Salem Baptist Church, Owen County

Salem Baptist Church, Owen County Salem Baptist Church is the "Little Church on Big Twin", in Owen County KY. Our Pastor is Brother Mike Webster.

Small in number, Large in Dedication to serving the Lord in our community, state, and throughout the world.

06/14/2026

Today, we celebrate with New Liberty Baptist Church, our founding church, as they remember their history of serving the Lord for 225 years! Without this church Salem Baptist Church down here on Big Twin Creek would not exist. We thank God for their past, their present, and their future as they continue to serve Him so faithfully. We pray that today's festivities will truly be a wonderful celebration of His goodness.

Pastor Mike's Bible Study notes follow:

Thyatira – The CORRUPTED Church – Revelation 2:18-29

The longest message was sent to the folks in the smallest city. Thyatira was a military town (Rome stationed the elite guard there) and was filled with many businesses and trade guilds. Thyatira is representative of Romanism, which takes us into the Dark Ages from A. D. 590 to at least A. D. 1000. It was a dark period of church history.

(v18) The Communicator, the Church, and the city---This letter is from the Son of God who is the brilliant and holy “Divine Judge,” written to the pastor of the church in Thyatira.
(v19) The Commendations--- 1st Thy works. 2nd Thy charity. 3rd Thy service. 4th Thy faith. 5th Thy patience. 6th Thy works at the end are greater than at the beginning.
(vv20-23) The Rebuke---“You suffer Jezebel to teach and seduce my servants so that they commit immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee—Volume 5 Page 911, “And concerning the historical period of the Dark Ages which the church at Thyatira represents, pagan practices and idolatry were mingled with Christian works and worship. The Papacy was elevated to a place of secular power (A. D. 590)
This introduction of rituals and church doctrine supplanted personal faith in Jesus Christ. Worship of the Virgin and Child and the Mass were made a definite part of the church service. Purgatory became a positive doctrine, and Mass was said for the dead. The spurious documents labeled Donation of Constitine and Decretals of Isadore were circulated to give power and rulership to the pope. As Jezebel killed Naboth and persecuted God’s prophets, so the Roman church instituted the Inquisition during this period.” Jesus prophesizes this judgement, ‘I will send her to Hell, infect her partners into endless trouble and the children shall I kill.’ As always works are the standard for divine judgement.

(vv24-29) The Command and Counsel---But I say to the rest of you who have not known these depths of Satan, I will give you no other burden. I am coming to get you. Stand fast on the things you know. The works of Christ are obviously in contrast to the ‘works of Jezebel.’ The children of Jezebel will not hear but the children of the Morning Star will hear and meet Christ at the Rapture.
Supporting Scripture:

Matthew 18:15-17 I Corinthians 5:1-5 Ephesians 5:25-27 Acts 16:14-15 Acts 19:10 Matthew 18:6-10 I Corinthians 6:2 Revelation 22:16

SAVE THE DATE FOR VBS!
06/07/2026

SAVE THE DATE FOR VBS!

06/07/2026

Today we will celebrate the end of school, the beginning of summer, our high school grad Jack, our kindergarten grad Stevie, and all of the kids who have now moved up to the next grade level! 🌭🍪 We will enjoy a hot dog lunch and fellowship with one another as we honor them and the teachers, too! Come be with us!

Bible study notes from Pastor Mike follow. 📖

Pergamos – The Worldly Church -- Revelation 2:12-17
To many folks in today’s church the term worldliness has a quaint, strange, or odd ring to it. They associate it with prohibitions against things like dancing, going to movies, and card playing. Today’s user-friendly, seeker-generated, market-driven, ego-flattering, numbers-driven church doesn’t preach against compromising with the world. To do so might make unbelievers, and even many believers, uncomfortable, and thus avoided as bad marketing strategy. But unlike much of the church, our Bible and our Lord do not hesitate to condemn compromising with the world. Let’s look @ the church that conforms with the world:

(v12) The Church, the city, the communicator--- The letter is to the pastor at the church of Pergamos which was at Pergamum. Pergamum was known as a cultural and religious city with many large temples including four from the Greco-Roman world. They also had a library with over 200000 manuscripts that Mark Anthony eventually gave to Cleopatra. The author is Jesus Christ, with the two-edged sword in His mouth.

