We cannot do without you. You are absolutely essential for the Body of Christ and for the Kingdom of God. As you and I obey our Lord, we serve Him and the kingdom is blessed. Thank you for serving, witnessing, giving, and praying for the work of God through First Baptist Church. I want to give you a brief overview …
Sermon Series “Wisdom For Difficult Times”
Do we go over the fiscal cliff? Will we go back into another recession? What will happen in the Middle East? Will Iran develop a nuclear weapon? Will North Korea develop a long range missile to reach the west coast of the United States? The questions about the future go on and on. These may not be the most uncertain …
Why Today Could Your Best Ever
Christmas matters. Through the Christ event, the fullness of Christ has been revealed to us. Why does Christmas matter? What did God do on our behalf? First, God works where we live. God did not work outside of history but within the bounds of our world. He came to the real world of Ceasar Augustus, Quirinius, and Joseph and Mary. …
My Hardest Days As A Pastor
Being a pastor is hard. This is not a complaint; it’s simply an acknowledgement of the reality. Most people don’t know what makes being a pastor hard. Yesterday someone talked about preaching being hard. While preaching takes extensive preparation over a lifetime, that is generally not what a pastor would describe as hard or onerous work. In fact, most of …
What Should We Do On This Sad Sunday?
I watched the news early Saturday morning and late Saturday night about the school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut and read most every news service available. The shooter killed 20 children and six adults–all women and children. The children were all 6 or 7 years old. This is a very sad day in America. To me, it feels almost as hard …
Where Will You Give This Christmas?
Christmas and the end of the calendar year are times when Americans give more money than any other time. What will you give this year? Let me suggest Christian ministries where you can give extra money before the end of the year First, consider giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. This offering provides half of all the support for …
Beginning Again
I love to start something new. My guess is I got it from my dad who loved new projects and new businesses. For me, the beginning of school and the beginning of a new year is a wonderful time. The opportunity to begin something new and fresh thrills me. God deals with us in exactly that way. He forgives and …
Facing Life’s Battles
One of life’s truths is that you can either blame the past or someone else or you can do something about the present. You can’t do both. Those people who live in the past cannot function in the present. Those who blame others cannot deal with the real issues they face. You see this problem on every level of life. …
New Sermon Series: Overcoming: Living Christ’s Victory
Beginning this weekend, I will be preaching a new sermon series entitled “Overcoming: Living Christ’s Victory.” This is the premise: we have no reason to live defeated lives; we have every reason to live victorious lives. Christ died to make us new people. We are His new creation; all things have become new. We have been crucified with Christ. The …
Living In Uncertain Times
You and I live in uncertain times. Amazingly, that often seems to be the most certain experience we have. Think with me about all the areas we struggle with. Will we have a nuclear Iran? Will our country deal with it adequately or hope it goes away? What about our economic situation? Health care? The breakdown of the family and …