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Pewee Valley Baptist Church, 331 Ash Avenue, Pewee Valley, KY (2026)

10/27/2026

I fully agree with this! Verse-by-verse is so critically important to understand what God says in His word.

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10/25/2026

Written by pastor Steve Wiseman. Like our page to receive Biblical messages regularly.

"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Eph. 4:13) Whenever there are differences between believers on doctrinal issues that result in debates and contentions, many believers cry out to stop the bickering and get together for the sake of unity. It is at this point that we must ask the question, "What is most important, unity or truth?" Though the Scriptures stress unity among believers as a critical aspect of spiritual maturity, the truth is of the greatest and paramount importance. We see that in this text verse in a chapter that focuses on the unity of believers. The Greek word translated "faith" here refers to the Gospel, the body of revealed truth that consists of Biblical doctrine. Faith here means the entire content of the Bible. So, the truth in the first phrase of our text verse clearly places relatively greater importance upon the truth than on unity between believers. Unbelievers can have unity, but it is a worthless union without being based upon the truth - and the only truth is the Word of God. In fact, Jesus pointed out the greater importance of truth over unity when he addressed the closest relationships between people - family relations. In Matt. 10:34-36, Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." So, even in the closest of our relationships, generally speaking, Jesus declared that peace between people, even family members, is not His highest priority. Jesus is the truth and conformance to Him, or His Word, is our ultimate priority.

Truth, not unity, sets us free (John 8:32), and we can do nothing against the truth (2 Cor. 13:8). So, when believers encounter doctrinal error, what are they to do? Compromise the truth and agree with the one who is errant? Should they ignore their differences over the doctrinal issue for the sake of unity? Should the one who knows the truth back off because she/he is outnumbered by those who are errant? No! We are to contend for the faith! 2 Tim. 3:16 states that the Scripture is given "...for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Why? "That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (v. 17) "Reproof" means to rebuke, confront and expose. "Correction" means to change or turn. "Instruction" means to train through discipleship. The Word itself is to be used to rebuke, confront, expose, correct and instruct. There is no option given to strive for unity when doctrinal error is detected. So, believers who are doctrinally capable through skilled interpretation and who are well-prepared and furnished in the Word should never ignore known errors in Biblical doctrine, but should lovingly and kindly confront, correct and instruct in the way of righteousness. This obviously should not be done in a haughty manner, supposing to be better than others. Phil. 2:3 instructs us to "...esteem others better than (ourselves)." "Esteem" here means to value greatly, have a high opinion of and to respect other believers. So, when exposed to doctrinal error, we are to consider others better than ourselves and strive to correct the error with love and compassion. However, we should never choose unity over truth. "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Eph. 4:13) Whenever there are differences between believers on doctrinal issues that result in debates and contentions, many believers cry out to stop the bickering and get together for the sake of unity. It is at this point that we must ask the question, "What is most important, unity or truth?" Though the Scriptures stress unity among believers as a critical aspect of spiritual maturity, the truth is of the greatest and paramount importance. We see that in this text verse in a chapter that focuses on the unity of believers. The Greek word translated "faith" here refers to the Gospel, the body of revealed truth that consists of Biblical doctrine. Faith here means the entire content of the Bible. So, the truth in the first phrase of our text verse clearly places relatively greater importance upon the truth than on unity between believers. Unbelievers can have unity, but it is a worthless union without being based upon the truth - and the only truth is the Word of God. In fact, Jesus pointed out the greater importance of truth over unity when he addressed the closest relationships between people - family relations. In Matt. 10:34-36, Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." So, even in the closest of our relationships, generally speaking, Jesus declared that peace between people, even family members, is not His highest priority. Jesus is the truth and conformance to Him, or His Word, is our ultimate priority.

