29-2011/feed/ 0 35:13 Dear friends, What does the Lord require of us as believers? Reverential fear of Him, walking in holiness, a thankful heart for forgiveness of sin, and ... Dear friends, What does the Lord require of us as believers? Reverential fear of Him, walking in holiness, a thankful heart for forgiveness of sin, and a fervent and serious love for all people, especially other believers. These are high standards, which being followed, prove our love for Christ is not just God talk. Yet how can we actually follow through on this quality of life? By knowing we have been born anew from above by the grace of Christ, being sure we are truly His and are not still trying to make ourselves good enough to be saved. Instead of self salvation we trust the Word of the living and abiding God who assures us we have been born of undying seed. It is crucial we understand grace so we can give the same grace to others - letting go of revenge, bitterness, unforgiveness, grudges and condemning prosecuting judgment.(Eph. 4:25-32) In other words, practicing ldquo;agaperdquo;. Thoughtfully read 1 John 4 which tells us to test the spirits - be careful who you listen to - and stresses that love for the brethren proves we know the Lord. Read Isaiah 40, recounting the mercy of God for His people, the truthfulness of His Word and the greatness of the LORD compared to the temporal works of man. Peter quotes roughly verses 6-8, try to see how Isaiah 40 fits in with 1 Peter 1:22-25 which will be our text for this Sunday. Sunday, June 5 we will observe the Lordrsquo;s Supper. June 12 Kyle Vaught from Burkeville will preach and Al on June 19. Betty and I will be visiting Laurie/Shawn in Indiana. See you Sunday, Lee Podcast podcast@fbfellowship.org no No http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/06/01/sunday-notes-may-22-2011/ http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/06/01/sunday-notes-may-22-2011/#comments Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:29:20 +0000 jmarken http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/?p=886 http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/06/01/sunday-notes-may-22-2011/feed/ 0 32:44 Dear friends, This Sunday we will see the great love the Father has for the Son and how we are to have that same kind of ... Dear friends, This Sunday we will see the great love the Father has for the Son and how we are to have that same kind of love toward each other. Carefully read 1 Peter 1:13-25, especially verses 21-23.The Father loves the Son,the Son loves us and gave Himself for us. We love the Father and like Christ love our fellow Christians in the same way. Christ prays in John 17:26 that the same love the Father has toward Him may also be in us. The Father raised the Son and gave Him glory so we also will be raised out of the dead.Therefore our faith is centered not in ritual, tradition or our righteousness, but in God alone. The Father loves us because He gave us to the Son.(John 6:35-40) Living a righteous life gives us the capacity to sincerely love each other. Obedience, a desire to please God first, is a sure sign we will love other believers.I John 3:16-18 gives a practical way we show this kind of love. 1.How will people know we we are Christians? 2.What are the characteristics of ldquo;agapaordquo; love in 1 Corinthians 13? 3.What is the main point of Matthew 25:31-46? In what practical ways do we show this kind of love? 4. How can you show this quality of love today? I ask prayer that the Lord will grant us understanding and obedience to this passage through His Spirit. See you Sunday, Lee Podcast podcast@fbfellowship.org no No http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/05/18/sunday-notes-may-15-2011/ http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/05/18/sunday-notes-may-15-2011/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 01:03:19 +0000 jmarken http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/?p=880 http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/05/18/sunday-notes-may-15-2011/feed/ 0 35:53 Dear friends, Nothing from our old life could have redeemed us, our salvation solely rests on the work of Christ, not our own. No wonder Peter ... Dear friends, Nothing from our old life could have redeemed us, our salvation solely rests on the work of Christ, not our own. No wonder Peter refers to our life as an exile existence, not our spiritual home. So we do not set up shop here in a ldquo;cheap motelrdquo;, but we keep ourselves ready and prepared for the next world, our true home. Note Ephesians 2:12#38;19 - no longer are we strangers and aliens - we have a homeland in heaven; Hebrews 11:13. No wonder we are to love one another on our journey home. The events of Jesusrsquo; life are not by chance. How often John speaks of ldquo;His time had not yet come.rdquo; He was fully known as Messiah before the world was made as John 1:1-18 clearly states; the mystery of God becoming Man and entering into the darkness of this world on our behalf. Remember Jesus saying to Peter ldquo;shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?rdquo; And all for us as Hebrews 1:1-2 and Galatians 4:4 clearly teach. We will concentrate on verses 20 #38; 21 in the context of 13-21. Here are a few questions to help our understanding. 