In a follow up message to Firstfruits, I look at what it means to be a living sacrifice. This is a mystery, as the meaning of sacrifice is to kill, or put to death. So how can we be living but dead sacrifices? In this message, I look at how this works. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12.15.24.Living.Sacrifices.Tim_.McCool.mp3…

As a husband to my wife, a father to my children, a son to my mother – I am one person, but I have different roles. When it comes to our salvation, God is One, but He has different roles. In this message, I look at the roles of God in our salvation. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12.11.24.Roles_.of_.God_.Tim_.McCool.mp3 12.1…

There are three important events in a child of God’s life – being saved, being born again, and discipleship. There is much confusion about when and how these events occur. In a follow-up message to the Chalkboard Message on 11/24/24, which answers the question when were you saved? – this message focuses on answering the question when and how were y…

Following Thanksgiving, I have often spoken about leftovers, which is something we all partake of after a big celebration. But in this message, instead of leftovers, I focus on the Biblical teaching of firstfruits, which is the other end of the spectrum from leftovers. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12.01.24.Firstfruits.Tim_…

Around Thanksgiving, black Friday seems to cast a dark shadow over the time of celebrating freedom, family and being thankful. In this message, I look at what should be our focus not just on Thanksgiving, but every day. If we had a gauge to measure how thankful we are, where would the meter rest? At full? At empty? Somewhere in between? http://www.…

In this message, Brother Luke looks at the confusing and contradicting ideas that the religious world puts forth about eternal salvation. Then in a refreshing and simple way, he presents the simplicity of God’s truth on how we are saved. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/11.24.24.The_.Chalkboard.Message.Luke_.Hagler.mp3 11.24.2…

To have someone’s back means that you will support them and not let anyone sneak up on them. In an eternal sense, the Lord has our back. There is nothing that can sneak up on us and take away our eternal salvation. But He also has us here and now. The question to ask is – Do we have each other’s back? As born again believers, do we love and support…

We often feel like the Lord is not there for us, or that He is not doing something about our situation. In this message, I look at the mental process that David went through when he asked, “How Long, Lord?” Ultimately, David arrived at the right kind of thinking. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/11.13.24.How-long.Tim_.McCool.m…

Two of the most powerful words we can have in our vocabulary, are “I’m sorry.” In this message I look at how these two words are essential for navigating the ups and downs of relationships in this fallen, broken world. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/11.10.24.Im_.Sorry_.Tim_.McCool.mp3 11.10.24.Im.Sorry.Tim.McCool…

Broken fellowship, damaged relationships, severed ties – these are common experiences for us all. The Bible is filled with examples of this, from Adam in the garden to Peter with our Savior. Broken fellowship is a consequence of our broken world. But God in mercy shows the glorious path of restoration. In this message, Brother Luke looks at broken …

Have you ever lain awake all night with your mind running in circles? Or thoughts come into your head that you can’t seem to shake out? Thankfully, the Lord knows how our broken minds run in circles. In this message, I look at how God gives us ways for us to retrain our brain and break out of harmful circular thinking and establish ways of thinking…

In Jeremiah 35, the Lord told Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites to the house of the Lord and set wine before them. The Lord uses this family to demonstrate true faithfulness and show how unfaithful his own nation was to Him. In this message, Brother Luke looks at how the Lord saw the Rechabites as worthy of honor. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-cont…

We have all heard the phrase “go getters”. In this message, I present a twist on that phrase, in an effort to teach how we should strive to be givers, just as our Lord gave His life, His time, His effort, and accomplished our salvation. Let us all set our hearts and minds to honor the Lord by being Go Givers. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/…

If we call someone ignorant today, it sounds harsh. But the root word of ignorance is the word ignore. In this message, Brother Luke looks at the subject of ignorance as it is used in the Bible. We may find that it applies to us all in some ways. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/10.27.24.The_.Ignorance.of_.Man_.Luke_.Hagler.mp…

All through the word of God, boasting is frowned upon, except in a few limited circumstances. From the ballpark to social media, we are saturated with boasting. In this message, Brother Luke takes up this subject of boasting and looks at the instances when boasting is approved and appreciated by our Lord. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uplo…

What does the Bible teach about mission work? Is it scriptural? Are missions as commonly understood today, following a Biblical pattern? In this message of the “Why” series, Brother Luke looks at what the Bible teaches about missions. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10.20.24.What_.the_.Bible_.Teaches.About_.Missions.Luke_.Hag…

In this message, I look at the difference between givers and takers. Sadly, among Christians there are a lot more takers than givers! It should be our desire to model ourselves after our Savior, who was the ultimate Giver. Will we take the giver / taker test? http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10.20.24.Givers.and_.Takers.Tim_.Mc…

