Friday, November 30, 2007

Oneplace.com - Audio sermons online

OnePlace.com is a site which features audio sermons from a wide variety preachers. I go to this site to listen to some of my favorites, including Pastor Paul Sheppard, Kay Arthur, and Dr. Tony Evans.

This site is useful as I am able to learn about and listen to pastors not heard on my local radio station.

OnePlace.com also offers a number of other Bible study resources including devotionals, PodCasts of popular programs, articles and ministry newsletters.

Please let me know of any Bible study resources that you use so that I may post them on this blog.

May you have a blessed, safe and joyful weekend in the love of Christ.

Your Brother in Christ,

Steven Kendall

Thursday, November 29, 2007

5 Don'ts for Dealing with Jehovah Witnesses

"Five Don'ts for Dealing With Jehovah Witnesses is an article that I found to be extremely useful in my preparation to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Jehovah Witnesses who have come to my door.

The author, Joel S. Peters, provides five tips, based on his experience with Jehovah Witnesses, including "Don't Slam the Door in Their Faces."

I believe we should be willing to share our testimony of what Jesus has done for us with others, with gentleness and respect, and not argue in an effort to demonstrate the true character of Christ. I try to remain mindful of 2 Timothy 2:24-25 when it comes to witnessing to Jehovah Witness.

I pray that you have a blessed day and that, as my pastor says, "May God put you in places to witness to someone about what Jesus has done for you."

Your Brother in Christ,

Steven Kendall

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Thru the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee

Thru the Bible is a daily Bible study program which airs on the radio worldwide and via the Internet.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee, the founder of this radio ministry, recorded a five-year study of the entire Bible that is now available to everyone to hear.

Dr. McGee passed away in 1988, but his lasting work of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ lives on.

Thru the Bible also has printed commentaries of Dr. McGee's study of each book of the Bible. They are inexpensive and quite useful. The ministry Web site also has free downloads of Dr. McGee's radio program and other materials. The material are free, but the ministry asks for donations to keep the downloads free to all.

Have a blessed day.

Your Brother in Christ,

Steve Kendall

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Acts 20:1-12: Bible Study Tuesday

Today is Bible study Tuesday at my church, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church.

Our Senior Pastor, Dr. Lucius M. Dalton, is currently discussing the book of Acts, chapter 20:1-12.

You can read Pastor Dalton’s notes online at http://mtmoriah.suddenlaunch3.com/.

Have a blessed and safe day!

Your Brother in Christ,

Steven Kendall

Monday, November 26, 2007

Free Bible Software from E4 Group

The E4 Group, which stands for Ephesians 4:11-14, and the Apostle Paul's message about God maturing His church through pastors and teachers, offers a free CD of Bible study resources at their site: www.freebiblesoftware.com

As their site explains, "E4’s Bible Study Library Volumes 1 & 2 contains over 30 titles from leading scholars and theologians. From Bibles, to commentaries, to theology, to Christian living, to parenting, this CD is sure to enrich your faith and deepen your walk with God."

I especially enjoy using the search feature to find Bible passages and to view both the Greek New Testament and commentaries about Scripture.

The E4 Group will send the CD to you for free and ask that you make a donation, if you can.

Have a blessed, safe and joyful day!

Your Brother in Christ,

Steven Kendall

Friday, November 23, 2007

Thanksgiving Sermons

I caught up today with online sermons from Thanksgiving Day.

Several that I enjoyed included, my boy (a term of respect and affection), Pastor Paul Sheppard. Pastor Paul has a two part message on the topic of "Praise Your Way Through" about learning how to praise God even in dark and difficult times (based on the experience of Paul and Silas - Acts 16:16-36)

"You want to feed your faith and starve your doubts. What we feed grows. We only have to look in the mirror to confirm that," joked Pastor Paul. Sheppard emphasized that we grow in our relationship with God, through His Son, Jesus Christ by both hearing the Word of God proclaimed and by reading it. He also quoted the apostle Paul's letter to the Romans. chapter 10: 17, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."

