A sermon by Rod Benson Jonah 3:1-10 No sooner have Jonah’s wrinkled, fishy hands gripped the coarse sand of a Jewish beach, than he hears the now familiar voice of God once more. It is the same message, the same words – a message previously disregarded, presenting a challenge previously disobeyed: “Go to the great …
A passion for conversion and baptism
A sermon by Rod Benson What makes us who we are as Christians known as Baptists? Last week I suggested that one of our distinctive characteristics or qualities is a passion for reading the Bible for ourselves, expecting God to supply fresh light and spiritual nourishment to us through his written word. Today I want …
Experiencing God’s mercy and grace
A sermon by Rod Benson 1 Timothy 1:12-19 They can put a man on the moon, but they can’t make solar cars. Or cure acne. Or invent the self-sorting sock drawer. Or make me lose weight by eating all the donuts. Or find a word that rhymes with orange. Or drive a road tunnel through …
Ethics and conversion
Conversion is the central ethical message of Jesus and lies at the heart of evangelical faith and experience. For some, conversion is a slow, lifelong movement of the heart and will toward God. For others, it is a single dramatic experience, a sudden realignment of the self as the Apostle Paul experienced on the Damascus …