1.How does foreknowledge relate to the teaching Jesus was a ldquo;victimrdquo; of circumstance? 2. In what way are we exiles from heaven? How does that influence our investments here on earth? 3. What is the significance of Jesus coming into the world,not being born as all other human beings? 4. How do we know the Father approved of His Sonrsquo;s life? The point of our life is to live for His glory - nbsp;win, lose, or draw. Jesus died for our sake so we would have the opportunity to live for Him. Together in His truth, Lee Podcast podcast@fbfellowship.org no No http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/05/18/sunday-notes-may-8-2011/ http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/05/18/sunday-notes-may-8-2011/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 01:00:37 +0000 jmarken http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/?p=875 http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/05/18/sunday-notes-may-8-2011/feed/ 0 33:17 Dear friends, This Sunday we will observe the Lordrsquo;s Supper, considering 1 Peter 1:18-19 - "knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from ... Dear friends, This Sunday we will observe the Lordrsquo;s Supper, considering 1 Peter 1:18-19 - "knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." Background is Exodus 12 describing the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb and note 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 ** ldquo;For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.rdquo; 1 John 1:8-10 is a reassuring reminder of the power of Christrsquo;s death to set us free from the dominion of sin. The cleansing power of His blood is amazing in its ability to bring peace to a guilty conscience. We also like David can sing ldquo;I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. Read 1 Corinthians 11:17-33 and prepare ourselves to experience again the reason why we have the victory in Christ not only for ourselves individually, but our community as well. Questions for thought: 1. How do we know our soul is of more value than the world? 2. How is the Passover Lamb a type of Christ? 3. In what sense does the blood of Christ cleanse us from all sin? 4. What does it mean to ldquo;judge ourselves trulyrdquo;? See you Sunday, Lee Podcast podcast@fbfellowship.org no No http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/05/18/sunday-notes-may-1-2011/ http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/05/18/sunday-notes-may-1-2011/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 00:58:02 +0000 jmarken http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/?p=871 http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/05/18/sunday-notes-may-1-2011/feed/ 0 21:16 Dear friends, This Sunday we will return to the the first letter of Peter to the church in exile, verses 17-21. The key word in our ... Dear friends, This Sunday we will return to the the first letter of Peter to the church in exile, verses 17-21. The key word in our passage is redemption, meaning to buy back or buy off the market or pay a ransom. It is nbsp;much like buying a car off the lot. We pay the money and drive it away, it now belongs to us. So the Father has bought us, not with perishable things, but with the life and death of His Son. God had planned this from the beginning of the world so that we would have faith and hope in Him alone. Exodus 12:1-13 and Deuteronomy 15:19-23 are two OT examples of offering a lamb without blemish. Yet these animals plus anything we could offer, such as money, are useless to redeem our soul. nbsp;Only the blood of Christ nbsp;of sets us free from the kingdom of darkness, the dominion of the devil and our own evil imagination. Yet even then we fight against sin the rest of our lives. It is helpful to write this passage out on paper in your own hand. This nbsp;writing exercise will slow down our thinking so we can think seriously about what this Scripture is saying. Think and discuss these kind of questions in 1 Peter 1:17-21 * How are we to live now before God? * How is fear the beginning of wisdom relative to redemption? * What does a life of ldquo;passing throughrdquo; or exile mean for our daily living? * In what way is a life without Christ futile? * How do you understand ldquo;fore known before the foundation of the worldrdquo; in verse 20? * Why is it important that God be the only reason for our faith and hope? Peter gives us here specific instructions on how to live a life pleasing to the Lord so that at the judgment seat of Christ we will hear: ldquo;well done, you faithful and good servant .rdquo; This comes from believing and thinking the truth. I counsel you to fill your mind with the Word, do not neglect this. Make quality time this week to examine the Scriptures to see