Dust of the earth, stars of sky, sands of the sea – all are Bible descriptions of the vast number of God’s people. The purpose of these descriptions is to emphasize the large number of the chosen people of God. But we can lose ourselves in such large numbers. In this message, I look at the truth that applies not only to nature, but also to every si…

Usually when we think of a woman at the well, we think of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4. But there are several accounts of women coming to a well in the Bible. In this message, I take a look at some of those accounts. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10.09.24.Women_.at_.the_.Well_.Tim_…

On Sunday morning, Elder Martin Onyoni, pastor of the First Primitive Baptist Church of Kisii, Kenya, delivered a message entitled, Avoid Babblings. The Apostle Paul warned against entertaining confusing questions and ideas that cause us to stray from the truth. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10.06.24.Avoid_.Babblings.Martin…

As the ordination service came to a close, Elder David Crawford and I delivered the final charges to Brother McNeil. Following the charges, the ordination was closed out. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10.05.24.2nd.and_.3rd.Charges.and_.Close_.David_.Crawford.Tim_.McCool.mp3 R_20140101-021825.output…

As the ordination of Brother McNeil continued, his father, Elder Neil Honea, was asked to deliver the first charge. In this post, I share with you the charge delivered by Brother Neil. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10.05.24.First_.Charge.Neil_.Honea_.mp3 R_20140101-015226.output…

During the Saturday service of our Anniversary meeting, we were blessed to ordain Elder McNeil Honea to the full work of the gospel ministry. In this posting, I share with you the portion of the ordination in which Brother McNeil was questioned by Elder Josh Coker, followed by the ordination prayer offered by Elder Luke Hagler. http://www.bethlehem…

In the 2nd message of the Anniversary meeting, Elder David Crawford points out how we must be aware of the devices of Satan. We were blessed to host Brother David who will soon be a resident of Clinton, MS. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10.04.24.Stay_.Outside.of_.his_.Chain_.David_.Crawford.mp3 R_20140101-031838.output…

In the first message of the Anniversary meeting, Elder Martin Onyoni preaches about the life of the Apostle Paul. We were very blessed to host Brother Martin who was visiting from Kenya. He is the pastor of the First Primitive Baptist Church of Kisii, Kenya. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10.04.24.Paul_.Introduces.Himself.Ma…

Living in a time when every little offense, real or fabricated, is posted online within seconds of it happening, a refresher course about what the Lord taught regarding how to deal with offenses is much needed. This is important for families, friends and churches. If we are truly peace seekers, we will take Christ’s instruction to heart. http://www…

One definition of “spirit” is “the influence which fills and governs the soul of any one.” And there are evil, influential spirits that are higher than men but lower than God. The Apostle John addressed this in I John 4 by instructing the people of God to “try” the spirits. In this sermon, Brother Luke looks at what this means. http://www.bethlehem…

In the next message in the “Why” series, I take a look at the meaning of Christ’s statements about binding and loosing. Both times He refers to binding and loosing in the context of His church, and it has a direct impact on how we conduct ourselves in His church today. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/09.22.24.Binding.and_.Loo…

An important distinction in scripture is the difference between discipleship and sonship. To be a son or daughter of God is not optional – it is the complete, sovereign work of the Lord’s mercy. But discipleship is optional. And to read verses referring to optional discipleship as if referring to sonship will lead to confusion. In this message, Eld…

In the Why series, I ask the question about why belief matters. Does God really care what we believe, just as long as we are sincere? If we look at the examples given in the Bible, we can see clearly that the Apostle Paul was concerned with what was believed and taught in the early church. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/09.1…

Brother Luke presents a timely message entitled “Leave Your Windows Open.” In a reference to Daniel’s faithfulness to His God in Babylon, we should take courage in remaining faithful and not compromising the Word of God. We are living in Babylon now, and regardless of the consequence, we should do as Daniel and leave our windows open towards God’s …

In the 2nd message of the Why series, I look at the public privilege of church membership. Have we thought lately about how humbling it is to have the blessing, as baptized believers in a local church body, to go out from day to day as representatives of our Savior? In this message, I look at how we publicly represent Jesus in relation to the local…

Proverbs 29:18 says “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” In this message preached at the annual meeting of Bethany PBC in Pontotoc, MS, I look at this as it applies to God’s church. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/09.07.24.Vision.Tim_.McCool.mp3 9-7-24 vision Bethany church miss…

