http://www.1baptist-bridgeport.org/

First Baptist Church Bridgeport, 805 Broadway Avenue, Bridgeport, AL (2026)

06/09/2026

EXPLORING THE PATIENCE OF GOD—06/09/26…

PART 4 — GOD’S PATIENCE TOWARD NINEVEH — HE RELENTS WHEN THEY REPENT

Jonah 3:10–4:2 Jonah himself confesses that God is “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” When Jonah fled from the presence of the Lord, he was not running from a difficult assignment. He was running from the character of God. He knew exactly who God was—gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.
Jonah did not want Nineveh to experience that patience. He wanted justice without delay, judgment without mercy, wrath without interruption. And if we are honest, we often feel the same way about others while expecting God to be endlessly patient with us.
But the truth is that we deserve the same judgment Jonah wanted for Nineveh. We deserve the same wrath he hoped would fall on that wicked city. Our sins may be different in shape, but not in nature.
We have rebelled, resisted, and refused God’s ways. We have run from His commands and justified our disobedience. We have been slow to repent and quick to wander. Justice would not hesitate to condemn us.
Yet God has been patient. He has pursued us when we fled. He has confronted us when we hid. He has spoken to us when we hardened our hearts.
He has sent storms to stop us, grace to restore us, and truth to redirect us. And when we finally turned back, He did not meet us with anger but with mercy.
This patience is not sentimental. It is holy. It is the patience of a God who hates sin but loves sinners, who judges wickedness but delights in repentance, who could destroy but chooses to save.
And when we see that clearly, gratitude rises like a tide.
We deserved to be swallowed by judgment, but God appointed mercy instead.
We deserved to be cast away, but God drew near. We deserved to be silenced, but God listened to our cries.
We deserved to be ruined by our rebellion, but God rescued us from it.
Jonah struggled with God’s patience toward others, but we should marvel at His patience toward us. Every day we live is proof that God has not dealt with us according to our sins.
Every breath is evidence that He is slow to anger. Every answered prayer is a reminder that He delights to show mercy.
And so we give thanks—not reluctantly, but joyfully. Because the patience that spared Nineveh is the same patience that spared us.

Faithful steps, deeper trust.

06/09/2026

THE EXCELLENCE OF GODLY WISDOM—06/09/26…

PART 7 WISDOM’S MORAL COMPASS

Proverbs 8:20 says that wisdom walks in the way of righteousness and in the midst of the paths of justice. That statement is a declaration of direction. Wisdom never wanders into moral fog. She does not drift toward compromise or confusion. She walks with purpose, and her steps are always aligned with what is right in the eyes of God.
When a believer follows her, he finds himself moving in the same direction, not because the path is easy, but because it is true.
I once followed a case that had captured the attention of an entire community. Emotions were high. Social pressure was intense. Every opinion seemed loud. I wondered how any judge could make such a difficult ruling.
Yet the judge remained steady. He listened carefully, weighed the evidence, and rendered a decision rooted in justice rather than popularity. That steadiness did not come from personality. It came from principle. It came from a commitment to what was right even when it was costly.
That is what wisdom produces in the believer. She anchors the heart when the world demands compromise. She steadies the mind when emotions pull in every direction. She strengthens the will to choose righteousness even when the consequences are uncomfortable.
Proverbs 8:21 says that wisdom causes those who love her to inherit wealth and fills their treasuries. This is not the wealth of bank accounts or possessions.
It is the wealth of spiritual abundance.
It is the treasure of a clean conscience, a pure heart, a stable mind, and a life aligned with the will of God.
It is the richness of knowing that your decisions honor the Lord.
It is the quiet joy of walking in integrity when no one is watching.
It is the deep peace that comes from choosing what is right rather than what is convenient.
Wisdom’s excellence is seen in her moral direction. She does not merely inform the mind. She transforms the life. She shapes how we treat others. She shapes how we respond to pressure. She shapes how we pursue justice.
When a believer walks in wisdom, he becomes a person marked by integrity, compassion, courage, and righteousness. That is true wealth. That is the excellence of godly wisdom.

Faithful steps, deeper trust.

