Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary

Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary
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Faith Baptist Bible College & Theological Seminary is a school dedicated to equipping men and women to take the Word to the World.

  1. 6d ago

    Cultivating a Heart for the Lost / Dr. Sam Horn

    Dr. Sam Horn opens with footage of a recent catastrophic flood in Nepal — a 100-foot wave obliterating an entire border crossing in seconds — and uses it to frame the message's driving question: how should we feel about people who are lost and under the wrath of God? Looking at Romans 9:1–3 and Romans 10:1, he then opens a window into Paul's soul and calls students to feel, pray, and sacrifice the way Paul did. Scripture Texts Romans 9:1–3; Romans 10:1; Romans 2:5, 8–9; 2 Corinthians 11:22–28 Main Points or Ideas The reason for Paul's anguish: the lost are in devastating danger - The word "lost" does not merely mean wandering — it means in grave danger. Paul's kinsmen were under God's fierce wrath (Romans 1:18), storing up more wrath day by day (Romans 2:5), bearing God's curse for rejecting the righteousness of Christ, and hardened in heart. They had cut themselves off from the only one who could bear their curse. The crown of thorns was the symbol of that curse — Jesus bore it so they wouldn't have to, and they refused him.The intensity of Paul's anguish - Paul says, "I could wish that I myself were accursed" — acknowledging it isn't possible, but expressing willingness. Only Moses made a similar statement (Exodus 32). This anguish was not theoretical: everywhere Paul traveled, his first stop was the synagogue, even knowing the persecution that awaited him. Christ alone actually fulfilled what Paul could only wish — he bore the curse and wrath for the whole world.The authenticity of Paul's anguish - Paul stakes his credibility on two witnesses: his own conscience and the Holy Spirit. This was not ministry exaggeration or theological showmanship. It was genuine, unceasing sorrow — the kind that wakes you at night and won't let go.The effect of Paul's anguish - Paul's burden produced three things: unceasing, fervent prayer (Romans 10:1); bold proclamation (Ephesians 6:18–19); and astonishing sacrifice (2 Corinthians 11:22–28 — five beatings of 39 lashes, three rod beatings, one stoning, three shipwrecks, constant danger). The fruit was real: Jewish converts including Crispus, Sosthenes, Timothy, Andronicus, Junia, and many others across his missionary journeys. Conclusion Dr. Horn closes with the story of a school headmaster who received a phone call warning of the flood and evacuated 1,500 students to safety moments before the wave hit. The call is the same: are you willing to feel the burden Paul felt, so that you can be the one who makes the phone call that rescues people from the coming wrath of God?

  2. Oct 27

    Scandalous Grace / Dr. Sam Horn

    Dr. Sam Horn opens with the question of how a nation with the greatest access to God could miss the greatest gift from God, and applies this sobering pattern directly to students today. Drawing from Romans 9:1–6 and Romans 2:4–5, he warns that privilege and access do not guarantee godliness — and that the same spiritual tragedy that befell Israel can happen to anyone in the room. Scripture Texts Romans 9:1–6; Romans 2:4–5; Romans 11:20, 28 Main Points or Ideas God's astonishing kindness to Israel - God gave Israel an astounding relationship, royal standing as his princes on earth, and remarkable privileges: adoption as his firstborn nation, the Shekinah glory, four great covenants, the Torah, access to his presence through worship, hundreds of promises, the patriarchs as God's royal representatives, and the Messiah himself — who turned out to be God over all. These blessings pale in comparison to what New Testament believers now possess in full.The incredible spiritual tragedy - Despite all this privilege, the vast majority of Israelites missed the gift God had for them. Paul's heart was filled with great sorrow and unceasing anguish over their lostness. They had zeal for God but not according to knowledge, and they refused to submit to the righteousness of God. Only a remnant would be saved (Romans 9:27). This nation who had every reason to believe ended up in unbelief — and Paul warns this same thing can happen to students today.The deadly danger: despising the goodness of God - Israel's unbelief was rooted in presuming on God's kindness rather than letting it lead them to repentance (Romans 2:4–5). This plays out in three ways: rejecting God's Word openly, resisting God's messengers, and rebelling against God's will. Of Israel's forty kings, only eight did right in the sight of the Lord. Horn applies this to students: Are you suppressing or setting aside God's Word in some area of your life? Are you resisting the kind messengers God sends? Are you letting God's mercy lead to continued sin rather than radical change? Conclusion Dr. Horn closes with the hope of Romans 9:6 — the Word of God has not failed — and calls students to receive God's mercy as it was intended: as a lead to true repentance, not a license to keep rolling in sin.

