First Baptist Blowing Rock

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

If you had to use a metaphor to describe the value of someone or their character; what would you use? We say things like, "they are gold" or a "treasure" or worth a "million bucks" "priceless", a few years ago it was a great compliment to be called "the bomb" but what about "salt". That doesn't seem like a real flashy compliment but...

Around the world, thousands of the men, women and children face persecution and even death simply because they identify themselves as followers of Jesus Christ. Yet here in America we tend to think of religious persecution as a rarity instead of reality. We tend to think that Jesus suggested that His followers might face some persecution when the truth is that he clearly declared that anyone who w...

Most of us have been told from time to time that we might look like one of our parents, or maybe even sound like them. We can't help it; our genes play a role in the inherited traits and spending the first eighteen to twenty years of our lives around them play a major role in the learned traits. Whether we like it or fight it; most of us end up seeing our parents influences lived it in our ow...

Have you ever looked back on your life at times when you faced difficulties, struggles or life changing events and could clearly see the hand of God at work? Like the poem "Footprints in the Sand"; you could see where God carried you, where He opened doors, where He provided for you, where He brought people into your life to encourage and support you. How would you like to not have to wa...

Jesus begins his most famous of Sermons by painting a picture of the character of a Christ Follower in what we call the Beatitudes. It is a great description of who a Christian should be when they submit themselves completely to the control of the Holy Spirit. The first 4 of these character traits all deal with the relationship between a follower of Christ and God. The next four are the natural ou...

In this study of the fourth Beatitude, Jesus promises that those who hunger and thirst for the presence and power of God will be filled, but what does that look like in a practical sense. How can we hunger and thirst for something like God's presence. Join us as we examine how the actual Greek words Jesus used unlocks the key to pursuing God and finding real joy and happiness. Many in the chu...

Jesus promises joy, happiness and blessings to those who are meek and gentle, yet the world seems to offer just the opposite. Those who chose the path of following Jesus will always exhibit meekness, but just what does that really mean and if Jesus described himself as meek - what happened when he overturned the tables in the temple? What about when he confronted the religious leaders? Believe it...

How can someone who is sad actually be happy or blessed? Once again Jesus offers the ultimate paradox as he challenges his followers to find internal joy, happiness and blessings in the midst of mourning. As we look at the 2nd Beatitude Jesus introduces in His sermon on the mount, you might be surprised to find this is not your normal mourning or sadness. Jesus is challenging those who would follo...

(This is the first half of the sermon from August 14th, the conclusion of the message can be heard in Part Two.) What does it mean to be happy? How can we attain happiness? A recent pew research poll found that only 1-3 American describe themselves as happy - that is 33%, so 67% of American are unhappy. We live in the most prosperous nation in the world, with more wealth, benefits and comforts tha...

(This is the second half of the sermon from August 14th, the beginning of the message can be heard in Part One found below.) What does it mean to be happy? How can we attain happiness? A recent pew research poll found that only 1-3 American describe themselves as happy - that is 33%, so 67% of American are unhappy. We live in the most prosperous nation in the world, with more wealth, benefits and...

An introduction to the Sermon on the Mount discussing the importance of slowing down and unplugging to be able to hear the voice of God. We also discuss the various applications for the Sermon on the Mount and why it is considered the Greatest Sermon every given. From Matthew 5:1-2. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others.  Jo...

This is an introduction to our new Sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7. This introduction looks at the call for every Christian to be a follower of Jesus Christ and what that really means. We look at the true meaning of Spiritual Freedom and Grace and the two abuses of that freedom; legalism and license. This message deals with the trap of spiritual license and how it corrupt...

This message examines the Call and Vision of FBC Blowing Rock - We discuss what our purpose statement means for each church member and follower of Christ. We explain what is means to be a "place to Belong, a place to Believe and a place to Become". It also cast a vision for the coming year. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and shar...

In the Old Testament, fathers would gather their children around them, lay hands on them and pass along a blessing. Can Father's still pass along a blessing to their children in our modern culture? If so, what would those blessings be? Join us as we encourage and challenge fathers on how they can give their children the freedom and blessing to grow into who God has called and created them to...

When you examine the life of Joseph, one has to wonder how he was able to overcome all he was faced with - all of the betrayals, the struggles, the loneliness. What was their about him that allowed him to place his faith completely in God regardless of the circumstances? In the last story we have of Joseph before his death in Genesis, he is visiting with his brothers after their fathers death and...