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. Apr 27

    1 Corinthians 3 / Dr. Jim Tillotson

    Dr. Jim Tillotson delivers the final chapel message of the school year, framing his message around "last words" — what Moses, Joshua, David, Paul, and Peter all emphasized at the end: don't forget what God has done, and don't stop pursuing Christ. He uses 1 Corinthians 3 as the scaffold for three final challenges to the student body before they leave for summer. Scripture Texts 1 Corinthians 3; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 15:57-58; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 Main Points or Ideas Don't settle for carnal Christianity (vv. 1-4) - Paul could not address the Corinthians as spiritual because envy, strife, and divisions marked them as carnal — still on milk rather than solid food. Dr. Jim warns that carnality corrupts morals, poisons personal relationships, produces spiritual doubt, and destroys the prayer life. Whatever a student is battling — pornography, unresolved sin, divided loyalties — this is the moment to deal with it. Waiting makes it harder. God cares more about godliness than giftedness. Invest in eternity (vv. 10-17) - The foundation is Christ, but what each person builds on that foundation will be tested by fire at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). Every Christian builds with something — wood, hay, and stubble, or gold, silver, and precious stones. The materials are determined by motives, conduct, and service. Tillotson challenges students to consider what will remain when the fire comes: a life of pouring into people, pointing them to Christ, and living for God's glory produces the gold that endures. Stay connected to the Word (vv. 18-23) - In a culture that will pressure students from every direction, the anchor is the Word of God. Dr. Jim cites the testimony of Bob Roberts — who wept in his office describing how his devotional life has been transformed in the shadow of terminal cancer — as a picture of what it looks like to be fully tethered to Christ. The call from 1 Corinthians 15:58 applies: be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because your labor in him is not in vain. Conclusion Dr. Jim closes by expressing his conviction that the students in the room will have a significant impact on the world — if they keep their focus where God intends. He urges them to go where the Word takes them, be mirrors not sponges, and make sure Christ remains the central part of whatever comes next.

  2. Apr 24

    Don't Worry / Bob Roberts

    Bob Roberts continues his walk through the Sermon on the Mount by zeroing in on Matthew 6:19-34, connecting Jesus's teaching on treasure, the single eye, and serving two masters to the command not to worry. He argues that worry is not neutral — it reveals divided allegiance — and that Jesus addresses anxiety not with guilt but with two concrete, creation-based illustrations of the Father's care. Scripture Texts Matthew 6:19-34; 1 Thessalonians 3:7-10 Main Points or Ideas Worry reveals divided allegiance - Jesus's teaching on treasure and two masters sets the stage: you cannot serve God and wealth, and worry is the visible flag of misplaced trust. Roberts defines worry from the Greek merimnao as a mind divided or torn apart — a soul preoccupied with future uncertainties in a way that reveals it is not fully under the reign of King Jesus. Just as worry strangled the word in the parable of the thorns (Matthew 13:22), it slowly suffocates the soul and cripples the ability to draw near to God. Consider the birds (vv. 26-27) - Jesus does not meet worry with lecture but with a theological experiment: go look at the birds. They do not sow, reap, or store, yet the Father feeds them. Using the ancient rabbinical technique of moving from light to heavy, Roberts unpacks this: if God tends to sparrows so carefully that not one falls without the Father's notice, and if the very hairs of your head are numbered, then you — who are of far greater value than birds — are held in that same detailed, personal care. Consider the wildflowers (vv. 28-30) - Solomon's legendary glory does not surpass the beauty God freely gives to field flowers that neither labor nor spin. If the Father adorns the grass of the field — which is here today and gone tomorrow — with beauty that outshines the wealthiest king in history, how much more will he clothe his children? Roberts connects this personally to his cancer journey: God has not always said yes to healing, but he has given grace-gifts along the way that affirm his care, and the student who wants to fight worry must learn to watch for those gifts with open eyes. A call to growing faith - Roberts closes by identifying the crowd as "O ye of little faith" — not a condemnation, but a corrective. Faith is real but underdeveloped, sporadic, gapped like an unfinished Tetris board. Drawing from 1 Thessalonians 3, he notes that Paul rejoiced over believers' faith while simultaneously praying night and day to perfect what was lacking in it. Roberts invites students to join the honest club of little faith, ask God for more, and keep leaning into the Father's care as the only cure for a divided, anxious soul. Conclusion The antidote to worry is not willpower but growing faith — faith that looks at circumstances through God rather than at God through circumstances. Roberts calls students to listen to the birds, look at the wildflowers, remember the provision they have already seen, and trust that the same Father who clothes the field and feeds the sparrow has them securely in his care.