  3. Oct 16

    Whatever You Have Done, Follow Jesus / Michael Blackstone

    Michael Blackstone opens with Peter's post-resurrection return to fishing — a picture of a man retreating after failure — and uses John 21 to argue that spiritual failure is not final with God. The message traces Christ's restoration of Peter as a pattern for anyone who has wondered whether God can still use them after what they have done. Scripture Text John 21:1-19 Main Points or Ideas Failure wants us to go back - After his denial, Peter retreated to fishing — back to old habits and old identity. Failure convinces us that because we are damaged, we are useless. But Galatians 6:1 uses the word "restore" — to mend completely, not discard. God is in the restoration business, and his grace compels us forward, not backward.Jesus meets us in the place of our failure - Jesus appeared on the shore and filled Peter's nets — a deliberate echo of the call in Luke 5. The message to Peter was clear: I haven't forgotten where I found you or what I called you to do. Jesus does not reopen wounds to shame; he reopens them to heal. The place we are most ashamed to bring to Jesus may be the very place he wants to meet us.Jesus sees our failure, but he sees more than our failure - Jesus asked Peter three times, "Lovest thou me?" — once for each denial. He was not humiliating Peter but restoring him. Each time Peter answered, Jesus gave him an assignment: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Failure is an event, not an identity. Like a cracked violin carefully restored, the damage became part of the story without silencing the instrument.Restoration leads to responsibility - Grace is not "I forgive you — now sit down." Every time Peter affirmed his love, Jesus gave him work to do. Peter, who failed publicly by a fire, later stood publicly on the day of Pentecost and proclaimed Christ. Grace restores us so that we can serve again.Your failure is part of your story - WD-40 took forty attempts to get its formula right — and carried its failures in its name. The righteous man is not the one who never falls but the one who rises again (Proverbs 24:16). Peter's failure shaped the way he ministered; those who have known grace most desperately often extend it most freely. The place where you failed may someday be the place from which you help someone else stand again. Conclusion Jesus met Peter at a second fire, fed him, restored him, and simply said, "Follow me." Failure is not final with God — he wants to restore broken tools, mend cracked instruments, and set his people back on their feet. The call is simply to get up and follow him.

  4. Oct 15

    Christians and Government / Bob Vander Plaats

    Bob Vander Plaats, president of The Family Leader, opens by introducing his organization's mission and its four-part framework for engaging government. Drawing from Deuteronomy 30, he challenges students to choose life — to go "all in" for God's principles in every sphere of influence, including politics. Scripture Texts Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Matthew 16:18; Romans 13; Hebrews 2:1 Main Points or Ideas The Family Leader's mission: four "I"s - The Family Leader exists to inspire the church, impact elections, influence policy, and ignite biblical partnership between church and government. The ministry logo uses a lowercase "i" — a reminder that it is not about us. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that he would build his church on this rock, and the gates of hell would not prevail — the church is God's Plan A with no Plan B.Government is God's institution - Romans 13 calls government ministers God. Political leaders — like missionaries sent to the field — are called to carry God's light into a dark place. When a culture drifts from God's order and principles, the result is chaos and division. Hebrews 2:1 warns against drifting; Vander Plaats argues the country is not drifting but sprinting away from God.Deuteronomy 30: Choose life - Before Israel entered the promised land, God set before them life and prosperity or death and adversity — and told them it was not too difficult or beyond their reach. The same choice faces believers today: love the Lord, walk in his ways, and be blessed — or turn away and perish. God calls his people to choose well, choose life.Look higher, think bigger, expect more - The Family Leader's operating posture: look higher (help comes from the Lord, not from political parties — Psalm 121); think bigger (Peter wanted to conquer Rome, but Jesus called him to eternal concerns); expect more (John 10:10 — Jesus came to give life abundantly). Regardless of election outcomes, believers should not be downcast, because they know who wins.Go all in — sacrifice what pulls you from God - Using Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, Vander Plaats asks what each student needs to sacrifice — whatever is pulling them from God's call. Ministry itself can become about self rather than God. The call is to be all in, lukewarm believers are those Jesus said he would spit out (Revelation 3, Laodicea). The challenge: be like Michael Jordan — go all in with a competitive spirit for the things of God. Conclusion Bob Vander Plaats closes with a call to choose well in every arena — at the voting booth, in the classroom, in the workplace, and in the church — and to go all in for God's principles.

