First Baptist Blowing Rock

Is the Church more concerned with it's own survival over advancing the Kingdom of God? Have we lost our passion for sharing our faith? Have we emphasized spiritual growth at the expense of evangelism? Have we lost our sense of urgency? Join us as we discover how to regain a "fierce urgency of now" when it comes to sharing with others what is supposed to be the most important thing i...

Psalms 46 has been used as a great source of strength and encouragement to those facing trials and struggles, but what if it was more than a source of comfort but rather a place to find confidence? The Psalmist encourages us to "Know" or "experience" God in a very real and tangible way in our everyday lives but this first requires that we "Be Still". What might that l...

When does Christmas end? Is it on December 26th? Or maybe it is on January 7th, the end of the 12 days of Christmas and the celebration of the arrival of the Magi in many churches? While we debate and discuss how the beginning of the season keeps getting pushed back early and earlier into November, but what about its end date? Is it when we finish unwrapping that last present, or when the relative...

When you read in 2nd Corinthians 11:21-29 as Paul describes some of the things he endured and overcame while sharing the gospel, you can't help but thinking "dangerous". But why would this simple, old theologian be in danger or even dangerous to those around him? It wasn't who he was that made him dangerous, but rather his message. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the m...

In spite of what we see in our traditional nativity scenes, we don't know how many Magi/Wise Men there actually were, we don't even know when they arrived on the scene or where they really came from; so what role do they play in the story? Join us as we examine the purpose and message of the Wise Men and how their arrival brings both the Old Testament and the Death of Jesus Christ into t...

It seems like you can't watch the news or get online without being overwhelmed with acts of "Evil" happening all around the world; church shootings, hunger and homelessness, marriages and homes dissolving and hate filled protest. We have a tendency to want to ask why? what happens that causes these events or these acts? The answer is simple; we live in an evil and fallen world and t...

The Apostle Paul warns us that if we claim to be followers of Christ, people will be watching us and for many people, the only definition of Christianity they will see is what they observe from your life. He tells us to be careful and strive to always do what is "right". So what does doing what is "right" mean, and what might that look like in our everyday lives? In Romans 12:1...

As the Apostle Paul continues to paint a picture of how the followers of Christ are supposed to live from Romans 12, he moves from our relationship with a specific group of people in verses 14-16, to a more general audience in verse 17. While at first glance it may seem to be just a simple instruction to "always do what is right" but when you examine the context and his word choices from...

We continue looking at character traits that will help or hinder our ability to put into practice "Blessing those who persecute us, bless and do not curse" from Romans 12:14. Much like stretching before you run or exercise; the Apostle Paul gives us some traits that will help stretch us spiritually and soften our hearts to get us to the point that we can learn to bless those difficult pe...

We were blessed to host Pastor Mark Brumbelow and his wife Cherry from Grace Baptist Church in Brazoria Texas to share how God has used their small rural church to do some incredible things with Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. In 2015 their church of 40 members collected 5321 shoeboxes! Their goal this year was 6975 to bring their 3 year total to 15,000 shoeboxes which is an incredible amount...

As a follow up to last weeks sermon from Romans 12:14 where Paul commands Christ followers to "Bless those who persecute us, bless and no curse". Knowing that this command goes against our human nature and can be so difficult to live out; Paul follows up in verses 15-16 with some practical examples of how we might prepare our hearts to be able to bless those who have persecuted us, betra...

All of us have people in our lives who have hurt us; some intentionally, some by accident and some never even realize the pain they have caused. We have people in our lives who betray us, who bully us, who lie about us to get ahead. People who make fun of us, who talk behind our back, who spread rumors about us - just plain old fashion "Mean People". In response to these people, we spend...

Terms like "authentic" and "community" have become the new Christian buzzwords. You find them in purpose statements, on church signs, on our logos and in our orders of worship; but do we even know what they mean? Are we advertising something that we are not providing or even producing? Have they simply become cliché's to an outside world who finds more community at their l...

How do we define love? How do we define how we are supposed to love others? Sure we can describe what love looks like, or it's attributes or characteristics but can we define it? What about God's love? If Christ followers are supposed to "love others the way God does, or the way God loves us", what does that mean? The problem with coming up to an answer for that question is eve...

How do we determine if we are a healthy and growing Christian? How do we determine if our church is "healthy"? Some would point to external factors; size, attendance, programs, growth - others might look at the past and determine progress made - but do those really reveal health? For years we determined a person's health by looking at their weight and height then finding on a chart...

It had been well quoted that in the average church 10% of the people do 90% of the work and while that may not be the case in many churches, a Gallup Poll found it close to reality. Even more disturbing is that the same poll revealed that of the 85-90% of church member who are not serving or working in their churches, 50% said they could not picture any circumstances where they would get involved....

We live in a very self absorbed culture. Our social media sites are filled with "selfies" and other pictures from our day to day adventures. Our self worth seems to hinge upon how many views or likes we get from our media post on the various apps we can't help but check at every waking moment. We are eliminating grades in school for the same reason that everyone now gets a trophy fo...

In a recent USA Today survey people were asked what would be the one question they could ask God. Over 80% responded that they wanted to ask God, "What is your will for my life? What is my purpose?" Even in the church, many long time Christians still struggle with the idea of "God's Will" and purposes for their life. Does He have a specific will for me and if so, How can I...

We live in a rapidly changing culture and it is having a profound effect on Christians and the Church. Behavior and lifestyles that only a few years ago seemed abnormal or out of the mainstream are now not only accepted but even celebrated. The lines between how society defines good and evil and right and wrong are being blurred and it is happening at such a pace that many in the church don't...

As we continue looking at Romans 12:1, we examine the ideas behind individual worship and what that might look like in the church. The reason many people today struggle with worship is related more to what they are willing to give than any various worship styles. Worship must always include a sacrifice and it starts with each of us willingly giving every part of ourselves to God and everything els...

If you pay attention to the media, it would be hard to miss all of the articles, books and reports declaring the decline of the Christian church in America. From falling attendance numbers, shrinking membership roles to declining conversions, it seems like there is no good news for the American Church. But are we really in a crisis or is this simply just a correction? Could it be that over the las...

A recent survey found that people had greater success naming the kids on the Brady Bunch than trying to name the 10 Commandments. The second most recognized Commandment was the fourth; "Honor the Sabbath and keep it Holy" yet most people could not really explain how we are supposed to do that in today's church. It is often one of the most misunderstood or controversial commandments...

While Americans gather this weekend to celebrate our Independence and Freedoms; churches on Sunday will be full of people singing and celebrating their spiritual freedoms, yet many remain in bondage. In Galatians 5, Paul reminds us that until we experience true spiritual freedom and understand what we have been set free from, we will struggle to walk out those freedoms. For many Christ followers,...

If you want to make people uncomfortable in church just mention the word "change"! While we are willing to strive for some personal change, when it comes to changing how we do church, or what we do at church, or even a line on the order of service; we are much more hesitant or even resistant. Yet, for the church to reach the next generations, we must change and adapt. It is not a matter...

In 1st Samuel 16:1, the nation of Israel and its future was at a crossroads. God has just taken His anointing away from King Saul and was moving towards the future by sending the Prophet Samuel to find and anoint the new king at the home of Jesse. But Samuel was in mourning for his friend Saul, and had no idea what God's plans for the future involved and what he might find while looking for t...