FBC Platte City

If you heard the story of Noah and the ark as a child, you may not have realized how intense and dark it actually is. God’s severity and kindness are both revealed.   Here’s a few key takeaways from the account of Noah: God is not indifferent to our sin- it grieves him Noah provides a great model for remaining faithful when those around you don’t believe Noah held onto the promises of God in the m...

The story of Cain and Abel isn’t just a story about a conflict between 2 brothers- it’s an example of how our decisions can change the course of our lives and future generations.  When you consider all of the elements at play in Genesis 4 and 5, there’s a lot of opportunity for self-reflection. Here’s a few questions from the message to consider: Are you giving God your best? Are you trusting him?...

God had a perfect design in mind for the world when He created it and one day the world will be made right again. Until then, we live with brokenness caused by the effects of choosing our own way instead of God's. From the beginning of time, God knew that we wouldn't be able to maintain his design our own and  Jesus' life, death, and resurrection would be the key to returning back to God's perfect...

As we get to chapter 3 of Genesis, things start to take a turn. If you’ve ever wondered why God even allowed this tree with forbidden fruit in the garden, listen to this message.  When Adam and Eve realized they had broken the agreement they had with God, they became aware of their nakedness and hid from their shame.  Likewise, are you hiding from God? When we come to God with our brokenness, he d...

Whether you’re in school, a stay at home parent, or clock in and out every day, most of us spend the majority of our time each year working somehow. Maybe you’ve imagined that after life on earth as we know it, we’ll spend our time floating up on clouds in heaven and finally get a break from work. But that’s not the case! God actually created us to work from the beginning of time, it’s actually a...

When God created the earth and everything in it, over and over he declared it all “good.” It wasn’t until after God had created man that he said something wasn’t good: “It’s not good for the man to be alone.” Whether married, single, widowed, etc- none of us are meant to be alone. God created us to be in meaningful relationships with one another.  Here’s a few questions to consider as you listen t...

When God created the world, he created it for us as a home that was good, beautiful, and complete. We were meant to live with him there in an ongoing, perfect relationship. After sin entered the world, our relationship with God was fractured. Thankfully, that's not the end of the story. Jesus offers us the opportunity to come home and find the peace we were created to live in from the beginnin...

Some people spend their whole lives and all their fortunes trying to find the thing that satisfies their soul but they come up short.  If you want to live your best life, you have to understand these key truths: You are a unique creation made in the image of God.  You bring God joy and he rejoices over you.  Your ultimate joy and contentment come from being in a relationship with God.  You are a r...

When it comes to thoughts regarding the beginning of life on earth, most people are consumed by the “how” question: “How did the world come to be?” But the author of Genesis directs our focus not so much on the how, but the “who” and the “why.”  The first chapter of Genesis answers both of those questions.  Who created the earth? God , whose power is awe-inspiring and reveals his glory God , who i...

In this "bonus" series of Jonah, we look at the story of The Prodigal Son... but we're actually talking about 2 sons. The younger brother is selfish, greedy, and rebellious. The older brother is a religious rule keeper. The father ultimately ends up forgiving the younger brother and bringing him back to the family, but the older brother is mad that his father has compassion on his br...

The story of Jonah gives us the opportunity to reflect on some challenging questions. As we wrap up chapter 4, here are a few questions for you to consider: Who have you not been willing to show compassion to? What comforts are you putting ahead of your concern for people that don’t know Jesus? Do you really believe people are lost and under God’s judgment? Are you willing to go where God leads? T...

Jonah: Part 3 Takeaways: 1. God loves the undeserving. The reality is, none of us deserve God's love. The Bible shows over and over again how God gives grace and shows mercy to people who have wrecked their lives with darkness. God's grace is bigger than your sin. 2. God uses the imperfect and inadequate to reach the undeserving. Abraham, Moses, David, Mary Magdalene, and Paul were all cho...

Takeaways: Your sin is never beyond God’s grace. Doesn’t matter what you’ve done or what’s been done to you. Is there something keeping you from receiving God’s grace? Your distress is meant to bring you back to the Lord. When things are good we can so easily forget God, but it’s often in our distress when we turn back to him.  Your life as a Christian is one of ongoing repentance and growth. Livi...

Jonah: Part 1 If you've heard of Jonah from the Bible, your mind might immediately jump to a big fish or whale... but there's actually much more to the story. We invite you to read this short book throughout our 4 week series and continually ask yourself, "Am I being like Jonah?" as you read. Here's a few key points from our 1st week: 1. You are often not 1 BIG decision away...

Beloved, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are!  1 John 3:1 It's God's kindness that leads you to repentance. While the word "repentance" can sometimes feel like a loaded word, the intention behind it is to bring you back to a closeness with God. If your relationship with God is feeling off or stagnant, &qu...

As Jesus wraps up his teaching on the Sermon on the Mount, he presents listeners with 2 choices. After describing a challenging (but right) way of living, he says "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise..." then continues "Anyone who doesn't obey it is foolish..." The world offers us many voices and influences that lead us away from Jesus. Some would tell...

The Sermon on the Mount is filled with some convicting teachings from Jesus. While it may sting a little bit, the purpose isn't meant to bring us shame but to help us analyze our lives and consider things we need to address. This week's is no different. Jesus said before we judge someone else's wrongdoing, we need to examine ourselves. This doesn't mean that we are to withhold judg...

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he gives 3 reasons why we don't need to be anxious: 1. You are valuable to God. 2. Your worry does no good. 3. You are provided for by God. While the cares of this life tend to consume us, Jesus tells us to prioritize our attention on him. Yes, these things are easier said than done, but this is a way of life that requires practice and intentionality. Ultimat...

Have you ever felt stuck with knowing how and what to pray? We don't have to wonder because Jesus teaches us.

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he talks about the spiritual practices of  giving ,  praying , and  fasting . When Jesus talks about these practices, he doesn't say "if" you do them, but "when" you do them. When we build these spiritual habits in our lives, they have the capacity to deepen our faith in Jesus. However, we need to keep our motivations in check. Do we parti...

"Gouge out your eye, cut off your hand..." Jesus gets pretty graphic in his teachings about lust in his Sermon on the Mount. This isn't an exhaustive conversation about love, lust, marriage, divorce, and singleness, but it might be a good starting place for you to have dialogue with other people in your life about these issues.

ANGER: a feeling we all know too well. When Jesus talked about anger as recorded in Matthew chapter 5, he shared some serious consequences for how we deal with our anger. Jesus equated our anger with murder. Holding onto anger, bitterness, and hatred leads to harm for ourselves and it impacts our relationship with God. While dealing with your rage may feel like an impossible task, there's hope...

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls his followers the "salt and light" of the world. Salt and light are key elements of life. Salt= adds flavor, preserves food (essential when Jesus' was making this comparison) Light= comforts, provides direction We're living in a dark and decaying world. Jesus' metaphor of salt and light remind us of the capacity we have for influencing...

Words to Live By: Part 1 Matthew 5:3-12 In Jesus’ most famous sermon (the Sermon on the Mount), the first section is called the Beatitudes. Some people might be tempted to look at this as a list of exchanges, “if you do this, you’ll have this.” But Jesus is actually giving us a visual of what a Christian life should look like. While it may seem discouraging to measure yourself against this list of...