Heroes of the Faith: John Hambleton

Heroes of the Faith: John Hambleton

A runaway teenager becomes a theater man, then a gold rush drifter, then a near-corpse under a tree while his so-called friends dig a grave. That’s the road John Hambleton walks before the gospel finally moves from something he “believes” to Someone he trusts. We mark the 100th Heroes of the Faith broadcast by telling his full, surprising story and why it still speaks to anyone trying to fill the heart with success, adventure, or self-effort. We talk about Hambleton’s upbringing in Liverpool and the quiet power of a godly mother whose Christlike life kept pressing on his conscience long after he rebelled. You’ll hear about the moment in a Geelong saloon when the Bible is mocked, laughter spreads, and Hambleton can’t join in, even though he isn’t yet converted. That tension builds through the chaos of the California Gold Rush, where fortunes rise and vanish overnight and eternal questions get louder when death gets close. The turning point comes back home in England, where he discovers his mother’s written prayer of faith and then hits the wall of trying to change himself. With a Bible open to John 3 and John 5, he stops trying to earn God’s favor and simply trusts Jesus Christ. From there, the story accelerates into open-air preaching, rented halls, training other evangelists like Henry Morehouse, bold banner ministry at public gatherings, and even the Bible carriage, a mobile pulpit and book distribution tool that carried the message town to town. We also trace the unexpected fruit of Hambleton’s preaching, including Thomas John Barnardo’s conversion and the lasting impact of Barnardo’s homes. If you want a vivid Christian testimony, practical motivation for evangelism, and a reminder that grace is received not achieved, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review, then tell us: what part of Hambleton’s story challenges you most? Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com [https://biblebaptistdeland.com] Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org [https://jameswknox.org]  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons [https://www.youtube.com/jameswknoxsermons] Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand [https://www.sermonaudio.com/biblebaptistdeland] Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org [https://store.jameswknox.org]

Heroes of the Faith: Henry Moorhouse

A bedridden woman calls to ask for a visit and one small question opens a huge door: what should you call a Christian preacher, and what does that name say about who we are? We talk candidly about why “reverend” belongs to God, why titles can feel hollow, and why “Brother” points to something real a shared Father, a shared new birth, and a spiritual family that spans places we’ve never been and people we’ve never met. From that personal moment, we move into a story with surprising weight: Henry Morehouse, the little-known evangelist nicknamed “the man that moved the man that moved the millions.” Before he preached Christ, he was a troublemaker, gambler, and gang leader who carried a pistol and expected his life to end badly. Then one word stops him cold: “Jesus.” We walk through the gospel pattern the transcript makes plain conviction, repentance, conversion, and the new life that follows and we linger on the striking picture of security in Christ, nestled close to the Lion of the tribe of Judah when the enemy comes back to reclaim what he lost. The center of the episode is D. L. Moody’s own testimony about hearing Morehouse preach John 3:16 again and again, with an unusual challenge for the time: bring your Bible, open it, and test every claim from Genesis to Revelation. Moody admits his heart “began to thaw out,” and that his preaching changes from a message of God poised to strike to God pursuing sinners with love. If you care about evangelism, Bible study, Christian revival history, and the power of a single Scripture to reshape a ministry, this conversation is for you. Subscribe so you don’t miss the next story, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review with one takeaway you’re still thinking about. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com [https://biblebaptistdeland.com] Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org [https://jameswknox.org]  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons [https://www.youtube.com/jameswknoxsermons] Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand [https://www.sermonaudio.com/biblebaptistdeland] Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org [https://store.jameswknox.org]

