Tag Archives: God’s will

Mission of God



Jesus accomplished His mission objectives of making disciples, defeating the enemies of sin, devil, and death, as well as preparing His followers to continue to kingdom work. They were to not worry about times and events, but to testify of the risen King and make disciples, starting in Jerusalem and expanding from there. The Book of Acts is about the Holy Spirit empowering them to expand His kingdom. Let’s go!

Acts 1:1-14

Taught Sunday morning, March 20, 2022 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!


Justice and Mercy



The destruction of the nation, the capital city including the royal family, and the temple with its priesthood was the darkest moment thus far in the history of the descendants. Jeremiah saw it all happen before his eyes. Worse yet, he had faithfully warned and pleaded with the people to turn from their rebellion and turn toward God, but to no avail. Yet he endured their punishment along with them, though not a partaker in their sins. The Lamentations is his poem of grief for God’s people and to remind them that it is not yet too late to come back to God. It’s not too late to hope in God.

Lamentations 3:16-33

Taught Sunday morning, March 13, 2022 by Brad D Harris
(recording a pacing preacher on a stationary mic with invitation song)

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!


Bow to the King



Which king reigns?
What we see is not all that is going on. There is more at work. But what is revealed from the council room of heaven is even more important. The conversation between Father and Son determines the outcome of the question, which King reigns? We must choose how to respond to this important intel. Believe what we see or believe what is revealed.

Psalm 2

Taught Sunday morning, January 9, 2022 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 now 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!


Do not forget



There can be so many distractions and discouragements that tempt us to subtly forget who God is. If we have hard times, we are tempted to doubt Him and His character. If we have it good, we are tempted to forget Him and keep the glory for ourselves. We give God the blame and steal the credit. But Moses warns us to not forget who we often are and remember who God always is.
(also, my memory failed and I misquoted Matthew Henry’s fourth thankful. He was thankful that he wasn’t the one who stole a wallet.)

Deuteronomy 8

Taught Sunday morning, November 28, 2021 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 now 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!


Moses and Our Rock



Moses has faithfully led the people through forty years since the exodus from Egypt. While not a perfect man, he has a good track record. But even Moses had a bad day and let the LORD down. But the LORD has His plan and our failures cannot thwart His plan. The Rock of our salvation will provide for us. And that day has lessons for us.

Numbers 20:1-13

Taught Sunday morning, November 7, 2021 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 now 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!


Purpose in the Wilderness



The children of Israel refused to trust God and questioned His love, preferring instead to die in the wilderness than enter the promised land. So the LORD gave them death in the wilderness for the next forty years. But God had other purposes for the wilderness for the children of those generations of rebels. His mercy may not always feel like mercy, if we learn the lessons of the wilderness, we are prepared for our promised land of heaven.

Numbers 14:26-38
Colossians 3:1-4, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Hebrews 12:1-2, 1 John 3:2-3

Taught Sunday morning, October 31, 2021 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 now 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!


Necessary for Obedience



Jesus beautifully illustrated the command to love one’s neighbor with the story of the Good Samaritan, where someone who had no reason to show compassion to a hurting person went above and beyond to help.  But how can one have that kind of love for another?  The following episode that Luke reports shows that Jesus answers that question for Mary and Martha.  The most needful thing is to sit at the feet of Jesus to learn of His love.

Luke 10:25-42

Taught Sunday morning, September 26, 2021 by Stuart Estes
Ministry Team Leader at Association of Baptist Students

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 now 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!


Love Your Neighbor



Jesus summed up all the Law and Prophets into two commands: Love God and love your neighbor (Matt 22:35-40). And for some reason, this can be more convicting than the individual commands He gave at Sinai. And the last few months and especially the last week has revealed in town hall meetings that even Christians fail miserably with the command to love your neighbor as yourself.

Matthew 5:43-48

Taught Sunday morning, August 15, 2021 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 now 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!


Valuable Parents



Ten Commands from the LORD. The middle is the command to honor your mother and father. The Spirit through Paul repeats and elaborates on this command in his letter to the Ephesians. Minor children obey. Adult children honor. Parents lead children to Christ. To model Christ as He modeled God the Father is an impossible assignment. But He gives grace and His Spirit with His commands to those who believe.

Ephesians 6:1-4

Taught Sunday morning, August 1, 2021 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 now 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!


God Comes First



We start our series on the 10 Commandments. And the first commands are that God comes first, in everything. First in our allegiance, loyalty, and love – God has liberated His people to be their Protection, Provider, and Guide. And nothing else (money, person, ideology, nor state) can do what He has already done. Thus He deserves no competition for our attention.

Exodus 20:1-7

Taught Sunday morning, July 4, 2021 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 now 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!