A quote of Pastor Paul's that stuck with me and tied in nicely with Thanksgiving," You can't fly with eagles, when you're hanging out with turkeys! Sheppard talked about discovering God's will for ourselves and one of the ways he mentioned is to be with like minded, faithful believers in Christ as they may see what God wants you to do in life.

Truths That Transform - the ministry of the late, Dr. D. James Kennedy 1930-2007 had a good, two part message entitled, "The Life-Changing Power of Thankfulness." The series aired on Thursday, Nov. 22 and Friday, Nov. 23, 2007, and is an older sermon of Dr. Kennedy's, who died recently in August of 2007, but like many preachers with an archive of sermons, his messages still live on via the airwaves and Internet.

The description of Dr. Kennedy's Thanksgiving message is, "Do you know what the best cure for stress is? It's not a news flash, but more a lost treasure for many people today. It is when we pray with thankfulness to God, which takes away our feelings of anxiety! Gratitude...builds a healthy lifestyle! Who knew? Learn what else it does, on Truths That Transform with Dr. D. James Kennedy."

Have a blessed day and may you fly like an eagle when it comes to doing God's will for your life.

Your Brother in Christ,

Steve Kendall

A State of Thankfulness: An Attitude of Gratitude

My family was blessed with a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

We began the morning at church. Our Pastor, Dr. Lucius M. Dalton, preached on the topic, "Do For Others, What Christ Has Done for You." Dr. Dalton used Deuteronomy 26:11 as his text. In his message, he pointed out two things the Biblical text of Deut. 26:11 can teach us:

1. God has been generous to us. We need to reflect on from where the Lord brought us from. "We are where we are today," said the pastor, "thanks to the glory of God." Some of fail to thank God for what He has given us.

2. God's generosity shows us how to be generous to others. Pastor Dalton used his oft quoted analogy that if we have a closed hand, balled into a fist, we cannot receive anything, nor can we give anything away. Many of us are like that closed fist--we horde what God has given us and therefore can't bless others.

I was inspired by another sermon I heard this week on the radio, from Dr. Tony Evans, of the Urban Alternative. Dr. Evans was preaching on the topic of Money, based on the life of Solomon, whom God blessed with riches. Like Solomon, we need to be mindful of our blessings and thank the Lord.

Dr. Evans pointed out that a sign that you're obsessed with money is when the time you spend complaining about what God has given you far out distances the time spend thanking God.

So, on Thanksgiving Day of 2007, I reflect back on the year with an attitude of gratitude.

I'm thankful that you took the time to read my blog and pray that God keep you in His care.

Have a great weekend.

Your Brother in Christ,

Steven Kendall

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

blogs4God - Popular Christian Posts

blogs4God is a site which posts materials from Christian bloggers and ranks those entries by members of the site. You can sign up for free at www.blogs4god.com.

One of the blogs that caught my attention right away was on Church Web Design. The blog, written by Paul Steinbrueck, founder of OurChurch.com, a Christian Web services organization, provides timely advice for church Web site design.

Paul's article inspired me to be more diligent in helping my church, Mt. Moriah Baptist, in putting current ministry items online.

If you like Paul's article, please consider voting for it at blogs4God.

Thank you for taking time out to read my blog today.

Please have a blessed, safe and filling Thanksgiving so that your light and joy of Christ can be seen by all those around you.

Your Brother in Christ,

Steven Kendall

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Ephesians-Verse By Verse blog

Today's featured blog is Ephesians-Verse By Verse, by Christian blogger Gayle Carlson. Gayle's blog is hosted by ChristianBlogSites.com, which offers free blogs in the hopes that you'll conduct future business with the company, such as Internet hosting services.

I found Gayle's blog online while searching for Bible study resources. The title drew me in as Ephesians is one of my favorite books of the Bible. Specifically, Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10-18 inspired me to write a children's book entitled, "God's Glorious Christian Soldiers."