if what we believe is true. See you Sunday, Lee Podcast podcast@fbfellowship.org no No http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/05/18/sunday-notes-april-24-2011/ http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/05/18/sunday-notes-april-24-2011/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 00:55:05 +0000 jmarken http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/?p=865 http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/05/18/sunday-notes-april-24-2011/feed/ 0 44:17 Dear friends, We will gather this week at 7PM for the Maundy Thursday Service; reading from the Gospel of John, with a time of prayer and ... Dear friends, We will gather this week at 7PM for the Maundy Thursday Service; reading from the Gospel of John, with a time of prayer and celebration of the Lordrsquo;s Supper. Maundy is derived from the first antiphon (a short piece of biblical text that is sung before or after a psalm verse in a church service) of the ceremony of the washing of feet based on John 13:34 - nbsp;A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. We will again gather at 7 on Good Friday to remember the great suffering of our Savior lest we forget and grow weak in our faith. This service will be a reading of Old Testament prophecy of Christ's suffering and New Testament fulfillment with a hymn. There will be no sunrise service this year. We will meet at our regular time for a joyful remembrance of the Resurrection of Jesus in anticipation of our own, and the blessed life to come. Please read Mark 16:1-8 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-25. nbsp;May we be as Deitrich Bonhoeffer said before his death: ldquo;This is the end for me -- nbsp;the beginning of life.rdquo; See you Thursday, Lee Podcast podcast@fbfellowship.org no No http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/04/18/sunday-notes-april-17-2011/ http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/04/18/sunday-notes-april-17-2011/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:06:53 +0000 jmarken http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/?p=859 http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/04/18/sunday-notes-april-17-2011/feed/ 0 34:45 This Sunday is traditionally Palm Sunday, but we will move from the Garden of Gethsemane to the actual description of the trial, crucifixion and burial ... This Sunday is traditionally Palm Sunday, but we will move from the Garden of Gethsemane to the actual description of the trial, crucifixion and burial of Jesus in, Mark 15:21-47. Along with Markrsquo;s description read Psalm 22, especially verses 1-18 which contain words and scenes exactly as they happened at the crucifixion. Note these carefully for exact prophecies written about a thousand years before the birth of Jesus. There is no way this could have happened by chance. The only plausible explanation is that the Holy Spirit moved on David to write these things so we would be able to recognize when the true Messiah appeared. It is helpful to think through Philippians 2:1-11 so we can see why the incarnate Second Person of the Trinity willingly gave Himself to His Fatherrsquo;s will. What attitude did Jesus have as He submitted Himself to death, even death on the Cross? Read the Mark passage as if you are there in the real historical event. Put yourself in the shoes of some of the participants, what were they experiencing and feeling? We have a choice as we enter this time of remembering the final 24 hours of the Life of Jesus. I pray all of us will approach these passages with a desire to understand as much as possible what our Lord experienced in these final hours. See you Sunday, Lee Podcast podcast@fbfellowship.org no No http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/04/18/sunday-notes-april-10-2011/ http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/04/18/sunday-notes-april-10-2011/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:52:54 +0000 jmarken http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/?p=855 http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/04/18/sunday-notes-april-10-2011/feed/ 0 33:56 Dear folks, How do we handle sorrow? This Sunday we will celebrate the Lordrsquo;s Supper in obedience to Christrsquo;s command to ldquo;Do this in nbsp;remembrance of ... Dear folks, How do we handle sorrow? This Sunday we will celebrate the Lordrsquo;s Supper in obedience to Christrsquo;s command to ldquo;Do this in nbsp;remembrance of Me.rdquo; We are walking with Jesus and His disciples as they have now left Jerusalem and have entered a private garden known as the ldquo;Wine Pressrdquo; on the Mount of Olives. nbsp;Jesus needs time to pray alone to His Father to see if there is any other way to save sinful people apart from the Cross. Such was the terrible foreboding He had of the coming agony. We are on holy ground here in Matthew 26:36-46. I want us to read Isaiah 53:1-12 to understand better ldquo;the Man of Sorrowsrdquo; who was acquainted with grief. Also consider the insight