Advancing Word Podcast

During the 2025 New Year’s Eve Worship Celebration at the First Baptist Church of Chesterfield, Missouri, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield, the first Pastor Emeritus in the church’s storied history, delivered an uplifting message to attendees from four area churches.  Drawing on 1 Peter 1:5, he emphasized that believers are protected, regardless of what 2026 may hold. We are KEPT because of our priceless pedigree, powerful protection and promising prize!

Lot's actions in Genesis, Chapter 19 is not only a warning to us of the dangers of dwelling on the past but a primer on what we must do in order to move forward and fulfill the purposes of God for our lives.  

Anyone searching for a “nativity narrative” in the Gospel of John or the fourth Gospel, need look no further than John, Chapter One, verse 14.  There is a compelling account of Jesus's nativity compacted in this one verse.  It reaches back into eternity past and reaches forward into eternity future.  It is a key verse in the most magnificent prologue or introduction in all literature.  In this powerful and celebratory Advent message, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield insightfully focuses our attention on three affirmations in this profound verse that reveals Jesus is more than just a man! 

There are two birth narratives in the four Gospels.  Joseph is the focus of the narrative recorded in the Gospel of Matthew.  Mary, the mother of Jesus is the primary character in the narrative in the Gospel of Luke.  This message explores Luke, Chapter 1, verses 26 – 38 and Mary’s role in the birth of our Savior.  She is a compelling feminine voice, a woman of faith testifying of the purposes, presence and power of God.  She was favored by God, fruitful for God and focused on God. 

The Gospel writer Mark is not alone in his portrayal of the pivotal role that John the Baptist plays as the forerunner of Jesus Christ.  John the Baptist stood at the intersection of the Old and New Covenant; a true man of conviction that God had shaped and molded in the classical prophetic tradition.  The truth about the coming Messiah concealed in the Old Testament prophecies would be revealed through John's ministry and through the life, death and resurrection of the One John bore witness to.  This message inspires us during this Advent Season to do what John did – stand...

During Advent, the nativity narratives in the Gospels remind us that God came into this broken world in the person of Jesus Christ.  This “Messianic Migration” culminates in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 3, verses 20 – 21 where Jesus stands at the door and knocks.  The symbolism is an urgent summons to the Church, every child of God and the world to “let Him in!”

While preaching at the Ninety-Seventh Anniversary Celebration of New Salem Baptist Church in Decatur, IL, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield draws insights from 1 Peter 2:9-10, exploring the theme What Makes the Church So Special!  The church, empowered to engage the world, possesses a unique status, vital mission, and invaluable blessing because Jesus lived a sinless life, died for our sins, and rose again.  Before returning to heaven, He entrusted the church to share the Gospel with all nations, promising His continual presence throughout this journey.

British Prime Minister and prominent leader during World War II, Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.”  He could have very well been gleaning truth from a passage that King Solomon wrote centuries earlier that is recorded in Proverbs Chapter Eleven, verse twenty-five.  That verse and this sermon addresses the question, “What do we gain when we give?”  

In Psalm 12, David feels isolated and marginalized as a man of faith amid a rising tide of wickedness in his world.  The challenges he faced highlight a harsh reality that echoes across generations and speaks to our own era.  Societies face dire consequences when the faithful falter.  From a spiritual and moral perspective, the dangers of such a collapse are more severe and far-reaching than a nuclear Iran, a global pandemic, or another economic recession.  What unfolds when godly men and women disappear from marriages, families, churches, communities, and nations?  This message dives deep into that pressing and urgent quest...

Exodus, Chapter 13, verses 19-22 is one of many biblical passages that expresses truth about God’s presence.  Further exploration of these verses reveal that geographically and experientially, a passage can be a road, a path, a course, that takes us from one place to another in life just like the one the Israelites embarked on as they left Egypt for the Promised Land.  God is present in that kind of passage as well.  This message helps us celebrate and understand more about how God’s people experience God’s presence.  

In Chapter 11, verse one of the Book of Ecclesiastes, the biblical writer uses the merchant who stocks and sends ships out to sea as a metaphor for the life of faith.  Faith is not afraid!  It lives boldly, broadly, blindly and bountifully.  

October is Clergy Appreciation Month.  Once again, we share from our Legacy Collection a classic sermon by Dr. T. D. Stubblefield on the biblical office of Pastor -Teacher based on Jeremiah 3:15. “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (1 Timonthy 5:17).  Bless and encourage someone you know in ministry by sharing this link with them!  

Listen as Dr. T. D. Stubblefield delivers a passionate and powerful message on the true character of Christian ministry, preached during the licensing service of his son, Charlton, as a Gospel Minister at the First Baptist Church of Georgetown, Kentucky. This sermon—part of our Legacy Collection—is shared as a special gift during Clergy Appreciation Month and in celebration of the fifth anniversary of The Advancing Word Podcast. Share this message with a pastor or minister you know as a source of encouragement and inspiration.

