preaching Archives - Plain Bible Teaching

Andy Sochor August 30, 2021

Road Trip (Part 3): The Road to Gaza

On our next stop in this series, we are going to find a man who was going down the road to Gaza. Here we will learn about preaching Jesus.

“But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a desert road.) So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot.’ Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

“Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: ‘He was led as a sheep to slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He does not open His mouth. In humiliation His judgment was taken away; who will relate His generation? For His life is removed from the earth.’ The eunuch answered Philip and said, ‘Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

“As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:26-39).

This occurred at the time in which the disciples were “scattered” from Jerusalem due to persecution and “went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). Philip was among this number, but the Lord specifically directed him to go to this place. Let us notice some lessons from this.Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Road Trip Tagged With: baptism, belief, preaching, understanding

Andy Sochor August 19, 2021

The Role of the Preacher in the Church Today (08.19.21)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week’s episode is a follow-up to a discussion we had a couple weeks ago. Two weeks ago we talked about a story that described how Americans’ confidence in church had dropped to a near historic low. Related to that, trust in “pastors” was following the same trajectory. We talked about what that meant regarding our efforts to reach others with the gospel. In this episode, we’re going to discuss how this relates to our concept of the role of a preacher in the local church today.Continue Reading

Tagged With: evangelism, preaching

Andy Sochor May 5, 2021

The Ancient Paths in a Digital Age

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, “We will not walk in it”’” (Jeremiah 6:16).

In the context of the passage above, God’s people had departed from His ways; therefore, judgment was coming against them. However, God offered them an opportunity to repent and avoid calamity – to return to the “ancient paths.” Sadly though, they were not willing to do this.

Today, while so many have turned from God, there are still faithful individuals like Jeremiah who echo this call – to return to God and His word and to follow the Lord’s ways. Even with all of the changes and advancements that have taken place in our society, this message is still just as needed.

Regarding the changes and advancements we have seen in our time, perhaps the most significant is the rise of the internet and social media. It has been noted that we are living through “the biggest communication shift in the last 500 years.”* We are now able to communicate with people all around the world and do so instantly. We have access to more information than at any time in human history. The advent of the internet and social media has been as significant in our time as the invention of the printing press was in its time. Of course, not everyone was able to read then, just as not everyone uses the internet and social media today; but its impact is undeniable.

There are many potential uses for digital communication and social media – news, information, entertainment, sports, connecting with family and friends, and so on. However, what we want to focus on here is how we can potentially use these mediums for good and to help lead others to Christ.Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: communication, example, influence, preaching, social media, technology

Andy Sochor January 28, 2021

Money and Happiness, Trust of Pastors, and Profanity (01.28.21)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

Last week, one of the stories we discussed was a major news event. This week we have three stories that will be far less likely to be discussed on the network and cable news. But we have three interesting stories about money, pastors, and profanity.Continue Reading

Tagged With: money, personal evangelism, preaching, speech

Andy Sochor October 7, 2020

A Sermon Delivered in the Dark

The book, Christians on the Oregon Trail, describes the lives and labors of those who were part of the Restoration Movement during the time when settlers were first trekking across the continent to the Oregon Territory. These early pioneers faced many challenges in the Pacific Northwest. As these settlements grew, efforts were made to spread the gospel among those who were arriving in the area.

One of the men who endeavored to preach in Oregon during this time was A. L. Todd (1820-1886). In the book mentioned above, the author presented a picture of this man’s labor.

“A. L. Todd traveled far and wide in pursuit of souls for Christ, and often his audiences were very small. On one preaching tour through Coos County he sent word ahead that he would be preaching at Burton Prairie school house. It was a rainy afternoon in the wintertime, and only four persons came out to hear him preach. All four of his hearers were men, and none of them had thought to bring any matches for the candles. There was not enough time for any of the men to return home, so Todd began preaching in the fading light of a winter evening. The school house was cold, damp and dark, and as he preached the darkness deepened.” (Christians on the Oregon Trail, p. 319)

Filed Under: Restoration History Tagged With: preaching

Andy Sochor September 10, 2020

What’s the Difference between a Preacher and a Pastor? (Episode 15)

Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

The question we’ll be considering in this episode was submitted via the podcast question submission form:

What’s the difference between a preacher and a pastor?

Many people use the terms “preacher” and “pastor” interchangeably. Are they basically the same, or are there differences between them? In this episode we will examine the Scriptures and consider what is commonly practiced in the religious world in order to answer this question.

Additional resources: