The Preaching of the Cross

THE BIBLE Baptist Church of DeLand, FL
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Christianity

The Preaching of the Cross is the daily weekday radio ministry of Pastor James W. Knox, featuring in-depth, expository Bible teaching.

  1. 7h ago

    James (Lesson 8)

    Temptation feels confusing when you love God and still feel a powerful pull toward what you know is wrong. We open the book of James and slow down at a blunt chain reaction: lust conceives, sin is born, and sin matures into death. That is not meant to shame you, but to rescue you early, before desire turns into damage. We also clear up a lie that keeps people trapped: God is not the tempter. Pastor James W. Knox walks through James 1 alongside passages like 1 Peter 2:11 and Galatians 5:17 to show the real battlefield, the flesh warring against the soul and resisting the Holy Spirit. Lust is exposed for what it is: deceitful, hurtful, and enticing. It flatters, it excuses, it promises a “high,” and it hides the cost, which is why Scripture points to the devil as the father of lies. From there, the teaching gets intensely practical. Romans 13:14 gives a clear strategy for overcoming temptation: “make not provision for the flesh.” We talk honestly about modern provision through pornography, constant scrolling, gossip, and seeking out “itching ears” voices that tell us sin is harmless. James 4:3 adds another gut-check: lust can twist prayer itself when we ask to consume what dishonors God. The takeaway is simple and strong: abstain, deny worldly lusts, and when all else fails, flee and follow righteousness. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs strength today, and leave a review so more people can find this Bible teaching. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  2. 1d ago

    James (Lesson 7)

    Temptation doesn’t announce itself with sirens. It shows up as a quiet pull inside the flesh, a desire for what God says will harm us, or a resistance to what God says will help us. We open James 1:12-16 and lay the path out plainly: endurance is blessed, lust entices, lust conceives, sin is born, and sin always brings death. If you’ve ever tried to excuse failure as “just a mistake,” the warning lands hard: “Do not err,” because the wages of sin do not change based on intent.  We also zoom out to the surprising hope God gives believers: crowns. Scripture names a crown of life, a crown of rejoicing, a crown of glory, a crown of righteousness, and an incorruptible crown. Those rewards aren’t earned by perfection, but they do call us to faithful service, self-control, and a real love for Christ’s appearing. The big takeaway is simple: God is not trying to ruin your life. The devil and the flesh are trying to wreck it, and God’s Word is protection.  Then we get practical about overcoming temptation and spiritual warfare. Why do people fall? Sometimes there is no root because salvation was only emotional. Sometimes we refuse Christ’s command to watch and pray. Sometimes the desire to be rich becomes a snare. Sometimes we stay too close to those already overtaken in sin. What helps? Asking God for wisdom, praying for deliverance, fasting when the flesh is loud, running to Jesus as our High Priest for mercy and grace, and keeping the Word of God so the “way of escape” is visible before we collapse. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs strength today, and leave a review with the temptation topic you want us to address next. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  3. 2d ago

    James (Lesson 6)

    Temptation shows up like a simple choice, but it’s rarely just about the “thing” in front of you. We open James 1:12-14 and follow the thread that most people miss: the moment of temptation is a revealing moment, a trial that exposes what we love and who we trust. If you’ve ever told yourself, “I couldn’t help it,” or “The door was open,” this teaching challenges that thinking with Scripture and a clear call back to faith and obedience.  We connect James with 1 Corinthians 10:13, where God promises that temptation is common to man and that He is faithful to provide a way of escape. That promise is both a comfort and a rebuke, because it means we’re never trapped into sin. We talk through how the Holy Spirit and the Word of God work together in real time to point us toward that escape route, and why resisting temptation brings an immediate blessing from God.  We also tackle a dangerous claim head-on: blaming God for temptation. James says God does not tempt anyone, and the Bible identifies the devil as the tempter. From there, we trace the progression James lays out, drawn away by our own lust, lust conceiving sin, and sin bringing death. That “death” can look like lost joy, damaged testimony, broken relationships, and forfeited reward, even when God’s grace still forgives.  If you want practical Bible teaching on overcoming sin, spiritual warfare, and staying loyal to Christ when it counts, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs strength today, and leave a review so more people can find solid expository Bible study. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  4. 3d ago

    James (Lesson 5)

    A flower can look perfect in the morning and be scattered on the ground by afternoon. That simple picture is exactly how James 1:9-11 confronts our obsession with status, comfort, and control and why it can wake us up in the best possible way. We read James straight and let it speak: the brother of low degree rejoices because God exalts him, and the rich man rejoices because God makes him low, reminding him that riches fade like grass under the burning sun. We talk about what the gospel creates inside a biblical Christian church: not forced sameness, but real equality before God. People with no education and people with advanced degrees stand on the same ground. The poor believer is no less loved, no less saved, and no less indwelt by the Holy Spirit than the wealthy believer. At the same time, we deal honestly with the danger of money and comfort, because the ability to “pay your way out” of problems can produce a false security that keeps a soul from seeing its need for Jesus Christ. Then the message gets personal and urgent. Job, Psalms, and 1 Peter all say it plainly: all flesh is grass, life is short, and death does not respect your person. That is why the call is clear: you must be born again by the incorruptible seed of the Word of God, believing the gospel of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and calling on the Lord from a sincere heart. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with someone you love, and leave a review so more people can find this Bible study teaching. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  5. 4d ago