Join the rapturous celebration of the Word of God as Dr. T. D. Stubblefield preaches at the Colossians Baptist Church, Newport News, Virginia during Annual Revival.  Listen as he powerfully and passionately parse, punctuate, and proclaim the timeless truths and permanent principles in Psalm 133 that constitute “a blueprint for a blessing”. 

As Jesus concludes what scholars have described as the Upper Room Discourse in the Gospel of John, Chapter 16, verse 33, He weaves and weds truth and trouble in an unbreakable union that would bless not only the apostles but those who would believe on the Lord through their word and witness.  Jesus’s words were deliberately designed and deputized to encourage their (and our) faith.  What do you do when trouble comes?  Listen to this message and learn!  

The story of the father and his epileptic son recorded in the Gospel of Mark, Chapter Nine, verses 14 - 29, is repeated in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.  This riveting account reminds us that we are not strong all the time but even when we struggle, little faith in a crisis can produce great blessing.  

During the first of a series of Super Sunday Night Worship Celebrations at the First Baptist Church of Wright City, Missouri, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield explores a key passage in Chapter 1 of the First Epistle of John.  Refuting their glaring lack of knowledge, the elder apostle of the church turns the light on the Perfect Light, Jesus Christ who is both fully God and fully human. This sermon is a timely reminder of what it means to embrace Jesus Christ as our Light in a dark world and to live in that Light!  

Step into a riveting exploration of Psalm 55, often called a “song of sorrow” and traditionally linked to David’s anguished flight during the Absalom rebellion—the darkest episode of his reign.  This segment delves into the heart of David’s despair as his own son leads an uprising, leaving David desperate for escape and relief from overwhelming pressure.  But rather than a physical exit, David’s journey leads him toward an inner transformation—a rerouting of his spiritual compass that opens a corridor of faith and peace.  Draw inspiration from Dr. T. D. Stubblefield’s concept of “through traffic,” and learn how moments o...

At the Victory Family Church, a Spirit-filled, diverse and fast-growing congregation located in the heart of O’Fallon, Missouri, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield shares from the magnificent Prologue that is the First Chapter of the Gospel of John. Two words in verse 11 anchors the conviction that is at the heart of the Christian faith.  “He came.” In other words, Jesus showed up!  Jesus, the second member of the Trinity and the Eternal Word of God, which was with God in the beginning, and which was God became human and came to this planet.  Listen to this message and learn about wha...

The first chapter of Joshua launches with the somber note, “After the death of Moses.”  The absence of their great leader created an immense vacuum and void in the life of the Israelites.  Yet, when the chapter ends, it is not his death that is in view but the fulfillment of their destiny as a people of God.  Loss and victory are two different and distinctive notes on the same keyboard of life.  You can’t experience one without expecting the other.  This message is a reminder that our experience of loss establishes our eligibility and candidacy for victory because God...

In 2 Timothy, Chapter 4, verses 6 – 8, The Apostle Paul encourages his son in the ministry Timothy to be faithful.   Even while in prison and expecting to be executed, Paul had a winner's view or vantage point of victory.  Like Timothy, as we face our own challenges in this world in which we live, we can be encouraged because every child of God has been set apart to be a winner.  This sermon explores what this means!   

In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 3, verses 4 -6, the Apostle Paul was careful to acknowledge that, while the Corinthians were living and breathing evidence of a fruitful, impactful and productive ministry there, he personally has no basis for boasting.  God was responsible for all the spiritual progress and growth in the church!  At the Union Baptist Church in Chesterfield, Missouri during the 2025 Pastoral Anniversary Celebration, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield encourages both Pastor and People that “ministry in the key of grace means leaning not on our adequacy, but on God’s ability.”

During the 2025 Annual Revival at the Cedar Hill Baptist Church in Cottage Grove, Tennessee, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield explores the Gospel of Mark, Chapter Two, verses 1-5 and powerfully proclaims what the church looks like when Jesus is in the house!  Listen and be blessed

In Psalm 34:8, David urges his audience to “taste and see that the LORD is good,” a bold invitation rooted in his own experience with God. Refusing to be silenced, he speaks with conviction. Yet too often, our spiritual palates grow dull. In this memorable message, The Flavor of Favor, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield explores this powerful passage while preaching during the 2025 Summer Speaker Series at One Family Church—one of St. Louis’s fastest-growing and most diverse congregations.

In verses eleven through fourteen of the first Chapter of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul is writing from prison. He ends a sweeping summary of the plan of salvation by focusing on the unique role the Holy Spirit. This message highlights the measure, matter and mark of our spiritual oneness in Christ.

Though the Apostle Paul penned his letter to the Ephesians from behind prison walls, his spirit remained unconfined.  The chains that bound him could not bar him from the promises of God. Far more than a prisoner of earthly authorities, Paul was utterly devoted—captivated—by his faith.  In Ephesians 4:1–3, he shares what it means to live as a prisoner of faith.  In these verses, Paul shows us not just the chains of circumstance, but the strength and beauty of a faith that holds us fast.  This sermon explores what that kind of “captive faith” truly looks like.