10/14/2026

Written by pastor Steve Wiseman. Like our page to receive Biblical messages regularly.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity." One of the most serious errors one can make (and by far the majority of people make it) is to believe that what they do by way of works and deeds, or how they live their lives, will give them favor with God and will grant them entrance to heaven. This direct statement from Christ makes it clear that even great and extraordinary works equal a big fat zero when they are not done in accordance with God's desire - even if they are done in the name of the Lord. God is "...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Pet. 3:9) Jesus said in Luke 13:3, "...except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." One must repent of her/his sin and put their faith in Christ to be saved by God's grace (Eph. 2:8-9). It is the ONLY way to heaven. This is made clear in Acts 4:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Many people are biding time, hoping or believing they will go to heaven even though they are ignoring the only way to get there. In fact, most people think they are safe because their friends are doing the same thing, or they have been deceived by false teaching. Multitudes upon multitudes mistakenly believe that God will just allow everyone to go to heaven - except for a few really bad people. So, it's time to come face-to-face with the truth of God's Word to understand whether or not we are a sinner. Those who have not been truly saved by God's grace must recognize, according to God's Word, that they are a sinner. Then, having accepted the fact that all have sinned and come short of God's glory must put their faith in Christ, and Christ alone, and repent of (or turn from) their sins to receive, by the amazing grace of God, the free gift of salvation and the guarantee of eternal life! God will save all who do! Those who are genuinely saved should give thanks to God and praise Him for the precious gift of salvation.

10/02/2026

Written by pastor Steve Wiseman. Like our page to receive Biblical messages regularly.

"Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Gen. 6:5) In the early days of our Biblical history, when people multiplied on the earth (Gen. 6:1), sin spread worse than a pandemic disease and became widespread on the earth. According to our text verse, wickedness was commonplace and socially acceptable. People lived without restraint and without conscience; and, they were motivated and driven by their imagination and the intent of their heart. Sounds a lot like conditions today, doesn't it? Now, here's what God gave us thousands of years later in His Word as prophecy about the last days, "For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power. And from such people turn away." (2 Tim. 3:2-5) If we are looking for words to describe our world today (and I can speak particularly of the U.S. in this regard), there's no better characterization than this passage. Now, I fully realize there are many naysayers who disagree with this description of world affairs today, but those are the very people who are comfortable with wickedness as defined by the Bible. The fact remains throughout time that the Bible is the truth, plain and simple. There is no other source of truth. It is not truth unless it is consistent with the Bible. The Bible, that is, the Word of God, is perfect, just and holy. The problem is that most people do not want the truth, they do not welcome the truth, and they reject the truth because it is too restrictive for them. Most people have exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25). The devil is the originator and father of lies (John 8:44). Sadly, the devil has subtly jaded the majority of people through his lies and deceptions such that behaviors, words and thoughts that are wicked in God's eyes are generally approved by societies and governments.

People who have not surrendered and submitted to God through faith in Christ Jesus to be saved by God's grace are continuing to live in sin and wickedness, living according to what they believe is right, or according to what others believe is right. The greatest deception by the devil is to convince us that what is right, just and holy is determined by our own feelings, thoughts and convictions. Contrary to popular opinion, there is no safety in numbers. The majority of people do not and cannot determine what is true and right. The truth is only known through God's Word. If we reject God's Word, we reject God. We cannot say we are a child of God or that God is our Father if we do not believe the Bible is true in every aspect. When we determine ourselves or accept someone else's determination that it is acceptable to deviate from God's Word in any way, regardless of how much or how little, we deny God's authority and sovereignty. This irreverence and lack of respect and honor for God's Word is the basis of rejection of God Himself. We may say we love God, we may say we are His child and we may believe He is our Savior, but we only deceive ourselves in this belief if we in any way reject His Word. So, yes, sin and wickedness is commonplace and well-accepted throughout the world as it was in the days of Noah, and as it will be in the last days before Christ Jesus returns in the air to receive His church, the only true church. Most people are caught up in the world system of evil and are blinded to the truth, being deceived by the devil. If we take a good look at the characterizations of life in this world in our text verses in Genesis and 2 Timothy above, it is clear that all aspects of these descriptions are in place today, and they are well-ingrained into the world's societies. We have free will to reject God's Word. We have free will to reject parts of God's Word. We have free will to live like we want and to believe what we want. But, we must be warned that rejection of God's Word or any portion of it is the same as rejection of God Himself. With this rejection comes eternal punishment in a fiery pit we call hell (Rev. 20:11-15). The only way to escape eternal death is to put faith in Christ Jesus and accept His sacrifice on the cross to pay the price for our sins. All people have sinned and come short of God's glory, but God loves us so much that He gave His Son, Christ Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God without sin or blemish, to pay the price of our sin (death) and set us free from the bo***ge of sin. Until we put faith in Christ, we are in bo***ge to sin and destined to eternal punishment in the lake of fire. So, in conclusion, we live in the world where sin is widespread, commonplace and socially accepted. Without faith in Christ Jesus, we are part of the carnal world and without a Savior to free us and grant us an eternal inheritance in heaven, where righteousness and holiness reign forever in the presence of and under the authority of Almighty God. Here's a final thought from the truth of God's Word, "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12)