06/08/2026

THE EXCELLENCE OF GODLY WISDOM—06/08/26…

PART 6 THE PURSUIT OF WISDOM

Proverbs 8:17 contains one of the most encouraging promises in Scripture. Wisdom says, I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.
Godly wisdom is not elusive. It is not reserved for the gifted or the educated. It is offered to every believer who seeks it with a sincere heart.
I once knew a new Christian who felt overwhelmed by Scripture. He believed wisdom was beyond him. But as he read daily, prayed earnestly, and asked questions humbly, understanding grew. Wisdom met him where he was and led him forward. That is the promise of Proverbs 8:17.
Wisdom rewards pursuit. It honors diligence. It responds to love. Proverbs 8:18 adds that riches and honor are with wisdom, enduring riches and righteousness. These are not worldly riches. They are spiritual riches. They are the treasures of a life shaped by truth.
Wisdom enriches the soul.
It deepens character.
It strengthens faith.
It produces righteousness that endures.
When a believer seeks wisdom diligently, he finds more than knowledge. He finds transformation. He finds joy. He finds the steady companionship of God’s truth guiding his steps.
Wisdom is not distant. It is near. It is available. It is excellent.

Faithful steps, deeper trust.

06/07/2026

THE EXCELLENCE OF GODLY WISDOM—06/07/26…

PART 5 THE WISDOM OF COUNSEL

Proverbs 8:14 says that counsel and sound wisdom belong to wisdom. Understanding and strength are hers.
Many people make decisions based on impulse, emotion, or pressure. But wisdom offers something better. It offers counsel that steadies the heart.
I remember a woman who faced a difficult career decision. She sought advice from friends, but their opinions conflicted. Finally, she turned to Scripture and prayer. As she meditated on God’s Word, clarity emerged. Wisdom gave her strength to choose what honored God rather than what impressed others.
Wisdom’s counsel is always reliable because it flows from God’s character. Proverbs 8:15 says that by wisdom kings reign and rulers decree justice.
Leadership requires discernment.
Authority requires integrity.
Influence requires humility.
Wisdom equips believers to lead well, whether in a home, workplace, church, or community. It gives strength to stand firm when compromise seems easier. It gives clarity when choices are complex. It gives courage when obedience is costly.
Wisdom’s excellence is seen in its ability to guide us through decisions that shape our lives. It does not leave us guessing. It provides counsel rooted in truth. It provides strength grounded in God’s faithfulness.
When a believer seeks wisdom, he gains more than answers. He gains stability. He gains confidence. He gains the assurance that he is walking in step with God.

That is the excellence of godly wisdom.

Faithful steps, deeper trust.

06/06/2026

THE EXCELLENCE OF GODLY WISDOM—06/06/26…

PART 4 EXPOSING EVIL

Proverbs 8:13 teaches that the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Wisdom does not merely avoid evil. It despises it. It recognizes sin as destructive, deceptive, and deadly. I once counseled a young man who treated sin lightly. He believed he could manage it, contain it, and control it. But sin is never manageable. It grows. It spreads. It destroys. Only when he saw the damage it caused did he begin to hate what he once excused.
Wisdom teaches us to see sin as God sees it. It trains our affections. It sharpens our discernment. It strengthens our resolve. Proverbs 8:13 lists pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth as things wisdom hates.
These are not small matters. Pride blinds. Arrogance isolates. Evil paths entangle. Perverse speech wounds. Wisdom exposes these dangers before they take root.
When a believer fears the Lord, he begins to hate what harms his soul. He does not flirt with temptation. He flees it. He does not justify compromise. He rejects it. He does not entertain sin. He opposes it.
This hatred of evil is not harshness. It is holiness. It is the fruit of loving God more than self. It is the evidence of a heart shaped by truth.
Wisdom’s excellence is seen in its moral clarity. It does not blur lines. It draws them boldly. It does not excuse sin. It confronts it.
The believer who embraces wisdom learns to walk in purity, humility, and reverence. That path is safe. That path is joyful. That path is wise.

Faithful steps, deeper trust.

06/05/2026

THE EXCELLENCE OF GODLY WISDOM—06/05/26…

PART 2 WISDOM’S VALUE

Proverbs 8:11 declares that wisdom is better than rubies and that all desirable things cannot compare with her. This is not poetic exaggeration. It is divine reality. People spend their lives chasing what they believe will satisfy. Some pursue success. Others chase comfort. Others crave recognition. Yet every earthly treasure eventually fades.

I once met a man who had spent decades building a business. He achieved everything he dreamed of, but when he retired, he confessed that he had neglected his family, his health, and his walk with God. His success cost him more than it gave him. Wisdom would have spared him that loss.

Wisdom teaches us what truly matters. It reorders our desires. It exposes the emptiness of temporary pursuits. Proverbs 8:12 says that wisdom dwells with prudence and finds out knowledge of witty inventions.

Wisdom is not passive.
It is active, discerning, and creative.
It helps us navigate complex situations with clarity.
It helps us see beyond the moment.
It helps us choose what is eternally valuable over what is immediately appealing.

