Faith Baptist Messages

Is there meaning to life? Some say life is simply to be enjoyed. You’ve probably heard the catchy sayings. “Go for the Gusto”. “Live for Today”. But at the end of the day, Is that all there is? Others say life is futile and fleeting. It doesn’t matter what you do. You’re born, you live, and you still just die. So why try? Solomon is said to be the wisest man that ever lived and he grappled with these questions. And yet he did some very foolish things. In the final writing we have from him, Solomon tells us that there is a third way that is the only meaningful way to live life. Pastor Caleb Phelps puts it this way. Phelps quote. “God has given to us joy and pleasure on earth and there should be a balance to it. We should also understand the somberness of death. There’s this tight rope to walk, to be balanced in life because of the goodness of God, enjoy the pleasures of God that He’s given to you. [... ] Death could come at any moment. [...] We don’t know how long we are going to have on earth, is Solomon’s point. You could pursue things that don’t matter. [...] or you could pursue those things that do matter. [...] Coming from a guy again that’s done it all, had it all, earned it all, made it all. He said none of it was worth it. But what is worth it is living God’s way. Welcome to Echoes of Faith, a podcast about God working in our lives today and how His word impacts our future. This month Caleb once again reflects on a completed sermon series. And if you haven't guessed it already, we'll be discussing Caleb's sermon series on Ecclesiastes.

When was the last time you made a life-changing spiritual decision? Perhaps it was when you first gave your life to Christ. Perhaps it was a decision to ask for help to finally stop a life dominating sin in your life. What was it that triggered you to finally make that decision? What led up to it? What can the church do to create an environment in worship, fellowship, and Bible study to help believers and unbelievers alike soften their hearts to take that next step in yielding to God's will for their lives. One of the things the church can do is invite someone in with the gift of evangelism. Pastor Caleb Phelps believes this is becoming rare. "It's become increasingly abnormal for someone to be an evangelist or for churches to have an evangelist. I'm not sure all the reasons why." Traveling evangelist, Ron DeGarde believes Ephesians 4:11 teaches that there is God given role for the evangelist to play in the local church. "I obviously would look at Ephesians 4 at the four gifts that were given to the church. There were two that were foundational: the prophets and the apostles. There are two that are still functioning: the evangelist and the pastor / teacher." "I think there is a great help when a second voice comes along and reinforces the things that the pastor has been teaching and preaching. [...] They hear it from somebody else. But it wouldn't be as effective if the pastor hadn't been expositing the truth to begin with." Whether it is winning the lost or helping believers grow in Christ-likeness, let's take a closer look at the many roles evangelists play in our spiritual lives. Welcome to Echoes of Faith, a podcast about God working in our lives today and how His word impacts our future. This month Caleb interviews traveling evangelist Ron DeGarde while he and his team were leading a family conference at Faith Baptist of Palm Bay in February of 2020. Caleb and Ron talk about the role an evangelist plays in the lives of those who will come to listen and worship with his team. They also talk about the value for all believers to periodically take a spiritual inventory of their lives, as the apostle Paul did, looking for areas where they need to grow and change. And now, here's pastor Caleb.