Gayle offers a daily blog about Ephesians, literally verse by verse. Her blog entries begin with a thought posed by Gayle, followed by a question for the reader to ponder, Gayle's own personal analysis of the verse and each post concludes with the actual verse of scripture.

The Ephesians blog also contains a nice archive for new readers, like myself, who recently discovered Gayle's site. Gayle also writes Christian poetry and she has a MySpace page with more info.

I recently subscribed to Gayle's blog, as well as Pastor Chris' EvangelismCoach.org. Through Google, I use a portal feature called iGoogle which organizes my blog subscriptions and email.

Have a blessed and joyful day!

Steven

Monday, November 19, 2007

EvangelismCoach.org

During this Thanksgiving week I want to give thanks to several blogs that I’ve found online that are written by everyday folks, and not large, media ministries.

First up this week is EvangelismCoach.org. This blog is written daily by Chris Walker who serves as a pastor and church planter in Panama and throughout Latin America.

Pastor Chris, as he calls himself online, offers a blog with, “tips and devotions on personal and church evangelism.”

Last Saturday, November 17, 2007, he posted an entry on “How to Share Your Faith During Thanksgiving." I don’t have his level of witnessing skills, so his suggestions are well taken.

Another of Pastor Chris’ recent postings called, "Evangelism 101: Beginning to Share Your Faith,” offers good suggestions.

Pastor Chris has details about his missions work on his other site, MissionToPananma.org

Have a blessed, safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Steve Kendall

Friday, November 16, 2007

Crosswalk.com - Interlinear Bible in Greek and Hebrew

I love to learn about the Bible in its original languages. Specifically, learning words in the ancient, Koine Greek (common Greek) of the New Testament is one of my passions.

An online resource that I use to look up Greek passages and their pronunciation can be found at Crosswalk.com. This site offers a Hebrew and Greek interlinear version of the Bible.

For example, I was recently looking up the use of the word Dunamis (power or great force) for a Bible study lesson and used Crosswalk.com to translate Acts 1:8 and 19:11. I was then able to see the English version above the Greek. By clicking on any Greek word, you are then taken to a page which provides both a definition and a short audio clip of someone pronouncing the word.

Crosswalk.com also has a wide variety of Bible study resources, from devotionals and music to the latest news as it relates to Christians.

Have a blessed, safe and happy weekend!

Steven

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Bible Answer Man - Christian Research Institute

The Bible Answer Man radio program offers a wonderful variety of topics, many of which focus on Christian apologetics (defending or proving the truth of Christian doctrines).

The host, Hank Hanegraaff, is well versed in Bible scholarship and presents material in an easy-to-understand fashion when interviewing guests or answering listener phone calls.

The Bible Answer Man program is just one of many resources produced by the Christian Research Institute (CRI).

I have purchased several books and DVDs featured on the radio program; all of which are sold from the CRI Web site at http://www.equip.org/.

Thanks for reading this blog entry. I invite you to send me your recommendations for Bible study resources at Steve@BibleStudyCafe.com .

God bless,

Steven Kendall

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Dr. Tony Evans - The Urban Alternative

When it comes to online sermons, I'm a fan of several preachers.

Today I feature Dr. Tony Evans, Senior Pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas and President of The Urban Alternative ministry.

Dr. Evans has a great ability to apply Bible lessons to our everyday life. He is a humorous, robust speaker (sometimes, it sounds like he's shouting, but actually, he raises his voice to make a point and puts lots of energy into his delivery.)

I listen to his daily Urban Alternative program on the radio or online, but Dr. Evans can also be seen on television.

Have a blessed day!

Steven

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Our Daily Bread - RBC Ministries

An excellent daily devotion publication, Our Daily Bread, is published by RBC Ministries. It is available online and they will also mail it to you for free, but ask if you are able, to make a donation.

RBC Ministries also has radio programs, free Christian courses, DVDs, and many other resources to enhance your life as a Christian.

I receive their free DVDs each quarter, which are broadcasts from their Day of Discovery television programs about Biblical topics. Again, the resource will be mailed to you for free, but they ask that you make a donation, if possible.

