First Baptist Blowing Rock

People today love to take pictures, we have whole social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram built around sharing our pictures with the world. In a recent survey, high school and college students use their phones more for taking pictures than phone calls. With the explosion of picture taking, the arrival of quick self editing using "filters" has followed suit. Most of the picture...

Depression is one of those topics you don't hear discussed much in church, yet it is said 20% of all Americans (1 in 5) will suffer from serious depression in their lifetime. Currently almost 19 million Americans suffer from some sort of clinical depression and a recent study found that 36 % of all teenage girls have suffered a significant depressive episode or consider themselves depressed....

As we wrap up our study on the Sermon on the Mount, we ask the question, "Why does it matter?". Why is the sermon so important? Why do many consider it to be one of Jesus's greatest teachings? To help find some answers, we look at how the original listeners responded? What did they think, and what difference did it make to them? While many today try to separate Jesus from the life l...

Join us as we learn some important lessons about the influence of a Mother's Passion. We hope to redeem a Mother who has received a bad rap in the New Testament as well as gaining a few examples for all parents to follow when it comes to our children's spiritual future. From Matthew 20:20-28 Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and sha...

In every letter that the Apostle Paul writes to the various churches he warns them about false teachers. Numerous times throughout the Gospels, Jesus warns about false teachers but none clearer and more direct than what is found at the end of his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7. He is very pointed in calling out those He calls "wolves in sheep" clothing whose intent is to build up their...

While many consider Jesus words in Matthew 7:21-23 to be the most shocking or heartbreaking of the entire New Testament, others would love to bypass, overlook or rationalize them away. After warning about false teachers or "wolves in sheep's clothing", Jesus now confronts the end results for those who fall into the trap or are lured away by those teachings. What makes the teaching s...

People have been using and blaming God for their own profit and gain, to build their own kingdoms and to justify their sinful actions and behavior since the garden of Eden. False prophets and false teachers claiming to speak for God are scattered all through the Old Testament, but as Jesus establishes His church he knew it would only get worse. In every letter/epistle the Apostle Paul wrote to his...

The Apostle Paul encourages the Church at Philippi to "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling" in Philippians 2:12 as an encouragement for them to never stop examining their own hearts and motives. Jesus spends the better part of the end of his Sermon on the Mount on the same topic giving several metaphors and illustrations calling for self-examination. Yet you will not hear it...

Many love to quote Matthew 7:1, "judge not least you be judged" yet that passage is found in a section of Jesus' teaching from the Sermon on the Mount that puts a spotlight on what could be defined as "judging". We are told not to be self-righteous or hypercritical in how we respond or treat others and we are warned to never try to take God's role and authority as the...

In our current culture, it doesn't take long for anyone who states a conviction or belief that might runs counter to modern PC group think to receive the admonition, "Judge Not least You Be Judged". It seems that is the "go-to" response on Facebook, Social Media, Blogs, Websites and sometimes even in person anytime we might express a biblical conviction about sin or sinful...

Worry is not only something that can affect your health, your sleep patterns and stress levels but according to Jesus IT IS A SIN. We don't like to think of it in those terms, but God does. Worry and Anxiety rob your joy, diminish your worship, corrupt your faith and reveal that you really don't trust God according to Matthew 6. Jesus unpacks a convicting illustration to his earlier teac...

In Luke 18 when Jesus is asked by the "rich young ruler" what it takes to "inherit eternal life" Jesus responds by calling him to "sell all you have and give the proceeds to those in need". Was this a specific command for this one person or is it something He expects from every follower? In our series from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus seems to be encouraging his fol...

Is it possible for God to be moving in our midst and we not know it? Could He be opening doors and providing opportunities and yet we are unaware? What did Jesus mean when he warned "He who has eyes to see, let him see"? As Jesus continues to encourage his followers from his Sermon on the Mount to invest their time/talent and treasure in things that have eternal value, he also warns that...

We make investments every day; we invest our time, we invest our talents and we invest our treasure on those things that we think are important. As Jesus continues his teaching from the Sermon on the Mount aimed at calling his followers to a higher standard; he warns that while we may pay lip service about what is important to us - the true devotion of our heart is always revealed in where we have...

In James 5:16, The King James Version translates James' promises that "the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much". In a more modern translation it is given as "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective", another says "The effective and passionate prayer of the righteous works" yet most followers of Christ would not honestly descri...

As Matthew 6 transitions from Jesus encouragement for his followers to develop and pursue spiritual maturity (perfection) from Matthew 5; Jesus follows up with a warning. He warns his followers here in Matthew 6 to be on their guard not to fall into the same trap that had ensnared the Pharisees when it came to their spiritual disciplines. Using the examples of prayer, fasting and the giving of our...

At the end of Matthew 5, Jesus encourages his followers to strive to "grow up" spiritually; to grow into mature believers. This growth starts with a changed heart that is totally submitted to the control and leadership of the Holy Spirit and leads to certain spiritual behaviors that not only help us continue to grow, but also allows us to use the gifts he has given us to impact others. J...

Can a Christ follower ever be "perfect"? Is that even a possibility? Not sinless - that is impossible as long as we live in these fleshly bodies; we will always struggle with sin - but perfect? Paul tells the church at Philippi in Philippians 3:12 that he has not been made "perfect" but he continues to pursue it. In Hebrews 6:1 we are told to move on from elementary teaching to...

The very first Christmas had its share of interruptions and disruptions so why should we be surprised when our Christmas plans don't go as we had hoped or planned. So many of us dream of creating the perfect Christmas memories; usually along the lines of a Norman Rockwell painting, and what we get is a Clark Griswold Christmas with our own version of cousin Eddie, lights that don't work...

When confronted with how we are to respond to someone who has hurt us, or is taking advantage of us, or even suing us; Jesus gives a curious answer that speaks directly to the heart of a his followers. In Matthew 5:41 Jesus directs his follower that if they are compelled to carry someone's burden for one mile, they should go two. To his original listeners, this spoke to a Roman law where a so...

With the recent Presidential elections over and after a nasty and ugly campaign, one thing is pretty obvious; regardless of which candidate you supported - the character and integrity of a candidate no longer matters to a majority of Americans. Both candidates trustable rankings were in the low 30 % meaning that over 70% of America did not trust or believe the word of either candidate and yet the...

Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount by dealing with the controversial topic of Divorce and how it relates to his followers and the new righteousness that He has introduced. We examine the Old Testament precedent and the context for Jesus' words found in Matthew 5:31-32 as we get to the heart of how divorce affects us both spiritually and culturally. While the scriptural stand on divorce m...

In Matthew 5 as Jesus continues to give examples of the new standard he requires for those who would follow Him; he looks to the 7th Commandment for guidance. "Thou Shall not commit Adultery" sounds like an antiquated rule from a long ago past; when is the last time you have heard someone describe an extra martial affair as "adultery"? We use more flowery term today like "...

In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus warns his follower that while they may no longer be subject to the spiritual punishment of the moral law from the Old Testament that does not mean it is no longer important and valid for their lives. Just the opposite; whereas the Pharisees and religious leaders righteousness was based on obeying the letter of the law and only concerned with the act itself - The new right...

Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others.  Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page .  Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715