(v13) the Commendation---Despite the difficult circumstances and environment that the folks found themselves in Pergamum, the believers courageously maintained their faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus commended them for “holding fast His name even though they lived where Satan’s throne is.” Some equate that with the large altar of Zeus that was there; worship of the god of healing, Asklepios, was prevalent there also as was worship in the temple of Athena. Even with all that and martyrs killed among them, they boldly kept the faith.

(vv14-15) The Rebuke--- “I have some things against you. There are some who keep on teaching the false doctrines of Balak and Nicolas,” Jesus admonished them.
While much Christian leadership today makes light of doctrine, and biblical and theological error are viewed as unimportant, that is not the perspective of “the One who holds the pastors and churches in His right hand” False ways of doctrine were being used to seduce the church and were being tolerated by all.

(vv16-17) Command and Counsel---“Repent or soon I will come and take care of it with judgement.” ‘Hidden manna’ refers to Jesus, the Bread of Life and I believe that the “new name” on a white stone will be your individual ticket or pass into heaven.

Supporting Scripture:
John 15:19 Romans 12:2 James 1:27 I John 2:15-17 Hebrews 4:12 Revelation 19:15 Titus 3:10-11 Matthew 18:15-18 Numbers 22:23

05/31/2026

🌺The month of May ends today, and Summer is officially now underway. 🪻 Our students are ready for a break from school, and vacations are planned. Will you make Sundays a day for worship this summer? We would love to see you here at Salem!

Pastor Mike's Bible Study notes follow:📖

Smyrna, “The Crowned Church” – Revelation 2:8-11

(v8) The Church, the city, the Communicator---Smyrna is the martyr church, the church that suffered martyrdom for Christ. The Greek word ‘Smyrna’ means “myrrh” and carries the idea of bitter suffering. Smyrna is the modern-day city of Izmir, has continually existed since its establishment, and has never been mentioned in Scripture as far as I can tell. Just as Ephesus represents the apostolic church, Smyrna represents the martyr church, which we now know covers from about 100 A.D. until about 315 A.D. In 313 A.D., Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor, passed the Edict of Tolerance, which made it a crime to persecute Christians throughout the Roman empire. Jesus Christ makes Himself known in this letter.
(v9) The Commendations--- 1st “Tribulation” They suffered much trouble from Gentiles, especially for not worshipping Roman emperors. 2nd “Poverty” The church was made up of poor folks as a lot of times their wealth would be taken away at their profession of faith. 3rd “The blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” A man’s religion is what identifies him, not where or to whom he is born naturally. They were persecuted by Jews and Gentiles alike.
(v10a) The Command--- “Fear not trouble” The supernatural battle is just one encounter in the age long war between Satan and God. Ten days is indicative that it will be a substantial battle but in the scheme of things, brief not permanent.
(vv10b-11) The Counsel---“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life. He that overcomes, shall not be hurt of the second death.” No words of accusation or admonition are given to those who overcome suffering until the end. They undoubtedly did not enjoy the approval of men, but they certainly enjoyed the praise of God.

Supporting Scripture:
James 2:1-4 Matthew 2:11 John 19:39 Psalm 56:11 John 16:33 I John 4:4 James 1:12 **Matthew 10:22 **Matthew 24:13 **Mark 4:13-20

05/24/2026

Memorial Day Weekend. 🇺🇸 Americans will have picnics, open up swimming pools, enjoy a day off from work, and begin summer activities. But truthfully, Memorial Day Weekend is something so much more meaningful.
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, began after the Civil War in 1868 as a time to honor the fallen by placing flowers on their graves and specifically to commemorate those who died defending the country—a tradition that has since expanded to honor all U.S. military members lost in service. Let's keep that in mind tomorrow as we go about our day.......honor the sacrifices of many for our freedoms today. 🇺🇸🇺🇸

Pastor Mike's Bible Study notes follow.