When a believer treasures wisdom above earthly gain, he gains what money cannot buy. He gains peace of conscience. He gains stability of soul. He gains the joy of walking in step with God.

Earthly treasures can be lost. Wisdom cannot.
Earthly treasures can deceive. Wisdom never does.
Earthly treasures can inflate pride. Wisdom cultivates humility.

The excellence of wisdom is seen in its ability to shape a life that honors God and blesses others. Nothing compares with that.

Faithful steps, deeper trust.

06/04/2026

THE EXCELLENCE OF GODLY WISDOM—06/04/26…

AN EXPLORATION OF PROVERBS 8

INTRODUCTION
Proverbs 8:1 says that wisdom calls aloud. She does not whisper from hidden corners. She stands in the open, raising her voice where people pass by. The picture is striking. God is not hiding His wisdom. He is offering it. Yet many walk past unmoved. I think of a man who kept a fire extinguisher in his kitchen for years but never learned how to use it. When a grease fire erupted, panic replaced preparation. The tool was there. The knowledge was available. But neglect turned opportunity into loss.
Wisdom is like that. It calls, but it must be heeded. Godly wisdom is not merely information. It is God’s gracious invitation to live with clarity, discernment, and stability.
Proverbs 8:10 urges us to receive instruction rather than silver and knowledge rather than choice gold. The world chases wealth, but wisdom outlasts every treasure. Money can purchase comfort, but it cannot purchase character. It can buy influence, but it cannot buy integrity. It can secure a future, but it cannot secure a soul.
Wisdom, however, shapes the heart. It steadies the mind. It guards the path. When a believer listens to wisdom’s call, life gains direction. Decisions become clearer. Temptations lose some of their pull.
The fear of the Lord, described in Proverbs 8:13, becomes the anchor of daily obedience. Wisdom is not distant. It is calling today. The question is whether we will stop long enough to listen.

PART 1 WISDOM’S WORDS
Proverbs 8:6 declares that wisdom speaks excellent things. Her words are noble, upright, and true. Nothing she says bends toward deceit or compromise.
In a world where voices multiply and opinions clash, the believer must learn to distinguish noise from truth. I once watched a young employee struggle under conflicting instructions from coworkers. Everyone had advice, but not all of it was good. Confusion grew until he finally went to the supervisor. One clear voice settled what ten confused voices had complicated.
Wisdom is that clear voice. Proverbs 8:8 says that all the words of wisdom’s mouth are righteous. There is no crookedness in them. Godly wisdom never leads toward sin, pride, or self-exaltation. It never excuses what God condemns. It never encourages shortcuts around holiness. Instead, it lifts the believer toward what is excellent.
When a Christian saturates his mind with Scripture, he begins to recognize the tone of wisdom. It sounds like purity. It sounds like humility. It sounds like truth spoken in love. It sounds like righteousness that refuses to bend.
Wisdom’s excellence is not abstract. It is practical. It shapes how we speak, how we respond, how we plan, and how we endure.
Proverbs 8:9 says wisdom’s words are plain to him who understands. The more we walk with God, the more clearly we discern His voice.
Wisdom is not confusing. It is clarifying. It is not burdensome. It is freeing. It is not hidden. It is offered. The believer who listens will find his path straightened and his heart strengthened.

Faithful steps, deeper trust.

06/03/2026

THE LORD WHO STRIKES AND THE LORD WHO SAVES—O6/03/26

14 DEVOTIONALS EXTOLLING THE TERRIBLE MAJESTY OF A HOLY GOD

FINAL CONCLUSION TO THE SERIES

These twelve scenes are not scattered moments of divine anger; they are a unified testimony to the blazing holiness of God.

They reveal a God who is not casual about sin, not indifferent to rebellion, not tolerant of corruption.

Sin is not small because God is not small. Every act of judgment in Scripture is a reminder that God is righteous, God is just, and God will not be mocked.

The Flood shows sin’s global consequences. S***m shows sin’s cultural consequences.
Lot’s wife shows sin’s divided heart.
Kadesh shows sin’s unbelief.
Korah shows sin’s pride.
Moses shows sin’s misrepresentation.
Achan shows sin’s secrecy.
David shows sin’s ripple effect.
Uzzah shows sin’s irreverence.
The census shows sin’s arrogance.
Ananias and Sapphira show sin’s hypocrisy.
Herod shows sin’s self deification.

Together they form a chorus declaring: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

But that is only half the story. In every judgment, mercy glimmers.
Noah found grace.
Lot was rescued.
Israel was preserved.
Moses was restored.
David was forgiven.
The church was purified.
The gospel advanced.