    James (Lesson 4)

    Trouble doesn’t just pressure your schedule or your emotions, it pressures your thinking. When a setback hits, it’s easy to slide from settled confidence in God into the exhausting question loop of “Why me?” and “What now?” We walk through James 1:2–8 and get practical about what God actually offers when your faith is being tried: wisdom that produces stability, patience, and real spiritual growth. We talk about why everyone needs wisdom for trials, and why God’s promise to “give to all men liberally” is not a vague comfort line. God is ready to answer, and He never upbraids you for asking, but His wisdom is not magic. Proverbs 2 paints wisdom as hidden treasure, found by receiving God’s words and searching the Scriptures on purpose. That leads to a simple pattern you can use immediately: pray for wisdom, open the Bible, then apply what you learn in righteous living. We also connect the warning about wavering faith to the picture of an ocean wave: lots of movement, no forward progress. From there we face the hard truth of being double-minded, unstable, and pulled between competing voices, and we compare James’ warning to Ephesians 4’s “winds of doctrine.” If you’ve felt tossed around by feelings, opinions, or bad teaching, this will help you reset your authority to the Word of God and aim for Christlikeness on the other side of the trial, not just quick relief. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s going through a test, and leave a review so more people can find Bible teaching that builds steady faith. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  6. Nov 6

    James (Lesson 3)

    Trouble has a way of exposing what we really trust. We open James 1 and wrestle with one of the Bible’s most challenging commands: counting it joy when we fall into diverse temptations. Not because pain feels good, but because God is doing something real in us through the trying of our faith, building patience that can finish its work and move our lives closer to the likeness of Jesus Christ.  We also get very specific about what “faith” means. Faith is not chasing a feeling, claiming you have peace, or taking reckless leaps and calling it spiritual. Faith comes by hearing the word of God, and it shows up as simple obedience when pressure hits. Using Scripture examples like Acts 5, we talk about how trials reveal whether we will still do what God said when obedience costs us. Then we connect James to Romans 5 and 1 Peter 1, tracing the path from tribulation to patience, experience, and hope that does not shame us.  When you feel overwhelmed and you do not know how to respond, James 1:5 gives the most practical step: ask God for wisdom. We look at Solomon’s request for understanding and God’s promise to give liberally without reproach, then we bring it home to everyday suffering, sickness, and disappointment. If this Bible study encourages you, subscribe, share it with a friend who is under pressure, and leave a review so more people can find this teaching. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  7. Nov 5

    James (Lesson 2)

    Getting pushed out of your normal life can feel like proof that God forgot you, but James writes to people who are living that exact nightmare and he doesn’t sugarcoat it. We’re studying the Book of James with Pastor James W. Knox, and we start where he starts: a servant of God, a servant of Jesus Christ, writing to the twelve tribes scattered abroad. These are born-again believers facing real loss, real danger, and the strange pain of doing right while being treated like they’re wrong. From there, we trace the idea of “scattering” back to Deuteronomy 32, the Song of Moses. Israel’s history moves from “He is the Rock” to lightly esteeming the Rock to forgetting Him altogether, and God warns that scattering will follow. Then James 1 shows what God gives suffering believers to survive and grow: wisdom that can be asked for, joy that doesn’t have to be forfeited, and patience that only gets forged when faith is tried. We also take on the “ten lost tribes” theory head-on, because James addresses all twelve tribes, and Paul later says in Acts 26 that the twelve tribes are still serving God and hoping for the promise. Add Jesus’ own reference to Jews dispersed among the Gentiles in John 7, and the Bible’s storyline snaps into focus. If you’re walking through pressure, temptation, or unfair treatment, this teaching points you back to a steady mind, a trusted God, and a joy that can outlast the trial. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest question you’re still carrying right now. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

  8. Nov 4

    James (Lesson 1)

    James gets labeled “controversial” for one reason: people read a few lines about works and stop there. We start a verse-by-verse Book of James Bible study by letting the text speak for itself and by doing what the Bible demands: Scripture with Scripture, not private interpretation. The payoff is clarity you can use right away, especially if you’re facing pressure, doubt, or a season of trials that’s shaking your stability. We walk through James 1 and the famous “Don’t tell me, show me” challenge, explaining why James is not teaching salvation by works. Instead, James exposes the folly of claiming faith with no evidence and calls us to a life where trust in Christ shows up in patience, wisdom, and steady obedience. Along the way, we outline the chapter’s themes: the trying of faith, asking God for wisdom, the danger of double-mindedness, and what true religion looks like when temptation hits. Then we trace the phrase “the twelve tribes scattered abroad” back into the Book of Acts. From Acts 1 and the disciples’ kingdom question, to Acts 2 at Pentecost and Peter’s gospel message, to Stephen’s martyrdom and Saul’s persecution in Acts 8, we follow the historical moment when Jewish believers are driven from Jerusalem and scattered through Judea and Samaria. That persecution provides the cleanest, most natural match for the audience James is writing to: saved people under real threat who need endurance and courage. If this kind of expository Bible teaching helps you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the series. What part of James do you most want to understand next? Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

The Preaching of the Cross is the daily weekday radio ministry of Pastor James W. Knox, featuring in-depth, expository Bible teaching.

Information

  • Creator
    THE BIBLE Baptist Church of DeLand, FL
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    227
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Preaching of the Cross
  • Show Website
    The Preaching of the Cross

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