  5. Oct 14

    Baggage in Marriage / Dr. Will Senn

    Using Hebrews 12:1-2 as his text, Dr. Will Senn challenges students to identify and discard the ten categories of baggage that couples bring into marriage before they reach the altar. Scripture Text Hebrews 12-13 Main Points or Ideas Hebrews 12:1-2 presents two participles alongside the main verb "run": an aorist participle (lay aside — definitively, immediately discard sin and weight) and a present participle (look unto Jesus — a continuous, ongoing focus). Both are required to run victoriously; addressing baggage without looking to Jesus misses the solution. Bag 1 — Communication - The number one cause of relational breakdown. Vagueness, silent treatment, interrupting, and blame-shifting all erode relationships. Look unto Jesus, the perfect communicator — the Word who speaks and listens.Bag 2 — Commitment - Hardened hearts and emotional disengagement lead to contempt and divorce. Christ's commitment modeled in Hebrews 13:5 — five negative particles: "I will never, never, never forsake you" — is the standard.Bag 3 — Sexual Baggage - Past immorality, pornography, or abortion brought into marriage creates serious damage. Physical reminders of past relationships must be burned. God forgives and restores, but these issues must be addressed before marriage.Bag 4 — Financial Baggage - Debt and financial irresponsibility are real baggage. Dr. Senn urges students — especially those considering ministry — to graduate debt-free, noting mission agencies have turned away applicants over unresolved debt.Bag 5 — Incompatibility - Many differences can be overcome, but showstoppers — church, finances, children, education — must be discussed. Amos 3:3: "How can two walk together except they be agreed?"Bag 6 — Conflict Resolution - Do you have a track record of solving problems biblically? Bullying, avoidance, and blame-shifting destroy marriages. Hebrews 12:14 calls believers to pursue peace.Bag 7 — Abuse Baggage - Past abuse is real baggage, often not the victim's fault. Hebrews 12:3 — "Consider him who endured such hostility" — points to Christ as the one who understands and gives grace to move forward without bitterness.Bag 8 — Addiction - Alcohol, drugs, gambling, and pornography are non-negotiables. Victory must come before marriage, not be hoped for after.Bag 9 — Emotional Baggage - Anxiety, panic attacks, and chronic emotional instability carry into marriage. Look unto Jesus, "the same yesterday, today, and forever" — immutable and stabilizing.Bag 10 — Immaturity - Unrealistic expectations and selfishness signal someone is not ready for marriage. The call is simply to grow up before bringing someone else into unresolved immaturity. Conclusion Dr. Senn closes with a practical homework assignment: identify your baggage, deal with it before marriage using Scripture and recommended resources, and put it in the dumpster — no dumpster diving. The call is to lay aside every weight and sin and run the race looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith.

  6. Oct 12

    Call to Ministry / Dr. Dan Brown

    Dr. Dan Brown opens by reflecting on his own fiftieth anniversary in ministry — he sat in the same chapel as an incoming freshman in 1976 — and uses his personal story as the thread connecting three biblical foundations for the call to ministry. He draws from Romans 12, 1 Timothy 3, and Acts 13 to argue that the call involves a dedication, a desire, and a decision. Scripture Text Romans 12:1-2; 1 Timothy 3:1; Acts 13:1-3; Acts 20:28 Main Points or Ideas A dedication for God's purpose (Romans 12:1-2) - The call to ministry begins with every believer's responsibility to present themselves as a living sacrifice — not just the formally called, but everyone. As a teenager, Dr. Brown publicly dedicated his life to Christ: not a rededication after failure, but a first yes. He had never said no to God, but he had also never said yes. That act of surrender — open-ended and unconditional — preceded the specific call that came when he arrived at Faith as a freshman. Students who have never said "yes, Lord, anywhere, anything" have not yet laid the foundation the call requires.A desire for ministry (1 Timothy 3:1) - The word translated "desire" in verse one actually contains two distinct Greek words: the first means to stretch out and grasp like a runner lunging for the finish line; the second is the word normally translated "lust" — a consuming, burning passion, rooted in the idea of smoldering fire. Together they picture the call as a burden that doesn't go away. A burden that fades by morning is not the call — a burden that sticks across weeks and months, driven by the Holy Spirit, is. Acts 20:28 reinforces that the Holy Spirit places elders and pastors in their positions, meaning the desire itself is Spirit-generated, not self-generated.A decision for service (Acts 13:1-3) - In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit calls Barnabas and Saul not in isolation but through the local church. The church selects, separates, prays for, potentially supports, and later receives an account from its sent-out workers. The call to ministry never happens in a vacuum — it is confirmed and carried out in partnership with the local church. Dr. Brown warns that there is equal danger in entering ministry uncalled and in avoiding it when truly called. For those who sense God's call, the response is to get involved now — serve in your church, seek opportunities, and start preparing today, not at graduation. ConclusionDr. Dan closes with two questions: Have you said yes to God with no conditions? And has God called you into ministry? If the answer to the second is yes, the call to ministry is also a call to prepare — and that preparation begins today, not after school ends.

