First Baptist Shreveport

The Lord Had Given Thanks: Being Thankful This Season Weekly Devotional 11.25.2024 “ Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Our Thanksgiving is closely modeled after Jesus giving thanks. While Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and spend time with loved ones, Jesus giving thanks is all about fe...

November 17, 2024 - Dr. Jeff Raines  Living According to the Word [Psalm 119:9-16] What are your first memories of the words of Scripture? Has the Word of God become a part of you?  "Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Law of the Lord."   Psalm 119:1  Synonyms for law here are: Torah, statute, decrees, word, commandment, precepts  The blessed life comes from putting...

Which is the Greatest?: Questions Jesus Answered Weekly Devotional 11.18.2024 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 19:16-17  What do you think is an essential quality in a close friend? Think for a moment about this question. The way you just answered this questio...

November 10, 2024 - Dr. Jeff Raines  Active Compassion [Matthew 25:31-46] Do you help vulnerable people?  Does it make it into your calendar or your budget?  Today's step:  Practice Care for the Vulnerable  Do we show compassion and grace like Jesus has shown to us?  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did f...

Who, What, Where, Why?: Questions Jesus Asked Weekly Devotional 11.11.2024 “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” Matthew 16:26 Many of the questions Jesus asks cause his followers and accusers to stop, reflect, and answer honestly what they think and believe about topics ranging from His Lordship and...

November 3, 2024 - Dr. Jeff Raines  Do Not Fear - [Isaiah 41:8-10] Why are you afraid?  Fear is one of the most powerful human motivators.   But we are not meant to live in fear.  It's damaging to our bodies and relationships and distorting to our souls. This week there is a political storm where fear is used as a motivator on all sides.   One of the most repeated commands is scripture is &qu...

In the Beginning was the Word: Jesus at Creation Weekly Devotional 11.4.2024 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:1-3 “The beginning of Hobbits lies far back in the Elder Days that are now lost and forgotten….Yet it is clear that Ho...

October 27, 2024 - Dr Jeff Raines  More! Think about the word "more." What drives us to always want more?  Is "more" bad? What is the "more" in your heart?  What is driving you?  “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 2...

Weekly Devotional 10.28.2024 Divine Mystery: Fully God and Fully Man “A life without passion is not living, it’s merely existing.” This quote has been attributed to Leo Buscaglia, an author and professor who specialized in what it means to be human, who also said, “A life without love, no matter how many other things we have, is an empty, meaningless one.” When these quotes are taken together, Bus...

October 20, 2024 - Dr Jeff Raines  What is our most important job as Christians?  Before Jesus ascended, he left us with these words:  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” Acts 1:8  We are to add our voice to those witnesses.  We must have an authentic experience with Jesus and live lives of transformation consistent with the gospel. We...

Grace, Love, and Fellowship: Jesus and the Trinity Weekly Devotional 10.21.2024 “ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14 Correctly understanding the Trinity is critical to understanding who God is and the person and work of Jesus. Before diving in, we must understand that theology for knowledge's...

Hungry and Thirsty, For What? - John 6:25-40 and Matthew 5:6 - Ronney Joey Webb.  When was the last time you were really hungry and thirsty? We go through life hungering and thirsting for food and water, but some of us spiritually malnourished.  What gives us life? Jesus offers the ultimate food - a relationship with God the Father through the sacrifice of his life. He calls himself the bread of l...

Threefold Office: A Greater King Weekly Devotional 10.14.2024  “God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:15-16 Jesus serves as our greater King, the one who is God, was appointed by God, overcame sin, and rules over all cre...

October 6, 2024 * Dr Jeff Raines  "Stop Stealing Stuff"  40 steps closer, today's step:  Don't steal and reject the hold of greed.   “You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15  "Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of his making."  Proverbs 16:11  When do you find yourself at the mercy of others?  It's common for us to be in a si...

Darryl Strawberry, a story by Justin Carroll, was first published in 2014 in the Gulf Coast Journal of Literature and Fine Arts. One of the unique literary features of Darryl Strawberry was Carroll’s use of descriptive words to explain something he was referencing without explicitly naming that thing. Instead of saying baseball field, he would use words like bleachers, mound, and first base to des...

September 28, 2024 * Dr Jeff Raines  40 steps closer, today's step:  Be careful when you judge, and start with yourself.   Matthew 7:1-5 & 1 Corinthians 5 Who gets to judge? Judges need to be impartial, fair, and wise - they serve an essential role in our culture.   Jesus tells a story in Matthew 7 about removing the plank in our own eye before judging others.  Self righteousness is dange...

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.” Deuteronomy 18:15 Do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? We all recognize this important oath being given before a witness testifying in court. This oath or affirmation is given by a witness stating that they will...

9.22.24 - Dr Jeff Raines  Living Well in Exile - Jeremiah 29:4-14 What does exile look like?  This was Israel’s plight in Jeremiah’s day. They were exiled thousand of miles away from Israel to Babylon. While they were there, their prophets were telling them things they wanted to hear. They told them the exile wouldn’t last long. In many ways, we are all exiles today. There is something in our hear...

Standing just 30 inches by 21 inches, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci has captivated millions of people over the centuries. With over 10 million people visiting this monumental painting annually, it can be argued as the most famous painting of all time. Da Vinci’s artwork typifies the Italian Renaissance, a period and country known for achievements and cultivation in painting, science, and arch...

9.15.24 - Dr. Jeff Raines  Raising Teenagers or Screenagers - Deuteronomy 6:1-9 Today we are talking about the technology that has taken root in our lives and how that is effecting the way we are raising our children.  In our text today, Deuteronomy boils down all of the law to one commandment - to love. As parents and leaders, Deuteronomy 6 tells us that the words that God tells us should be on o...

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. Colossians 2:9-10 Science experiments help us understand seemingly abstract concepts in concrete ways. Most students love the moment their teacher transitions from a lecture to the lab because the creative experiment allows students to be...

September 8, 2024 * Dr. Jeff Raines  “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭ In our 40 steps closer sermon series, today's step is:   Think about what is good Our actions flow out of our thoughts...

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6  The Guinness Book of World Records was first published on August 27, 1955. Since its first publication, it has been published in over twenty languages and over one hundred countries. To date, there are currently 53,000 records in the database. These records showcase everything from modern marvels an...

September 1, 2024 - Dr. Jeff Raines  Today’s Step:   Submit to one another  In Ephesians 5, we find this admonition:  “…Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Many have a negative reaction to this word because of how it’s been misused in our lives.  Any time we go searching in the Bible to find a verse to support our selfish impulses, or the worst elements of our culture, we are not o...

In today's devotional, we explore the question Jesus asked Simon Peter - "Who do you say I am?"  Scripture - Matthew 15:15-16 In the play Hamlet, an important question is asked during Hamlet’s soliloquy. In Act 3 Scene 1, Hamlet asks, “To be, or not to be—that is the question.” Others throughout history have posed important questions that are still relevant even today. Martin Luther...