Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary

Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary
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  • Spirituality
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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. 5d ago

    Us Time with God / Matt Galvan

    Matt Galvan opens by situating the church of Ephesus historically — a forty-five-year-old, well-established congregation with sound doctrine, active service, endurance under pressure, and zero tolerance for false teaching. He then asks: what could Jesus possibly rebuke a church like that for? The answer to that question drives the entire message. Scripture Text Revelation 2:1-7; Philippians 3:10 Main Points or Ideas Christ's characteristic - Jesus introduces himself to the Ephesian church as the one who holds the seven stars and walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks — that is, he is actively present among his churches and sees everything. He comes not as a detached observer but as one who walks through and inspects, missing nothing.Christ's compliment - Jesus commends the church at Ephesus for four things: hard work and labor, patient endurance under pressure, intolerance of blatant sin, and sound doctrinal discernment in rejecting false apostles. Galvan applies this to the student body — serving God, not quitting when things get hard, pursuing right doctrine — and affirms that Jesus sees and commends it.Christ's rebuke - With one word — "nevertheless" — everything changes. Jesus says, "I have this against you: you have left your first love." First love is honeymoon love: fervent, personal, uninhibited, and openly displayed. Using the marriage analogy, Galvan argues that the Ephesians had let life — not sinful things, but busy, good things — crowd out "us time" with Jesus. They were theologically straight but had lost the personal intimacy that makes doctrine living. Jesus says: I miss when you used to pray about everything, read the Word desperate to hear from me, and needed me for every situation. That intimacy had been replaced by routine.Christ's command - Jesus gives three imperatives: remember, repent, and repeat the first works. Remember how devoted you once were. Repent — not with excuses but with genuine sorrow and willingness to change. Repeat the practices of early love: personal Bible reading, prayer, desperate dependence on God. The warning is sobering: the church at Ephesus eventually disintegrated — not for lack of programs, but because they never returned to us time. Conclusion Galvan closes with three diagnostic questions: What three things most quickly distract you from time with God? What does Jesus want to do with you during that time? And what entertainments or pleasures never get skipped on days when devotions do? Jesus's appeal to Ephesus is the same appeal to every student: come back to us time — before it's too late.

  2. Sep 4

    The Name Yahweh / Bob Roberts

    Bob Roberts opens with three pieces of classic artwork depicting Moses at the burning bush before turning to Exodus 3 and a focused meditation on God's personal covenant name — Yahweh — and what it reveals about who God is and how he relates to us. His goal is to send students into the weekend as worshipers who know their God more deeply. Scripture Texts Exodus 3:1-14; John 8:56-58; John 20:26-28; Philippians 2:9-11; Acts 4:12 Main Points or Ideas God's name invites us to know him - When Moses asks God for his name, God reveals the Tetragrammaton — YHWH — translated in English Bibles as LORD in all caps. The name derives from the Hebrew verb "to be," meaning I AM THAT I AM. It is a state-of-being verb with no expiration date, communicating that God exists eternally, self-sufficiently, and without need. This name was so sacred that Jewish scribes would not write or speak it, substituting Adonai or Hashem instead. Roberts argues that the name itself is an open door to exploration — a standing invitation to ask, What are you, God? — and that the pursuit of that question is enough to captivate a human heart for eternity.God's name tells us he is everything — to the max - Whatever God is, he is that always and completely. He is loving, faithful, all-knowing, merciful, all-powerful, immutable, and righteous — not some of the time or partially, but to the max, twenty-four hours a day, with no expiration date. Humans share some of these qualities in partial, inconsistent measure; God possesses all of them infinitely. Roberts illustrates this through the audience: students call out attributes, and he repeats each one — faithful to the max, merciful to the max — to drive the point home.God's name points ahead to Jesus - The pictographic roots of the Hebrew letters in YHWH (yod-hey-vav-hey) correspond to hand, behold, nail, and behold — an evocative foreshadowing of Christ crucified, though Roberts is careful to note this is not on the same level as direct Scripture. More exegetically, when the Septuagint translators rendered I AM THAT I AM into Greek, they used ego eimi. John uses the exact same words in seven I AM statements of Jesus, and most explicitly in John 8:58 — "Before Abraham was, I am" — a direct claim to the divine name that the crowd immediately understood as blasphemy. The name Jesus (Yeshua) itself means Yahweh saves — a state-of-being God whose action verb is salvation. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow, and there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. Conclusion Bob Roberts calls students to go into the weekend as secret worshipers — letting the truth of God's name take root in their hearts, pointing all faith and hope like a laser beam at the resurrected Christ, and letting that intimacy with God be seen on their faces and heard in their words throughout the week.