John 16:33 marks a pivotal moment in the Fourth Gospel, closing the Upper Room Discourse with Jesus declaring victory and hope for his followers.  The verse connects truth and trouble, offering encouragement to both the apostles and future believers.  This message which Dr. Stubblefield shared recently at the historic St. Paul United Church of Christ in Carlinville, IL explores the “truth about trouble” revealed in this passage. 

In Psalm 51, "then" is a spiritual location that should be the goal of every believer.  Because of sin, David had taken a detour from his destiny, but through confession and repentance reached his destination.  

In Jeremiah, Chapter 8, the prophet laments and mourns because of the plight of the covenant people of Israel.  Thousands were living in captivity in Babylon.  The prophet’s anguish is ultimately demonstrated by the questions he raises and not the declarations he makes.  Down through the centuries, priests, prophets, preachers and pastors are sought out for their answers to life's perplexing and troubling questions.  The reality is that we have questions too and more than often we must stand compassionately, yet silently with others who are trying to live with the questions that life inevitably brings.  This sermon offers help, h...

In Chapter Eleven, verse 6 of the Book of Hebrews, the biblical writer, with a pastor’s heart discusses the spiritual foundation of the Christian faith to those who may be considering returning to Judaism due to suffering and persecution. The text emphasizes the importance of maintaining one's faith and experiencing God's favor as demonstrated in Jesus Christ, presented in this book as a Superior Person, Superior Priest, and Superior Principle.  This message highlights how the requirement, relationship, and reward mentioned in this pivotal passage remain relevant to believers today.

In Joshua Chapter Fourteen, verses six through fifteen, Caleb, at the age of eighty-five years old, expresses his willingness and desire to go to battle as the Israelites solidified their gains in the new land of promise.  He was by all accounts, “a faithful man” because he was devoted, delivered and daring. Even in the seasoned sunset of his life, he was still looking for another opportunity to serve the Lord.   

Habakkuk whose name means “to embrace” or “cling to” was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah and served during the difficult days that preceded the demise and destruction of the nation of Judah and the subsequent Babylonian Captivity.  Fear and uncertainty were rampant!  So many people were living lives of quiet desperation.  It is not unlike the times in which we live.  Uniquely, Habakkuk did not confront the people but CONFRONTED GOD as he wrestled with the problems of sin, evil and suffering around him.  God’s final word to him and to us was “the just shall live by faith” (2:4). ...

We are bombarded daily with choices and risk becoming increasingly preoccupied and self-absorbed.  The Gospel of Luke, Chapter Ten introduces us to two extraordinary women who invited Jesus into their home.  On this occasion, Martha was too busy to be blessed.  On the other hand, her sister Mary ends the evening sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to the Word.  While Martha was pulled and pressured by her work and the immediate needs of the moment, Mary withdraws from what she was doing and sits quietly at the feet of Jesus and listens to His teaching.  She overcame the “...

His life threatened, his kingdom in turmoil, in Psalm Twenty-Seven, David sought God's presence.  In his distress, he wanted to "dwell in the house of the Lord".  In this place, he experienced a perfect getaway.  We can too!  

This segment explores Psalm 78, examining the storied history of Israel and the profound question posed in stanza 19 of the psalm, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" This question, fueled by doubt and skepticism, challenges God's ability to provide for and protect His covenant people.  Today’s message offers a compelling and timeless response to the question, a resounding "Yes!" Listen and discover how God alone can transform difficult deserts into delightful diners, proving His unwavering provision and care.

In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter Ten, verses 25-37, while teaching, Jesus was challenged by an expert in Jewish law.  His primary motivation was to justify himself and indulge his own sense of self-righteousness.  Jesus responds to this man’s errant theological speculation by sharing a story that was designed to move him and us from law to love, from saying to serving and from religion to relationship.  What begins with a question in the text ends with a challenge to every child of God to be "like a good neighbor.”   

Do you ever feel like you are backed up against a wall?  In 2 Kings Chapter 20, verses 1-11, King Hezekiah did!  He faced a problem that seemed as large and looming as the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea which spans 133,000 square miles and can be seen from outer space.  Yet, with fervent faith and powerful prayer, he was able to transcend the disabling weight of his own mortality. You and I can too if we have “barrier belief.”

In Psalm 55, stanza 22, after lamenting the disappointment that had resulted from the betrayal of a close friend, David expressed his unconditional faith in God who redeems.  This sermon navigates the fertile ground between our problems and God’s promises.  It resonates with the marvelous possibility and hope that whatever we are facing in life, whatever our struggles, we are not alone.  God is ever-present to help us and hold us. 

Setbacks happen—to all of us. But with God, they don’t have to be the end of the story. In this encouraging Resurrection message, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield looks at the life of Joseph to remind us that what feels like a setback can actually be a setup for something greater. Originally shared during the 2025 Black History Month Celebration at Refresh Community Church in University City, Missouri, this sermon will lift your spirit and strengthen your faith.