When possible, I try to send a donation as the quality and range of materials offered by RBC is wonderful.

Be sure to explore the RBC Web site for their variety of resources.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Rick Renner - New Testament Greek Resource

I became interested in learning more about the koine (common) Greek language, with which much of the New Testament was originally written in, thanks to the weekly Bible study led by my Pastor, Dr. Lucius M. Dalton. Learning the meaning behind the Greek words of the New Testament really gives me a deeper understanding of the Bible. I recommend a daily, free, email service that I subscribe to, which delivers a Greek word and its meaning within the context of specific scripture called Daily Sparkling Gems from the Greek, from a CD and book with his complete collection of lessons about New Testament Greek.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Dr. Charles Stanley on Ephesians 6:11-18

This weekend I recommend a sermon preached by Dr. Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries entitled, Dressed for the Battle. This message, on how believers need to equip themselves for spiritual warfare, aired on the radio, Friday, Nov. 9, 2007 and can be heard online at InTouch.org The link provided above will take you to the audio archives. Once there, look for Nov. 9, 2007 and click on that selection. This chapter of Ephesians is my favorite out of the entire Bible and inspired me to write a children's book about the whole armor of God entitled, God's Glorious Christian Soldiers. Dr. Stanley also recently delivered a wonderful sermon on TV called, Can God Use You? Look for the link to Nov. 4, 2007. You can read and print the sermon notes online or watch the broadcast on your computer. Have a blessed, safe and joyful weekend! Your Brother in Christ, Steven

Friday, November 9, 2007

Moving Through Opened Doors

Today I want to recommend a book by author and businesswoman, Dawn Fitch, entitled, Moving Through Opened Doors: Business and Life Lessons taught by Abundant Blessings. Ms. Fitch is the President and founder of Pooka, Inc., a bath and body company, which makes its products by hand with natural ingredients without any preservatives or dyes. --Okay, full disclosure I learned about Dawn and her company through her colleague, my cuz, Tricia and I’ve been blessed as a result.

Dawn’s book presents a moving testimony of her life to date and as a career woman who is overcoming the challenges associated with a chronic illness. She gives God the credit for the blessings in her life along the way. Specifically, the business she founded Pooka, has been growing thanks to the hard work of her family and friends and the added blessing of increasing media coverage.

The book is ideal for readers of all ages and contains not only a valuable testimony to the grace and mercy of God, but also offers insightful and helpful tips to entrepreneurs.

As for Pooka’s bath and body products, I’m a dude, dude, but love the Elbow Grease as it really helps my dry skin. Plus, they’re currently giving stuff away for FREE on Fridays!

You can learn more about Dawn, her company and order her book at: http://www.pookapureandsimple.com

Have a blessed, safe and warm weekend!

Your Brother in Christ,

Steven

Thursday, November 8, 2007

GodTube.com

Last month I saw a story on ABC's Nightline news show about GodTube.com, a YouTube type site focused on Christian content.

This site provides a wonderful opportunity for users to post personal videos about their testimony. You can also find sermons and a whole host of fun material on GodTube.

One of my favorite, humorous videos is a series of parodies of the Apple vs. PC commercials called, Christian/Christ-follower. The videos were produced by Community Christian Church in Naperville, IL.

I'm building a page on GodTube and prayerfully will have sermons from my Pastor, Dr. Lucius M. Dalton, on the site soon.

Please send me an invitation to your GodTube page if you have one now, or build one in the future.

Be blessed -- be a blessing to someone else today!

Steven

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Pastor Paul Sheppard spoke in Virginia

Went to see Pastor Paul Sheppard, of Enduring Truth, a media ministry, at Fairfax Community Church in Fairfax, Virginia last night on a date with my wife. We’ve been married almost 20 years and try to go on a date at least once a month.