  3. Sep 3

    Salvation Testimony / Bob Roberts

    Bob Roberts opens his second visit to campus by introducing a Scripture memory challenge — recite a full chapter of the Sermon on the Mount before Christmas in exchange for a silver dollar from his collection — and then uses the coin to transition into Matthew 5 and his own salvation testimony. The common thread throughout is the first Beatitude: blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Scripture Text Matthew 5:3, 20-22, 43-44; Matthew 22:19-21 Main Points or Ideas The Sermon on the Mount goes straight for the heart - Roberts walks through three of Jesus's six antitheses in Matthew 5 to show that the law's standard was always about the heart, not mere external compliance. Anger at a brother puts a person in danger of judgment — just as murder does. Lust is adultery of the heart. And the command to love enemies is so impossible that it proves the point: keeping Christ's standard is humanly unachievable. Each antithesis is a scalpel that cuts away at self-righteousness and exposes the need for grace.Blessed are the poor in spirit - The beating heart of the Sermon is its first verse — blessed are those who are spiritually bankrupt, having nothing to offer and needing everything. Roberts argues that every other part of the sermon is designed to drive people back to this verse. The person who sees their failure against Jesus's standard and comes to him with empty hands is precisely the kind of person who receives the kingdom of heaven.Roberts's testimony - Roberts grew up attending church after his parents were saved when he was five, but made a non-converting childhood decision and later collected two more false assurances: a prayer at camp and a star that twinkled. Through Christian high school, college, and a summer internship, he learned to coat his spiritual uncertainty with performance, service, and busyness. At age twenty-one, while leading a camper named Michael to Christ, the Holy Spirit convicted him that he didn't have what he was giving away. After fighting conviction for nearly a day, he told a friend the truth — "I don't think I'm a Christian" — and on June 30, 1995, cried out to God in utter humility and was saved. He returned thirty-one years later to the exact spot. His final challenge to students: the object of your faith is everything — is your trust in a prayer, a memory, a twinkling star, or in the risen Lamb of God? Conclusion Bob Roberts closes by urging any student who identifies with his story to stop fighting and simply come to Christ having nothing and needing everything. That is where Christianity begins — blessed are the poor in spirit.

  4. Sep 2

    All Things Work Together for Good / Dr. Ernie Schmidt

    Dr. Ernie Schmidt anchors his message in Romans 8:28 — "all things work together for good to those who love God" — and then illustrates that promise through a series of biblical narratives: Israel in the wilderness, Job, the man born blind, Lazarus, and Paul and Silas in Philippi. His aim is to show students that God's trials always serve a purpose, and that purpose is always good. Scripture Texts Romans 8:25-28; Deuteronomy 8:2-3; Job 1-2; John 9:1-3; John 11:1-6; Acts 16:19-31 Main Points or Ideas Trials teach us to know God's Word - Deuteronomy 8 records Moses reminding Israel that God led them through forty years of wilderness, allowing hunger and providing manna — unknown food, deliberately given — so they would learn that man does not live by bread alone but by every word from God's mouth. God makes his people hungry in order to create a hunger for himself and his Word. When trials come, the first place to run is Scripture.Trials teach us to know God personally - Job was the most godly man on earth when Satan challenged his motives before God: "Does Job serve God for nothing?" God permitted Satan to strip Job of his possessions and children, then his health. Job did not know the heavenly drama behind his suffering, but he worshiped through it — "the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." When Job's friends falsely accused him and he began to look at himself rather than God, God responded with sixty questions from the whirlwind that restored his vision. The goal of Job's suffering was a deeper, firsthand knowledge of God — and God restored him twofold.Trials show God to the world - Jesus's disciples assumed the man born blind was being punished for sin. Jesus corrected them: "Neither this man nor his parents sinned — but that the works of God should be revealed in him." Lazarus was allowed to die so the Son of God could be glorified through resurrection. Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned in Philippi — not because they did anything wrong — but at midnight they prayed and sang hymns, the prisoners listened, an earthquake opened every door, and the jailer came to faith along with his entire household. God permits suffering so that he can display himself through those who trust him. Conclusion Not everything that happens to believers is good — but all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Schmidt urges students to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in the middle of difficult seasons, trust that God always has their best interest in view, and remember that the God who worked through Job, through Paul and Silas, and through the blind man is working in their lives right now.