Footprints of the Savior: Part 6

A night of hard work ends with empty nets, and then a voice from the shore asks one painful question: “Have ye any meat?” That moment in John 21 is where we start, because it exposes something timeless about the Christian life. We can believe Jesus is risen and still live as if He is far away. As we trace the final steps in The Footprints of the Savior, we watch the risen Christ step right into ordinary routines, bring weary disciples back to simple obedience, and turn failure into a doorway for grace. From Galilee, we walk through the scene where love recognizes Jesus first, where bread and fish are already waiting, and where Peter is restored through the repeated question that still searches the heart: “Do you love me?” We talk about what Jesus is really doing when He presses Peter past bravado, past comparisons, and into a personal, honest confession. Then comes the commission that defines spiritual leadership and everyday discipleship: feed my lambs, feed my sheep, follow me. If you have ever felt distracted by busyness, discouraged by a “nothing” night, or unsure how to serve after a fall, this message meets you there. We also follow Christ to Bethany and the Mount of Olives to consider the ascension of Jesus Christ and why it matters now. The ascension is the King returning to glory, the finished work accepted, the believer’s assurance secured, the church’s Head enthroned, and the sending of the Holy Spirit made possible. It is also a solemn declaration against Satan and unbelief, and a call to ask the most important question of all: do you know Him, and are you walking in His footsteps? Subscribe for more Bible preaching and teaching, share this broadcast with a friend, and leave a review to help others find it. What line or moment from this message stays with you most? Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com [https://biblebaptistdeland.com] Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org [https://jameswknox.org]  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons [https://www.youtube.com/jameswknoxsermons] Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand [https://www.sermonaudio.com/biblebaptistdeland] Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org [https://store.jameswknox.org]

Footprints of the Savior: Part 5

Fifteen words can carry a whole world of meaning. We follow a simple but unforgettable outline of Jesus’ final hours, tracing a path from “silver” and betrayal to the “stone” at the tomb, stopping at Gethsemane, the trial, the scourging, the cross, and the moment Scripture records as darkness at noon. If you’ve ever wanted a clear, Bible-rooted meditation on the suffering of Christ, the crucifixion, and why the resurrection is not a symbol but a victory, this message is built to help you see the gospel with fresh weight and wonder. Then we leave Jerusalem’s sorrow for the Emmaus Road, where two discouraged disciples trudge home with shattered hopes. Jesus Himself draws near, walks with them, and patiently pulls their story out with questions before opening the Scriptures from Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms. The result is one of the most personal pictures of how Bible truth restores faith: opened eyes, opened Scriptures, opened understanding, and hearts that burn again with hope in the risen Christ. We also bring it home with direct application for anyone listening who feels sad, downcast, or troubled. Christ still calls us to ask Him to abide with us, to repent and trust Him for salvation, and to live out our faith in the strength of the Holy Spirit. And we end with a needed challenge: Christian radio can encourage you, but it cannot replace a faithful, Bible-believing local church. Subscribe for more Bible preaching, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review to help others find the message. What part of the Jerusalem to Emmaus journey speaks to you most? Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com [https://biblebaptistdeland.com] Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org [https://jameswknox.org]  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons [https://www.youtube.com/jameswknoxsermons] Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand [https://www.sermonaudio.com/biblebaptistdeland] Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org [https://store.jameswknox.org]

Footprints of the Savior: Part 4

A snowcapped mountain, a shoreline of miracles, and one question that still divides public opinion from personal conviction. We follow Brother James through two unforgettable gospel settings: Mount Hermon near Caesarea Philippi and the Sea of Galilee. Surrounded by pagan temples and rival claims to authority, Jesus asks, “Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Then He turns the question toward His disciples, and Peter’s confession lands with weight: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  From that rocky backdrop, we climb to the Transfiguration, where Christ’s glory shines in a way that is not reflected but inherent. We unpack why this moment matters: the comfort of the Son as He nears rejection, a preview of the coming King in majesty, and needed strength for Peter, James, and John as suffering and costly ministry approach. With Moses and Elijah present, the focus narrows to the simplest, most searching takeaway: “Jesus only.”  Then we walk the harp-shaped Sea of Galilee, naming the towns and scenes that hold the memories of Jesus’ earthly ministry: Capernaum’s healings and warning, Magdala’s deliverance, Gadara’s freed captive, the Sermon on the Mount, and the storm where Christ speaks peace. The thread tying it all together is both comfort and confrontation: Christ comes to bless and save, yet rejection brings real consequence. Listen, share with someone who needs steady faith, and subscribe and leave a review to help more people find the message. Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com [https://biblebaptistdeland.com] Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org [https://jameswknox.org]  YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons [https://www.youtube.com/jameswknoxsermons] Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand [https://www.sermonaudio.com/biblebaptistdeland] Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org [https://store.jameswknox.org]