Episodes

God's Presence, Provision, and Purpose in Crisis - A Sermon by Pastor Chris Phillips https://selahinternational.org/ In this podcast episode from Middletown Baptist Church, Pastor Josh introduces a guest speaker, Pastor Chris Phillips, who discusses SELA International Counseling Ministries' mission to support ministry leaders through biblical counseling. Pastor Chris shares his personal and ministry experiences, emphasizing that God's presence, provision, and purpose provide strength and h...

Upcoming Sunday Service Preview with Special Guest Chris Phillips Pastor Josh invites everyone to the Sunday morning service at Middletown Baptist Church on September 22nd. He is joined by his children, Nora and Micah, as they discuss the special weekend event featuring Chris Phillips from Selah International Counseling Ministries. Chris will be the main speaker at the marriage conference and will also present his ministry during the Sunday service. Pastor Josh encourages attendance either in...

The Abundant Grace and Sanctification in Ruth Chapter 2 Pastor Josh from Middletown Baptist Church conducts a Bible study focusing on Ruth Chapter 2, drawing parallels between Boaz's grace towards Ruth and God's grace towards humanity. The sermon emphasizes the concept of sanctification, explaining both positional and progressive sanctification as believers grow in their relationship with God. Key themes include the sufficiency of God's grace, the importance of personal and intimate relations...

The Blessings of the Church: Final Reflections In this final episode of the Middletown Baptist Church's 'Word of the Week' series on 'church,' Pastor Josh explores the concept of the church as a blessing. He recaps previous discussions that painted the church as a body, a spiritual building, and a beacon of truth. This episode delves into the multifaceted blessings of being part of a church, including accountability, love, commonality, edification, exhortation, education, camaraderie, and com...

Steadfast in Mission: Lessons from Paul's First Missionary Journey In this episode of the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, Pastor Josh discusses the conclusion of Acts 14 and Paul’s first missionary journey. Despite being stoned in Lystra, Paul proceeds to preach in Derby, demonstrating steadfastness in his mission. The episode emphasizes the importance of both preaching and teaching, encouraging steadfastness amidst difficulties, and supporting fellow believers. Pastor Josh also touches on...

The Truest Friend: Biblical Principles of Friendship Pastor Josh from Middletown Baptist Church explores the biblical principles of friendship during a sermon on Friends Day. The focus is on how the Bible, especially the book of Proverbs, describes true friendship as selfless service rather than selfish seeking. Pastor Josh emphasizes the importance of loyalty, truthfulness, and love in friendships, drawing on various scripture passages including Proverbs and John. He underscores that Jesus C...

Friend Day at Middletown Baptist: Exploring the Truest Friend Pastor Josh previews the upcoming Sunday morning service on September 15th at Middletown Baptist Church, designated as Friend Day. He encourages church members to invite friends and introduces the sermon titled 'The Truest Friend'. The sermon delves into Biblical teachings, specifically John 15:13, on the qualities of true friendship, emphasizing sacrificial love as exemplified by Jesus Christ. Pastor Josh highlights how Jesus' ult...

Understanding Grace: A Deep Dive into the Book of Ruth - Middletown Baptist Church Podcast In this episode of the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, Pastor Josh explores the concept of grace through a detailed study of the Book of Ruth. He emphasizes the importance of understanding and seeking God's grace in our lives. The discussion includes Naomi's journey from bitterness to hope, the introduction of a kinsman redeemer, and the significance of Boaz's character and actions towards Ruth. Past...

Word of the Week: The Church as a Beacon of Truth In this episode of the Middletown Baptist Church Podcast, Pastor Josh explores the concept of the church as a beacon of light and truth in the world. Building on previous discussions about the church as a body and a spiritual building, this episode emphasizes the church's role in upholding and proclaiming the truth of the gospel. Pastor Josh discusses scripture, particularly 1 Timothy 3:15, and how the church is to maintain and spread the trut...

Authentic Church Through Scripture: Persevering in the Face of Opposition In this episode of the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, Pastor Josh continues the study in the book of Acts, focusing on chapter 14. He discusses the perseverance of Paul and Barnabas despite facing opposition, emphasizing the importance of being faithful and not just successful in spreading the gospel. Pastor Josh introduces the acronym ACTS, which stands for Authentic Church Through Scripture. The episode highlights...

Being Ambassadors for Christ In this Middletown Baptist Church podcast episode, Pastor Josh delivers a sermon titled 'God's Ambassadors' focusing on the role of believers as representatives of Christ. Pastor Josh references 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and explains the ministry and message of reconciliation. He emphasizes the concept of reconciliation between humanity and God through Jesus Christ, illustrating that believers, in their salvation, are entrusted as ambassadors to preach the gospel. T...