On Palm Sunday according to Luke Chapter 19, verses 36 – 40, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey amidst the applause and acclaim of the crowds that had gathered.  When His enemies criticized the crowd’s response, Jesus said, “If they hold their peace the stones will cry out!”   This message explores what a stone would tell us about our Savior?  What is the story in the stones?

In Part 6 and the final sermon of The Perfect Match series, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield concludes with a focus on the last of four fundamental dynamics of biblical marriage based on Genesis Chapter 2, verses 18 – 25.  Intimacy provides the physical, spiritual and emotional depth in the marital union.  It is derived from the Latin word intimatus, which means to “put or press into.”  It is “a GPS coordinate to the most innermost and essential being of another person.”  In this space, the essential you and the essential me can be found.  Intimacy involves the awareness of the self, the acceptance of the self and th...

In Part 5 of The Perfect Match, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield focuses on “unity”, the third dynamic of biblical marriage based on Genesis Chapter 2, verse 24.  Like separation and permanence, in strong and vibrant marriages, unity and intimacy, the last dynamic in this compelling quartet co-exists, coalesce and cooperate.  Unity is the pattern and intimacy is the passion.  Unity is the fuel and intimacy is the fire.  Unity is the mechanics and intimacy is the mystery. Unity is not only a key component of biblical marriage but a fundamental concern in God’s redemptive plan.  

God designed marriage to last! In the fifth sermon of The Perfect Match Series, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield explores the dynamic of permanence in marriage. Marital failure and fragmentation have reached pandemic levels—49% of marriages end in divorce, and Christian couples face the same struggles. But is there hope when the thrill is gone and love’s intensity fades? This sermon offers biblical wisdom and practical guidance on renewing commitment, rekindling love, and building a lasting, God-centered marriage.

In the fourth sermon of The Perfect Match Series, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield explores the first key principle of a successful marriage: separation. Based on Genesis 2:24a— “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother”—this message highlights the need for couples to realign priorities, relationships, and family ties. A strong marriage requires an intentional shift, establishing a bond that is independent, rooted in love, and guided by God’s design.

In Part 3 of The Perfect Match sermon series, Dr. Stubblefield focuses on the significance of the word “therefore” in Genesis 2:24. This pivotal word serves as the bridge between God’s divine work and the blessing of biblical marriage. Up to this point, God has orchestrated every detail—forming, shaping, and providing—while the man simply rested. He awakened not through his own effort, but to the fulfillment of God’s grace and goodness. This foundational truth reminds us that every biblical marriage is built not on human striving, but on the work of God, who prepares and provides long before we ev...

In Part 2 of The Perfect Match series, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield unpacks Genesis 2:21-23 under the theme The Design It Features. Biblical marriage is a reflection of the Divine Designer’s will and wisdom—crafted discriminately, deliberately, distinctively, and delightfully. This sermon is a timely and transformative journey through a precedent-setting passage that still speaks powerfully to our present day.

Genesis 2:18-25 is a foundational passage for any thoughtful and comprehensive discussion of biblical marriage. In this first installment of the sermon series The Perfect Match, Dr. T.D. Stubblefield explores The Desire That Fulfills. In the first marriage in human history, God placed within Adam the very desire He would later fulfill in the creation of Eve.

One Family Church, one of the St. Louis region’s fastest-growing congregations, is committed to “bringing people and God together in love.” During their monthly Staff Chapel, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield delivers an inspiring message, seamlessly weaving together the timeless truths of 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 and 4:1. His message encouraged the church’s key leaders and staff by highlighting the marks of a meaningful ministry.  Listen, reflect, and be blessed!

At some point in our spiritual journey, we are all destined to face what the ancient mystics and seers referred to as “the dark night of the soul.” This profound period of spiritual eclipse and desolation disrupts and distorts the divine light of the SON (as distinct from the “sun”) in our lives, casting shadows over our hearts and obscuring our spiritual vision.  In the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 21, the Edomites found themselves plunged into such a dark night.  The prophet Isaiah, with his words both timely and timeless, offered them, and us, a beacon of hope and clear guidance o...

In Joshua, Chapter 17, verses 14-18, the descendants of Joseph, namely the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, approached Joshua with a grievance regarding the distribution of land in Canaan.  This meeting transformed into a profound lesson, as they gleaned invaluable insights on the blessings of faith through the wise and considerate guidance of Joshua, their leader and kinsman.  The timeless principles Joshua imparted in this passage remain relevant today, offering us enduring wisdom.  This enlightening sermon delves into three key aspects of this text, centered around "the blessing in believing."

