FBC Platte City

Since you've been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above... Colossians 3:1 I want my heart to be right. I want my mind to be focused. But much of my actual experience is of a heart that's fickle and a mind that wanders. I ask God sometimes to fix my heart and settle my mind, but He keeps telling me that's my job. We're practicing the art of fixing our eyes on Jesus-- i...

Have you ever wondered "why isn't this stuff working?" You keep trying to change. Stop doing this. Start doing that. Think differently. Act differently. Talk differently. No matter how many good deeds or days you can string together it still feels like a sham. Something deep inside is still the same and desperately needs to change. Read Colossians 1 and 2 to set your heart and mind o...

In our Christian journey we are going to encounter a number of obstacles. Whether confusion, disappointment, or discouragement, the list of struggles can really start to stack up.  While the journey can be challenging and difficult at times, there are some essentials that Paul provides in chapter 2 of Colossians that you need to take hold of so that you can "walk in Christ." Jason

What are some of the factors that have helped you grow in your spiritual faith journey? In the opening section of Paul's letter to this church in the small city of Colosse, he mentions that he continually prays for this church to grow in their faith. And what's interesting is that Paul doesn't immediately give a list of things they need to do- he'll get to some of that later in the...

Since the day we heard about you we have not stopped praying. (Colossians 1:9) What do you pray when you're praying for the ones you love the most? What do you hope someone somewhere is praying for you? Sometimes I settle for temporary, quick fix prayers. Paul taught us to pray bigger than that, and deeper. He prayed in ways that got beyond the what and how. Paul prayed about what was going on...

So that in all things He might have supremacy  (Colossians 1:18)   We're starting a deep-dive through the book of Colossians. I love this book because it keeps bringing us back to Jesus. And I'm convinced, that's the answer for EVERYTHING- putting Jesus first and seeing life & people through the "Jesus lens." I LOVE Being Your Pastor! Rusty

The older I get the more appreciative I am of Christians who remain faithful until the end. Unfortunately, there have been many Christian leaders who have not finished well and those stories can be heartbreaking.  As we conclude our series in the book of Daniel, we arrive at chapter 6. Daniel is no longer the teenager we found in chapters 1 and 2. He is now in his 80s and he is once again faced wi...

I was recently talking with a young man who consistently shares the gospel on college campuses and he was telling me some great stories of college-age young people placing their faith in Christ. It was so encouraging to hear. During that conversation he also shared the opposition they face for talking about Jesus.    Have you experienced hostility from others at work or in your family? When you fo...

Did you know it's estimated we dream around 4-6 times per night but we forget about 95% of our dreams? When you do remember dreams, are yours vivid? Do you have a recurring dream? I bring this up because as we continue our series in the book of Daniel we find King Nebuchadnezzar unsettled by a recurring dream. But this dream goes beyond just applying to King Nebuchadnezzar. As we'll discov...

Have you ever asked yourself the following? How do I remain faithful as a Christian in my workplace? How do I maintain my convictions as a follower of Jesus with friends that don't agree with me? Is it worth standing firm and obeying God when God's kingdom seems so far away? Questions like these are relevant to our daily lives and we've all had to wrestle with them. Thankfully, we'...

Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family that you have brought me this far? 2 Samuel 7:18   "Gobsmacked" is a slang expression in Britain. It has to do with being so surprised and astonished- like somebody smacked you in the mouth.  Have you ever felt that way when you stop to think of how incredibly blessed you are? Loved by God. Born again by His grace. Gathered into His family....

I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 I believe God made me the way I am on purpose. Life has marred my understanding of who I am and how God made me. I am in the process of becoming (once again) who God made me to be. I believe those same things about you. 2 Peter 1:3-11 says that God has given us "everything we need" for life...

Who have you let into your life? Has anyone let you into theirs? Why would it be worth the risk, the trouble?   Everyone needs to find their people- with shared beliefs, dreams, desires,  purpose . So many of us go through life feeling like one quite "gets" us. Unfortunately, that's too often the truth.  What if it didn't have to be that way?  What if you could find a place to be...

What do I have to  do  to have eternal life? Who do I have to  become ? What do I have to  know ? Jesus said no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again (John 3:3).   God isn't seeking scholars to explain everything or soldiers to defeat an enemy. God is seeking sons & daughters born into His family.    Indeed of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born...

As we continue our series Evidence, we are in John 20:24-30. This is the story that many know as Doubting Thomas. You know, I feel kind of bad for Thomas because it's like "Doubting" has become his first name. We never just say "Thomas." It's always "Doubting Thomas." But while Thomas is stuck with that unfortunate label, as we dig into this passage, I think w...

On Monday we kick-off Vacation Bible School- our biggest event of the year. First of all, thank you to everyone who is helping out. It's going to be a great week!   Our hope for VBS is that everyone involved (whether it's the kids, parents, or volunteers) experiences Jesus in such a way that they take the next step God is calling them to take. That next step may be deciding to follow Jesus...

"Who do people say the Son of Man is?" "John the Baptist, or Elijah? or one of the prophets." "But what about you- who do YOU say I am?" We're prepping for Vacation Bible School- our single biggest event! We make our strongest appeal to our most important audience: our own children and their friends. It's our chance to shape the next generation. It's one o...

"Rejoice in the Lord, always." "Let your gentleness be evident to all." "The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-9   Join me in this prayer: "God,  please  pour your  love  over my life! Please  restore to me the  joy  of your salvation! Please  bring your  peace  into and over me!   I'm  sorry  f...

'Love is patient, Love is kind, Love is good…’ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 There’s a line from Paul that says ‘He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6)’ A few verses later Paul talks about how becoming who God called us to be is allowing what He has done inside you to work itself all the way to the surface. He says God is at work in us to fix our...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace... Galatians 5:22 Have you ever come into the middle of a movie and then wonder why the story doesn't make sense? That's how Christianity feels to some of us. It's like we're starting from the wrong place. I'm trying to fix my messed up life, get rid of some things that don't belong. Get a do-over... but it's not working....

But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. Galatians 5:22 3 Big Things: 1. My inability to change 2. My deep longing for things to be different 3. My desperate need for God's help That's what our next sermon series is about. It's a season of church life called "Pentecost" that calls to mind the bi...

You've probably wondered. You've probably been asked. We're talking about the Bible's response to one of life's biggest questions.

What must I do to inherit ETERNAL LIFE?  Seeker to Jesus That's a big question. You should definitely figure out the answer before you die.  But for now, you just want to live in the moment, just get caught up and go with it.  Yeah, that never ends badly, does it? Truth is, there is something in us that knows life is bigger than that. Scripture even says that God has set ETERNITY in our hearts...

Maybe you’ve had similar thoughts with other relationships in your life. Your marriage. Parenting. Does it come more naturally over time? Do we get into a rhythm eventually?  Life with Jesus- what might it look like for us in the years to come? 

Whether you're new to following Jesus or it's been years, we've all got misconceptions about faith. Sometimes they're passed down from others, sometimes we pick them up along the way without realizing it. We're beginning a 4 week series where we're tackling some common questions about faith and we're starting with this one: Do my good deeds matter? Sometimes people thin...