Ephesus – The Careless Church - Revelation 2:1-7
If you have ever had to look for a new church home, you know how difficult it is to examine and evaluate a church and its ministry. Elaborate buildings may contain dying congregations while simple structures might house thriving assemblies on the move for God. Jesus can accurately inspect each church and know its true condition because He sees the internals and not just the externals.
In these letters, the Lord gives each church an ‘x-ray’ of their condition, but He intends for all churches to read them. The Lord is also speaking to ‘individuals’ and that is where you I and come into the sermon to examine our own heart and apply this counseling personally.
(v1) The Church and The Author—These are the direct words of Jesus Christ through the Apostle John. It is to the church at Ephesus, with maybe the most prestigious heritage in history. Priscilla and Aquilla, Apollos, Timothy, Onesiphorus, Tychicus, Paul and John have all been teachers and/or pastors there. But now, a new generation of believers calls for a new letter from the Lord Himself.
(vv2-3, 6) The Commendations—The word ‘know’ means the Lord’s knowledge is full and complete about all of these things: 1st “works” means all spiritual efforts 2nd “labor” means physically to the point of sweat and exhaustion 3rd “patience” means always finishing in trying circumstances 4th “Can not tolerate evil men” means that they measured up to a high holy spiritual standard that left no room for sin 5th “Tested them who said they were Apostles” means that they were able to ascertain false teachers, which pose a constant danger to the church.
(v4) The Concern— “You have left your first love.” The Lord Jesus has spotted a fatal flaw; The honeymoon is over. The Ephesian church has deteriorated into a mechanical, robotic religion. They show little love for people and so less love for God.
(v5) The Command—Jesus said, ‘Keep remembering, turn back from your sin of not loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind, recapture the richness of Bible Study, rededicate yourself to the devotion of prayer with members of the church and renew the passion of fellowship and worship at appointed times.
(V7) The Counsel—All Scripture is for the individual. Only the overcomer receives Heaven. Guard yourself against a cold heart.
Supporting Scripture:
Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22 Acts 18:18-21 Acts 19:1-7 Acts 20:28-31 Matthew 7:15 II John7, 10 Mark 12:30 Hosea 14:4 I John 5:4-5

05/17/2026

One thing is for sure about the Salem Family......we pray with and for each other! 🙏 This week there have been so many prayer concerns being shared with small groups, with individual prayer partners, and with our "prayer chain". What a comfort to have a church family that readily prays when asked!

Come be with us this morning if you can! A warm welcome awaits you on the porch, down on Big Twin Creek! ☀️

Pastor Mike's Bible Study notes follow📖:

“The Vision” of the Glorified Son – Revelation 1:9-20

By the end of the first century, Christianity had become a hated and despised religious sect in the Roman Empire. It was the hostility that Jews displayed against Christianity that convinced Rome that Christianity was a religion of its own, distinct from Judaism and saw them as worshippers of an illegal religion. Still, there was no official persecution until Nero let the town burn on July 19, 0064. Nero blamed the Christians and many were executed at Rome, including according to historical tradition, Peter and Paul, and yet there was no empire wide persecution.
Now, thirty years later, Emperor Domitian has officially persecuted them to the point it has reached Asia and John has been banished to Patmos, a remote penal island. It has been years since Jesus ascended, the other disciples are dead, and Jerusalem had been destroyed and Israel was ravaged.
(vv9-11) What John Heard----John had been active in the church at Ephesius and was teaching and in supervision over the other churches when Domitian had sentenced him to prison at Patmos for those things. Thus, he was in the same trouble as his readers. He was worshipping during his Sunday worship service when he heard a trumpet-like voice behind him. He will later hear another voice sounding like a trumpet, but this time is the first time he has heard the Lord’s voice in over sixty years. The voice said, ‘John, I am going to speak to my church, you write what you see to these seven churches.’
(vv12-16, 19-20) What John Saw----(Rev1:20) makes it clear that we must not interpret this vision literally, because it is made up of ‘mysterious’ symbols. The ‘seven’ lampstands represent the ‘seven’ churches that should receive the book. The ‘seven’ stars in His right hand represents His protection and control of the ‘seven’ messengers of His local churches. Each local church is a bearer of God’s light in this dark world. Christ’s clothes are those of a Judge/King, One with honor, purity, wisdom, sovereignty, divinity, and authority.
(vv17-18) What John Did----John fell (as dead) at the feet of Jesus. Jesus touched him and said, ‘Do not be afraid. I am the Creator and the One who was raised from the dead forever and I am in control of hell and death.

