Advertise on podcast: The Preaching of the Cross

If you’ve ever wondered why your faith feels shaky when your circumstances feel loud, this message goes straight to the heart of it: what does Jesus Christ see when He looks at a believer He has already taken hold of? Brother James opens Philippians 3 and focuses on one loaded word, “apprehended,” showing how Scripture uses it like an arrest or capture. The surprise is that the gospel is not you trying to grab hold of God, it is God laying hold of you, holding you, and refusing to let you be snatched away. From Romans 8, we talk about the Spirit of God dwelling in the saved, righteousness credited to us in Christ, and the promise of resurrection that is grounded in relationship rather than performance. That leads to a hard but freeing question: if Christ has been that good to us, why would we devote our lives to anything else? Adoption replaces bondage and fear, and even when feelings dip, the Word insists that God keeps His children. Then we zoom out to the scale of the inheritance. Colossians 1 and Ephesians 1 underline redemption through Christ’s blood, forgiveness of sins, being qualified by God, and being accepted in the beloved. Second Corinthians 5 brings it home with the great exchange, Christ made sin for us so we might be made the righteousness of God in Him, which reframes the Christian race as running from victory, not for victory. If this encourages you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs assurance, and leave a review with the line that challenged you most. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

Comfort can fake spirituality. Pressure reveals what’s real. We lean into Philippians 3 and Paul’s stunning honesty: his sins are forgiven, heaven is settled, and yet he says he hasn’t “attained.” What’s left to reach for when you already belong to Christ? We talk through the Bible’s idea of apprehending, laying hold, being seized by Jesus and then spending a lifetime trying to get that same grip back on him through real discipleship. From there we tackle a word many Christians misunderstand: perfection. In Scripture, “perfect” doesn’t mean sinless; it means complete, finished, wanting nothing. That shifts the whole conversation about Christian growth and sanctification. Salvation rescues us from hell and guarantees eternal life, but the Holy Spirit keeps working to shape us into Christlikeness day by day. The question isn’t “Am I flawless?” but “Am I being made more like Jesus?” Then we go where most people would rather not go: suffering. We connect Paul’s “fellowship of his sufferings” to the way God perfects strength through weakness and breaks self-confidence so grace can actually lead. Hebrews takes it even further, saying Jesus was “made perfect through sufferings” not made righteous, but made complete as our High Priest who truly knows pain, loss, tears, and obedience under pressure. If we quit fellowshipping with God when hardship hits, we don’t just hurt, we waste what God meant to use. Subscribe for more Bible preaching and teaching, share this with someone who needs steadiness, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part of suffering has most challenged your faith lately? Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

Respectable religion can be harder to throw away than obvious sin, because it feels like proof we’re doing fine. From Philippians 3:8–14, we walk through Paul’s shocking claim that everything he once trusted, even his “good” life, belongs in the garbage compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ. That single idea exposes how easily we trade the gospel for self-confidence, and why righteousness by faith is not just doctrine but the only ground firm enough to stand on.  We also push the passage into daily life. Paul is already saved, yet he still says, “that I may know him.” We talk about imputed righteousness, the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification, and what it means to seek “the power of his resurrection” as victory over sin, self-love, and self-interest. Instead of treating Christianity as a ticket to heaven or a tool for comfort, Paul aims to live now the life he will live then, a life shaped by Christ’s humility, service, and willingness to suffer for others.  Along the way, we offer a direct warning about modern preaching that markets faith as prosperity, self-exaltation, or escape from hardship. Biblical Christianity calls us to deny ourselves gladly, not to use God to promote ourselves. The passage ends with a clear target: forgetting what’s behind, reaching forward, and pressing toward the mark of Christlikeness as the prize.  If this message challenged you, share it with a friend, subscribe so you don’t miss the next broadcast, and leave a review so more listeners can find faithful Bible teaching. What part of Philippians 3 hits closest to home for you? Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

You can be deeply religious, fiercely disciplined, and “blameless” in the eyes of people and still be headed the wrong direction. That’s the uncomfortable edge of Paul’s testimony in Philippians 3, and we sit with it long enough for it to land: law keeping, moral effort, and spiritual credentials cannot replace the righteousness found only in Jesus Christ. If you’ve ever wondered why Christianity insists on grace, faith, and the cross, this message draws the line with clarity.  From there, we zoom in on a word many Christians misunderstand: blameless. The Bible never calls us to pretend we’re sinless, but it does call saved people to live above reproach where others can see. We connect Philippians with James 5:16, unpacking “Confess your faults one to another,” and we talk honestly about why public credibility matters for the gospel. Then we walk through Scripture’s examples Zechariah and Elizabeth, Abraham, and Lot to show the difference between being right with God and being trusted by people.  Philippians 2 brings it home with “work out your own salvation” not working for salvation, but letting God’s work inside you show up in your words, choices, and relationships. We also touch 1 Timothy and 1 Thessalonians on having “a good report” with outsiders, abstaining from the appearance of evil, and what it means to “shine as lights” in a crooked world. If you want a Bible study on salvation by grace, Christian sanctification, and practical holiness that actually meets real life, press play.  Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the broadcast and grow in the Word. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m trying my best, surely that counts,” Paul answers with a shocking testimony: his best didn’t count at all. We open Philippians 3 and let Paul lay out his unmatched religious credentials, then watch him call it loss compared to “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.” The point is not that discipline is worthless, but that it is powerless to save. We also tackle a sobering idea: Satan’s most effective weapon isn’t always open rebellion, it’s religion that borrows the name of Jesus while replacing faith with works. We talk about how rituals, sacraments, and moral striving can become a counterfeit refuge, and why Scripture warns about spiritual leaders who shift people away from simple trust in Christ’s blood. From there we follow Paul into Romans 9 and Romans 10, where zeal without knowledge stumbles over Christ Himself. Then Galatians 3 lands the final blow to self-confidence: the law brings a curse because it demands perfect obedience, and none of us measure up. The good news is just as clear, Christ redeems us by taking the curse and offering His righteousness to everyone who believes. If you’re weighing your record against God’s standard, listen closely and decide where you’ll place your trust. Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with a friend who’s trying to “be good enough,” and leave a review so more people can find the message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

