Ken Pierpont's Blog, page 88
January 2, 2017
How to Not Stink (Sermon Video)
Series: Ephesians
Sermon Title: How to Not Stink (Ephesians Big Picture)
Evangel Baptist Church-Taylor, Michigan
Pastor Ken Pierpont
January 1, 2017 AM
How to Not Stink (Sermon Audio)
Series: Ephesians
Sermon Title: How to Not Stink (Ephesians Big Picture)
Evangel Baptist Church-Taylor, Michigan
Pastor Ken Pierpont
January 1, 2017 AM
January 1, 2017
When Others Curse You
This winter beginning in a few hours I am going to begin “heralding” and worshiping my way through the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians with the flock God has entrusted to me to shepherd. Tinkering with how I will introduce the book I began to think back on the first time I remember reading it. I wrote this:
Others May Curse You and Condemn You
Most of you who have heard me preach know that Jr. High was a very painful experience for me. Most of my memories are painful ones. I do have a memory that came to me this morning when I was walking and it is a sweet memory. I was raised in a home where the Bible was revered. It was a part of every day. There were Bibles of different descriptions and translations in every room of our home, including the one with the Daily Bread on the toilet tank lid. At dinner Dad tried to read a few verses of the Bible every night just before we prayed for our meal. Every month catalogs arrived from Bible discounters and we frequently ordered from them. My parents always spoke glowingly of young people who carried their Bibles to school with them. I was in the seventh grade in the little village of Utica. At the time I had my first Schofield Bible, a black hard-cover Old Schofield. One day, during a free-study hour I opened my Bible and looked for something to read. I’m not sure why but the book of Ephesians looked manageable and interested me. I read it and noticed that it was so full of rich, practical things. I declared it my favorite book of the Bible at the time.
Those in Christ are Chosen and Cherished
Thinking back it makes perfect sense now. I was suffering from a brutal assault on my identity. Every day I had to endure the curses of my peers. They continually declared me worthless—a looser—an oddball. Not athletic, not attractive, not popular, not cool. But here in my hand was a book written by God that told me right from the beginning that I was chosen and cherished by God. Chosen in love before the foundation of the world. Not only was I chosen and loved by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, but I was promised a destiny that was unspeakably wonderful. I was guaranteed an inheritance that no one could take away. I was not a looser. I was a child of God. I was worthless but valuable to God I was not hated but loved by God. I was not destined for trouble, I was destined for heaven.
Dale Carnige was right when he wrote in his classic How to Win Friends and Influence People, “Give people a good reputation to live up to.” He was at least close. My classmates and my conscience damned me—condemned be—but this book promised blessing—a very bright future. Important—significant–eternal responsibilities and opportunities and the resources in Christ to fulfill them.
Do You Have What it Takes?
They say that the big question the lies in the bottom of every young man’s heart is: “Do I have what it takes to make it?” My world said NO… sneered and mocked and said “NO” But out of this wonderful little book God’s voice spoke like sweet assurance. “In me—in Christ you have what it takes to do things you cannot possibly imagine now.” If this world has been cursing you—This book will be a great blessing to you.
Ken Pierpont
Granville Cottage
January 1, 2017
December 31, 2016
When You Hurt
Be very careful when you are sinned-against. When others sin against us we are most vulnerable to sin ourselves. It’s when we get hurt, we are most likely to hurt others.
Your first, natural reaction when you are hurt or when someone sins against you is usually wrong. Here is an idea: Take a drive or take a walk. Tell the Lord all about it. Lament to God. You will be much less likely to sin or hurt others when you are hurt if you take a walk or take a drive and have a talk with the Lord first.
December 28, 2016
Why Would God Bless You?
Series: Christmas in Genesis
Sermon Title: Why Would God Bless You?
Text: Genesis 49:10
Pastor Ken Pierpont
Evangel Baptist Church-Taylor, Michigan
December 25, 2016 AM
Why Would God Bless You (Sermon Video)
Christmas Sunday Message
December 21, 2016
Keeping Hope Alive at Christmas (Video)
Series: Christmas in Genesis
Title: Keeping Hope Alive at Christmas
Evangel Baptist Church-Taylor, Michigan
Pastor Ken Pierpont
December 18, 2016 AM
Keeping Hope Alive at Christmas (Audio)
Series: Christmas in Genesis
Title: Keeping Hope Alive at Christmas
Evangel Baptist Church-Taylor, Michigan
Pastor Ken Pierpont
December 18, 2016 AM
December 7, 2016
A Nudge From the Judge
I was “shaving” my sweater this morning and felt a tug on my heart to go visit a sick man named James. I told Lois and Heidi “Hey I think I just got a ‘nudge from the Judge’ I’m going to go visit a guy. I’ll be right back.”
In just a few minutes God allowed me to lead James to the Lord! It was like picking ripe blueberries. His heart was so open and ready.
When you get a “nudge from the Judge” Go!