  5. Aug 31

    Principles of Dating / Dr. Dennis Wilkening

    Dr. Dennis Wilkening opens by talking about his Harley Pan America that he brought into chapel. He uses motorcycle safety statistics as the entry point for a message on dating. He argues that the same way most motorcycle accidents result from ignoring basic riding principles — speed, no helmet, no endorsement — most dating disasters result from ignoring what Scripture plainly says. He presents three riding principles that map directly to biblical wisdom about relationships. Scripture TextsHebrews 12:1-2; Matthew 13:17; Psalm 84:11; Proverbs 4:23; Jeremiah 17:9 Main Points or Ideas You go where your eyes go - In motorcycling, target fixation means the bike automatically steers toward whatever the rider's eyes fix on — including hazards. The same is true spiritually. Hebrews 12:2 calls believers to keep their eyes on Jesus; when Peter took his eyes off Christ and fixed them on the wind and waves, he sank. Wilkening urges students not to arrive at Bible college with their primary goal being to find a boyfriend or girlfriend. If your eyes are fixed on a person rather than on Christ, your dating life will end up a mangled wreck. Instead of concentrating on finding the right one, become the right one — cultivate a dynamic relationship with the Lord so that if God brings the right person, you are who you need to be for them.Don't trust your feelings - Countersteering is a motorcycle paradox: to turn left, you momentarily push the right handlebar, which leans the bike into the corner. It feels wrong, but it's the only way to navigate the corner safely. Spiritually, Matthew 13:17 reveals the same principle — feelings are the caboose, not the engine. Thoughts come first, then actions, then feelings. Students who spend all their time thinking and texting about someone will inevitably develop deep feelings for that person, and by the time others can see the relationship is a bad idea, the feelings are so engaged that wise counsel bounces off. Commit to following the Word of God before feelings get engaged, because once they do, it will be very hard to make a wise decision.Slow down - In motorcycling, "slow is smooth and smooth is fast" — slowing down in a corner gives maximum traction and a clean exit, setting up the straightaway. Rushing a corner costs traction and causes crashes. Wilkening commends students for a slower start to the year — building friendships rather than immediately pairing off. Psalm 84:11 promises that no good thing will God withhold from those who walk uprightly; if a relationship is God's will, he is not going to let it slip away because a student waited. Friendship first: grow socially, emotionally, and spiritually in genuine, selfless friendship before pursuing romance. Conclusion Keep your eyes on Jesus, trust the Word over your feelings, and slow down. Dr. Wilkening reminds students that once they are in a relationship, they are no longer solo riders. What they do affects the person riding with them. Build the fundamentals now, and God can be trusted to do only good in his timing.

  6. Aug 27

    Navigating Choices / Dr. Marty Herron

    Dr. Marty Herron opens by connecting Dr. Seuss's final book — Oh, the Places You'll Go — to the reality that the quality of a student's life is largely shaped by the decisions they make. With a church fair coming the next day, he focuses specifically on one of the most important early decisions students will make: choosing a local church to commit to for the school year. Scripture Text Ephesians 4:12-16 Main Points or Ideas What to look for: the DNA of a healthy church - Drawing from Ephesians 4 and Paul's pastoral letters to Timothy at Ephesus, Herron argues that students should seek a church with healthy DNA — not just any church that resembles their home church, but one that is genuinely growing and functioning the way Scripture describes. He identifies three components of that DNA. The D is doctrine — sound, healthy theology that gives stability and equips believers to recognize counterfeits. The N is nature — the church's polity and traditions that shape how it functions and does business (pastor-led, deacon-managed, congregationally-supported in the Baptist framework). The A is atmosphere — the spirit of the congregation, which is sensed within minutes: lowliness, meekness, long-suffering, kindness, and love.Five pro tips for choosing a church - Herron offers five practical handles for church selection. First, explore the options — don't settle on the first church visited, and use the church fair as a starting point rather than a final decision. Second, seek wise counsel — talk to parents, home pastors, and godly mentors, because church selection is a spiritual decision, not merely a personal preference. Third, find a need and fill it — ask not what the church can do for you but what you can do for the church. Fourth, choose prayerfully — don't base the decision on convenience, friendship, music style, or building size. Fifth, commit and serve wholeheartedly — once a church is chosen, build relationships, be faithful, volunteer, and treat the church as the ministry laboratory it is meant to be. Conclusion Dr. Herron closes with the image of Captain James Cook navigating uncharted Pacific waters — always asking where he was, where he was going, and how the pieces fit together. Students are on their own navigation journey, and the church they choose will become their spiritual home, ministry laboratory, and one of the greatest influences on their lives during these college years. Choose wisely.