  3. Apr 23

    Salt and Light / Bob Roberts

    Bob Roberts opens by sharing that he is living with stage four terminal cancer and has been living in the Sermon on the Mount for the past year and a half. He introduces three foundational axioms about the Sermon on the Mount before zeroing in on Matthew 5:13-16, arguing that the central theme of salt and light is influence — and that the most powerful influence comes not from strength but from weakness made radiant by God's grace. Scripture Text Matthew 5:13-16; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; John 9:5 Main Points or Ideas Salt: God's covenant agents of healing in a broken world - Roberts unpacks salt through three lenses. Culturally, salt was precious, life-sustaining, and the basis of the Roman soldier's pay — it represented what was valuable and necessary. Covenantally, Leviticus 2:13 linked salt with God's covenant offerings, so a Jewish audience would hear Jesus calling them to represent God's faithful covenant presence in the world. Typologically, Elisha's purification of the spring with salt (2 Kings 2) points to believers as God's agents of healing — not with physical power, but carrying the eternal gospel hope that is the only remedy for a broken world. Light: Christians as moving intersections of heaven and earth - Roberts traces the word "Christ" back through Christos (Greek), Messiah (Hebrew), and anointed one — the one smeared with oil, signifying where heaven meets earth. If Christians are "little Christs," they are roving intersections of heaven and earth wherever they go. Jesus said he is the light of the world while in it, and then told his disciples they are the light. The call of verse 16 — to let light shine so others glorify the Father — means being mirrors that reflect glory upward, not sponges that absorb it. Weakness is the vehicle for God's influence - Roberts draws on his own cancer diagnosis, terminal prognosis, and unexpected extension of life to illustrate 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Paul's thorn was not an obstacle to ministry but the very vehicle for it — and Roberts finds the same to be true of cancer. A twenty-minute Facebook video about suffering and faith reached seventy thousand people. His podcast, Dead Man Talking, became the voice of a woman dying of brain cancer who could no longer speak. The very weapon the enemy intended for destruction became the means of God's glory. Every person in the room has weaknesses, and those weaknesses may be exactly what God wants to use. ConclusionRoberts closes by calling students to stop trying to eradicate their weaknesses and instead consider that God may want to do his most significant work through them — not to make them famous, but to make King Jesus famous. The goal is to be a mirror, directing every gaze back to the Father in heaven.

  4. Apr 22

    Don't Lose Heart / Treg Spicer

    Treg Spicer opens with the language of sports — knockouts, tapping out, and throwing in the towel — to introduce the real concern behind his message: not that students will quit this semester, but that they will throw in the towel spiritually once they leave campus for the summer and no one is watching. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 4, he presents four commitments that, if neglected, will lead to losing heart. Scripture Text 2 Corinthians 4:1-18 Main Points or Ideas Continue in the Word of God (vv. 2, 16) - Paul's inward man is renewed day by day, and that renewal comes through the Word. Spicer warns that the Bible easily becomes a tool for grades rather than a source of personal nourishment. Students must make the Word a priority, keep it personal — asking when God last spoke to them through it — and remember its power. Screen time that far outpaces Bible reading reveals misaligned priorities. The Word guides, keeps from sin, and equips the servant of God for every good work. Carry on the Commission (vv. 3-6) - The gospel is veiled to those who are perishing, and students are heading into workplaces where most of their coworkers do not know Christ. Spicer challenges them to be intentional — sharing the gospel in conversation, serving faithfully so the light of Christ shines through their work ethic, and not being a sponge all summer but being squeezed, taking what they have learned and giving it out. Be Controlled by the Spirit of God (v. 7) - The treasure of the gospel is in jars of clay so that the power is clearly God's and not ours. Spicer uses Samson and the long list of fallen ministers to illustrate what happens when the Spirit is quenched rather than obeyed. Yielding to the Spirit's leading — even in small, socially costly moments — is what distinguishes a consistent walk from one that collapses under pressure. Consider the Eternal (vv. 16-18) - Paul calls his sufferings — beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonment — light and momentary. Spicer shares the unexpected death of his father and the weight of ministry attacks to show what this costs in real life. But fixing eyes on the eternal weight of glory rather than on temporary affliction is the only way to keep from quitting when circumstances are hardest. Conclusion Spicer closes by urging students not to tap out this summer — not from the Word, not from the mission, not from the Spirit's control, and not from an eternal perspective. The calling they have received is worth finishing, and the God who gave it will sustain them through it.

