…The first four words of the Bible – four words whose depth and volume lay the very foundation for the truths that the rest of the Bible proclaim.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Elder Keith Barker takes us all the way to the beginning of the Bible – Genesis 1:1 – and explains that when an author pens a story his aim is to grab your attention to draw you into his book. God did this with the first four words of His book… four words that are so important that if the reader can’t digest them, the remainder of the Bible will likely remain a mystery.
…Such is much of the life of a Christian. Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Genesis in which he teaches that we can either wait in frustration for the passing – temporal – things, or we can wait in anticipation for God bringing about His purposes and how they will work themselves out in our lives. Either way, waiting teaches us life lessons that can’t be learned anywhere else … as we learn to endure with faith and patience.
“The fairest marbles have their flaws, and, while there are spots in the sun, we must not expect anything spotless under it.”
— the great Puritan Commentator, Matthew Henry, concerning Genesis Chapter 20.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Genesis and points out that no truer words than those penned by Henry were spoken about Abraham… or about us, for that matter. Because you see, Genesis Chapter 20 is not a chapter recorded to Abraham’s honor, but it is recorded to God’s grace.
Description: Sometimes there are places in the Bible that a pastor doesn’t want to preach on – or for that matter, touch with a 10-foot pole! Our passage this morning is just such a passage. Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Genesis verse by verse, to show us that even in the midst of heinous sin, we see the amazing abundance of God’s grace towards the sinner…God’s grace, towards us.
Description: Join us as we turn the back the clock to 2000 to listen to a Scandia Bible Church “Classic.” In this Classic Sermon Pastor James Allen continues our study of the Gospel according to Mark.
Description: Catastrophic judgment. That’s how we often view the account of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible… and in many ways it is. Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Genesis to show us that when we view Sodom and Gomorrah as “catastrophic judgement,” we skip over – in the midst of this judgment – God’s compassion and mercy that come to all who trust in Him. Because you see, from Genesis to Revelation, judgement and mercy are always coupled together… and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is no different.
Description: Have you ever reflected on who actually killed Jesus?
…Was it the angry crowd? Was it the Roman governor, Pilate? Was it the religious leaders? Or was it the work of Satan?
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Elder Keith Barker addresses the possible contributors to Jesus’ death by opening the 27th chapter of Matthew – a portion of scripture that every Christian should be familiar, for it is the centerpiece of our belief. Because you see, when you understand this chapter, you not only gain a grasp of what Jesus was willing to endure for the forgiveness of each and everyone of us… but you peer into the sacrificial heart of God.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Genesis and shows us that this “friend” was Abraham. And one of the ways this friendship was manifest was when God took him into intimate council before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah – an act in which we not only see God’s reassurance to Abraham of His justice, but we also see a glimpse into an intimacy that foreshadowed, if even in a small way, the intimacy that Christ purchased for us.
Description: Isn’t fascinating how a chemist can put together certain chemicals that in and of themselves would be poison … yet when properly mixed, change from something bad to something good? For example sodium is a poison, and chlorine is a poison; but when compounded together, sodium chloride becomes table salt. Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Elder Keith Barker opens the Bible to show us that God’s “chemistry” was exhibited at the cross when His holiness met the depravity of man: yielding an outcome, for all who would believe, of salvation.
God knows your every thought and can see everything that is in your heart.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Genesis and explains that if you are fearful about God’s ability to know everything you keep from others, you’re not alone. In our passage we’ll see that even Sarah felt this way when God rebuked her while she was laughing in her heart. But what we’ll also see is that God’s ability to see into our heart is actually part of the Gospel, part of the good news of God’s love poured out in the work of Jesus Christ.
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Heb 13:2)
Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; (Deu 7:9)
Description: God gave Abraham a sign of His covenant with him,
…and now Abraham was carving that sign into his flesh.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Genesis and explains that when Abraham was 99 years old, God commanded him and all his household to undergo circumcision. Abraham’s response: immediate obedience – an obedience that didn’t make him acceptable before the Lord though, but one that sprang forth from God’s gracious dealings with him… gracious dealings that preceded Abraham’s response of faith.
Description: It’s a comforting thought to realize that God wants us to know Him. And while most people see the Bible as “too deep” and “too confusing,” the reality is just the opposite. Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Elder Keith Barker opens the Bible to clearly establish the most important truth in all of Scripture – a truth made so simple by God that a child can both understand and respond:resulting in a life redeemed.
