Dove Creek Bible Church's Podcast

Three men died upon crosses that day long ago. On one of those crosses a man died in sin. On one of those crosses a man died for sin. And on one of those crosses a man died to sin. Jesus is the man on the middle cross. With reference to the other crosses...on which cross are you?

How tempting the path of least resistance is to us. Pilate kept trying to find such a path…he hesitated, he passed the buck, and he looked for compromise…he turned this way and that…but at every turn…RESISTANCE. Why did Pilate try so hard to avoid making the decision about Jesus his own? Like people today he doesn’t want to take responsibility for the decision so he tries to avoid making the decision. This strategy does not work because indecision is a decision.

What can we do when we meet this test called "failure"? How do we develop the gumption and humility to get back on track after we have blown it? How do we evaluate the reasons for our failing? Learn the lesson from Peter as Peter learns his lesson.

As Jesus nears His date with destiny He prays in the Garden of Gethsemane. Shortly thereafter He is arrested, but Peter protests by withdrawing his sword. In this sermon we discuss the cup the Father gave to His Son and the differences between accepting our cups and not accepting our cups.

In this text as His disciples face fast changing circumstances Jesus clarifies the temporariness of sorrow and pain, reassures them of His Father's love, and tells them where real peace and rest is located.

Jesus said He would send us the Spirit after He ascended to convict the world of three things: sin, righteousness and judgment. Our job is not to convict only to present the truth and then the Spirit's job is to convict men of these things. One of the ways the Spirit does this, nonetheless, is through the believer. The Spirit must minister to the believer first and then through the believer.

How can we know if we're abiding in His love? How do we love others as He loves us? What is the by-product of abiding, loving and obedience? Why does the world hate Christians who abide? Jesus answers all of these questions in this text.

What does it mean to abide in Jesus? What is the main idea, the main focus and the main point Jesus is making in John 15 when He says, "I am the vine, you are the branches"? In this sermon we explore why it is so important that we "do nothing".

At the end of John 14, we encounter the answers to the questions: What is our motivation to obey? From whence comes the power to obey? After giving us the answers to these questions Jesus says He will give us His peace which is not like the peace that the world gives. How is His peace different?

Jesus predicts many troubling events ahead for His disciples and then He exhorts them to not let their hearts be troubled. It's almost as if He is upsetting them on purpose and then telling them not to be upset. What does He mean? Where will they find the comfort they need when they need it?

About to be betrayed by one disciple and denied by another Jesus prepares His disciples for His imminent departure by stressing the need to love one another.

It takes a certain amount of humility to receive sacrificial service as well as to render it. Jesus' washing of the feet of His disciples shows them the full extent of His love. Peter will learn the importance of why it's better to be humble than to have to be humbled.

In some pulpits one finds the quote from John 12:21 inscribed so that only the speaker can see it "Sir, we would see Jesus." Why is is so important that people see Jesus not only in the pulpit, but also in the people of God? What happens when Christians speak of grace but not with grace? What happens to the person who loves his or her life in this world? This sermon addresses these issues.

In Luke 10, Martha stresses out while serving one guest. In John 12, Martha serves 13 guests and yet she is somehow unstressed. In Luke 10, she concerns herself with what her sister Mary is doing and in John 12 she seems less conscious of what Mary is dong. What made the difference? How can I serve like Martha in John 12 and avoid serving like Martha in Luke 10?

Lori Panici, Director of Children's Ministry for The Oaks Church, explains the new children's ministry model their church is using which is more of a relational model than an educational model.

The plot to kill Jesus made for strange alliances. Caiaphas predicts that Jesus will die as a substitute for the nation and He was right...just not in the way he thought. Then as now there are three reactions to Jesus: Ignore Him, oppose Him or worship Him.

Jesus learns His friend Lazarus is sick and near death, but He does not go to heal him. In fact, He delays two more days. Why? Was this purposeful delay a denial or was it for some greater purpose and plan?

This is Jesus' last public discourse with the crowds. From this point forward He concentrates on smaller groups and in particular His disciples. What would Jesus final words to the crowds be and how would they respond?

The Good Shepherd Discourse is on of the most famous passages of the Bible. In this discourse Jesus uses three different analogies of the sheep/shepherd motif to describe how He is like a shepherd to His people. The Good Shepherd Discourse dovetails nicely with another famous passage of the Bible - Psalm 23.

Jesus addresses the differences between being necessarily blind and being willfully blind. In the story of the healing of the blind man a man goes from sight to insight; while others maintain stubborn eyes.