Despite having different last names—Tyus, Middleton, Reed, Simmons, Jarrett, Turner, Vasquez, Foster, Holloway, Stewart, they are one family.  They live in towns and cities across our country.  Since October 2012, this remarkable group has connected every Saturday for a prayer teleconference.  Truly, they are a family that prays together!  For the past eleven years, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield has inspired them with a powerful January message, setting the tone for the year ahead.  This year is no exception.  Be uplifted by Pastor Stubblefield’s Year 2025 challenge to this family.

As a bonus feature, experience Pastor Stubblefield who retired as...

Faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the foundation of the believer’s sense of well-being.  This message based on Chapter 7, verse twenty-five of the Book of Hebrews, offers four assurances that encourages anyone who is facing a crisis of faith.

In this New Year, because of God’s perfect plan for our lives, we each are “pregnant with potential.”  If you are truly a child of God, you are wearing spiritual maternity clothes because God has placed inside the womb of your very being something that the world didn’t give to you and the world can’t take away.  This sermon reminds us of “promises to remember” in the New Year!  

Do you feel like your life is moving in the wrong direction or things aren’t quiet working out as you imagined they would?  The holidays have only exacerbated your disappointment.  What can you do?  You can do like Ruth did in the first chapter of the book of the Bible that bears her name.  You can “face north when life is going south”.  This sermon tells you how.  

Biblical scholars agree that an innumerable multitude of angels; indeed, an angelic army were singing in The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2 verses 13 – 14 on the night Jesus was born.  Their singing and majestic, moving and melodious music announced, affirmed and acclaimed the birth of the Savior.  But their compelling cosmic concert raises a question as well.  What is the message in the music?  If you would like to know, listen to the insightful sermon Dr. T. D. Stubblefield preached before Christmas this year at the historic First Baptist Church, Wright City, Missouri.    

In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, verses eight through twenty, shepherds watching their flocks in the field at night were summoned by the angel of the Lord to be witnesses of the birth of Jesus.  Viewed as common laborers by some and ostracized by others, they still teach us by their example how to observe Christmas.  

The Gospel writer Matthew uses the story of the wise men in Chapter 2 and the Great Commission in Chapter 28 like conceptual bookends to sound a universal note in his Gospel.  The birth of Jesus was not just a Jewish affair.  Even as a child, Jesus faced hostility at home but received homage from afar.  Wise men came from afar to seek the Savior that was born as an infant child in Bethlehem.  Whether kings, philosophers, astrologers or scientists, these men are timeless examples of what should be our primary preoccupation during the Christmas season.  This sermon reveals four things we ca...

The first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke narrates the events surrounding the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There we meet Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus. She is a model of grace. Mary is special! This sermon reveals four reasons why. 

In the first four stanzas of Psalm 145, the author reminds us that whatever else worship is it is infectious, viral, virulent, transmissive, and highly contagious!  When infected people worship, it is not just transformational but GENERATIONAL!  Contagious worship is characterized by its motivation, mechanics, measure, and ministry.  

We do not know who wrote Psalm 100.  The anonymous author pushed through doubt, disillusionment, desperation, disappointment and arrived at a place where, in a magnificent, melodic and moving anthem of praise and thanksgiving, he affirmed that God is good!  In stanza five, he tells us why.    God is good because of His exalted essence, matchless mercy and amazing availability.  

Wouldn’t it be great if when we experience a reversal, a setback or find ourselves in a difficult place, to have the ability to grab a remote and fast forward through the pain, the sorrow, the tears, the disappointment or difficulty?  So often we find ourselves in life at worst "stopped" and at best "paused" as we experience and endure the inevitable reversals - the trials and tribulations that will surely come.  This sermon based on Romans Chapter 8, verse 18, is a spiritual remote that will help you fast forward through any crippling and cumbersome commercials that advertise on your...

In the spiritual realm, storm chasers are rare. We don’t go looking for a storm!  Rather, most of us are like the author of Psalm Fifty-Five who, while looking for an exit ramp from the storms of life wrote, “Oh that I had wings like a dove!  For then would I fly away and be at rest.” The compelling storm narrative recorded in the Gospel of Mark, Chapter Four, communicates Jesus’s dominion over not just the demonic, disease and dysfunction in the human body, but over the disastrous forces of nature.  In other words, when Jesus is on board wi...

In Joshua Chapter Three, the Israelites receive instructions from God about crossing of the Jordan River.  Before they encountered the towering fortress that was the city of Jericho, they faced the turbulent flooding of the Jordan River!  The crossing of the river at this time of the year and their location was risky and fraught with danger and disaster.  But God uses this situation not only to validate Joshua’s leadership but also to fortify the people’s faith.  This experience would become a moving and monumental reminder to them and to the generations of believers that followed them, that God...

In Second Kings, Chapter 4, a single mother whose husband had died faced an insurmountable debt.  Failure to pay would result in her two sons being sold into servitude.  The prophet Elisha challenges her to do an inventory of her household possessions.  She found nothing to resolve her crisis but “a little pot of oil.”   God miraculously turns her little into a lot!   In this sermon, preached during the 2024 Annual Revival at the Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Humboldt, TN, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield exposes and explores the transcendent truths and practical principles of this epic text.  

