Tag Archives: Church

Ordained to Serve

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Acts 6 and Acts 13 both mention that the church leaders “laid hands” on the new servant leaders before sending them to the work. The official term for that is ordination – a physical symbol of a spiritual reality that confirms the work of the Spirit and identifies the new person as one with the others to continue the work of the Lord.

Acts 13:1-5

Taught Sunday morning, August 24, 2025 by Brad D Harris

We hope that this online service has blessed you.  It is funded by the generous participants of Prairie Oaks Baptist Church.  If you would like to contribute to Prairie Oaks and their audio ministry, we have a donation page so that you can securely give online to help this ministry.  Thank you for listening and prayerfully supporting us.  I hope we continue to further you in your journey with Christ!

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How We Serve

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While they are not called “deacons” in the book of Acts, the apostles instruct the church to appoint men to help them focus on the ministry of the word and to take care of the material needs of the church body. Yet the characteristics that these men should have are much like the characteristics that we saw Paul give Timothy – to be of good reputation and walking in the Spirit.

Acts 6:1-7

Taught Sunday morning, August 17, 2025 by Brad D Harris

We hope that this online service has blessed you.  It is funded by the generous participants of Prairie Oaks Baptist Church.  If you would like to contribute to Prairie Oaks and their audio ministry, we have a donation page so that you can securely give online to help this ministry.  Thank you for listening and prayerfully supporting us.  I hope we continue to further you in your journey with Christ!

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God’s Charge to Serve

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Likewise, Paul continues God’s instruction regarding the character of servant-leaders in the church. We know them as deacons. But we may not know what they are supposed to look like or what they are supposed to do. So let’s see what the Bible says regarding these servants of the Lord.

1 Timothy 3:8-13

Taught Sunday morning, August 10, 2025 by Brad D Harris

We hope that this online service has blessed you.  It is funded by the generous participants of Prairie Oaks Baptist Church.  If you would like to contribute to Prairie Oaks and their audio ministry, we have a donation page so that you can securely give online to help this ministry.  Thank you for listening and prayerfully supporting us.  I hope we continue to further you in your journey with Christ!

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Father Reveals Son

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Jesus could be mysterious at times. So when He asked His disciples questions, it’s a wonder that someone would speak up. Thankfully Simon Peter would speak up. And His answer this time is as solid as a rock, a boulder to be precise. Only the Father could reveal such timeless truth for someone to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Matthew 16:13-20

Taught Sunday morning, May 25, 2025 by Brad D Harris

We hope that this online service has blessed you.  It is funded by the generous participants of Prairie Oaks Baptist Church.  If you would like to contribute to Prairie Oaks and their audio ministry, we have a donation page so that you can securely give online to help this ministry.  Thank you for listening and prayerfully supporting us.  I hope we continue to further you in your journey with Christ!

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Generosity and Gratitude

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The believers in Philippi had given generously to Paul once again. And he wanted to express his gratitude without sounding too desperate yet not unappreciative either. Plus he wanted them to know that their sacrifice was like an offering to God and would be rewarded by the Lord. Thus we get some good sayings to contemplate regarding contentment and generosity.

Philippians 4:10-23

Taught Sunday morning, May 4, 2025 by Brad D Harris

We hope that this online service has blessed you.  It is funded by the generous participants of Prairie Oaks Baptist Church.  If you would like to contribute to Prairie Oaks and their audio ministry, we have a donation page so that you can securely give online to help this ministry.  Thank you for listening and prayerfully supporting us.  I hope we continue to further you in your journey with Christ!

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Baptism teaches

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Peter proclaimed that the mysterious gift of the Holy Spirit was through Jesus the Messiah, crucified and risen. But those people could change their mind and ask God for mercy. The physical symbol of their repentance and faith in Jesus would be baptism. And Peter alludes to three things that baptism symbolizes – a physical symbol of a spiritual reality.

Acts 2:36-42

Taught Sunday morning, March 30, 2025 by Brad D Harris

We hope that this online service has blessed you.  It is funded by the generous participants of Prairie Oaks Baptist Church.  If you would like to contribute to Prairie Oaks and their audio ministry, we have a donation page so that you can securely give online to help this ministry.  Thank you for listening and prayerfully supporting us.  I hope we continue to further you in your journey with Christ!

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Growing Together

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Unity within the body of Christ is not to say there are not different roles and ways to serve in the same body. Christ the Head has designed His body to have a diversity of people within the body so that every one can be equipped and participate in the work that needs to be done. That is a part of growing to maturity in Christ – serving in love through His Spirit.

Ephesians 4:1-16

Taught Sunday morning, October 27, 2024 by Brad D Harris

We hope that this online service has blessed you.  It is funded by the generous participants of Prairie Oaks Baptist Church.  If you would like to contribute to Prairie Oaks and their audio ministry, we have a donation page so that you can securely give online to help this ministry.  Thank you for listening and prayerfully supporting us.  I hope we continue to further you in your journey with Christ!

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Access in Christ

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Paul elaborates on the mystery revealed in Christ that the LORD God and His Messiah were not just a local god and hero, but to bring salvation to the ends of the earth for all nations to be given confident access to the God of the universe. Let’s use that access with boldness in prayer.

Ephesians 3:1-13

Taught Sunday morning, October 6, 2024 by Brad D Harris

We hope that this online service has blessed you.  It is funded by the generous participants of Prairie Oaks Baptist Church.  If you would like to contribute to Prairie Oaks and their audio ministry, we have a donation page so that you can securely give online to help this ministry.  Thank you for listening and prayerfully supporting us.  I hope we continue to further you in your journey with Christ!

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He is our Peace

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In Christ, we are redeemed from the penalty for our sin. And having been reconciled in Christ to God also means that the barriers between people groups are broken down in the body of Christ. We are a new creation. Having made peace between us and God, He has made peace possible among the individuals within the body of Christ. And to top it off, through His Holy Spirit He gives us peace within through prayer in Christ.

Ephesians 2:11-22

Taught Sunday morning, September 22, 2024 by Brad D Harris

We hope that this online service has blessed you.  It is funded by the generous participants of Prairie Oaks Baptist Church.  If you would like to contribute to Prairie Oaks and their audio ministry, we have a donation page so that you can securely give online to help this ministry.  Thank you for listening and prayerfully supporting us.  I hope we continue to further you in your journey with Christ!

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Fellowship with Lord

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Acts 2:41-42 tells us what the followers of Christ did steadfastly – learning the teachings of the apostles, fellowship together, Communion, and prayer. Acts 20:6-13 gives us a vignette of a church in a town called Troas (or Troy) doing those four things on the first day of the week with a special guest, the traveling teacher, Paul the Apostle. We can learn much from this gathering as told by the eyewitness who occasionally traveled with Paul for this journey.

Acts 2:41-42 and Acts 20:6-14

Taught Sunday morning, February 18, 2024 by Brad D Harris

We hope that this online service has blessed you.  It is funded by the generous participants of Prairie Oaks Baptist Church.  If you would like to contribute to Prairie Oaks and their audio ministry, we have a donation page so that you can securely give online to help this ministry.  Thank you for listening and prayerfully supporting us.  I hope we continue to further you in your journey with Christ!

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