“Beware of dogs” is one of the sharpest warnings in Philippians 3, and it forces a question most of us would rather avoid: who or what keeps pulling me back toward the old life? We dig into Paul’s urgent cautions about carnal Christianity, evil workers, and religious people who love the outward symbol but resist an inward relationship with God. If you have ever wondered why you can know the right verses and still feel the tug of sin, this teaching puts honest words to that struggle. From there, we connect Philippians 3 with 2 Peter 2 and Colossians 2 to separate mere ritual from real spiritual transformation. The issue is not whether someone carries a religious label, but whether Christ has done the “circumcision made without hands” that shows up in day-to-day choices. We talk about sanctification in plain terms: Jesus does not only save us from sin’s penalty, he gives liberty from sin’s grip, so we can actually live differently. The turning point is Philippians 3:3 and its three anchors for Christian living: worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. We explain why trying harder often fails, why self-trust is a quiet setup for a fall, and why joy in Jesus is not sentimental fluff but a practical strategy for lasting obedience. If you want Bible study that is direct, pastoral, and focused on real life, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

If you’ve ever wondered why joy feels fragile even when you’re trying to do the right things, Philippians 2 gives an answer that cuts deeper than circumstances: joy grows when our minds and choices start matching Jesus Christ. We open with the central theme of rejoicing in the Christian life, not as wishful thinking, but as the fruit of directed thoughts, obedience to Scripture, and a willingness to deny self for the good of others. From there, we look at two vivid case studies that make the teaching concrete. Timothy stands out because he genuinely cares for the church instead of seeking his own welfare, and his “proof” is seen in steady service alongside Paul in the work of the gospel. Then Epaphroditus steps forward as a brother, companion in labor, and fellow soldier whose love runs so deep that he grieves, not over his sickness, but over the fact that others had to worry about him. We also address a question many listeners carry quietly: does sickness always mean God is judging you? Philippians 2 answers with clarity. Epaphroditus lives an exemplary Christian life and is still “sick nigh unto death,” and his recovery is described as God’s mercy, not a badge of personal merit. The episode closes with a needed challenge about giving honor to faithful servants, respecting those who labor in ministry, and refusing to let the work of Christ fall on the shoulders of a few. Subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible teaching, share this with a friend who needs steady joy, and leave a review to help others find the show. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

Every day we’re trained to build our own name, defend our own pride, and demand our own due. Philippians 2 cuts straight through that instinct and puts a different mindset in front of us: the mind that was also in Christ Jesus, a life of humility for the good of others. We walk carefully through how strife and vainglory start in the thought life, and how lowliness of mind becomes the practical path to unity, joy, and a Christian life that actually pleases God. Then we face the question most people won’t say out loud but almost everyone feels: what’s the benefit of living that way? The passage answers with Jesus Himself. Because He humbled Himself unto death, God highly exalted Him. That is not only theology, it’s a loud reminder that God rewards faithful service, even though He owes us nothing. The Christian life is not a gamble on empty sacrifice; it is trust in a God who keeps His promises. From there, we focus on one line with eternal weight: “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” We talk about what it means to confess the full name Jesus, Christ, and Lord, why there will be no competing loyalties in eternity, and why some will confess with rejoicing while others confess in regret. Finally, we land on Romans 10:9 and the urgency of responding now: confess with your mouth and believe in your heart. If this message challenged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find this Bible teaching on Philippians 2, Christian humility, and the lordship of Jesus Christ. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