  5. Apr 20

    Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians / Dr. Doug Brown

    Dr. Doug Brown opens by asking whether anyone has the inner strength to change themselves, then argues that the honest answer is no — and that Ephesians 3:14-21 is precisely a prayer for the kind of strength only God can supply. He frames the passage as a hinge in Ephesians, connecting the theology of chapters 1-3 with the practical walk of chapters 4-6, and walks through Paul's posture, petitions, and closing praise. Scripture Text Ephesians 3:14-21 Main Points or Ideas The Posture of Paul's Prayer (vv. 14-15) - Paul bows his knees before the Father, and while he doesn't use the word "prayer," the posture communicates humility and absolute submission to absolute authority. God is named as the Father of every family in heaven and on earth — the One with sovereign authority over all. Brown encourages students to try praying on their knees, because the posture of the body shapes the attitude of the heart. The Petitions of Paul's Prayer (vv. 16-19) - Paul makes three requests, each a prayer for God-given strength. First, he prays for strength through the Holy Spirit in the inner being so that Christ may dwell fully in their hearts — not compartmentalized into certain rooms while other areas are closed off, but welcomed into every part of life. Second, he prays for strength to comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of the love of Christ — a love that is the believer's positional foundation and yet infinitely surpasses full understanding. Third, he prays that they would be filled with all the fullness of God — characterized by God himself, increasingly reflecting Christ's likeness through the Spirit's ongoing work. The Praise of Paul's Prayer (vv. 20-21) - Paul closes with a doxology anchored in God's limitless ability: he can do far more abundantly than anything believers could ask or imagine, according to the power already at work within them. This is the God to whom Paul's three petitions are addressed, and it makes those requests all the more confident and hopeful. Conclusion Dr. Doug closes by inviting students to kneel and pray for a neighbor, applying the very posture and petitions of the text. The main idea he returns to throughout is simple: God wants his people to pray for strength so that they can be changed into Christ's likeness — and the God who receives those prayers is more than able to answer them.

  6. Apr 17

    Habitual Sin / Dr. Dave Doran

    Dr. Dave Doran opens the third and final session in the Walton Lecture Series on difficult sin by reviewing the first two principles — make it difficult to sin (Romans 13:14) and build biblical resistance through the Word (Psalm 119:11) — before turning to the hardest reality: what to do when, despite those preparations, we still fall. He frames the session around two foundational truths and their practical applications. Scripture Text Galatians 5:16-25; 1 John 1:9; 1 John 2:1; 2 Corinthians 3:18 Main Points or Ideas Foundational truth: the Spirit is already fighting - Galatians 5:17 says the flesh and the Spirit are already at war inside every believer. The believer is not on his own — the Spirit of God dwells within and is actively opposing sin. The practical responsibility that follows is to walk in the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit. Doran traces the four-stage chain from James 1 — encounter, entertain, engage, experience remorse — and urges believers to respond to the Spirit's conviction as early in that chain as possible: flee the temptation when entertaining it (as Joseph did), repent midstream if already engaged, and confess immediately once remorse comes. The deeply ingrained pattern of sin may mean conviction comes late at first, but as believers listen and respond, the Spirit will intervene earlier and earlier in the chain.Foundational truth: the Father is ready to forgive - 1 John 1:9 grounds forgiveness not in the quality of confession but in God's own faithfulness and righteousness. The enemy's lie — that God has grown tired of forgiving the same sin again — must be rejected outright. The Father is like the prodigal's father on the porch, watching and ready to receive. The practical responsibility is to confess sin rightly — not to seek catharsis (venting how bad we feel), but to genuinely acknowledge responsibility, agree with God about the nature of the sin, and ask for both forgiveness and cleansing. Confession also humbles the believer before God, and God gives grace to the humble — meaning the very act of confessing positions the believer to receive the grace needed to change.A final word: seek help and have hope - Doran closes the series by urging students not to assume a deep sinful struggle will resolve itself over time. He has spent forty-three years in ministry watching people whose unaddressed sin eventually destroyed them. The call is to have the humility to ask for help from the people and resources God has provided — and to do so from a place of genuine hope, not shame. God can transform the deepest patterns of sin, not merely get believers to heaven. Conclusion The three principles together — make it difficult to sin, treasure the Word in the heart, and respond quickly and rightly when we fall — are not a silver bullet but a way of life. Doran closes with his own testimony: he is deeply grateful not to be the eighteen-year-old he once was, and attributes that change entirely to a merciful God. There is hope, not because of us, but because of him.