In this message preached at Bethany PBC near Pontotoc, Mississippi, I look at the subject of contentment. It is interesting how the Lord uses the most negative statement in the Bible to demonstrate such a positive truth about where true contentment lies. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09.06.24.Contentment.Tim_.McCool.mp3 9-6…

In this message, I begin a series I am calling the “Why” series. Why was I baptized? Why do I believe in salvation by grace? Why do I worship the way I do? All of these and more, are questions I hope to ask in this series. The first sermon is entitled Why Was I Baptized? http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09.01.24.Why_.Was_.I.Ba…

Learning to be content in a prosperous society can be difficult. It is not necessarily sinful to have things, but if it leads to discontent, it is not good for our spiritual walk. We can find contentment by embracing the principles of Godly contentment. In this message, Brother Luke looks at what the Bible teaches about this. It is shocking to see …

The Apostle James contains very strong language about our prayer life. He relates specific reasons why we are sometimes disappointed in the Lord, when the problem actually lies within ourselves. Truly, there can never be anything about the Lord that disappoints. In this message, I look at this subject that impacts our prayer life. http://www.bethle…

It is incredible to think that anyone could misunderstand the simple teachings of Christ. Sadly, so many did. In this message, Brother Luke looks at the reasons why so many did not see what was happening or understand what was being taught by Jesus, when it was all so clear and simple. This is an affliction that can affect any of us, if we stop fil…

Nowadays, just leading a quiet and peaceful life of serving the Lord, is radical. If we want to live such a life, we need a Biblical view of citizenship and government. In the vicious politics of today, the party system would have us believe that one man or woman is the answer to all problems. In this message, I look at how disciples of Christ shou…

Have you ever wondered about angels? What they really are? What is their purpose? How do they look? In this message, Brother Luke looks at the subject of angels and answers many questions about them. Our modern idea of a cute little pudgy baby with wings, sitting on a mantle, is not even remotely close to the true identity of angels. http://www.bet…

Our God is a festive God. He loves to celebrate righteousness. We even get the word holiday from the Lord’s holy-days. In the OT, He instigated festivals and holy-days to encourage celebrations of Him. In Isaiah, He speaks of a new festival that was coming, one like never before. In this message, I look at that celebration that was foretold. http:/…

When Christ was on the earth, He used simple examples to make profound points. On one occasion, when the Pharisees were questioning who He was spending time with, the Lord made an incredible example about the great value of His children to Himself. In this message, Brother Luke looks at this topic. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/202…

The standard bearer, or flag bearer, was an important figure in ancient warfare. The person designated to bear the standard of the army was not only a rallying point but also a target. In this message, I look at how the scripture teaches that Christ is our Standard Bearer. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/08.04.24.Our_.Standar…

Even when a nation is degrading from within, there is always hope. That hope is found in the righteous living of disciples. In the second message of a series preached at Bethlehem, Brother Luke looks at the hope given by the Lord in spite of the terrible conditions of a culture. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/08.04.24.Signs_…

Mocked and hated by his brothers, sold into slavery at age 17, carted away to a foreign land, wrongfully accused and imprisoned – Joseph’s life is a testament of anguish and disappointment. But when he ascended to 2nd in command in Egypt and was blessed with 2 sons, he named them interesting names – Forgetful and Fruitful. In this message, I look a…

When something degrades it breaks down and deteriorates. If you leave a sandwich laying on the counter for a week, there are obvious signs it has degraded. The Lord describes the signs of a degraded nation in Isaiah 3. In this message, Brother Luke looks at these signs of degradation as they apply to a society like ours today. http://www.bethlehemp…

Date setting the return of Jesus is misleading and inappropriate. Sadly, many have tried that through the years. But looking at signs and seasons of His coming was taught by Jesus Himself. In this Wednesday night message, I look at 7 signs of the second coming of Jesus. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/07.24.24.7.Signs_.of_.Hi…

In some of the easiest to understand, inspired scripture, the Apostle of love makes a profoundly simple and simply profound statement. Even a child can understand that we love God because He first loved us. Just like children are loved by their parents before they love them back, so God loves us first. In this message, I look at the subject – we lo…

Satan has many descriptions in the Bible. One of those is the strong man. Christ refers to the devil in this way. The only way to overpower a strong man is by a stronger one. In this message Brother Luke teaches about how Christ is the stronger Man Who overpowers Satan. http://www.bethlehempbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/07.14.24.The_.Stronger.M…

If God says something is better, then it must be better. If He says someone is special, then they are special just because the Lord says so. This is not a trip for our pride, but a call to humility. If God did not make us special by His own work, we would be without hope. In this final message preached at Wilson Creek PBC, I look at this subject. h…