A lot of people speak confidently about God until they get even a glimpse of His holiness. We’re continuing our Philippians study in 2:10-11, where Scripture says every knee will bow at the name of Jesus and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we’re asking what that means for real life right now, not just someday. I walk through the Bible’s repeated pattern of human collapse in the presence of God: Job goes silent, Isaiah cries out about his own uncleanness, and Daniel loses all strength when he sees the glorious Christ of Daniel 10. Then we move into the New Testament where Peter, the seasoned fisherman, tries to reason with Jesus until one miracle shatters his pride and he falls at Jesus’ knees, calling Him “Lord.” That change from seeing Jesus as a helpful teacher to confessing Him as Lord is the dividing line between religious talk and genuine faith. Along the way we connect Moses, Sinai, Manoah, and other passages that underline the fear of the Lord, God’s justice, and God’s mercy. We also speak plainly about the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, the reality of judgment, and the invitation to bow now in repentance and trust rather than later in terror. If you care about biblical preaching, Philippians 2, the holiness of God, and salvation through the name of Jesus, this message is for you. Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with a friend who needs to hear it, and leave a review that tells us what line or passage challenged you most. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

Every knee will bow. Not as a metaphor, not as a tradition, but as a certainty. We open Philippians 2:10-11 and slow down long enough to feel the weight of what God says about Jesus Christ: universal submission, universal confession, and a glory that leaves no room for casual religion. We also talk honestly about why this lands so hard in modern life. Our culture has trained us to treat authority as optional and reverence as outdated, so it is easy to slide into questioning God as if He owes us explanations. Using Romans 14, we trace the coming reversal: the day of judgment is not God answering to man, but man giving account to God. Then we walk through Job 38, where the Lord answers out of the whirlwind and Job finally realizes what most of us resist admitting until we are confronted by holiness. From there, we challenge a style of preaching that encourages people to order God around, “name it and claim it,” and turn Bible verses into leverage. Isaiah 45 brings the focus back to the center: God alone receives the bowing of every knee, and if Philippians says every knee bows at the name of Jesus, then Jesus Christ is God. Finally, Isaiah 6 shows what happens when someone really sees the King: pride collapses, excuses die, and worship becomes unavoidable. Listen, share this with a friend, and if it helped you, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the message. What line or passage hit you the hardest? Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

One name outlasts every headline, every legacy, and every empire. We walk through Philippians 2:9-11 and slow down on the moment where the text turns from Christ’s suffering to His exaltation: God the Father highly exalts Jesus Christ and gives Him a name above every name, a name that will not fade when our bodies return to dust. From there, we trace the Bible’s sharp contrast between humility and pride. Jesus goes down in obedient sacrifice and is lifted up in eternal honor, while self-exaltation is exposed as a trap that ends in ruin. We connect that to everyday life, where people chase recognition, status, and a reputation, and we ask the question Scripture keeps asking: whose glory are we really living for? We also unpack what the Bible says about the name of Jesus: a saving name (Matthew 1:21), a powerful name (Luke 10), a hated name (Luke 21), and the only name of salvation (Acts 4:12). That leads to the sobering reality of final accountability, including the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation 20, and the simple call to bow now in faith rather than later in condemnation. If you’ve ever wondered what truly matters at the end of life, this message lands with clarity and urgency. Subscribe for more Bible preaching, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review that helps others find the gospel centered teaching. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

Pride has a way of disguising itself as “discernment,” “standards,” or even “self respect,” and then it quietly drains the joy out of our homes, our churches, and our friendships. We open Philippians 2 and follow Paul’s call to one mind, one love, and lowliness of mind, then we let the spotlight land where the passage puts it: on Jesus Christ, who chose the downward path on purpose.  We talk about why Christ’s humility is not just something to admire, but a mindset to adopt. Using Psalm 8 and Psalm 113, we zoom out to the scale of creation and then zoom in to the astonishing claim that God sets His attention on man, even humbling Himself to behold what He made. That makes the incarnation and the cross feel even more staggering, and it also exposes our excuses. If the worthy One served the unworthy, what does that say about the pride behind our refusal to sacrifice for others?  Then we get painfully practical. If I serve for my benefit, bitterness will find me sooner or later. If I serve for someone else’s good, joy becomes possible every day because there is always someone to help. We connect that to church life, family conflict, and the temptation to quit, and we walk through John 15 and 1 John 3 to show that biblical love is not a feeling but obedience that acts, sacrifices, and stays faithful. If you want Christian joy that lasts, this message aims straight at the heart.  Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with someone who needs encouragement, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one area where you need to replace pride with service this week? Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

God didn’t “almost” save you. Philippians 2 shows Jesus Christ stepping down, on purpose, from eternal glory to the brutal shame of the cross and it forces a question we can’t dodge: what does real humility actually look like? We open up Philippians 2:5–11 and trace the downward steps Scripture describes. Christ exists in the form of God, equal with God, and He is worshiped without stealing honor that isn’t His. Then He does the unthinkable: He makes Himself of no reputation, takes the form of a servant, and is made in the likeness of men. We talk through the reality of the incarnation, the cost of being rejected and despised, and the wonder of “God with man’s clothes on,” walking among ordinary people. From there, we slow down at the heart of the passage: Jesus “became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” This message argues clearly that the crucifixion is not simply the outcome of human politics or a violent plot. It is willing obedience to the Father’s will, the planned work of redemption, and the center point of Christianity. We then turn back to Philippians 2:1–4 and bring it home: like-minded love, no strife, lowliness of mind, esteeming others, and looking out for someone else’s good. If you want practical Christian living, servant leadership, and a real blueprint for unity in the church, it starts here. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review telling us what challenged you most. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org