Pastor Dave Hentschel continues our series Passing the Faith to the Next Generation with a timely message from 2 Timothy 2:14-19 on how a church stays healthy, unified, and anchored in truth. In “How Do We Pass on a Healthy, Unified Church?” he explores what not to fight about, what we must fight for, and how to tell the difference. This sermon challenges believers to avoid pointless quarrels over gray areas, stand firm on essential doctrine, and rightly handle the Word of truth so the church can remain strong for generations to come.

On Easter Sunday, Pastor Bob Erbig opens 2 Timothy 2:8-13 and centers the church on the command, “Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead,” showing that the resurrection is not merely a comforting tradition or a distant doctrine, but the unstoppable foundation of Christian hope, courage, and mission. Framed through the image of a seed that seems buried and lifeless yet bursts forth with new life, this message explores the person worth remembering, the preaching that cannot be chained, and the promise that cannot be broken, reminding believers that Jesus’ resurrection changes everything from the way we face grief and loss to the way we endure suffering and proclaim the gospel. With pastoral warmth and urgency, Pastor Bob calls the church to see that because Christ truly rose from the grave, death does not have the final word, the gospel cannot be silenced, and the people of God can live with bold resurrection confidence in a world still marked by sorrow.

Because Jesus Christ rose from the dead, the gospel cannot be silenced, the mission cannot be stopped, and God’s promises cannot be broken.

As Millington Baptist Church continues its 175th anniversary year, Pastor Dave Hentschel opens the new series Passing the Faith to the Next Generation by walking through 2 Timothy 2:1-7 and asking a pressing question for every church and Christian institution: how do we prevent gospel drift? Drawing from Paul’s final charge to Timothy, this message explores what it means to hold the line with courage and clarity by depending on God’s strength, entrusting the truth to faithful people, embracing the real cost of ministry, and thinking deeply about what matters most. Through the images of the soldier, athlete, and farmer, Pastor Dave shows that the gospel does not move forward automatically, but through believers who are strengthened by grace, committed to the truth, and willing to suffer, labor, and persevere so the faith can be faithfully passed on to the next generation.

If the church is going to stay faithful, every generation must receive the torch of the gospel and hold it high.

Pastor Bob Erbig continues the “Passing on the Faith” series with a sobering and timely message from 2 Timothy 1:6-18 on what it means to live with courage when faith comes under pressure. As Paul writes from prison to Timothy, he calls him not to retreat in fear or hide in shame, but to fan into flame the gift of God, stand unashamed of the gospel, and hold fast to the truth entrusted to him. This sermon explores the reality of cultural pushback, the temptation to keep faith private, and the Spirit-given power, love, and self-control believers need to remain faithful under fire, while pointing to the beauty of the gospel that makes every cost worth bearing.

May God make us a church that fans the flame, shuns the shame, and breaks the chain of fear for the sake of Christ and His gospel.

As Millington Baptist Church begins a new sermon series through 2 Timothy, Pastor Dave Hentschel opens with a message on the urgency and beauty of leaving a legacy of faith. In 2 Timothy 1:1-5, we are brought into the deeply personal relationship between Paul and Timothy and reminded that the gospel does not move forward automatically. It advances when one generation receives it faithfully and passes it on courageously. This sermon reflects on the messengers, the message, and the method God uses to preserve His truth across generations, while calling the church to embrace its role in passing the torch of gospel faithfulness.

This message also sets the tone for MBC’s 175th anniversary season by connecting the church’s present calling with the sacrifices and witness of those who came before. Pastor Dave challenges the congregation to think carefully about the spiritual legacy they have inherited, the responsibility they now carry, and the next generation that must be prepared to receive the faith. With imagery of relay races, three-chair churches, and Paul’s final letter from prison, this sermon is both a stirring call to gratitude and a bold exhortation to gospel mission.

As we begin this series, may we remember that someone once made room for us to hear the gospel, and may God now use us to make room for someone else.