We listen to Pastor Paul on the radio, WAVA FM--well, my wife does as I’m rarely coherent at the early hour of his broadcast in my area—I listen online. I strongly recommend that you listen to Pastor Paul Sheppard on the Internet as you can access an archive of recent messages. I’ve been blessed in my thinking and actions as a result of taking his messages to heart. My wife became a fan of his show about a year ago and turned me on to his funny, yet Biblically sound and relevant sermons.

Last night, he gave a message called Choices and used Deuteronomy 30:11-20 as his text for discussion.

Some of the points Pastor Sheppard made included:

--When you have a choice, it doesn’t mean you are sovereign. God is sovereign. He is in charge, not us.

--There are some things you have no say in. “Opinions are like belly buttons, everybody has one,” joked Pastor Sheppard.

--Pastor Paul pointed out that we all will be held accountable by God as he quoted Isaiah 45:23, “That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”

--The only question is when you will bow, now, or on Judgment Day in front of God, said Sheppard.

--God commands us to love Him. Pastor Sheppard pointed out Deuteronomy 30:16 as a key verse in the text he chose. When you love God, it is a decision you make in response to His grace because He first loved us.

--Pastor Paul also discussed that it may cost us to love and obey God. We may experience tough times in order to get to where God wants us to be. Pastor Paul quoted the often used saying, “When you go through a test, you come out of it with a testimony.”

Pastor Paul Sheppard will also be speaking again tonight, Wednesday, November 7, 2007at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. For more info about this event, visit Wava.com and look for Special Events.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Searchable Bible online: BibleGateway.com

Today I want to call your attention to a site I use when I need to quickly look up Bible verses online and read commentary info for Bible research: http://www.biblegateway.com/ With BibleGateway.com, you can search 50 different versions of the Bible and read the Bible in 35 languages. Please tell me about online searchable Bible sites that you use. steve@BibleStudyCafe.com

Monday, November 5, 2007

Speading the Good News with Technology

Today I want to call your attention to an interesting article I read in the Saturday, November 3, 2007 Washington Post entitled, "Plugging the Planet Into the Word."

The subtitle of the article, "Christian Groups Use Technology to Greatly Expand Bible's Audience," really speaks to encouraging missionary work discussed in the story.

The reporter, Mary Jordan, pointed out that, "Since 2000, the Bible -- or parts of it -- has been translated into 600 more languages, making it more accessible to tens of millions more people, according to the Forum of Bible Agencies International. An additional 1,600 translation projects are underway that will leave only about 3 to 5 percent of the world's population without the best-selling book of all time available in their native language."

The one fact mentioned that really surprised me was that it can take 30 years to to translate the Bible into a rare language and can cost up to one million dollars! The Forum of Bible Agencies International was one organization listed in article which has taken on this task: http://www.ifoba.com/ A useful site referenced in the article, to chart the progress of the Good News globally is: http://www.worldmap.org/

In sum, I found that this newspaper article offered encouraging news about the spread of the Gospel, which Jesus Christ told us to do in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (King James Version)

Have a blessed day!

Steve

Friday, November 2, 2007

Bible Study Lessons from Dr. Lucius M. Dalton

I'll be quite busy on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2007, so I'll post the Special of the Day a day early. Each Tuesday at 1 and 7 pm, the Senior Pastor of my church, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church teaches a wonderful Bible Study class. At present, we are studying the book of Acts. You can read Pastor Dalton's notes at the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church bulletin board.

Bible Prophecy Programs: Precepts for Life and Back to the Bible

In late October 2007, two Bible Study programs that I listen to both via the radio and online, featured easy-to-understand lessons on Bible Prophecy. Specifically, Kay Arthur is covering the book of Daniel on her show, "Precepts for Life." You can download a free Daniel study guide from Kay's site: Precept.org Woodrow Kroll is taking a fascinating look at the book of Revelation on his program, "Back to the Bible." I heard this broadcast last year and loved it! I believe Kroll provides a two month study, which really covers and explains many potentially confusing things from Revelation. You can read or print transcripts from each of his shows at: BacktotheBible.com Tell me what you think of these programs: Steve@BibleStudyCafe.com