MISSIONS SUNDAY – JUNE 3
The ALL series concludes with an emphasis on Missions. The sermon on May 27 will be Christ commands the church to take the gospel to all. One of our faithful missionaries, Maria Anzalone, will share a challenge with us on June 3. I hope God shares his heart for missions through Maria and that we are encouraged to pray, give, and go. We will have a pot luck lunch after the service on June 3.
Mother’s Day
Come celebrate Mother’s with us this weekend at First Baptist. We have a Bake Sale on Saturday from 10am-2pm. Worship will be at 10:30 on Mother’s Day Sunday. Women will fill the leadership roles and my wife Jessie will bring us a sermon.
All
There is an accurate description of the sinful condition of all mankind in Romans 1-3. This is the theology of sin. The good news that Jesus Christ died for sinners is found in Romans 4-10. I must acknowledge the truth that I am a sinner before I can trust Jesus as my savior. In this sermon series, we will see that ALL are Sinners, God made a way for ALL, and we need to share the gospel with ALL.
All Church Study
I’m asking all our First Baptist Church people to jump into a book with me. All of our small groups are going to be studying Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan. I don’t think I’ve been more challenged in the past 3 years by anyone as much as by Francis. I like to be challenged. Don’t you? I hope you will read the book with us and join a small group for the duration of this Study. I will attempt to align my sermons with the subject of each chapter. Read Chapter 1 for Sunday February 26.
Why would we study about the Forgotten God?
I want to see the Holy Spirit at work more in my own life.
I want our Sunday worship to be transformed by the presence of the Holy Spirit bringing glory to Jesus Christ through His people.
I want people to share how the Spirit is guiding and empowering you. Small groups provide an excellent format for this type of sharing.
I don’t want us to be satisfied living our lives, holding weekly meetings, and having bible studies without the Holy Spirit.
I’m not looking to build what the world considers a successful church. Only a Spirit filled people can bring hope, life, and power to a spiritually dead community. May God shake us up and send us out!
2012
The new year is here. If you haven’t investigated the person called Jesus, then this is a good time to start. God offers forgiveness of sins, a relationship with Him, and eternal life all through His Son Jesus. I began 2012 with sermons on Jesus the Healer. The greatest healing is not that of a broken body, but that of a bruised and broken soul. I want to encourage you to turn or return to Jesus the Healer as we begin 2012.
Advent
This is the first Sunday of Advent. I had not experienced the traditional lighting of candles on the advent wreath before coming to New Hampshire. Today we lit the candle of Hope and read the following scripture passages.
Isaiah 60: 1-3: Arise, shine; For you light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.
Titus 2:11-13 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ
It was good to be reminded of the hope that is ours in Christ. We look for the coming of Christ and the completion of our redemption story.
I chose to share a message from Psalm 143 and speak about hope from David’s perspective.
Giving Thanks
Yes, It is that time of year. Since most of us fail to live with the gratitude attitude all year round, it is good to be reminded by a holiday to give thanks. Don’t forget to give God thanks for Who He is and for what He has done for you this year. I shared a message on Thankful Praise today. I am thankful for Jeanie Haggstrom and Walking in Light Ministries. Jeanie has a long term relationship with First Baptist Church. We have helped in her ministry for many years. She shared a testimony with us this morning. I am posting links below to her testimony and today’s sermon.
Long Term Marriage
Today we began a series called Long Term Marriage. My goal is to share biblical principles about marriage that will help us enjoy being together for the long term. God doesn’t want us to endure a long term relationship with our spouse. He wants us to enjoy the relationship. The goal isn’t just avoiding divorce. There may be times we have to fight for our marriage, but we all want a marriage that is worth fighting for. We will consider several topics, including sacrificial love, submission, serving, forgiving, and appreciating the differences between men and women. If you are not married, you will still find principles that have application in your relationships. The photo is my parents holding hands. They have been married for 60 years. Thanks Mom & Dad for showing many people a wonderful example of a loving relationship. (Click the photo for direct links to the sermons for this series.)
Thirsty
I read Psalm 42 last week and was impressed enough to take a little detour before starting the next sermon series. I’m giving a 2 part sermon on spiritual thirst. The First is on Spiritual Dehydration. The second is on Free Drinks, Free Refills. I’ll begin a Marriage series on October 16.
MONEY $EN$E
Click to go to sermons
This series addresses the way we handle our money. We want to honor God with our resources. We cover topics like debt, tithing, sharing, and stewardship.