Supporting Scripture:
Acts 18:12-16 Daniel 7:9-14 Acts 1:1-9 Revelation 2:16 Revelation 19:19-21 Ephesians 6:17 Matthew 5:48

What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than to attend church with your mom or gran or aunt or whomever in your life r...
05/10/2026

What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than to attend church with your mom or gran or aunt or whomever in your life represents a mother. We would love for you to join us at Salem this morning as we honor and thank God for mothers. 🌺❤️🩷

Pastor Mike's Bible Study notes:

An Overview of the Second Coming – Revelation 1:7-8

The book of Revelation is a super action thriller. This true ‘Revelation” contains drama, suspense, mystery, passion, and horror. “Revelation” speaks of a falling away from the church, unprecedented economic collapse, the war that will truly end all wars, natural disaster rivaled only by the worldwide flood, political upheaval that will lead to the most evil dictator in history, and most terrifying of all, it describes the final judgement where all rebels against God, both angelic and human, go to eternal torment in hell. Yet, it is also a book of hope and joy with a happy ending as sin, sorrow, and death are exiled forever.

Five Truths about the Second Coming

I. The Necessity—The first glimpse of the total future vision begins with “Behold”. It is meant to arouse the mind to totally consider and evaluate what follows. This is the first of twenty-five times attention will be demanded by God in this Revelation. The first thing John calls attention to is: “He cometh,” which leaves an impression that Jesus is on the way. The truth that Jesus will return is mentioned over five hundred times in the Bible, starting in Genesis 49:10. Jesus promised to come get us and take us to our mansion. Jesus also promised to get us before the Great Tribulation. God’s program for Israel demands that Jesus return and rule from Jerusalem for a thousand years.
II. The Glory— “with the clouds”—Throughout Scripture, “clouds” frequently symbolize the presence of God and even often speaks directly of His glory. I believe the light associated with God’s presence and glory will be blinding, even in the clouds.

III. The Scope— “and every eye will see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” Every eye will see Him in all of His brilliant glory, and it will be obvious to the entire human race. Two groups are mentioned here by John who will see and respond: The Jews who rejected Him and all unbelieving Gentile nations. The Jews will have a time of mourning toward repentance; The Gentile mourning, for the most part, will be in horror over their doom.

IV. The Response— “Even so, Amen.” No matter what has happened, this is the moment of accountability for the church. John interjects his own response, “So come on back!
V. The Certainty—(v8) In one verse Jesus gives His guarantee of the pledge to return with certainty by three of His divine attributes: “Alpha and Omega...Who is and who was and is to come”.

Supporting Scripture: Revelation 21:4 Isaiah 22:3 Isaiah 9:6-7 Jeremiah 23:5-8 Genesis 49:10 John 14:2-3 Revelation 3:10 I Thessalonians 2:19 Philippians 2:10-11 Exodus 19:16

05/03/2026

The First Sunday of May! The year is flying on by, and even though we've had a cold snap in our weather, Spring is evident in KY. 🌿🌸🌼 Why not take a little drive to Salem Baptist Church down on Big Twin Creek Road and worship with us today? It's a beautiful drive🚗 and you'll be welcomed with a hug and a howdy!

Pastor Mike's Bible Study Notes:

Now You Know – Revelation 1:1-6
“No book in Scripture reveals the glory of God and Christ in more splendor than Revelation. At the same time, no book has been more misunderstood or neglected. Yet God wants His children to know this book and promises blessings for those who study the riches of its divine truth.” -----John MacArthur

(v1) “The unveiling (uncovered visibility) of Jesus Christ which God gave Him to show unto His bond servants things which must shortly come to pass completely, and He sent and signified it (gave a sign) by His angel (messenger) to His servant John.” The steps of our revelation are: 1 God 2 Jesus Christ 3 Angel
4 John 5 Servants.