October is Clergy Appreciation Month.  Once again, we share this classic sermon by Dr. T. D. Stubblefield on the biblical office of Pastor -Teacher based on Jeremiah 3:15. “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (1 Timonthy 5:17).  Send the link to this inspiring message this month to your pastor, or some other minister you know who serve God’s people faithfully along with a note of appreciation for their labor of love.

According to the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 4, verses 16-20, Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah to mark the official commencement of His public ministry.  In the synagogue, Jesus uses the prophet’s words to communicate the character of His ministry to this broken world.  Dr. T. D. Stubblefield leverages this passage as a lens to look through and view the providential joining together of Pastor-Elect, Reverend Eddie Burton and the St. Paul United Church of Christ, Carlinville, IL for ministry during their Welcoming Celebration.  In this sermon, he shares how Jesus’s words in the text provides a blueprint, a templ...

During the Retirement Celebration of Dr. & Mrs. Joseph L. Owens of the Shiloh Baptist Church Lexington, Kentucky, after twenty-five years of faithful service, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield encourages his friends and the church. He draws timeless truths from the historical and experiential setting of Isaiah Chapter Fifty-Two, verses 12 – 13.  This sermon is a compelling reminder that “God can be trusted in a new season” because of God’s promises, presence and provision.

In the soaring crescendo of Galatians Chapter Two, verse 20, Paul declares the essential fact of the Christian Gospel, “The Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”.  The Apostle’s life was powerful, prolific and productive because it was secured, anchored and stabilized by two irrefutable truths.  Dr. T. D. Stubblefield in the concluding sermon of the series, “The Power of a Changed Life” reminds us of what those truths are.  A love that will not let us go and a life that will not let us die!   

A “changed life” is the standard and bar to which every child of God must by grace assent and ascend to.  It requires commitment, courage and consistency.  These characteristics are in short supply in the contemporary church.  In Part 2 of this series, based on Galatians 2:20, the “changed life” is viewed through the lens of surrender.  The Christian life is not about dying but about letting Jesus live in and through us!

The Apostle Paul’s compelling affirmation about the spiritual life in the Book of Galatians, Chapter 2, verse 20 is formative, informative and transformative.  In the first of a three-part sermon series focused on “The Power of the Changed Life,” Dr. T. D. Stubblefield explores the first implication of this pivotal passage in the Word of God for believers today.  The “changed life is a sacrificed life.” 

What makes the church so special?  This question is implicit in the Apostle Peter’s compelling commendation of the church in Chapter 2, verses 9-10 of his first epistle.  The question is still relevant considering the increasing pressure on the contemporary church from within and from without to cave, compromise, and capitulate to a secular culture.  This sermon exposes the movements in the text that is pivotal and primary in this ongoing challenge by providing three key responses to the question, “What makes the church so special?” 

In Psalm 73 Asaph, a worship leader in the Temple during the reign of King David experienced a crisis of faith as he observed around him "the prosperity of the wicked".  When he worshipped, he faced his crisis, found clarity, and framed a confession of his renewed faith in God.  His experience still provides insight for the uptight.  

While pursuing perfection, the Apostle Paul was in a war. The battleground was within him, and the adversaries were the flesh and the spirit.  For those who are struggling with sin today, we learn from Paul’s words and experience that, we cannot win the war with human reason, resolve or resources but only with and through the Heavenly Redeemer, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Book of Acts, Chapter Three, verses 1 – 10 is relevant to anyone who occupies residence, domicile, territory, and hiatus in holy places.  The primary character in this narrative had settled on the premises.  Yet, when his story concludes, he is standing on the promises.  Dr. T. D. Stubblefield has preached all around our country and abroad.  In this classic sermon preached during revival at the Colossians Baptist Church in Newport News, VA, he shares how this man moves from settling to standing!     

In Chapter Three of the Book of Daniel, the primary characters, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, did not make a purchase at a clearance sale or in a bargain basement but transacted the business of their faith under the most difficult and deadly of circumstances.  They embraced the “high cost of standing.” Their courage, commitment and confidence are an inspiration to every generation of believers.  They stood up, stood in and stood out!  We can too!    

In Psalm Fifty-five, stanza 22, King David laments the suffering and disappointment that he experienced because of his son Absalom’s attempt to usurp the throne and from the betrayal by a close advisor and friend.  Yet David expressed his personal, persistent and profound faith in God who can handle every demanding situation we face in life.  In this moving passage and its larger context, David offers timeless and relevant encouragement to each of us.  This sermon tells us how.  

During the 225th Anniversary Celebration of the Historic Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield parses powerfully and passionately the Risen Lord’s commendation of the Church of Smyrna recorded in Chapter Two, verse 10 of the Book of Revelation.  While doing so, in this memorable message he exposes and explains the three characteristics of "the kind of church the Lord blesses".  