  7. Aug 26

    Salvation / Dr. Jim Tillotson

    Dr. Jim Tillotson opens with his personal testimony of growing up in a Christian home, attending Christian school, memorizing Scripture, and yet not being saved until age nineteen at a Christian college. He argues that every year at least one student at Faith Baptist Bible College is in that same position — and this message exists to make sure no one goes through the semester uncertain about their eternal destiny. Scripture Texts Hebrews 9:24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; Revelation 20:11-15; Ezekiel 18:21-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Main Points or Ideas This appointment will be kept - Hebrews 9:27 declares it is appointed for men to die once. Death has no cure and no respecter of persons — college students, newlyweds, and the healthy all die unexpectedly. There is no thirty-minute warning, no second chance after death, and no loophole. The person who plans to get right with God before they die is banking on an opportunity that may never come.A judgment will happen - Every person will stand before God in judgment, but there are two distinct judgments. Believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, where not their sins but their works will be tested by fire — gold, silver, and precious stones endure; wood, hay, and straw do not. Unbelievers will stand before the Great White Throne, where anyone not found in the Book of Life is cast into the lake of fire. Tillotson paints a vivid picture of the horror of hell — drawn from Scripture's own descriptions — and presses the point that Jesus spoke more about hell than anyone else in the Bible, and that lost people all around us are headed there.The good news: substitutionary atonement - Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9:28). He took our place. When God forgives, he buries sin in the depths of the sea and removes it as far as the east is from the west — complete and total forgiveness, never to be remembered again (Ezekiel 18:21-22). For those already saved but carrying guilt, 1 Corinthians 6:11 is the word: "Such were some of you — but you are washed, sanctified, and justified." God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked; his plea is simply, "Repent and live."Salvation is a personal choice - Getting saved requires three things: knowing you are a sinner and being sorry, believing Jesus died and rose again, and repenting — being done doing it your way. The third is where most people stall. Tillotson closes by distinguishing true saving faith from the devil's acknowledgment of the facts, and calls each student to make it personal: this cannot be your parents' God or your pastor's God. It must be yours. Conclusion Dr. Jim challenges believers to ask whether they are building gold, silver, and precious stones — or wood, hay, and straw — and invites anyone unsure of their salvation to talk to student life that day. He closes with the urgency of the gospel: every person in the room will influence people for eternity, and how they choose to live this semester matters far more than they know.

  8. Aug 25

    Purity / Dr. Jim Tillotson

    Dr. Jim Tillotson follows up the previous day's message on working together with a direct, pastoral address on moral purity. He opens by noting that sexual sin — pornography, premarital sex, and adultery — is the common cold of Christian colleges and churches, and that Samson, Solomon, and David all fell to it. His aim is both to warn and to offer genuine hope for those who are willing to confess and seek help. Scripture Text Proverbs 5:1-14; Proverbs 28:13-14; James 5:16; Matthew 5:27-28 Main Points or Ideas Sweet pain (Proverbs 5:1-6) - Sexual sin is alluring at first — honey on the lips, smooth as oil — but ends in bitterness, destruction, and death. The Book of Proverbs consistently calls believers to look down the road at where a path leads before taking it. Satan never lets the person being enticed think about consequences. Pornography is uniquely dangerous because it is free, invisible to others for a long time, and deeply addictive — but it destroys the ability to relate normally to a future spouse and always surfaces eventually, causing devastating pain to everyone involved.A terrible cost (Proverbs 5:7-14) - Four consequences await those who ignore this warning: dishonor (a ruined reputation and the disillusionment of those who trusted you, illustrated by Philip Yancey's public confession of an eight-year affair); vulnerability to cruel exploitation (blackmail and manipulation); financial ruin; and the physical and relational consequences of sexually transmitted disease. The bitter cry of verse 12 — "How I have hated instruction and my heart despised correction" — is the testimony of those who heard truth and chose to harden their hearts against it.The path to victory: confess and forsake - Proverbs 28:13 promises that covering sin leads to no prosperity, but confessing and forsaking it brings mercy. Victory over sexual sin is rarely achieved alone — James 5:16 calls believers to confess to one another and pray for one another so they may be healed. Tillotson urges students to put filters on their devices, to tell their parents, and to seek help from student life — assuring them that confession will not result in dismissal but in care. What you uncover, God will cover; what you hide, God will uncover, and it will be painful. Conclusion Dr. Jim closes by urging students not to let the beginning of the school year pass without getting right in this area. God forgives and restores — but the time to act is now, while hearts are still soft, before the hardening of verse 14 sets in and ruin becomes the only outcome.

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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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