(v2) “Who bore record of the Word of God, and the testimony (witness) of Jesus Christ, even as man, things as he saw.” Who bore record? John records the Word as both the witness of Christ and the contents of this book. Jesus is the living Word and when He is revealed in this book, Jesus is the written Word, you can be certain of that. Not only did john hear but he saw and what he saw, he made pictures of. John saw and heard and I think he sometimes smelled a little bit.

(v3) “Blessed is he who reads, and hears the words of this prophesy, and keeps those things which are written: for the time is at hand.” This is the promise of ‘the beatitude of Bible study.’ ---Read, hear, keep receive a blessing!

(v4) This is a very wonderful greeting. Asia here refers to the part of Asia Minor where Turkey is now. Seven churches were not all the churches there. Seven is a number that speaks of completion and representation. Grace is the Greek word ‘caris’ for hello and peace is Hebrew word ‘shalom’ for hello. So, ‘grace and peace’ is ‘hello and hello’ from the ‘Eternal trinity God.’

(vv5-6) In these two verses are titles which are given to the Lord Jesus Christ, and interestingly enough there are seven titles: 1st “Faithful witness 2nd “First begotten of the dead” 3rd “The prince of the kings of the earth” 4th “Him that loved us” 5th Him who washed us from our sins in his own blood” 6th “And has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father” 7th “to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.

04/26/2026

What a wonderful day we had at Salem yesterday for our annual "Clean up the Church" day. Families and kids participated in planting flowers, 🌺mulching, changing light bulbs, 💡 polishing furniture, pitching out un-needed items, and generally giving our Sanctuary a "Spring Refresh". Then, Ruthie grilled hamburgers and hotdogs🍔🌭 for us, and we enjoyed a nice little picnic together.
(Matthew 20: 18) Jesus said where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them......and that's exactly what we experienced together yesterday. We are thankful!

Pastor Mike's message today:

Sharing My Faith — Ephesians 6:19-20
We believe the one true God has unfolded His great plan to provide salvation thru Jesus Christ. We believe that God loves all people and extends His invitation to everyone to receive eternal life. We believe in a Heaven and a Hell, and that Jesus is returning to judge the nations and establish His eternal kingdom. We believe that only those who believe Jesus by faith in this life will receive salvation and be part of that eternal life to come. We believe that God has determined the church to be His main representative to spread the Gospel message to the world. Because of our Christian principles, ethics, and moral values, we are committed to sharing our faith to fulfil God's purposes. So how do we share our faith with those who do not know God?

1) The Call to Share Our Faith—II Corinthians 5:14-21---God created man in His image, but fatally, the fall of humankind in the Garden of Eden, broke that relationship with God. So, God began to immediately unfold a plan to reconcile man from brokenness back to peace with Himself. For 2000 years God used Abraham and Israel as a demonstration of the lengths that God would go to reestablish a relationship with His people. Then with the ultimate sacrifice of His only Son JESUS, the reconciliation that before, was only reserved for Israel, became available to ALL humankind. We are called to play a pivotal part in God's plan. By responding to the call to share our faith, we partner with God in His divine pursuit of redeeming broken souls. Accepting this call brings us to the next aspect of sharing our faith:
2) Sharing Our Faith Through Our Lives—II Kings 5:1-15--The most powerful way to share our faith in God is by 'how' we live our lives. Righteous, faithful, holy, loving, trustful, honest, peaceful, just, merciful, joyous, patient, generous, humble, gracious, meek, generous, content, hospitable, charitable, sober, and disciplined. The one true God wants us to reflect His image to the world. Jesus said we are to be 'salt' and 'light' to the lost. In the new church, all believers were together, had all things in common, shared their possessions, broke bread together, prayed together, and enjoyed the blessings of God.
3) Sharing Our Faith Through Our Words--Psalm 107:1-6---We are called to share through our words who the Lord is and what He has done for us. He redeemed us from the hand of the enemy, and we are to say it is so. According to David (Ps 40:8-9) WE are not to refrain our lips, but we are to proclaim the great things God has done for us to all the world. We are told to start telling people around us where we live, and then move out to the neighboring states, and then to all the world.
4) Sharing Our Faith with All—Jonah 3:1-5, 10, 4:11---From the beginning, God knew that all people would be part of His plan of redemption and restoration. Just as Jonah resisted speaking, so did the Jews. Jesus gave us the example of telling all when He went out of His way for the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus made the point, 'Some sow, some water, but all witness toward the harvest.
Supporting Scripture:
John 3:16 Revelation 20:11-15 Revelation 14:12 Genesis 1:27 Genesis 12:1-4 Matthew 5:13-16 I Corinthians 9:19-23 Psalms 40:1-10 Acts 1:1-8 Acts 8:26-40 Ephesians 6:19-20 Colossians 4:2-6
Sharing My Faith – Romans 12:1-2

