Hilltop Baptist Church - Shawnee, OK

06/09/2026

06/05/2026

Excerpt: Throughout John’s visions, we have seen the consequences of our own choices as well as the choices of those around us. The dragon and his beasts possess no power over us except what God permits and what we willingly grant them. God has allowed the dragon to lie and attempt to deceive us, but He has also given us the ability to seek, discover, know, and embrace the truth.

The problem is that we often desire and believe the lie more than we desire and believe the truth. The deceiver understands our desires, and he carefully crafts his lies to use those desires against us.

It Takes Understanding | Revelation 13:11-18 “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb, but he sounded like a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the …

05/24/2026

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05/23/2026

Catch the contrast. He fights against followers of the Lamb who was slaughtered while willingly receiving worship from those who reject the Lamb. What you might miss is that the word translated “fatally wounded” (Greek: esphagmenēn) is the same Greek word translated “slaughtered” (Greek: esphagmenou) in the description of the Lamb. I hope that makes the contrast unmistakable, highlights the blatant blasphemy of the beast and his followers, and explains why I’ve called this study “Twisted Worship.”

Oh church, our worship of the One seated on heaven’s throne and of the Lamb must be pure and absolute. There is simply no room in true worship for anyone or anything else. John’s vision has repeatedly reminded us that neither men nor angels are worthy of worship. God alone is worthy of glory, honor, submission, and worship. To offer those things to anyone or anything else is blasphemous and evil.

The dragon wants to obscure the importance of Christ, His Cross, and the Empty Tomb while focusing the world’s attention on the beast, his power, political authority, and achievements. We must never equate human power, authority, or accomplishment with God’s glory. That is blasphemy. That is twisted worship.

Twisted Worship | Revelation 13:1-10 “And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. He had 10 horns and seven heads. On his horns were 10 diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. The beast I…

05/17/2026

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05/15/2026

Seriously! We’re being equipped and called to slay dragons. OK, let’s be honest. Neither you nor I are capable of doing this on our own. More on that in just a bit, but we are a part of a cosmic battle against a huge, ferocious, fiery red dragon. So who is this woman if she’s not Mary, the mother of Jesus? Well, I hope you paid attention to the passage about Joseph that I cited above. The implications of that passage are that the woman identified is the true Israel, or the covenant people of God. No, not everyone from Abraham’s bloodline. Just those who are true Israelites by faith, like their father. This is the fulfillment of those ancient promises - like this one: “Then the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than any livestock and more than any wild animal. You will move on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭HCSB‬‬) John clearly sees God fulfilling this ancient promise of the one who would crush the serpent’s head and have his heel bruised in the process.

Dragon Slayers | Revelation 12 “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of 12 stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in l…

05/10/2026

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05/10/2026

Come on, surely you can see in your own life how much you dislike someone else making decisions for you and about you. That doesn’t become easier even when the one making those decisions is loving, perfectly wise, and has your best interests at heart. Simply put, men become angry at God because He’s right, we’re not, and that offends our pride. God has given us commandments and principles to guide us, protect us, and provide what’s best for us, but we believe these rules only restrict us, deny our desires, and keep us unfulfilled and unhappy. We’re angry at God because we think He’s holding out on us.

Here’s the thing: we typically don’t see our sin as being destructive. We certainly don’t see it as being destructive to others or the earth. Yet, that’s exactly what this says. Our sin and our disobedience towards God’s will and His Word destroy our lives, the lives of those around us, and God’s good creation. God’s judgment is not just about one or two poor choices in our lives or our disinterest in church. God’s judgment is about the fact that we reject His authority, question His goodness, and place ourselves above Him. All of this causes us to choose our will over His will, which destroys us and the world around us. Ultimately, those who reject God get what they want: life without Him for eternity.

Resolute Love | Revelation 11:15-19 “The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying: The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah,…

05/01/2026

Excerpt: The primary point is not that we understand what specific events this vision represents, but that we KNOW that we are among those who have been measured, numbered and we are KNOWN by Him! We must see that our task is to be faithful witnesses in the midst of these challenges and to remember that nothing is accomplished in our own strength. Church is pointless without the strength of Christ and the powerful presence of His Spirit. We have no light except Jesus and we are empty vessels without the Holy Spirit.

When we give our lives in obedient service to His purpose, He is able to breathe life back into our dead bodies and to call us home. We are not given this insight to cause us to fall into fear and attempt to identify each event, person, or map out each moment of that struggle. We’re to trust His goodness, love and sovereignty as we give ourselves completely to His purpose, for to live is Christ. If it means we die in the process, then to die is gain.

Measured, Counted, and In HIM! | Revelation 11:1-14 “Then I was given a measuring reed like a rod, with these words: “Go and measure God’s sanctuary and the altar, and count those who worship there…