Chapter Eleven of the Gospel of Matthew begins with an exceptional interrogation by the John the Baptist but ends with an exclusive invitation in verse 28 by the One whose mission, ministry and message that John seemed to momentarily question.  This invitation should not be so easily dismissed or discarded.  On the one hand, to do so would forfeit an unparalleled opportunity for love, joy, peace and happiness now and in eternity.  On the other hand, ignoring it could place and plunge one’s life into extreme jeopardy or eternal danger.  This sermon explores the characteristics of this “exclusive invitation.”  

Samson would never be a poster child for Great Fathers of the Bible; in fact, there is no record that he ever had children.  But here we are!  Parked at this text.  Why?  Because Samson demonstrates for us the power of a praying man; no matter how finite, fractured or flawed he was!  For most of the narrative about him recorded in Chapters 13 - 16 of the Book of Judges, he is playing and not praying.  And yet, at the end of his life, he prays, and God answered in a mighty way. 

As Jesus’s public ministry comes to an end, he intensifies the training of the disciples.  He teaches them that genuine faith can move mountains!  Faith does not retreat from impossibility but trusts in God. The principles in this message will encourage believers today to talk to and conquer our mountains no matter what forms they take!

In Chapter Thirty-Six of Exodus, Israel upsized their giving with an “over-the-top” offering.  Fresh out of Egyptian bondage and responding to an appeal to support the construction of the tabernacle, they gave so much that they were restrained by their leaders from giving.  The means, motive, measure and model of their giving is a challenge to believers and churches today and is a powerful precedent for what constitutes authentic biblical stewardship.  

During the Twenty-Third Pastoral Anniversary and Church Birthday Celebration at the Christ Way Missionary Baptist Church in Louisville, KY, Dr. Stubblefield preaches from Isaiah, Chapter 52, verse 12 and reminds Pastor and People that there are “assurances for the journey”.  On our journey with the LORD in life and in ministry, we can be assured of His promises, His presence and His protection.  Because of these assurances, we don’t travel economy but First Class!  

Dr. Stubblefield shared this powerful message on Father’s Day in 2022 at The Still Useable Ministries Church in St. Robert’s, MO.  In many homes in America, the voice of the father has been muffled, muted, maligned, misrepresented or gone missing altogether.  This reality is deeply damaging to the fabric of our society of which biblical marriage and family is the foundation and the father and husband is the chief cornerstone. In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter One, verses 62-66, Zacharias, a Jewish priest, found his voice after losing it because of a lapse and lack of faith, We can to

The Parable of the Good Samaritan recorded in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 10, verses 30 -37, is Jesus’s response to an expert (scribe) of the Law, who came to Him attempting to justify himself.  The parable leverages one of the frequently used metaphors in the Bible of the spiritual life, that of a journey or a road trip.  The journey that is the life of the child of God involves dangers seen and unseen.  There are steep mountains to climb and deep, desolate valleys to go through.  Like the man in the parable, we can find ourselves broke, bent and be...

The questions asked at many places in the Bible opens and pushes back the panoramic horizons of spiritual reality and truth.  Whether, God asking Adam in Genesis Chapter 3, “Where are you?” or the disciples on stormy sea in an act of desperation asking the Lord, “Care not that we perish?”, questions can be profoundly provocative and redemptively revealing.  One of those questions is recorded in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter Twenty-Two, verse 71.  “What need we any further witnesses?”  This sermon offers three responses to that question and is a reminder that Christian witnesses are needed in our world today, but experience i...

One of the Apostle Paul’s favorite metaphors for Christian life and ministry was the military.  2 Timothy, Chapter 2, verses 3 – 4, is one of many places in his writings where this image and analogy is used.  One gets the sense when reading his letters in the New Testament that Paul was all too familiar with the clank of armor, the thump and thud of soldiers’ feet as they marched under command and in formation, brandishing swords, shields and spears.  As we celebrate the contributions of those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom, this sermon leverages the Apostle words in the text...

The final installment of the sermon series “Improving Our Serve” focuses on the call of Isaiah to the prophetic ministry recorded in Chapter Six, verses 1 -8 of the book that bears his name.  This passage reveals that before the prophet committed to be a servant before his Sovereign, he also acknowledged being a creature before his Creator and a sinner before his Savior.  God requires the same from any of us who are serious about ministry. 

A mother who could quality as the poster child for “bad luck magazine” is driven into Jesus's presence because of a personal crisis.  Her faith will not allow her to settle for crumbs from the Lord's table because she believes she can have the crust.  She learned, as can we, that "Jesus is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think!"   

While the church grows stronger through worship, larger through evangelism and witnessing, deeper through discipleship and wider through ministry, we grow warmer through fellowship.  This sermon, Part 4 of the series “Improving Our Serve” focuses on the account of the victory that David and his army won against marauding Amalekites.   Although an Old Testament passage, this account recorded in the Book of First Samuel, Chapter 30, verses 18-25, is a timeless precedent and primer on what authentic fellowship is in the life of the church.  

