FBC Platte City

"What does the Lord require from you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." -Micah 6:8 Ultimately, following Jesus is a not a matter of the head, it's not a matter of the hands, it's really a matter of the heart.

Romans 8 includes a list of blessings and promises for anyone who belongs to Christ. Reflect on these promises this week :  >  We are no longer condemned.  There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. You are not condemned for past sins, present sins or future sins.  >  We are free in Christ . No longer fearful of sin or death.  >  We have power over sin because of the Spir...

Alternate titles: Who's your Daddy? Do you pray to Daddy-God? The REAL Godfather ... Ok, but seriously: We're looking at Romans 8:14-17. What does it mean to be a "child of God"? No matter where you're at in your faith, it can be a challenge to feel secure in your relationship with God. For those who believe in Jesus, there are 3 realities that the Spirit provides for us: 1....

From Death to Life: Message 1 of 4 In Romans 8, Paul writes about 2 types of people: those living in the FLESH (hostile to God) or those living in the SPIRIT (in submission to God). If you've chosen to follow Jesus, you have a new freedom, a new mindset, and a new responsibility.

A man dies, is buried, then three days later is alive again and talking to his friends. Sounds like a fantastical story, right? We’re looking at the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. It’s not just an entertaining story. This has the power to change your life. Whether you're spiritually curious or a follower of Jesus, we all have to answer this question: do you believe Jesus came back to life? I...

This passage is somber but it reveals Jesus’ love for us. Jesus was mocked, weakened, unclothed, forsaken, and died. By his wounds, we are healed. What’s your response to the affliction of Jesus? We invite you to take some time this week to read through Matthew 27 and 28 as we prepare our hearts for Easter.

As Jesus prepares for the cross, he spends time praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knows he’s going to be experiencing separation from God on the cross.  While the weight of God's wrath isn’t a pleasant conversation topic, it’s necessary. Attempting to understand what separation from God means gives us a deeper appreciation for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  While Jesus was praying in th...

Matthew 26: Jesus shares the Lord's Supper (aka communion or eucharist) with his disciples. For thousands of years before Jesus walked the earth, God's people shared this meal together but this time Jesus takes it to a new level.

We're talking about Matthew 21:1-17. Jesus enters Jerusalem. The city erupts with celebration. Then Jesus flips tables and curses a tree. ...there's a lot going on in this one!

FEAR. For some of us it's a bigger struggle than we'd like to admit. Take courage. Jesus' power in our lives isn't diminished even when our faith is weak.

DOUBT. The guy (John the Baptist) who dedicated his life to telling people that Jesus was coming struggled with it. Even when we've spent years of our lives following Jesus, we can still have doubts, too. So how do we deal with it?

Jesus’ experience with temptation is recorded in Matthew chapter 4. We all experience temptation.  Here’s some practical takeaways about how to deal with temptation: Realize that your life as a believer involves temptation. Being tempted isn’t a sin, it’s giving into it that becomes a problem. Pay attention to the ones that keep tripping you up.  Recognize the threat of temptation (especially in y...

Why did Jesus get baptized? To set an example for us To identify with the brokenness of humanity. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  - 2 Corinthians 5:21   This is the good news : If you have turned from your sin and believed in Jesus’ sacrifice for you, then God looks at you the same way He looks at Jesus.  “This is my Son, wh...

The Bible was written over a period of 1500 years, but it contains 1 unified storyline. In fact, there are details about Jesus' birth, life, and death that were foreshadowed and recorded in the Old Testament more than a thousand years before it all happened. From the beginning, it was said that people around Jesus would perceive him as unremarkable. Today, that's still the case. Jesus is o...

You might be tempted to just scan through the long line of Jesus’ genealogy. If you look a little closer, you’ll find that Jesus’ family tree included women with a scandalous and shameful past. You’ll find men with significant lapses in judgment and character flaws. Yet, God chose to include these men and women in Jesus’ family line. As you think about your own story, is there something in your pa...

I am passing the baton of leadership to my friend, Jason Crum. It is one of the most significant events of Jason’s career and mine. It’s a moment of transition, launching into a new day for our Family of Faith. I get to offer Jason a few encouragements as he becomes the Senior Pastor of FBC Platte City. This is so much more than a moment, it’s the beginning of a new day for our church! ‘I thank my...

At just the right time, God sent His Son, Born of a woman, born under the law, Born to bring us back to God! Galatians 4:4-5 Christmas is a moment in time—‘littles’ are all about waiting for it, ‘bigs’ are all about preparing for it— but either way, it comes down to a moment, a day, a time. Ready, or not, Christmas is HERE! But we all want it to be more than a moment. We want it to be a Difference...

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." (AW Tozer) It’s not just knowing about God— it’s KNOWING God, and being known by God. There’s no greater gift from God than knowing Him and being known.

The only line longer than the checkout line at Christmas is the return line the day after. Everyone is trying to turn what they got into what they really wanted. C.S. Lewis said “Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God that will make him happy.” I LOVE Being Your Pastor! Rusty

Celebrating Rusty & Stephanie's 32 years of ministry at FBC. Rusty's friend Jeff Adams shares a message about finishing well.

‘When you were dead in your sins, God made you alive with Christ.’ Colossians 2:13 Jesus asked his disciples "Who do people say I am?" After they reported what people were saying, he asked them "What about you? Who do you say I am?" Everything hangs on that answer. We’ve been listening to Paul in Colossians explain that Christ is greater. And to have Christ in you— that’s the h...

I have lived too much of my Christian life alone. Oh, there were always people around me, but I didn’t always let them in. The first thing God said was NOT GOOD was this— "It’s not good for the man to be alone." Solitude is a good thing, but if you’re not careful it crosses a line into isolation and loneliness. I believe God brings people into my life (and me into theirs) for my good and...

Devote yourselves to prayer— watchful and thankful. And pray for us too. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. Colossians 4:2-6 I want to focus my heart and efforts on what matters most— the highest return on my investment of focus and intention. Don’t you? In my mind it boils down to living a God-centered life, living in deep connection with people who value what I value, and helping more...

Marriage. Parenting. Just a few minor topics to discuss as we continue our series through the book of Colossians. Yeah, right! Now, I’m not promising all of your questions about how to have a good marriage and raise your kids will be answered. But let’s look at what Paul has to say about living out our faith in Jesus when it comes to family life and take some steps to continue to grow and improve....

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17 I want a discipleship of DOING, not just a discipleship of KNOWING. Does that make sense at all? I’m tired of knowing more about Jesus than I live. I feel like a hypocrite when what I know and what I live don’t stay in sync. We want to live from the finish...