Bartimaeus Baptist Temple

Message by Larry Thacker Jr from June 28: Jesus for All

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 02:11:06 +0000

Drawing from Romans 15:7-13, Pastor Larry unpacks Paul’s powerful call: “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.” Through this passage, we see Christ as the servant who fulfilled God’s promises to Israel and extended mercy to the Gentiles, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies that all nations would praise the Lord and find hope in Him.

You’ll discover:

How Jesus bridges every divide—Jew and Gentile, and every barrier we face today.
The true meaning of welcoming others as Christ welcomed us.
The source of abounding hope, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit.

Whether you're hosting visitors, engaging with people from different backgrounds, or simply seeking unity in the body of Christ, this sermon reminds us that Jesus is for all who believe—and we are called to reflect that same welcoming heart.

Message by Larry Thacker Jr from June 21: With One Voice

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:34:39 +0000

One survey has identified as many as 50,000 distinct Christian groups who in some way distinguish themselves from others. This number is disheartening to those who feel that we should all be one. That is after all what Jesus Himself prayed (John 17:11.) That particular study named even small congregations of people, and accepted their self-identification as Christian, so the number of groups with significantly divergent theology is probably only in the hundreds. But isn't two to many? Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 11:18-19 that divisions will exist, differentiating faithful from the fake. He was speaking to a single congregation, but the principle holds. Heresies began developing even as the church was in its infancy.

But not every issue is worth fighting over. Truth remains truth whatever we believe about it, but some things matter more than others. Much of what has divided us across the centuries should be set aside in favor of working together for the glory of God. Jesus said that we would be known as His disciples by our love for each other (John 13:35.) What would happen if we did that? What would happen if we also loved even our enemies in the way that Jesus did?

In Romans Chapter 14, Paul addresses some specific issues that were points of contention between the Jewish and gentile believers to which he was writing. He speaks particularly to those who have come to an understanding that their freedom in Christ meant they didn't need to observe the dietary restrictions found in the Jewish law or observe the various feasts. He admonishes them to be respectful of those who had not yet come to that understanding. He says to all that we have only one judge, one master, and each of us is accountable to Him for our own faith. If we use our freedom in a way that causes weaker members to stumble, we are not acting out of love but out of selfishness.

In Chapter 15, he concludes this admonition with a call to unity and a reminder that we all find our hope in Jesus. For this episode we will consider Romans 15:1-6.

Message by Larry Thacker Jr from June 14: The Responsibility of Freedom

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 01:08:39 +0000

We highly value our freedom in the United States, but what does freedom mean? Is it absolute? That would be chaos. With freedom comes responsibility. It is as true in our public life as it is in our personal lives. As Christians, we often speak of our freedom in Christ. We are not in bondage to sin. We are not in bondage to a set of rules that could never save us. But does that mean we can do as we please? Paul would disagree. In Chapter 14 of his letter to the Romans, he addresses this issue as it relates to some of the controversies of his day. We may not struggle with the same specifics, but the principles that he teaches will certainly apply to us. This week we look at the second half of the chapter (13-23) as we continue our study through the book of Romans.

Message by Larry Thacker Jr from June 7: He’ll Be the Judge of That

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 02:09:50 +0000

Sometimes we seem determined to find fault. I think often this is an unconscious defense against the flaws we see in our own character, but whatever the reason, it’s a destructive tendency. As we continue through our study of Paul's letter to the believers in Rome, we come to Romans 14:1-12. This passage addresses issues specific to the people and time when it was written, but it contains useful instruction for us today that goes beyond the obvious application. It’s hard to be in unity if we’re pointing out each others’ faults and presenting ourselves as somehow better or more holy. Obvious sin does need to be confronted, and Jesus gives us the process and the redemptive objective of applying it in Matthew 18, but too often we are the ones committing the greater sin with our criticism. We may be right, but it is better to be righteous. We should extend the same grace to others that we have received from God, and that’s a lot of grace.