09/22/2026

Written by Pastor Steve Wiseman. Like this page to receive Biblical messages regularly.

"Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets." (Luke 6:23) If you are really a Christian, and if you are serving the Lord obediently in doing His will, and if you are sharing your faith in Christ with others for His sake and as God gives you opportunity (not just when it's convenient) - then others will be offended, they will reproach or insult you, they will ostracize or exclude you, they will reject you, and they will learn to hate you (v. 22). Unless many of your acquaintances, friends, co-workers, social contacts, strangers and family members are reacting in this manner, you might want to evaluate your witness, testimony and other sharing of your faith for appropriateness and alignment with the will of God. But, when others are reacting as characterized in v. 22, your excitement and enthusiasm for having pleased the Lord should have you rejoicing exceedingly to the point that you are literally leaping for joy! Why? Because great is your reward in heaven for having proclaimed the truth of God's Word and having accomplished His will. The Jews rejected Christ Jesus, hatred Him, sought to kill Him and eventually crucified Him for proclaiming the truth. Sharing the truth of God's Word and Biblical positions and principles is vastly and eternally more important than any friendship, partnership, relationship, marriage or reputation.

Christian, are you willing to ruin your reputation and experience a tide of resistance, opposition and hatred by telling people the truth? Are you willing to offend unbelievers, regardless of their relationship to you, by exposing their sinfulness and wickedness? What will it take for you to exercise tough love - to be brutally yet lovingly honest with the lost? Too many believers are more concerned about maintaining friendships with unbelievers than conforming to God's Word and pleasing the Lord. Conformity to the world and the things therein is spiritual adultery in the Scriptures. The Word of God declares in James 4:4, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity (hatred) with God? Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." If you effectively place a greater priority on friendship with the lost than on obedience to the Lord, you are compromising Biblical principles and actually need to examine your faith (2 Cor. 13:5). A lot of believers use the excuse that they may win the lost through loving them without offence or direct confrontation of their sins, by just living a good life in their presence - this is typically a cop out and an abandonment of God's expectations to openly and boldly declare the truth to expose sin, like light exposes the filth hidden by darkness. God says, "...come out from among them (unbelievers), and be ye separate...." (2 Cor. 6:17) And, God also says, "Be ye not unequally yoked (coupled) together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14) These are not just suggestions by God - they are commands and represent His righteous expectations. Let's surrender to God and His will, forsaking our own opinions, and the ways of the vast majority of people, on how to live our lives such that we are pleasing to the Lord. Remember, it's all about Christ, not about us. We must serve Christ, not ourselves. And when we do, the world will hate us, but we will be leaping for joy, knowing that we have a much greater and eternal reward in heaven than we could ever dream of or attain in this world. Let all praise go to the Lord, for He is perfect in every way and deserves our utmost praise! Hallelujah and amen!

09/08/2026

Written by pastor Steve Wiseman. Like page to receive Biblical messages regularly.