  7. Apr 16

    The Resource for Fighting Sin / Dr. Dave Doran

    In the second message ofthe Walton Lecture Series, Dr. Dave Doran spoke on the believer’s resource for fighting sin. Dr. Doran turns to Psalm 119:11 and observes that the treasuring of God’s Word helps the believer to not sin. He warns that growing careless about the fight against sin and dismissing the need for holiness is a dangerous territory for believers to live in. It endangers them from fighting sin and prevailing. Scripture Text Psalm 119:11; Romans 13:14; Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Timothy 4:7-8; Ephesians 3:16 Main Points or Ideas The resource: God's Word - Psalm 119:11 declares that treasuring God's Word in the heart is what guards against sin. Doran argues that when believers struggling with a habitual sin look for help, they too often look away from Scripture — toward books, sermons, or secular frameworks — and that this reveals a heart problem. The Word of God that gave the new birth did not lose its power afterward. It is sufficient for the work of transformation. The first move for anyone in a genuine spiritual battle should be God's Word, not a supplement to it.The responsibility: treasure it in the heart - Knowing the Bible casually or hearing it constantly is not the same as treasuring it in the heart. Doran distinguishes between absorbing general biblical truth and doing the focused work of finding what God's Word says specifically about the sin being fought — including both the core sin and the contributing heart issues beneath it. Using anger as an example, he shows how Scripture addresses not only the surface pattern but also pride, lack of self-control, and an unforgiving disposition underneath it. The goal is not information but transformation of the way one thinks, feels, and chooses.Why this works: preparation for the fight - Treasuring the Word builds resistance in three ways before the moment of temptation arrives. First, it cultivates humility and dependence on God rather than confidence in oneself. Second, it trains the soul for godliness — just as consistent physical training builds strength used in a crisis, consistent yes to the Word builds the discipline to say no to sin. Third, it places the sword of the Spirit in hand before the battle begins. Doran points to Matthew 4: Jesus did not wave Scripture at Satan like a charm; he used specific texts to articulate why he would not yield. The Word gives believers the reason to stay true to Christ in the moment of temptation. Conclusion Doran closes by urging students to stop treating their Bibles as trivia atlases and read them as life itself — treasuring specific truths in the heart so that, when temptation comes, they are ready to give the reason from Scripture why they are going to trust God and follow Christ rather than yield.

  8. Apr 15

    Sinful Enslavement / Dr. Dave Doran

    In the first of three messages in the Walton Lecture Series, Dr. Dave Doran spoke during chapel about how sin enslaves and deceives the person. He shares ways believers can be equipped to fight this sin. He boldly states that the thing between the temptation and sin itself is the believer’s choice. He frames the message as the first of three sessions on how to go to battle against difficult, habitual sins — the kind that have burrowed deep and seem impossible to uproot — and lays out the biblical-theological foundation necessary before any practical strategy will work. Scripture Text Romans 13:14; James 1:13-15; Hebrews 3:13; Philippians 2:13; 2 Peter 2:14 Main Points or Ideas Understand how sin operates - Sin comes deceptively and hardens the conscience over time. No one arrives at devastating bondage in a single day; it happens through gradual concessions that dull sensitivity to what is wrong. Sin also exploits a God-given capacity for good: the ability to form habits. Just as athletic training produces second-nature skill, repeated surrender to a temptation can make sin feel involuntary — but it never actually is. Between every temptation and every sinful act there is always a choice. The gap may feel nonexistent when a sin has become deeply grooved, but it never disappears. Calling habitual sin a disease or pathology robs believers of genuine gospel hope.Pursue the right goal - The goal of fighting sinful enslavement is not personal freedom or relief from misery; it is Christ-likeness. Pursuing victory over sin for selfish reasons is a dangerous loop. Romans 13:14 calls believers to put on the Lord Jesus Christ — to cultivate Christ-likeness as the active expression of being made new in him. The relationship with Christ comes first; the pursuit of holiness flows from it. Until the heart shifts from "I want relief" to "I want to love and honor Christ," the real problem has not been addressed.Make no provision for the flesh - The second half of Romans 13:14 is the practical command: make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. This means cutting sin off at the cue — before temptation fully forms — rather than trying to fight it mid-battle. Every habitual sin has a pattern: predictable times, places, feelings, and circumstances that precede it. The wisdom of Scripture is to trace that trail and then build obstacles. Remove opportunities. Make it environmentally difficult to sin. And make it emotionally costly: see every sinful choice not as "sin versus no sin" but as a personal choice between the sin and loyalty to Christ. The more the battle is framed in personal love for the Savior who died for you, the more the heart will turn toward him and hate what dishonors him. Conclusion Doran closes by calling students to stop looking for a silver bullet in sanctification and instead pursue the long, active work of replacing grooved sinful habits with grooved habits of godliness — because the power of God is greater even than the deepest patterns of sin, and he can make us like Christ.

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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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