Broad Ridge Baptist Church

06/18/2026

Has Christ Transformed You?

06/18/2026

What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.(Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 KJV)

Heaven Is In Our Hearts From The Beginning

I often read Ecclesiastes because I enjoy its philosophy. I found this passage interesting because of the line in it that states that God has "set eternity in their hearts." It reminds me of a saying of St. Augustine, "The heart is restless until it rests in Thee." There is something within us that knows that there is something more; something we keep striving for, something beyond our reach. People try to satisfy this yearning with all sorts of different things. Some turn to shopping, or trying different relationships that don't seem to satisfy. Some use s*x, others alcohol or drugs. Others use food, thinking that it will fill the void. But until we find God, we still have that empty feeling within us. The interesting thing is that once we have God in our lives, and trust in his love for us, we stop trying to fill up that empty spot in our hearts. We are then free to engage in healthy relationships with people who value the same things we do. We can recognize habits that cause us pain rather than joy, and can give them up. God placed eternity in our hearts so that we would search for him until we found him. Once we find him, everything falls into place in our lives. It's not that we won't have problems or suffer, but it does mean that we're not alone. Whatever life brings us, we can get through it because this eternity within us gives us confidence in his promise of eternal life.

By Frances Taylor

06/17/2026

06/17/2026

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:(2 Corinthians 9:6-8 KJV)

Being Generous Is It’s Own Reward

Have you ever started a garden? When I was a child, we had a garden in our back yard. Although I sometimes thought we had more zucchini than we needed, my father always made sure he planted enough seeds so that enough would take root and grow in case some didn't survive or got eaten by the birds. If we only sow a few seeds, we might not get the result we hope for – as I have found out from my own mistake trying to grow herbs. In this passage, Paul was talking about their generosity to support other Christian communities that were in need. However, as important it was and is important for all of us to support missionary activities both at home and in countries where there are missionaries at work, we should also consider this in light of the parable of the sower. The more we spread the seeds of faith to those around us, the greater will be the harvest of believers. It is not just the role of the missionaries to spread the Good News, it is the job of all the baptized. Money is important, that's true, if those who are sent into mission fields will have the resources necessary to help, as those fields are generally in impoverished areas often without clean water, enough food or medical equipment. Jesus knew that we have a responsibility to the body as well as to the soul, and that it is difficult for someone to listen when they are hungry or homeless. Paul is asking everyone to give according to one's means and to sow the seeds of faith bountifully.

By Frances Taylor

06/16/2026

But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
(1 Kings 21:25-27 KJV)

Are We Willing To Accept God’s Rebuke?

In this follow-up to yesterday's reading, God sent Elijah to Ahab to tell him the punishment he would suffer because of his sins. When Ahab heard this, he "humbled" himself before God and God took back his punishment. It's not clear in the readings if Ahab was aware of Jezebel's maneuvering to kill Naboth, but he was guilty of all of the other sins of disobedience and rejection of the Law. There are a few lessons here for us. The first is that God knows when we sin. There is nowhere we can go, and no place where we can hide from God. He knows when we sin and he knows when we do the right thing. The second is sins are punished. Usually the sin carries its own punishment. The liar and the thief cannot be trusted! Violence brings on violence, and it usually escalates. The third thing we see, is that God respects the one who confesses his sin, repents and does penance. We can't be sure if Ahab repented and did penance because he was actually sorry or if he was afraid of the punishment God proclaimed. The same can be true of us. Do we repent because we fear the punishment we deserve, or because we are truly sorry for our actions? It is our responsibility to examine our hearts when answering this question. Children, we know, don't like to get caught because they don't want to be punished, but as we age, we should avoid sins because it's the right thing to do and not because we might suffer for them. We can be like Ahab, or we can follow the commandments and not put ourselves in Ahab's position.

By Frances Taylor

06/15/2026

And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.(1 Kings 21:15-16 KJV)

Just Because We Can,Doesn’t Make It Right

This is an interesting story from the first Book of Kings, and will continue tomorrow. Ahab is the king of Israel and he wants a neighboring vineyard that the owner doesn't want to sell. He goes home and tells his wife, Jezebel, that he is too sad and angry to even eat. She devises a plan to get Naboth killed, and this passage is the result. Do you ever wonder why passages such as these are included in Scripture? I know I do. Are they included as warnings, or are they there to let us know that history of Israel was not without its scandalous behavior? We are aware that Jezebel was a wicked woman. She plotted the death of Elijah – even though she didn't succeed – but she was successful in getting Naboth killed. She got people to lie about him, claiming that he had cursed God and the king, and they stoned him to death as punishment for his crime. There were other kings and queens of Israel who sinned and led others to sin. And there were good kings and queens as well. But we need to remember that we can be seduced by leaders who make us believe that what we are doing is the right thing. This happened in Germany during the Holocaust; it has happened in Northern Ireland, in the Middle East, in South America. It can happen anywhere! We need to be watchful and not be led astray just because someone is in a position of authority.

