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Genesis 13:1-18 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. 2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; 4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. 5 ¶ And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. 7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. 8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. 10 ¶ And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were wicked.

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (1 Peter 1:7) ~~~~ This sermon was preached at Zoar Chapel, The Dicker, on Lord's day afternoon. ~~~~ *1/ Your faith. 2/ The trial of your faith. 3/ Your faith at the appearing of Jesus Christ.* **Sermon summary:** The sermon explores the nature of saving faith as a divine gift from Jesus Christ, emphasizing that it is not a human achievement but a personal possession given at the new birth. It argues that the purpose of trials is to test the authenticity of this faith, much like fire tests gold, thereby proving that the believer's strength lies in God rather than in self-reliance. Through the example of Peter and other biblical figures, the message illustrates how God sustains faith during periods of weakness, delay, and suffering, ensuring it remains centred on Christ. The ultimate goal of this process is not self-praise but the revelation of God's glory when faith endures to the end. Believers are encouraged to find comfort in the fact that their trials are in the Lord's hands, leading to praise, honour, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

I came to the book of Daniel prepared to preach Christ from the heroic prophetic feats of the title character. Surely he is the great type of Christ in his own book! And indeed, as we will see Daniel consistently acts as prophet and priest throughout his time in Babylon, with parallels to the Son of Man that are not to be taken lightly. But in chs. 2 & 4, much to my surprise, I have discovered that the great type of the Son of Man is not Daniel, but Nebuchadnezzar! The pagan monarch, the Babylonian tyrant, the destroyer of God's temple, the man who surely ought to be a one-dimensional villain — that man is like Christ in numerous ways. We saw in ch. 2 that he is called "kings of kings" and that he is the "head of gold," a description that overlaps the description of the Beloved in Song of Solomon 5. But those parallels are small potatoes compared to the narrative arc of Daniel 4, in which we see humiliation and exaltation, a cosmic tree cut down and then regrown. Yes, clearly Nebuchadnezzar is not Christ. But he is like Him in some key ways, ways that mark out the Babylonian as a foil character whose flaws highlight the perfections of the lion of the tribe of Judah. Particularly in his humiliation and exaltation, Nebuchadnezzar reminds us of the humiliation and exaltation of the Son of Man, and teaches us the lesson he learned: conformity to Christ requires humility.

This sermon explores the nature of the local church through three metaphors presented in 1 Corinthians 3: it is a field, a building, and a temple. The central message emphasizes that while ministers are servants who plant and water, it is God alone who gives the increase, thereby removing human pride from the work of evangelism. The preacher warns against building with 'wood, hay, and stubble' by prioritizing numbers over genuine conversion and biblical standards, urging believers to seek the quality of 'gold, silver, and precious stones' that withstands divine judgment. The discourse concludes by affirming the church as the temple of the living God, where the Holy Spirit dwells among His people, calling for a reverent view of the local body as a spiritual institution rather than merely a social gathering.

Hag 2:1-9 ESV – In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: "Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 'Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.'"

Deuteronomy 30:6 "And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." King James Version (

We look at Solomon's statement that "the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come." We look at those places, observe the maps of those places and compare it to the Land Promise to Israel from the LORD. Also Reference: Exodus 35:21, Exodus 37:1-9, Numbers 10:11-13, Numbers 10:33, 2 Chronicles 35:1-4, Revelation 11:15-19 MUSIC: Close: "God Is The King"/"All Hail King Jesus" Acapella https://bbfohio.com

We see the "overlay with gold" in the making of the Tabernacle and we learn that this pictures the "Hypostatic Union" which simply speaks of the fact that Jesus was Man (wood) and God (gold). Also Reference: Matthew 5:17, Ephesians 2:14-18 https://bbfohio.com

1 Peter 1:7 "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" King James Version

This sermon examines the root causes of discontentment, identifying covetousness and the 'if only' mentality as primary enemies of a contented life. It distinguishes between fleeting happiness, which depends on circumstances, and supernatural joy, which is a fruit of the Spirit grounded in faith. The message encourages believers to examine their hearts for inordinate desires and to shift their focus from what they lack to the imperishable inheritance promised in Christ. By meditating on the character of God and the reality of their true home in heaven, believers are called to cultivate an inward assurance that produces peace and thanksgiving regardless of external trials. The ultimate goal is not happiness but holiness, achieved through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit who enables believers to rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances.