In this message from 6/30/24, Mike Gowens returns to Matthew 13 in the "Kingdom Parables" series. This parable teaches that the kingdom of God is both a present reality and a future prospect. In its present form, it exists in a state of conflict and tension. Bible students think of this fact as the "militant" phase of the kingdom. The future kingdo…

Br Gowens' text for this 6/23/24 message is Isaiah 53:1. Like the prophet Isaiah who bemoans the general unpopularity of his prophetic message among the people, those who proclaim the true gospel also have occasion to lament the fact that it is frequently rejected and dismissed by the masses. In this message, Gowens explores the reasons that true b…

Elder Gowens' message on Father's Day (6/16/24) considers the intriguing language of the last two verses of the Old Testament: "...and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to their children, and the heart of the children to the fathers..." (Mal. 4:6). The ministry of John the Baptist aimed to foster repentance at a grass roots level in the first …

Elder Mike Gowens' sermon from 6/9/24 returns once more to Matthew 13 in consideration of another of Jesus' "kingdom parables." This parable concerns the most basic component in the life of discipleship, i.e. the regular reception of the word of God into an honest and good heart. Brother Gowens insists that it is simply not possible to live a produ…

In this first sermon in a series on the Kingdom Parables (delivered 6/2/24), Michael Gowens emphasizes the importance of evaluating the kingdom of God and making the personal sacrifices necessary to procure such a priceless treasure. The text for this message is Matthew 13:44-46.By Michael L Gowens

Brother Gowens' 5/26/24 sermon, once again, considers Jesus' ministry at Jericho on his way to the cross. The story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10 is the basis of this message in which the transforming power of Jesus Christ is on display. Here is the Good Shepherd "seeking and saving" one of His own beloved sheep.…

The 5/19/24 sermon by Mike Gowens considers Luke 18:35-43 and focuses on the first of two ministry encounters Jesus had with people in Jericho. Our Lord and his disciples are proceeding to Jerusalem where he will be tried and sentenced to death. Yet Jesus "stands still" to resolve a physical need in the life of a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. When…

The 5/12/24 sermon by Michael Gowens explores the various phases or categories of this sublime Bible doctrine that is so crucial to understanding the gospel message. Gowens begins the message by considering a passage in John 17, then spends the bulk of his time in the Pauline epistles, focusing especially on the important prepositional phrase, "in …

Paul and Ephesus: Apollos - Spirit, Truth, and the Grace to Believe (Josh Coker)By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

Paul and Ephesus: Strengthening the Disciples (Josh Coker)By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

This sermon by Mike Gowens is based on Romans 8:31-30, arguably the high note of the Roman epistle. It was delivered to the congregation of Bethel PBC in Calabash, NC on Sunday morning, April 28, 2024.By Michael L Gowens

By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

Buy The Truth & Sell It Not (Josh Coker)By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

Paul & Ephesus: Aquilla, Priscilla, & A Short Stay in Ephesus (Josh Coker) - 4.28.2024By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

Tests (Hugh Sanders) & The Purpose of the Gospel (Josh Coker) - 3.24.2024By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

The Purpose of the Church (Josh Coker) - 3.17.2024By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

2024 Anniversary Meeting - Sunday AM (Michael Gowens)By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

2024 Anniversary Meeting - Saturday PM (Tim McCool & Michael Gowens)By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

2024 Anniversary Meeting - Saturday AM (Michael Gowens & Tim McCool)By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

2024 Anniversary Meeting - Friday PM (Tim McCool & Michael Gowens)By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

The 4/14/24 message by Elder Michael Gowens is taken from 1 Peter 2:3. Reference to senses (like "taste") in the Scriptures must be understood in terms of spiritual experience. Newly born babies learn and grow principally by means of experiencing their world. Likewise, the experience of tasting that God is gracious is the catalyst for the believer …

Brother Gowens' sermon on 4/7/24 looks at Acts 10 and the character sketch of the Roman centurion named Cornelius. The description given of this outstanding man indicates that he was already a born again child of God, even before Peter preached the gospel to him. What a comfort to know that God has people in every nation, many of whom are yet uneva…

Elder Gowens' 3/31/24 message is based on Matthew 12:38-40. The only sign, or miracle, necessary for the believer is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because He lives, you can face tomorrow.By Michael L Gowens

This 3/24/24 sermon by Michael Gowens is an exposition of 2 Peter 1:1-11, with a primary focus on the seven virtues that should adorn the essential grace of faith in the believer’s life. Pastor Gowens makes a case for the view that the main idea in the context, and the one that ties these virtues together, is the idea of manliness, or robust discip…

A sermon based on Isaiah 56:7, delivered by Elder Michael Gowens on March 17, 2024.By Michael L Gowens

"Preaching is not only proclamation, but it is also witness." In this message from Psalm 66:18, Pastor Gowens enlists this definition of the joy of preaching to give personal witness to the Lord's goodness to him. He does so by tracing his own story through salient Scripture passages.By Michael L Gowens

Brother Gowens' 3/3/24 sermon is the third and final in a short series of messages from John 1:35-51. In this message, he considers how the Lord Jesus overcame Nathanael's skepticism.By Michael L Gowens

Christ Between Us (Josh Coker) - 3.10.2024By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

Division (Josh Coker) - 3.3.2024By Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church

Brother Gowens' 2/25/24 message continues the look at John 1:35-51 in which Jesus gathers the first disciples to himself. Andrew and John were seekers. Peter was encouraged to follow Jesus by the faithful testimony of his brother. But Philip was not seeking or demonstrating any interest in the Lord. Instead, Jesus sought him out and called him to f…

Michael Gowens' 2/18/24 sermon looks at John 1:35-51, the account of the beginning of Jesus' public ministry and the first disciples He gathered to Himself. Like these first disciples, we too may have different stories in terms of coming to the decision to follow the Lord Jesus, but the call to be like the Master - the goal of discipleship - is the…

Pastor Gowens' 2/11/24 sermon continues the "Traveling Light" series with a look at the death of Lazarus in John 11. Grief, and particularly the grief of bereavement, is a debilitating burden. But several helps to deal with painful loss emerge from this dramatic account - Christ's love, God's truth and Hope in the resurrection.…