Someone defined discipleship as “thought accompanied by endeavor.”  In the Book of Judges, Chapter 7, Gideon leads three hundred Israelite soldiers with unconventional weapons to victory against a vast Midianite army.  Their actions demonstrate the characteristics that should be present in the life of every disciple.  In this sermon, Part Three of the series, “Improving Our Serve”, Dr. Stubblefield shares “The Three B’s of Discipleship”.  

In Part 2 of the series, “Improving Our Serve”, this sermon focuses on the account of Naaman the Syrian general recorded in Second Kings, Chapter 5, verse 1 -15.  Despite his position of power and prominence in the Syrian nation, military renown, and wealth, Naaman was a leper.  His visit to the prophet Elisha in Israel began with the faithful witness of a Jewish slave girl and culminated in healing and spiritual wholeness as he experienced firsthand the awesome power of God.  Naaman became a witness too!   

In the first of a series of sermons around the theme, “Improving Our Serve,” Dr. Stubblefield focuses on worship.  Using Second Samuel, Chapter Six, verses 12 – 15, he makes the compelling case that worship is the church’s SPD, “Spiritual Prime Directive”.  Worship is the pressing priority of the church and the perennial occupation of heaven.  Worship is compliant, costly, compelling and contagious.  Like King David in the text, worship gives every child of God an opportunity to “breakout”!  

If the life of Jesus was a movie, the Transfiguration recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke and in the Second Epistle of Peter is a “spiritual trailer” and “a preview of coming attractions.”  It revealed God’s purposes regarding the death of His Son on Calvary and is the precedent that is the future hope of the Church because Jesus tasted death for all of us and His transformation on Mt. Hermon was the powerful pregnant prelude to His resurrection.  On a practical note, this sermon reminds us that the “glimpses of glory” God gives us in everyday life...

This sermon focuses on the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter Nine, verse 36, and the compelling profile there of Jesus’s ministry as the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep.  His compassion is the hub around which this text and sermon pivots and pulsates.  Jesus models compassion with His searching awareness, His sincere affection and His sobering assessment.  These commitments propel the sacrificial accommodation that is the powerful prelude to Resurrection Sunday.  Jesus gave His life on the Cross for those who are helpless, harassed and hopeless.  He lives now not only as the Compassionate Shepherd but also as the...

The Cross on which our Savior died is at the epicenter of human history.  It defines everything that goes before it and determines everything that comes after it.  One of the seven sayings or utterances of our Lord from the cross was “It is finished.”  This cry was not the wobbling, woeful words of an abused victim but the triumphant trump of a valiant Victor.  “It is finished” is not the rant of a tragic resignation but the regalia of treasured redemption.  These powerful and poignant words of Jesus announce not only the “finish of the start” but the “start of the finish

This sermon is Part 2 of a two-part series. It introduces “huddle disease”, the malingering, malicious, malignant malady that cripples the contemporary church. Huddle disease frustrates the church’s efforts to develop laborers for the spiritual harvest that Jesus said, according to the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 9, verses 35 – 38 , “is plentiful”.  This disease accounts for the anomaly of a “church on every street corner,” yet this massive physical presence failing to impede the moral, spiritual, social and economic decline in our cities and communities.  We have become hostages to the huddle, and it has crippled our ability to model the Master’s ministry and to fu...

The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 9, verses 35 -38, provides a preview of the primary parameters of the ministry of Jesus.  The priorities, perspectives and principles that Jesus models in this passage is a blueprint for the contemporary church.  In the first sermon of a two-part series, Dr. Stubblefield will focus on how Jesus was committed to reaching out, reaching in and reaching down.  

In our Bibles, Psalm 86 is ascribed as a “prayer of David”.  The psalm expresses the comprehensiveness of the care David expects and experiences as a member of the covenant community.  As members of the Lord’s church, we are the bountiful beneficiaries of that care and coverage as well.  In this sermon, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield, in vintage form and focus conducts a policy review of stanzas four through seven and concludes that our relationship with the LORD provides coverage you can count on.  Refresh Community Church in University City, MO, one of the St. Louis Region’s fastest growing chur...

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 14, verse 6, Jesus reminds His disciples and us that He is the “Ultimate Treat”.  He has no equal!  Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life.”  This passage uniquely highlights the uniqueness of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He is both God and man and, according to this sermon, is the path that marks our purposes, the principle that molds our perspectives, the provision that motivates our participation and the Person that mediates our pardon.  

In the Book of Lamentations, Chapter Three, verses 21 – 24, the prophet Jeremiah is overrun and overwhelmed by ruin.  Exiled from his homeland and having to sing the Lord’s song in a strange land, he recalls the calamitous and catastrophic failure of a nation that had been destined for greatness.  He was taking this failure personally because it had happened on his watch.  He painfully laments the plight of the people.  The words in the text flow from the vortex of national and spiritual disaster.  But while he starts with ruin, he does not end there.  He chooses not to focus on t...