Judgment is never God’s final word for those who turn to Him. Mercy triumphs over judgment because Christ bore judgment for us. At the cross, the wrath of God and the love of God met. The severity of God against sin and the kindness of God toward sinners collided in the body of His Son.

This series was meant to sober us, not crush us. It is meant to awaken us, not paralyze us. It is meant to drive us to Christ, not away from Him.

If sin is this serious, then grace is this amazing.
If judgment is this real, then salvation is this precious.
If holiness is this blazing, then the cross is this glorious.

Ponder with grace in mind.

06/02/2026

THE LORD WHO STRIKES AND THE LORD WHO SAVES—O6/02/26

14 DEVOTIONALS EXTOLLING THE TERRIBLE MAJESTY OF A HOLY GOD

# 12 — HEROD AGRIPPA
Acts 12:21–23

Herod Agrippa sat on his throne in royal apparel, shining in silver as the morning sun struck him. The people shouted, “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!” (Acts 12:22).

Herod received the praise. He drank in the glory. He accepted worship that belonged to God alone. And immediately, the angel of the Lord struck him because he “gave not God the glory.”

“Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.” (Acts 12:23)

The biblical picture is:
• The angel struck him INSTANTLY
• The judgment began instantly
• The worms consumed him as part of the judgment
• His death followed as the result of that consumption
Luke compresses the sequence into a single sentence, but not necessarily a single second.
He was eaten by worms and died— Josephus records the same event and says:
• Herod was struck suddenly
• He was seized with violent abdominal pain
• He lingered five days
• Then died in agony
This does NOT contradict Luke — it explains Luke.
Luke gives the theological summary. Josephus gives the medical/historical detail.

The man who exalted himself above God was brought lower than any man. God made it clear: He will not share His glory. He will not tolerate idolatrous pride. He will not allow rulers to exalt themselves as gods.

Herod confronts us with the truth that pride is not merely a character flaw—it is cosmic treason. Pride dethrones God and enthrones self. Pride steals glory. Pride demands worship. Pride is the root of Satan’s fall and the poison in every human heart. Herod’s death is a warning to every generation: God resists the proud (James 4:6). He tears down thrones built on arrogance. He humiliates those who exalt themselves.

Pride is deadly because it blinds us to our need for grace. It makes us our own god. And God will not allow that delusion to stand.

NOTICE HOW OFTEN IN OUR JOURNEY PRIDE RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD!

Yet mercy shines. Herod died, but “the word of God grew and multiplied” (Acts 12:24). God removed the obstacle so the gospel could advance. Judgment cleared the way for salvation.

Christ—the true King—reigns not by crushing His people, but by saving them. Where pride destroys, humility heals. Where tyrants fall, grace rises.

Ponder with grace in mind.

06/01/2026

THE LORD WHO STRIKES AND THE LORD WHO SAVES—O6/01/26…

14 DEVOTIONALS EXTOLLING THE TERRIBLE MAJESTY OF A HOLY GOD

# 11 — ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA
Acts 5:1–11

The early church was marked by extraordinary generosity. Believers sold land and houses, laying the proceeds at the apostles’ feet. But Ananias and Sapphira wanted the reputation without the sacrifice. They sold a possession, kept back part of the price, and pretended to give all of it.

Peter confronted Ananias: “Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” (Acts 5:3). The issue was not the amount given—it was the deception. They lied to God. They sought applause under the cloak of hypocrisy. And God struck them dead. First Ananias fell. Then Sapphira, repeating the lie, fell beside him. Great fear came upon all the church. God made it unmistakably clear: He will not allow hypocrisy to poison His people.

Ananias and Sapphira confront us with the truth that God hates hypocrisy. Jesus reserved His sharpest words for hypocrites—those who honor God with lips while their hearts are far from Him.

Hypocrisy is spiritual fraud.
It is pretending devotion while hiding rebellion.
It is performing righteousness for human approval.
It is lying to the Holy Spirit while maintaining the appearance of holiness.

God’s judgment on this couple teaches us that He takes the purity of His church seriously. He will not allow deceit to take root. He will not allow His name to be mocked. Hypocrisy kills spiritual power, corrupts community, and dishonors Christ.

Yet mercy shines. The fear that fell on the church purified it. God protected His people from deeper corruption. And the church grew in power and holiness.

Christ cleanses His bride—not to shame her, but to make her radiant. His mercy exposes hypocrisy so that grace may heal it. Where deceit destroys, truth restores.

Ponder with grace in mind.

First Baptist Church Bridgeport

06/09/2026

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