Message by Larry Thacker Jr from May 31: The Law of Love

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:17:48 +0000

We are continuing our study with Romans 13:8-14. Paul has provided teaching and instruction on everything from the basics of Christian theology to its application in our daily lives, and he is not finished yet. It may seem overwhelming, but in this passage he makes it simple, though in application it is anything but. He wraps it all up this way.

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does not work evil against a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.

Romans 13:8-10 Legacy Standard Bible

Jesus Himself said something very similar when he was asked which was the greatest commandment in the law.

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 22:37-40 LSB

Everything God has said and done is rooted in love. All of the things against which He has warned us are contrary to love. Love put Jesus on a cross. Love raised Him from the dead! Accept no imitations. The law of love is perfect. The law of love involves sacrifice and is contrary to selfishness. If only we could all learn what true love is, both to give and to receive.

Message by Larry Thacker Jr from May 24: Government from God

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple — Sun, 24 May 2026 23:21:00 +0000

Chapter 13 of Romans begins with a statement that may be hard for us to swallow. Most of us recognize the need for law and order and don’t have a problem with the idea that we should submit to proper authority, but what about the next part? The end of verse 1 reads, “there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” How can that be? How can a government that does evil things be established by God? As governments go ours is pretty good, but we have some real problems. Consider that Paul is writing as a citizen of Rome, hardly a model for a Godly nation. We will read from Romans 13:1-7 and apply it to our world today.

Message by Larry Thacker Jr from May 17: “Don’t Be Evil

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple — Mon, 18 May 2026 02:33:59 +0000

This week's study takes us through Roman 12:14-21. Paul continues teaching us what a living sacrifice looks like. Now we've come to some of the harder parts, especially that stuff about blessing people who mistreat us and doing good to our enemies. But if we look to Jesus as our example, we see that these are the things He did. He called out sin, especially hypocrisy, but he also uttered these famous words at His crucifixion, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”

Verse 21 reads, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.". What does it mean to be overcome by evil. Sometimes it surely seems to prevail. Were the martyrs overcome by evil? Was Jesus overcome by evil when He died on that cross? Quite the opposite. In that sacrificial act He overcame evil with good forever. It isn't going quietly, but it must go. Until that day comes, we must contend with it. To be overcome by evil is to be drawn into it. Instead of standing against it and choosing good, we become participants in it.

This passage seems to be telling us how to approach relationships with all people, not just those in the church. It humanizes our enemies and reminds us that we all start from the same place. Jesus Himself warned us that our message would not be widely accepted, but it becomes real when accompanied by behavior like this, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

What's with that last part? The imagery doesn't seem to match the spirit of the message. Paul is quoting from Proverbs 25:21-22. It is likely a reference to an Egyptian custom of carrying hot coals on one's head as a sign of contrition. The hope is that in doing good to our enemies, we draw them to a place of repentance. We invite them to become part of God's family.

Message by Larry Thacker Jr from May 10″ Let Your Love Be True

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple — Tue, 12 May 2026 01:12:55 +0000

In Romans 12:9-13, Paul is continuing his teaching about what a living sacrifice looks like. Verse 9 begins, “Let love be without hypocrisy—by…” I only found one version, the Legacy Standard Bible, that reads this way. I admit to not knowing Greek, but a bit of research suggests that this is how it should read. Now a series of loosely connected exhortations becomes connected to a purpose. Let your love be true. Doing these things will draw your heart to His, and you will “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (12:2)

Message by Larry Thacker Jr from May 3: Tools of Transformation 1

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple — Thu, 07 May 2026 01:11:57 +0000

What does it mean to be a living sacrifice? How can we renew our minds and thus be transformed? These are the first two instructions we find as Paul moves from theology lesson to application (Romans 12:1-2.) In the last message we explored what they mean and how we might begin to follow them, but we really don't have to guess. Paul is going to tell us. The short version might be put this way. Get busy using your God-given gifts to the max, but remember where they came from and stay humble. Our text is from Romans 12:3-8.

Sunday Share by Priscilla Whitmore from April 26

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:46:06 +0000

Priscilla urges us to trust the Lord regardless of circumstance