God's Ambassadors: Living as Representatives of Christ Pastor Josh shares a preview of the upcoming Sunday service on September 8th at Middletown Baptist Church. The sermon, titled 'God's Ambassadors,' will focus on 2 Corinthians 5:20 and discuss what it means to be ambassadors for Christ in our daily lives. The sermon will explore how Christians are called to represent God in a world that is not their eternal home, and emphasize the importance of living out the message of the gospel. Pastor ...

The Redemptive Power of Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection In this Middletown Baptist Church podcast episode, Pastor Josh explores the profound significance of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and resurrection from John chapter 19. Emphasizing the sacrificial love of Jesus, who took on humanity's sins and declared 'It is finished' as He paid the debt in full, the sermon underscores the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the redemptive plan of God. Pastor Josh illustrates the implication...

Word of the Week - The Church Part 2: The Spiritual Building In this episode of the Middletown Baptist Church podcast series 'Word of the Week,' Pastor Josh delves into the biblical concept of the church as a spiritual building. He explores 1 Peter Chapter 2, explaining how believers are likened to 'living stones' that form this spiritual house with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. The analogy emphasizes unity, humility, and the importance of building on the foundational truth of Jesus....

The Necessity of Holiness and Preaching Jesus Pastor Josh shares a message from Acts chapter 13, emphasizing God's holiness above all attributes and encouraging believers to adopt this perspective. He revisits themes from his prior sermon, focusing on the central message any church should preach: the gospel of Jesus Christ. He analyzes Paul's sermon in Antioch, addressing the importance of preaching Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. The episode delves into the distinction between salvatio...

Understanding the Ministry and Message of Reconciliation In this episode of the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, Pastor Josh delves into 2 Corinthians 5 to explain the concept of reconciliation through Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that all Christians have a ministry – the ministry of reconciliation – and a message to proclaim – the message of reconciliation. Pastor Josh explains the importance of trusting in Christ, being a new creation, and understanding the role of believers in preaching t...

Preview of Upcoming Sermon: Our Ministry and Our Message In this video, Pastor Josh provides an overview of the upcoming Sunday sermon at Middletown Baptist Church on September 1st. The sermon, titled 'Our Ministry and Our Message,' will focus on the Christian duty of ministry and the importance of spreading the message of reconciliation, as outlined in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. Pastor Josh invites the congregation to understand and share the gift of salvation and discusses the collective respon...

Understanding Bitterness: A Study of Naomi and Ruth In this episode of the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, Pastor Josh explores the story of Ruth, focusing on the theme of bitterness through the character of Naomi. Naomi, who faces immense loss and hardship, allows her feelings of bitterness to shape her identity. Pastor Josh emphasizes the importance of rooting our identity in the truth of God rather than our emotions. He discusses the dangers of bitterness, its impact on our lives and re...

The Biblical Definition and Role of the Church In this episode of the Middletown Baptist Church podcast series 'Word of the Week', Josh explores the biblical meaning of 'church'. He discusses the Greek word 'Ekklesia', meaning a called out assembly, and explains that the church is not a building but a group of believers called to do God's work. The episode covers various New Testament scriptures illustrating the church as the body of Christ, emphasizing unity in diversity and the essential ro...

Proclaiming the Gospel: Focusing on Jesus and the Great Commission In this episode of the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, Pastor Josh explores Acts 13:13-37, highlighting the missionary journey of Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark. The central theme is the importance of preaching the gospel as the primary message, focusing on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Pastor Josh discusses the need for humility, the reception or rejection of the gospel, and the necessity of preaching a...

A New Creation in Salvation: Understanding Our Transformation in Christ Pastor Josh of Middletown Baptist Church explores the concept of being a new creation in Christ through 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Emphasizing the transformation that occurs in believers, he explains how Jesus's love compels believers to live not for themselves, but for Him. Pastor Josh discusses the importance of focusing on spiritual rather than material aspects, rejecting sin, and walking in newness of life. He also high...

Understanding Spiritual Gifts and The Body of Christ The speaker addresses a seasoned audience at a church about the topic of spiritual gifts and the body of Christ, reading from Romans chapter 12 and other scriptures. He emphasizes humility, the diversity of spiritual gifts, and the importance of using these gifts for the edification of the church body. He shares personal anecdotes and provides detailed explanations of various gifts including prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving...

Exploring Biblical Peace: Understanding Divine Tranquility in Our Lives In this introductory episode of the 'Word of the Week' podcast series from Middletown Baptist Church, Pastor Josh delves into the concept of 'peace' as described in the Bible. He explains that true peace originates from a relationship with God and is not dependent on external circumstances. Through various scripture references, including Romans 5:1, Philippians 4:7, and John 16:33, Pastor Josh elucidates how peace with Go...

The Mission of God: Lessons from Acts 13 In this episode of the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, Pastor Josh delves into Acts chapter 13. He emphasizes the importance of being an authentic church through scripture and discusses how the early church in Antioch proactively sent out missionaries like Saul (Paul) and Barnabas to spread the Gospel. Pastor Josh challenges the church to find their place in God's mission, encouraging members to evangelize, disciple, and train others. He also highli...