"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried; he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. For who is God, save the Lord? And who is a rock, save our God?" (2 Sam. 22:31-32) According to v. 1, David spoke this song unto the Lord. The whole chapter is a song of deliverance, the praise of David to God. As David praised God, he spoke of His character and attributes. In our text, David declares God's perfection, the proven effectiveness of His word ('tried'), His protection ('shield') and His preeminence (v. 32). Knowing "...that all things work together for good to them that love God,..." (Rom. 8:28a), we oftentimes question our situations and experiences - effectively questioning God's way. But, in our text, we are assured that God's way is always perfect - never anything less. Our way will often fail, but God is always perfect, faithful and trustworthy. We too often disobey or disregard God's Word - essentially questioning its value. But, in our text, we are assured that God's Word is not only perfect, but proven effective (tried). Isaiah said that God's Word shall not return void, but it shall accomplish that which He pleases, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto He sent it (Isa. 55:11). Many times, we trust in our own abilities and skill, effectually attributing our results to our own efforts. But, in our text, we are told that our protection did not come about by our actions and abilities - but that God is our shield (buckler). As a mightily and valiant warrior, David carried a shield - but he fully realized that his actual and trusted protector was God. So, who is God - but God. Literally, 'He Who is' and the great 'I Am' is our God - He is preeminent, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Almighty God is He!

Christian, do we occasionally take time to do what David did here - simply praise the Lord for who He is and what He has done? Or, is our prayer life and meditation time consumed with selfish requests and stated desires that blatantly ignore God's way and will? Have we ever spoken to God like David did when he asked God, "...who is God, except the Lord?" God is not a puppet on strings, neither is He simply at our disposal to grant every desire and fancy like a mythical genie. Our first priority is to agree with God that HE is God, not us. How often do we act, speak, pray and think that God will grant our every request? That approach puts us in the drivers seat in our minds and it effectively serves as an infringement upon God's authority. First, we must submit ourselves to God, aligning our will with His, making His purposes our pleasures and seeking to accomplish His expectations. We often put our supposed needs and selfish wants as top priorities regardless of what God wants or purposes. Let's truly lift up praise to God and exalt Him, doing it God's way - making our requests known to God (Phil. 4:6) but submitting and resigning our will to God, following the example of Christ Jesus (Mark 14:36).

09/01/2026

Written by pastor Steve Wiseman. Like this page to receive Biblical messages regularly.

"I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou has shown unto thy servant;..." (Gen. 32:10) Sometimes, as believers, we forget or fail to be mindful of the fact that God is the single source of our strength and our total sufficiency, and that we are totally dependent upon Him in all things, without exception. In fact, we are nothing without God and we can do nothing without Him. Sometimes, our confidence becomes misplaced. Our experience and our resolve at times leads us to dig deep down within ourselves and bring out our best, thinking we were capable to accomplish something. Our confidence must always and at all times be in Christ Jesus. In our text verse, Jacob serves as a great example, based upon the Word of God, for us to follow, by sincerely and convincingly identifying himself as totally unworthy. His attitude was that he was absolutely unworthy of God's kindness, faithfulness and material blessings. There are at least some times in each believer's life that she/he feels worthy of God's benefits because of obedience or some other favorable response to God and His Word. Pride, arrogance and confidence in self reeks of wickedness because they are reflections of the devil, who is the father of pride, having been cast out of heaven for such (Isa. 14:12-14).

There are numerous references to humility and unworthiness in the Scriptures. These characteristics must describe every believer. God saved us by His grace when we put our faith in Christ, and that faith necessarily involves total surrender, submission and subservience to the Lord. We were purchased with the shed blood of Christ at Calvary and we are no longer our own. We are a purchased possession. We have no rights. We are totally dependent upon God, enabled by and under the direct supervision of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and fully expected in every action and thought to be in conformance with the Word of God. We have no authority, God is our authority. Our only sufficiency is Christ. And, for all of this, we are unworthy. We do not deserve God's love, mercy or grace. But, thanks to God, He gives them to us freely upon our faith in Christ. And, although Jacob is given in our text as an example of humility, our perfect example is Christ Himself. Phil. 2:7-8 describes the incarnate Christ's humility: "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; And, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Then, of course, in James 4:6-10 , God gives us a command regarding humility. In part, this passage includes these relevant statements: "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble;" " Submit yourselves, therefore to God;" "Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness;" and "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." So, let's be careful how we present ourselves, being fully conscious of the error of exalting or lifting up ourselves in our speech, actions and thoughts. And, may God receive all the glory. Remember, it's always about Christ, never about us.

