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 …
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 …
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 …
Our Dreams For Our Student Ministry
Recently, we examined the make-up of our church. The Saturday/Sunday Bible study attendance is made up of 48% under age 18 and 52% 18 and up. Those numbers picture a very healthy church. If the numbers were skewed in either direction, the church would be unhealthy. Today I want to write about our Student Ministry (7th-12th grades). We all know …
Why Good Things Happen At Church
Years ago, I preached a sermon on why good things happen at church. The sermon fit what God was doing at First Baptist Church during that time. We had just begun to grow and had started a second worship service. The sermon came from the Book of Acts and we looked at the qualities of the first century church. The …
Deacon Selection Upcoming
Beginning in August, my preaching plan will involve a sermon series from Acts called “Turning Points.” The Book of Acts shows a series of turning points that changed everything. One way to look at Acts is seeing how God worked in Acts to break down barriers. As I have been studying and planning for the sermons, several recurring points have …
The Baileys’ Plans For July
Several years ago, the congregation of First Baptist Church insisted that Martha and I take some extended time to get away. At first, we had to be compelled to do so (what were we thinking?), but since then we look forward to the time. We deeply appreciate our church’s concern for us and look forward to having most of the …