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A brief bit of encouragement for the journey from God's Word. Today's Scripture reading: Hebrews 5 To support this devotional ministry: https://faithbaptiststerling.com/give/ Music: "Awaken the Dawn" by Stanton Lanier https://www.stantonlanier.com CCLI #20109360

Everyone has an opinion about truth. Pilate cynically asked, "What is truth?" But when those voices disagree—and eternity is at stake—what can you trust? Join Pastor Steve as he explores what the Bible teaches about truth and why its claims matter.

This sermon examines the Third Commandment, urging believers to cease misusing God's name and instead hallow it as a sacred reflection of His character. The message defines taking a name in vain as carrying it in a worthless or futile manner, contrasting this with the biblical mandate to consecrate God's name for its intended purposes. It explores how God's various names reveal His eternal being and attributes, such as being Almighty, Provider, and Source of Peace, culminating in the name Jesus, which signifies salvation. The preacher identifies common ways believers dishonor this name, including using it as a casual expletive, a debate tactic, or through a lifestyle that contradicts their profession of faith. Finally, the sermon calls for honoring God through pure speech that edifies others and a consistent walk that reflects Christ in all actions.

What is it that you have been saying to you? Here we see that, in the face of life's troubles, David intentionally fixed his thoughts upon the Lord, he instructs his heart in the night, as he speaks things he knows to be true even if he doesn't feel them in the moment. For true rest in the midst of life's painful circumstances is only found in the God who hears us and keeps us.

1. Consecration 2. Cleansing 3. Correction

This sermon examines the death of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10 to illustrate the critical importance of internal sanctification over external religious observance. The central argument posits that while the priests had fulfilled all outward requirements of their consecration, their hearts lacked the proper reverence for God, resulting in divine judgment. By drawing parallels to New Testament accounts such as Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 and the warning in 1 Corinthians 11, the message emphasizes that God is primarily concerned with the condition of the believer's heart rather than mere ritual compliance. The tone is convicting and instructional, urging the audience to recognize that a right heart naturally produces right actions, whereas correct externals without internal devotion are insufficient for pleasing God.

The Almightiness of God. The Promise to Abram. The Command to be Consecrated to God.

This sermon examines the narrative in 1 Samuel 7, where Samuel erects a stone named Ebenezer to memorialize God's help against the Philistines. The central message identifies four essential steps that precede divine intervention: national lamentation for sin, heartfelt consecration to God, fervent supplication, and the ultimate act of God stepping in to deliver His people. The preacher emphasizes that this sequence serves as a model for the church today, urging believers to move beyond spiritual complacency and compromise by turning their hearts fully to the Lord. By analysing the historical context of Israel's defeat and subsequent revival, the message encourages a posture of dependence on God rather than human effort, asserting that true victory comes only when God intervenes. The tone is both convicting regarding the need for repentance and comforting in the assurance that God remains faithful to His covenant people.

VaultAI Summary: This sermon explores the call for believers to be wholly consecrated to the fear of the Lord, examining how this devotion manifests in the mind, heart, eyes, and feet. Drawing from Psalm 119, the text argues that true Christianity requires the mind to be renewed by God's teaching, the heart to be inclined toward delight in His commandments rather than covetousness, and the eyes to be guarded against vanity. The preacher emphasizes that intellectual assent is insufficient without the power of the Holy Spirit to quicken the soul, enabling genuine obedience and a walk that reflects Christ's character. By uniting these faculties in reverence, Christians avoid hypocrisy and bring glory to God, relying on His grace to sustain their devotion and protect His name from reproach.

This sermon addresses the normative struggle believers face between their flesh and the Spirit, defining hypocrisy as the gap between profession and practice. Drawing on the teachings of Thomas Watson and Scripture, the message outlines a six-step process for transforming areas of hypocrisy into sincerity: identification, confession, conversation, consecration, amputation, and appropriation. The speaker emphasizes the necessity of using biblical language to identify sin, owning it through confession, and engaging in relational dialogue with God. Furthermore, it calls for a dedicated consecration of the mind and heart, the radical amputation of sinful habits, and the appropriation of Christ's power for sanctification. The tone is pastoral and convicting, urging the congregation to pursue a life of integrity where the heart aligns with the lips.

This sermon urges believers to pursue entire consecration through a voracious and purposeful engagement with the Bible, arguing that spiritual growth is impossible without daily immersion in God's Word. The speaker uses the historical example of King Josiah finding the lost Book of the Law to challenge the congregation to examine whether they have spiritually 'lost' the Bible through neglect or selective obedience. Drawing on key passages such as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Psalm 1, the message emphasizes that Scripture is divinely inspired, profitable for doctrine and reproof, and essential for maintaining a tender conscience and a life of obedience. The tone is convicting yet pastoral, encouraging listeners to view the Bible not as a casual reading but as a vital source of strength, correction, and joy that sustains them through trials and old age. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a deliberate, daily commitment to meditate on and obey the Word, allowing it to dwell richly in the believer's life to produce fruit and reflect Christ.

"By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh"

"By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh"

This sermon examines the fourth commandment as a moral obligation for all believers, emphasizing that the Sabbath is a holy day set apart for the worship of God rather than merely a period of physical rest. The central message urges Christians to delight in this day by consecrating themselves to the Lord, viewing it as a spiritual diagnosis of their devotion and a foretaste of eternal rest. Key duties discussed include attending public worship, engaging in private devotions, and fostering a godly environment within the home and community. The preacher argues that focusing on these positive duties naturally excludes forbidden sins, while also addressing the responsibilities of superiors to enable others to keep the day holy. The tone is instructional and convicting, calling the church to reject the neglect of God's holiness and to embrace the Sabbath as a source of divine blessing and preparation for the eternal Sabbath in glory.