  7. Oct 6

    Dating, Part 2 / Dr. Jim Tillotson

    Dr. Jim Tillotson continues the dating series with a practical, pastor-hearted session focused on two questions: who should I date, and when should I date? Drawing from 2 Corinthians 6, Proverbs, and eighteen years of pastoral counseling, he presents a detailed checklist for evaluating a potential dating partner and a set of guiding principles for when and how to begin dating. Scripture Texts 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Proverbs 22:24-25; Proverbs 25:19; Proverbs 13:20; 1 Timothy 5:8; Romans 13:14 Main Points or Ideas Who should I date? Only a true born-again believer - The Bible is clear: do not be unequally yoked. Evangelistic dating — pursuing someone with the hope of leading them to Christ — is the exception, not the rule, and almost always ends with the Christian being pulled away rather than the unbeliever being drawn in. Tillotson reinforces this with pastoral experience: the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Someone who drinks, looks at pornography, hates church, or has a bad temper while dating on their best behavior is unlikely to change after the wedding.Ten questions to ask when dating - Tillotson presents a practical screening checklist: Are they active in church — and do they serve, not just sit? Do they respect God's Word and respond to it? Are they honest — because if they lie to others, they'll lie to you? Do they control their temper? Are they lazy? Do you respect their character? What is their attitude toward authority? How do they treat their parents? Will you have to constantly apologize for them? And what are their moral standards — are they pushing the physical relationship forward?The progression chart and physical purity - Tillotson presents a chart showing that physical intimacy follows a natural God-designed progression: holding hands → hugging → kissing → long kissing → petting → sex. This progression typically unfolds within six months to a year. Starting it too early in relationship to a marriage timeline creates enormous pressure toward sexual sin. The solution is to build the relationship spiritually and emotionally first, to set personal dating standards in writing before entering a relationship, to agree with the person you're dating on those standards early, and to have accountability in place — someone you would hate to have to tell if you go too far.When should I date, and the ABCs of love - There is no magical age, but the highest prerequisites are God's approval, parental approval, and personal readiness — meaning you have developed your own dating standards and understand both the benefits and dangers of the process. Tillotson encourages students to date while in Christian community, to date long and engage short, and to look for someone who embodies the ABCs: Accepts you as you are, Believes you are valuable, Cares when you're hurt, Desires the best for you, and Erases all offenses. Conclusion Dr. Jim closes by reminding students that no one gets married wishing they had gone further physically before the wedding — and that the point of all this is not restriction but preparation for a lifelong marriage that honors God. Make no provision for the flesh, set a curfew, write out your standards, and trust God to bring the right person in his timing.

  8. Oct 5

    Revenge / Dr. Marty Herron

    Dr. Marty Herron opens with Robert Fulghum's bestselling book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten and the simple rules from the sandbox — play fair, don't hit, share, say sorry. He then pivots to Romans 12 and argues that Paul covers the same ground in a far more binding and inspired way: every believer should live harmoniously with all people, if possible. Scripture Text Romans 12:17-21 Main Points or Ideas Don't retaliate (v. 17a) - "Recompense to no man evil for evil" is an absolute — never, not most of the time. Revenge is not the same as justice. Justice says, "This must be made right." Revenge says, "I'll make you hurt." Hollywood did not invent revenge — it found an audience for something already living in the human heart. The text, the social media reply typed to sting — that is retaliation. Herron reminds students that Paul told the Romans God himself is the avenger (v. 19) and that the government holds the sword for civil justice (Romans 13). Personal revenge is never the believer's role.Think ahead and do right (v. 17b) - "Provide things honest in the sight of all men" is literally a command to think beforehand — to be proactive rather than reactive. People are watching how believers respond when they are wronged. Responding is what you choose; reacting is what happens to you. Booker T. Washington put it well: "I will not let any man make me lower myself by hating him."Pursue peace persistently (v. 18) - "If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men." The two qualifiers Paul himself included — "if possible" and "as much as lies in you" — acknowledge two realities: it is not always possible, and it does not always depend on you. Repentance and forgiveness are one-way streets you control; restoration is a two-way street that requires the other person. Herron illustrates the difference through David and Saul: David could not make Saul peaceful, but he could govern his own response. He refused to throw the spear back. You cannot control the spear someone throws — you can decide whether to throw one back. Conclusion Dr. Herron closes by contrasting two scenes: the David-in-the-cave moment of remarkable restraint, and a kindergarten graduation in Toledo, Ohio where a twenty-six-year-old woman slammed another woman's head against a seat in a dispute over seating — with the children waiting in the back in their graduation gowns. The adults had forgotten what the kindergartners were there to celebrate. His closing challenge is simple: grow up, move out of the kindergarten days of the old self, and let the sandbox rules — now grounded in Romans 12 — shape the culture of this campus.

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Faith Baptist Bible College & Theological Seminary is a school dedicated to equipping men and women to take the Word to the World.

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