Tag Archives: salvation

Baptism Proclaims



John started baptizing people who confessed their sinful condition and desired to be made right with God (repentance). The dip in the water symbolized the washing of their sins and trust in the “One to come” who was greater than John. This greater One would baptize people in the Holy Spirit, but the physical symbol Jesus taught His apostles was to baptize people in water who had by faith been baptized into the Holy Spirit. Plus their dip under the water also symbolized their faith in the One who had died, been buried, and rose again to new life.

Matthew 3

Taught Sunday morning, January 14, 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!


The Judge Speaks



While continuing our tour of the closing chapters of John’s Gospel, we supplement our picture of the crucifixion with Luke’s account of the Gospel story. Having been condemned, the Judge of all the earth gives four sayings of judgment that we would be wise to hear. Words of warning, words of mercy, and words of vindication. This is Part One of Two.

Luke 23:24-47

Taught Sunday morning, November 26, 2023 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!


One Man’s Death



The chief priests and religious authorities were intent on keeping power and were opposed to Jesus. And one of the leaders accidentally prophesied the truth of what Jesus came to do. We now understand that it is better that Jesus died for all the people than for all those people to perish, entering eternity without Jesus.

John 18:14 and John 11:45-52

Taught Sunday morning, October 29, 2023 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!


Noah found grace



Noah found grace

Noah sought God while living in a world that ignored God at best and defied God more often than not. And by his faith, Noah found grace in God’s sight. And God rewards those who seek Him. The LORD showed Noah the coming judgment and the plan for salvation from the condemnation. Noah by faith, trusted and obeyed the plan of God and rescued himself and his household from the judgment against sin.

Hebrews 11:6-7 and Genesis 6:8-9

Taught Sunday morning, June 4, 2023 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!


Wages or Gift



Paul uses an analogy that he says is imperfect but still communicates an essential lesson for us. We have been set free from sin as a slave-master whose wages are corruption, shame, and death. Now that we belong to Christ, why would someone want to still want to work a second job for sin? Sin still pays corruption, shame, and death. Instead, we should work wholehearted for Christ who doesn’t just give us wages but He gifts us right-living, holiness, and eternal life.

Romans 6:23

Taught Sunday morning, May 7, 2023 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!


Sin Shall Not Reign



We resume our study through Paul’s letter to the Roman church with a challenge – who reigns over your life? Who is the Master that we obey? It is one thing to say Jesus is Lord, but do our words and actions reflect that? We are to surrender every part of our body to His way of life or we reveal that sin reigns there instead.

Romans 5:20 – 6:14

Taught Sunday morning, April 23, 2023 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!


Loved His Enemies



God demonstrated His love for us even while we were still ungodly, enemy sinners, Christ died for us to reconcile us back to our Creator and Judge, saving us from the wrath to come.

Romans 5:6-11

Taught Sunday morning, March 26, 2023 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!


The Justice of God



Justice is a core value of who God is. It is deplorable to Him when injustice takes place – both the punishment of good and the promotion of wickedness. Yet last week we saw that none of us are good. We all have sinned and enjoyed it, guilty before a righteous God. Thankfully mercy is also a core value. God the Father and God the Son orchestrated a plan before time in order to remain righteous and just while also rescuing sinful humans from sin in order to give them righteousness.

Proverbs 17:15 and Romans 3:21-26

Taught Sunday morning, February 26, 2023 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!


Right-standing through faith



All are guilty before God as revealed by the law. The righteousness of God is revealed to be through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.

Romans 3:9-22

Taught Sunday morning, February 19, 2023 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!


Forgetful Sinners



God says through Paul that no one can truly be an agnostic. There is enough evidence in creation to know there is an always and all-powerful Creator who is incorruptible and righteous. The problem is that humanity suppresses what they know and that leads no where good. Instead, it leads to foolish thinking, foolish desires, and foolish feelings which leads to foolish sin practices. And we all are guilty of the ingratitude that starts the downward spiral. But God is a good Parent, He pursues His sinful humans so that some will let Him rescue them. Will you?

Romans 1:16-32

Taught Sunday morning, February 5, 2023 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!