By Frances Taylor

06/14/2026

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.(1 Corinthians 10:16-17 KJV)

Together, We Form The Living Body Of Christ

We are the body of Christ. There is a quotation from St. Teresa of Avila that states: "Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours." In recent years, the singer Jewel recorded a song called "Hands" which has the same meaning, and even goes further as the song states that we all can do something to help even is our hands are 'small." Who will fight for justice for the poor and the vulnerable if not us? Who will show compassion for the weak if not us? Who will be Christ to the world, if not us? In the early days of the church, the Christian community would gather together to retell the story of Jesus, to read the letters sent to the community from Paul or one of the other disciples, and to offer a sacrifice of bread and wine as Jesus did at the Last Supper. In this passage, Paul is reminding the community that they are all a part of the body of Christ. The Corinthians were an interesting group and I would have loved to be a fly on the wall at some of their gatherings. This passage will be followed up in chapter 11, by a further passage on the institution of this institution of the Eucharist and then by the gifts given to the body of Christ in chapters 12, 13, and 14. Although not all Christian traditions interpret the Eucharist in the same way, or celebrate is as often as others, all denominations agree that we are a people of "thanksgiving" who have an obligation to be Christ's body on earth, using our gifts for the betterment of the world. Today, let's look at the gifts and opportunities we have been given and see how well we have been using them for the common good.

By Frances Taylor

06/13/2026

Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD. Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.(Proverbs 19:2-5 KJV)

Don’t Jump To Conclusions-Check The Facts First

The book of Proverbs gives us a lot to think about. The ones I have chosen today are some of them. The first reminds me of the saying, "Act in haste, repent at leisure." We can be tempted to jump in and act without considering the consequences. True, if a person jumps into the water to save a life, he does so for good reason. If we hear a rumor about someone and can't help passing it around without knowing if it is tree or not, can do incredible harm to a person's reputation. I was watching television the other morning and the guest had written a book about people who jump to conclusions. As a young child she was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes and learned how to give herself insulin shots. She was in a restaurant and needed to give herself a shot and so went into the ladies' room to do so. A woman came in as she was putting her kit away. Later, she passed the table where the woman was sitting and heard her say that she was a drug addict. She went over to the table and explained that she was not a drug addict but a diabetic. What would have happened if the people at the table had believed this woman? What happens to people wrongly accused when they are innocent? The other proverb that caught my eye was the one about currying favor from the wealthy. How do we choose our friends? Do we see how much they can do for us, or the quality of their lives? Is the home with the pool the one that is the most popular in the summer heat? Are the only ones invited to weddings or parties the ones who are able to give the most expensive gifts? Some things to think about today!

By Frances Taylor

06/12/2026

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?(1 Kings 19:11-13 KJV)

Where Do We Look For The Face Of God?

Elijah knows that Jezebel is looking to kill him. God has been caring for him and he has been told to go to the cave because God will be passing by. God is not in the wind; he is not in the earthquake or the fire. But he recognized the voice of God in the still small voice. We talk all the time about recognizing God and God's voice, but where are we looking? What do we expect? The people of Jesus time expected a fearless leader who would raise up an army and chase the Romans out of Jerusalem. What about us? Have you already started thinking about where God has been in your day? Today, I visited a friend in a nursing home in a city that I am totally unfamiliar with and lost my GPS signal at a very important time, but still made it. On the way home, I got lost again and spent a lot of time just figuring out where I was. By the time I was on the right road, I got a phone call telling me that I had forgotten to do something important, so I stopped and took care of it. Where was God? For me, he was in the getting me to my destination, as well as in my getting lost so that I would be where I needed to be. Because God was with me, my day worked out just fine. It could have been so different. It was an ordinary day in so many ways, but God was with me all the way. I didn't meet God in wind, earthquake or fire, but he was in the still small voice telling me, "I am with you."

By Frances Taylor

06/11/2026

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.(Matthew 5:21-22 KJV)

Do Our Words Sound Like The Words Of Jesus?

When Jesus threw the money-changers out of the temple, he was angry. Was he breaking his own rule? No. He had a good reason for being angry; the money-changers were cheating the people and doing it in the temple. There are things that should make us angry: seeing someone being abused is a good example! But today it seems that anything can cause anger and people react violently with the slightest provocation. Thinking that someone insults you, for example, can lead to a fight. Road rage is another example of this. What about using abusive language? That is so common that people often don't even hear it. What has happened to us? When I was on an educational trip to Tanzania, my sister told me not to say anything negative because the people there did not insult anyone and it would be considered extremely rude. She was correct; I never heard a single unkind or insulting word the entire time I was there. I don't understand why this cannot be the way people treat one another everywhere! Our group was one hundred percent white American, but we were treated as family by the people we were with. What a lesson the people of Tanzania could teach the rest of the world! And not all the people we worked with were Christian; about half the group were Muslim. The thing was, you couldn't tell the difference between the two groups because they intermingled, dressed the same, and treated each other the same. We are all God's children and I've rarely seen a better example of how to treat one another in spite of differences. Can the same be said of us?

By Frances Taylor