04/20/2026

No, your Facebook app didn't fail you this morning! "Operator Error" I guess you could say! My apologies! Our typical Sunday morning post with Pastor Mike's Bible Study notes is now your Sunday evening post. 🙂 May the Lord Bless you in this coming week, and we hope to see you at Salem next Sunday!

Giving My Resources - II Corinthians 8:7-9, 1-7
The right goal for me as a Christian is 'to be generous with my resources in order to fulfill God's purposes'. The question then becomes: 'How do I use my resources to serve God and others?' The same key beliefs that compel us to give our time to God ---the church, compassion, and stewardship--also inspire us to share our resources. Everything we have belongs to God and we have clear instructions to offer all we have to help the needy. We recognize that our God is the only true God and has provided a way into a permanent relationship with Him, because He loves us. Because of this, we cheerfully surrender what rightfully belongs to Him as an act of grace and worship.

*1 Giving Tithes and Offerings—Genesis 28:10-22---When we accepted God, we felt the same way Jacob felt this day. We said, "You are the Son of God, and I am following you. If You will watch over me and give food and clothing and safety, then I will make You my God, I will build a church and I will support it with all you entrust me with." Do you see that when we accepted Jesus Christ, we willed ourselves to the church and the financial support to maintain and sustain that as 'the House of God?’ Remember! A 'willing heart' is of utmost importance to God. God loves a cheerful giver!

*2 Advice from Wise Men---Matthew 2:9-11---After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Wise Men from the east, 1500 miles away, came searching for the King of the Jews. They said, "We saw His star and came to worship Him." Their advice to Christians does not come from their lips but from their actions. They gave Him months of travel time, and all that cost them. They were men of high honor, yet they humbled themselves and bowed their knees to worship Jesus. They also gave Him costly and expensive gifts that were the best that they had to give. Solomon tells us 'Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of your crops; then your barns will be full to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.'

*3 Teachings from Jesus on Money and Giving---Matthew 6:1-4---Jesus said more about money than the subjects of Heaven and Hell combined. It is important to think beyond this life and share what we have been given to build God's kingdom. Notice in this passage that Jesus assumes that we are going to give to the needy. Jesus doesn't say anywhere, 'if you give.' It is not debatable if you give but how you give.

Later, Jesus says, 'You cannot serve money and God.’ Serve God and work at giving money. It is easy to give when it costs little, or we get something in return. Real giving costs us and attaches no strings.

*4 Generosity in Action---Acts 4:32-37---After Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension, His followers committed to give their resources eagerly and generously to the needy and fulfill God's purposes. Evidence of their generosity can be seen everywhere. The believers in Corinth (Europe) sent a love offering to the needy believers in Jerusalem (Asia). The early Christians gave freely and continually and cheerfully. Giving is not a commandment …but an act of worship. God is more interested in how we give than how much!
Supporting Scripture:
Genesis 28:10-22 Exodus 35:4-29 Exodus 36:3-7 Corinthians 9:6-7 Matthew 2:1-12 Proverbs 3:1-11, 27-28 Proverbs 11:24-30
Matthew 6:19-34 Luke 12:13-21 Mark 12:41-44 Luke 6:32-36

Address

Big Twin Creek Road
Worthville, KY

Telephone

+17654010757

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Salem Baptist Church, Owen County posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category