Dr. R.C. Smelcer

Be of Good Cheer Series (An Open Sermon Letter to the People of Gilead Baptist Church) Series Context: The Dark Hours and the Voice of Christ There are moments in the Christian life when darkness seems heavier than usual, when burdens gather around the

Be of Good Cheer Series (An Open Sermon Letter to the People of Gilead Baptist Church) Introducing the Series: Be of Good Cheer in the Dark Hours There are seasons in every believer’s life when the words of Christ seem almost too gentle for the darkness

Be of Good Cheer Series (An Open Sermon Letter to the People of Gilead Baptist Church) Introducing the Series: Be of Good Cheer in the Dark Hours There are seasons in every believer’s life when the words of Christ seem almost too gentle for the darkness

Be of Good Cheer Series (An Open Sermon Letter to the People of Gilead Baptist Church) Introducing the Series: Be of Good Cheer in the Dark Hours There are seasons in every believer’s life when the words of Christ seem almost too gentle for the darkness

So Great a Salvation: What God Has Already Given His People (An Open Sermon Letter to the People of Gilead Baptist Church) When Salvation Feels Smaller Than It Really Is. There are many believers who are genuinely saved, sincerely committed, and

The Lion and the Lamb: Power and Gentleness in Our Savior (An Open Sermon Letter to the People of Gilead Baptist Church) Strength We Long For and Mercy We Need There is something deep within the human heart that longs for strength. We want to know that

The God Who Finishes What He Starts Opening Section – The Uneasy Feeling of Not Being Finished (The God Who Finishes What He Starts) There is a quiet struggle many believers carry that rarely gets spoken out loud. It’s the sense of being unfinished. Not

The God Who Is Bigger Than What We See Opening Section – When What We See Feels Bigger Than What We Believe (The God Who Is Bigger Than What We See) There are seasons in life when what we see begins to dominate what we believe. Circumstances get loud.

The Quietest and Most Destructive Sin in the Church Today: The Slow Poison of Bitterness Part 1: Bitterness Never Announces Itself There’s a sin that slips into the heart quieter than most. It doesn’t explode like anger, it doesn’t brag like pride, it

When Christians Grow Cold (An Open Sermon Letter to the People of Gilead Baptist Church) There is a chill that can settle into the soul long before a believer ever notices it. It does not come suddenly, like a winter storm sweeping through the night. It

My Personal Morning Reflection... Last Saturday, I shared  my personal thoughts as I pondered. I appreciate the feedback from those few who read it and found it helpful. This week I have been feasting on Isaiah 45:3 since studying on it for Wednesday

Judas Iscariot stands as one of the most tragic figures in all of Scripture. His name has become synonymous with betrayal, deceit, and wasted opportunity. Yet one of the greatest theological errors ever taught is the claim that Judas was predestined by

My Personal Morning Reflection... This week my heart has been resting on a truth that does not get talked about much anymore, yet it weighs on so many. It comes from Psalm 131, a small psalm with a large lesson for the soul. Psalm 131:2 – “Surely I have

Reviving the Altar: Returning Prayer to Its Rightful Place (An Open Sermon Letter to the People of Gilead Baptist Church) There are moments in the life of a church when the Holy Spirit does not merely whisper to the heart of the pastor but burns within

The Battle for the Mind: A War that Many Are Losing Today (An Open Sermon Letter to the People of Gilead Baptist Church) Part 1 – The Quiet Battlefield No One Sees My dear church family, there is a battle taking place right now that is claiming more