provided by Hebrews 5:6-10 of what was happening as Jesus made this petition to His Father. Psalm 42 is a perfect background for a person in extreme distress. Jesus told His disciples to ldquo;watch and pray that you enter not into temptationrdquo;, in other words by being vigilant and praying we can stop the temptation before it starts. We all struggle with temptation, but how do we resist this powerful pull toward evil? Temptation comes from our own sin nature, the circumstances of living in a fallen world and the subtle malicious plans of the devil, the enemy of our soul. We must be diligent in our pilgrimage time on the earth, thinking within the Biblical reality, and not the deceptions and lies of the world which would dismiss the Satanic person as a mythological figure of the Dark Ages. . Our coming death should focus our minds on the issues of our life. Our fight is not against people, but the spiritual forces of darkness that draw us toward greed, lust, gluttony, pride, wrath, envy, and sloth - the seven deadly sins. So you see the suffering and sorrow our Lord experienced in the garden came partly from His drawing back from having to endure the punishment our sins deserve. Truly He was the sin bearer, the Lamb taking away the sins of the world. He bore our misery and healed our diseases. See you Sunday, Lee Podcast podcast@fbfellowship.org no No http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/04/18/sunday-notes-april-3-2011/ http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/04/18/sunday-notes-april-3-2011/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:50:31 +0000 jmarken http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/?p=851 http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/04/18/sunday-notes-april-3-2011/feed/ 0 47:21 These notes are to help us prepare to better understand the truth and grow in holiness through the Lord's Word to us. I hope this ... These notes are to help us prepare to better understand the truth and grow in holiness through the Lord's Word to us. I hope this is not just an intellectual exercise, but a heartfelt reading of these Scriptures. Let's ask the Lord to help change us into the image of His Son in the way we actually live. Scripture will harden our hearts if we read it as merely opinion rather than God's word to us today. Dear friends, Religion does not save, only the grace of Christ brings salvation. Matthew 26 records the last day nbsp;of the life of Jesus, especially His conversations with His disciples, Peter in particular. Jesus tells them what will happen,but Peter disputes His words and earns his identification as a proud man who is a coward and hypocrite. Yet despite it all, he comes back through the grace of Christ to be the leader of the Apostles after the Resurrection. Read carefully Matthew 26:30-35 and note the quiet majesty of Jesus as He forecasts their betrayal and restoration. This is especially poignant as you read the Hallel which pretty much includes Psalms 115-118. Look at Psalm 118 carefully and imagine Jesus and the disciples singing this as they walk together toward the Garden of Gethesame. Only Jesus knew exactly what was coming. How could He walk into His horrendous death with such calmness and trust? Read the parallel passages of Peterrsquo;s denial in Mark 14:26-31, Luke 22:31-34, and John 13:36-38. Study Zechariah 13 which Jesus quotes as directly applying to Him. Note who strikes the Shepherd and who could be the companion of the Lord of Hosts, but the LORD Himself? Look for the grace of God in the story of Peter as you see him restored in John 21:15-19 and Acts 5:17-42. Satan tempts us to give up and slide back into a certain tolerance of sin and spiritual laziness, but letrsquo;s remember the Apostle Peter and the Lordrsquo;s mercy. Donrsquo;t give up, instead trust the Lordrsquo;s grace and rest in His strength, remembering His strength is perfected in our weakness. See you Sunday, Lee Podcast podcast@fbfellowship.org no No http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/03/28/sunday-notes-march-27-2011/ http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/03/28/sunday-notes-march-27-2011/#comments Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:48:30 +0000 jmarken http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/?p=841 http://www.fbfellowship.org/news/2011/03/28/sunday-notes-march-27-2011/feed/ 0 26:58 Matt Jones, graduating senior at Hampden-Sydney College, will be preaching this Sunday from John 12:20-35. What is then lesson of the grain of wheat? How is ... Matt Jones, graduating senior at Hampden-Sydney College, will be preaching this Sunday from John 12:20-35. What is then lesson of the grain of wheat? How is putting to death our will, necessary to God's will? In what ways do we need to change so we can prove we are following Jesus? Is there anything I need to do this week differently? Let's pray the Lord will bless Matt and give him joy as He preaches, and us a teachable heart. See you Sunday, Lee Podcast podcast@fbfellowship.org no No