08/24/2026

Written by Pastor Steve Wiseman. Like our page to receive Biblical messages regularly.

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know; Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain;... This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses.... Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.... Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:22, 23, 32, 36 & 37) This passage of Scripture is longer than I usually post, but the Lord led me to present this shortened version of Peter's amazingly powerful sermon after he was filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. This sermon was preached to the unbelieving Jews who had rejected Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the World. When Peter profoundly and convincingly presented Christ Jesus as their Messiah and Savior, giving the indisputable evidence of the divine miracles and wonders He performed, many of the Jewish unbelievers who had previously rebelled against and rejected Jesus were pricked in their hearts and overwhelmingly convicted by God to ask this question: "...what shall we do?" (v. 37b)

So, my purpose in presenting this passage is to plead with every person who reads this and has not put their faith in Christ to please take this truth to heart and humbly surrender yourself at the foot of the cross to personally accept the vicarious sacrifice of Christ Jesus as the payment for your sins, that they would be forgiven when you turn from your sins and put your faith in the risen Savior, Christ Himself. As God convicts and pricks your heart that you are lost in your sins and in need of the Savior, my prayer is that you would fall to your knees in repentance, putting your trust in Christ, to receive remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, an eternal inheritance in heaven and everlasting life in the very presence of Almighty God. All the blessings of God are available to the sinner whose sins are forgiven. So, what shall you do? Put your faith in Christ! He is the way of salvation, the eternal and absolute truth, and He is the only one who can truly offer the free gift of eternal life - again, all available for those who turn from their sins and put their faith in Christ Jesus. May today be your day of salvation! The day that Peter preached this sermon, about 3000 people were saved by God's grace.

08/19/2026

Written by Pastor Steve Wiseman. Like our church page to receive Biblical messages regularly.

"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it;..." (Psalm 127:1a) Every family experiences difficulty at times, and most deal with distressing circumstances on a regular if not continuous basis. For the family (and I speak of a Biblical family with male and female as husband and wife in holy matrimony) trouble originates right after the wedding ceremony and continues until death do we part. There's trouble with finances, communications, work, personalities, friends, entertainment, child-rearing, differences in priorities and preferences, sleeping patterns, recreation, education, health, diet, drugs, alcohol, unfaithfulness, dishonesty, secrecy, and the list goes on and on and on. So, since we all experience problems, our text deals with how we address them. The principle given is that any attempt to deal with our family problems that does not involve a healthy and genuine reliance upon God will fail miserably. Of course, only obedient and faithful Christians, those who have put their faith in Christ to receive salvation by God's grace, can effectively call upon the Lord for assistance. As we build our families, God must take center stage and be the director and producer of our lives. We must surrender our lives to Him and build our families upon His Word and counsel to be successful. Success is not problem free, but free from stress associated with the problems. When our home is built upon the foundation of Christ, nothing can tear it down, destroy it nor prevail against it, despite the multitude of problems we will inevitably face.

Dad, you're the leader in the home (Eph. 5:22-24 and 6:1). This leadership requires a personal relationship with Christ through faith and submissive obedience to the Lord in all things. Your leadership must be flavored by a genuine love for your wife and respectable yet firm treatment of your children. Mom, while your role in the family is one of submission to your husband, you have an equal obligation of obedient submission to the Lord. As the manager of the home, your effectiveness is critical to family success. As the husband and wife work together to please the Lord, their family will thrive on the love, power, peace and sufficiency of God. When God comes first in the family, even before each other, then the family cannot be divided or conquered. When children are led by godly parents and trained in the path of righteousness, they will not depart from it when they are old. So, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33) and even your family will take it's proper place in the eyes of the Lord. Use the Bible as your textbook and not what man has written. Too many families rely upon family and relationship experts for their advice and counsel regarding family issues and resolutions - but let the Word of God be your guide and map. Col. 3:16-17 says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."