Dr. Jason Thacker, Director of the Research Institute at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a leading voice on human dignity, ethics, and culture, joins us to open Psalm 8 and help us recover a distinctly biblical vision of what it means to be human. In a cultural moment where personhood, value, and moral worth are often treated as fluid, developmental, or dependent on ability, autonomy, or usefulness, Dr. Thacker reminds us that Scripture grounds our dignity not in what we do, what others think of us, or what we contribute, but in the God who created us, knows us, and crowns humanity with glory and honor. Walking carefully through Psalm 8, he shows how our understanding of ourselves can never be separated from our understanding of God as Creator, Sustainer, and Lord, and how our calling as image bearers flows from His majesty rather than our own self-definition.

Our dignity is secure because it is rooted not in ourselves, but in the majesty of the God who made us.

In this final message of our Upside Down Glory: Disability and the Kingdom of God series, Pastor Bob Erbig turns to 1 Corinthians 15 to ask a deeply personal and eternal question: What happens to disability in the resurrection? Framed by the sobering yet hope-filled reflections of former Senator Ben Sasse, this sermon explores Paul’s powerful imagery of the seed and the resurrection body—sown in weakness, raised in power. Addressing questions about continuity, transformation, identity, and the future of our suffering bodies, Pastor Bob walks carefully through the promise that God does not discard what has suffered but glorifies and redeems it. With pastoral tenderness and theological clarity, this message reminds us that our identity is not rooted in dust, diagnosis, or decay, but in Christ—the Man of Heaven—and that one day, at the sound of the trumpet, death itself will be swallowed up in victory.

Sown in weakness, raised in power—because in Christ, the body that suffers will one day shine with resurrection glory.

In this second guest message, Dr. Corey Miller, President and CEO of Ratio Christi, addresses what he calls “The Third Revolution” and the growing intellectual challenges facing the church. Examining the rapid cultural shifts of recent years, Dr. Miller explores where these changes originated and how universities have played a formative role in shaping today’s dominant ideas. Reflecting on the phrase, “As go the universities, so goes the culture,” this message considers the major philosophical and ideological currents influencing society and why many believers feel unprepared to engage them. Dr. Miller then turns to what has been called “the scandal of the evangelical mind,” challenging the church to recover thoughtful, rigorous discipleship that equips Christians, parents, and students to recognize and respond to ideas that undermine biblical faith.

If the church is to stand firm in a shifting culture, it must love God not only with heart and strength, but also with a renewed and informed mind.

In this guest message, Dr. Corey Miller, President and CEO of Ratio Christi, explores a foundational moral question: Is Jesus truly unique when it comes to basic morality? Centered on the Golden Rule and its formulation in Matthew’s Gospel, this sermon examines how people across cultures recognize moral truths—even without hearing Jesus’ teaching directly—and what that universal awareness reveals about the nature of morality itself. Dr. Miller contrasts the Golden Rule with the more passive “Silver Rule” and highlights how Jesus’ positive, proactive command stands apart in both depth and authority. By situating the Golden Rule within its immediate biblical and worldview context, this message argues that Jesus’ moral vision is not merely one voice among many, but evidence pointing toward the truth of Christianity.

When we examine the moral law written on the human heart, we are ultimately confronted with the Lawgiver Himself.

In week six of Upside Down Glory, Pastor Dave Hentschel opens Romans 8 and 1 Corinthians 12 to explore what it means to be “The Body That Suffers Together.” Scripture tells us that all creation groans under the weight of the fall, and believers groan as well—not in despair, but in hope. This message reminds us that suffering is not a sign of weak faith, but a shared reality in a broken world, and that the Spirit of God intercedes for us even when we have no words left to pray. Yet God never intended His people to suffer alone. Through the image of the church as a body, Pastor Dave calls us to move beyond isolation and independence into interdependence, where every member is needed and every weakness matters. The church is not a crowd that watches suffering, but a body that absorbs it, bearing one another’s burdens with Romans 8 hope and 1 Corinthians 12 hands.

In a groaning world, God forms a people who wait with hope, care with compassion, and refuse to let anyone suffer alone.