Description: But He Promised! It’s been 23 years since God brought Abram to Canaan. Where’s the land? Where are the children? Did He forget? What was God doing??? And why does He always make us wait and wait and wait?
It may seem that God is never on our time-frame. But, rest assured, He has His reasons. Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Genesis where we find out in Abraham’s case, God wasn’t dragging His feet…
He was busy making the improbable, the impossible.
… so He could reveal Himself as God Almighty, the All-Sufficient One, who can do anything and everything He has promised.
Your patience has run out… and, frankly, your faith is wavering.
Ever gotten to that place? Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Genesis and shows us that Abram’s wife, Sarai, has. In fact, her experience was such that she attempted – by her own effort – to bring about the promises of God. The results were disastrous.
“A Baby’s hands in Bethlehem were small and softly curled; but held within Their dimpled grasp the hope of all the world.”
– Leslie Savage
Merry Christmas! Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Elder Keith Barker opens the Bible and shares with us that despite the efforts of Joseph and Mary to find suitable accommodations in Bethlehem, there was no room for Jesus.
Christmas is a festive time. A happy time. A family time. A time to remember Christmas’ past – perhaps as a child – when the wonder of the sounds and smells and singing of Jingle Bells warmed and filled your heart. Sometimes though it’s easy to fill our hearts with everything BUT the main point: the marvelous birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Description: The birth announcement of Jesus was not a time of joyful anticipation… but anticipation in the midst of darkness, sin, and pain. Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast as we move towards Christmas this Advent Season, we are reminded that 700 years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah described the coming Messiah in terms that sounded too good to be true:
Not only will He be King, but He will rule with justice and righteousness; He will increase the nation; He will deliver us from our enemies and bring about a peace that will never end. And His kingly titles shall be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.
“Genesis Chapter 15 may well be one of the MOST IMPORTANT chapters in the Old Testament.”
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Genesis, where we find ourselves in this very important 15th chapter. And as Pastor Simao will will develop in our message today: nowhere else will you find the Covenant of Grace so well pictured… and the Doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone so beautifully stated, than in this chapter. In fact, the 15th chapter of Genesis is so important that even the Apostle Paul would end up using it to develop the Doctrine of Justification in his letters to the Romans and the Galatians.
…Perhaps one of the most mysterious characters of the Old Testament.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Genesis and explains that Melchizedek was not only the king of Salem (a place that we presently identify as Jerusalem), but he was also a priest of God. What made this king and priest mysterious, though, was that he foreshadowed – and pointed expectations forward – to the perfect, Kingly reign and Priesthood of Jesus Christ.
Description: “Come”…. The inviting, guiding word seen throughout the Bible. Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Elder Keith Barker shows us that the word “come” is found all throughout the Bible; in fact, the phrase “come to Me” is found 335 times! And in our text today out of Isaiah 55, we see that the word “come” appears three times in just the first verse alone! It’s a verse that begins a beautiful picture of the overflow of the results of the work Jesus did on the cross to make our salvation possible. And thus, in a sense, making the Bible one great, loving invitation to fallen humanity.
Description: Are you resting in the promises of God? Abram did.
He gave his nephew, Lot, choice of the land. His nephew looked around – and even though the people who lived there were exceedingly wicked – his choice was clear: the fertile valley. It was lush, and it pleased him.
Abram gave up his preference of the land and instead rested in the promises of God.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Genesis and shares with us that, oftentimes, the way of the Christian may not seem as profitable as the way of the world. Lot’s way was fertile, and the people lived in cities. Abram’s way was arid, and he lived in tents. But while one way sees the “fertile valley” and a future of possibilities, the other is the sure way. …For it sees the living God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
Sermon Archives
Given New Life
in SBC Classic Edition
We’re in the process of digging through the colossal SBC Sermon Archive Library to bring forth the rich and timeless Biblical Truths found within the hundreds and hundreds of sermon cassettes from yesteryear, in our Tape to Podcast Project.
Currently on the workbench:
The Jim Allen Gospel of John Study (1997-1998) is now complete and in our SBC Classic Edition collection!
Watch our Steeple Study grow! … Great for a listen-study through a book or series.
Our Find-A-Sermon resource page helps you find what you’re looking for.
With the increased release of sermons from our archives, SBC Classic Edition is now podcasting on its own dedicated feed, separate from our current Sunday sermons.