First Baptist Blowing Rock

Many Christians can be heard saying, "It would be much easier to follow God if He would just show me where we are going" and one can understand the frustration and even fear from that statement. But if God showed us where He was leading us it would not require faith; it would simply be instruction. Learning to listen to the voice and word of God and trust Him is part of the maturing proc...

Most Christians will not question that we are called to forgive those who have hurt or disappointed us; the words even come easily off of our lips, "I forgive you" but have we really forgiven them? The standard for forgiveness according to scripture (Colossians 3:13) is to forgive as Christ forgave us- that is a high threshold that most of us struggle to achieve. Joseph had given total f...

At one time or another most of us have disappointed others and lost their trust or lost our trust in someone. Trust is one of those things we take for granted until it is lost and once it is gone; it can be very difficult to restore. For most of us, it is easier to just give up on that person and walk away; but as Christians, grace calls us to a different path. If their was anyone who had a good r...

Even the most optimistic person can allow the struggles and difficulties of life to turn them into a pessimist. We are surrounded with sensational and negative news everyday and it seems like once things turn against us they pile on. A bad day turns into a bad week and continues to grow. Join us as we discover how Joseph's dad Jacob/Israel allowed himself to be consumed with negative and pess...

Joseph's wild journey has seen him go from slavery to prison to the palace of the Egyptian Pharaoh and now it comes full circle as he is confronted with where it all began - his family. Many people fail to realize that their most important mission field is their own family; brothers, sisters, parents, children and grandchildren. For some that might require some restored relationships. Join us...

As Joseph lived out the success of a new job, new wife and kids, new place of power and influence he was surprised to find that this new path led to a familiar place - home. As he comes face to face with his brothers, the very ones who began his now 20 year journey abroad, he is confronted with the idea of revenge or reconciliation. From Genesis 41-42. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we...

Joseph's life had plenty of struggle and disappointment - dysfunctional blended family, beaten and sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused of sexual harassment and sent to prison for doing the right thing, 10 long years languishing in prison and in the blink of an eye he stands before the greatest leader of the largest kingdom on earth. From prison to the palace in one step and he...

How can you know if God is opening a new door for your life or ministry? How can you know if you will be ready when the opportunity comes? Are you ready today? What if the answer to achieving all of your dreams presented itself today - would you recognize it? would you be ready to follow? Join us as we look at the life of Joseph as he walks through an open door that changes his life and becomes th...

Ever been disappointed or let down by someone close to you? Ever felt betrayed by someone you trusted or even a family member? Join us as we discover how our response to these disappointments can sidetrack or even destroy our God given dreams. From the life of Joseph, Genesis 40,41 Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others.  Joi...

While patience may be a virtue, it is a rarity in society today. We are a generation of instant gratification - we want it now; and that has crossed over into our walk of faith. We expect instant results but the Bible teaches us that some of God's greatest lessons come during a period of waiting. Moses waited for 40 years herding sheep on the backside of a desert before God called him, Paul c...

As you pursue your dreams, you will encounter trials and difficulties; their will be times when you will feel all alone and even abandoned. It is in those moments that God is preparing you for what is to come. How do you respond when things don't go your way? when things don't turn out how you planned? We need to remember that God is not so much worried about the circumstances in our liv...

All of us struggle with temptation; it is a part of life. We are tempted materially, personally and even sexually. It is not a sin to be tempted; even Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and overcame it. The sin comes from how we respond and nothing can short circuit a dream like personal sin. Regardless of what the culture contends, we each have the ability to walk away from temptation - to say n...

It is easy to look at people who have achieved great success in their various fields and admire them or even be envious. If one was to look at the end of the book of Genesis and read about Joseph's success, we might admire him. A former prisoner from a foreign land who has risen to become second in command to the Pharaoh of Egypt, a beautiful wife and two sons, surrounded by his brothers and...

All of us face dream killers in our lives. They can either distract and discourage us from following our God given dreams or make us stronger and more determined. Join us as we identify some dream killers that Joseph faced and how he overcame them and gain some lessons on how we can overcome our own "dream killers". From Genesis 37. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would lov...

At least nine times in the Old Testament it is implied that the sins of the father will be passed along to future generations (his children and grandchildren). Since both the Old and New Testaments are clear that each of us is only accountable to God for our own actions, what could these verses be talking about? As we begin our new series on the life of Joseph, we take a look at his background and...

Join us as we examine a few things that we have allowed to become sacred cows in our personal lives and in the life of the church that have the potential to become idols. Many of these are good, if not great things, that were created or given to us as a way to help develop a deeper relationship and walk with God but over time many of these things have become items of worship themselves. Anything t...

Is God interested in our New Years Resolutions? to lose weight? to be a better parent or spouse? What about our spiritual resolutions? to pray more? to read the Bible? to go to church? Do they ever really make a difference in the long run? Join us as we discover the only real resolution that matters and how changing our perspectives might make a difference in 2016. Philippians 3:12-16 Thank you fo...

As many take down the decorations and move on to the celebration of the New Year, one has to wonder; when does Christmas actually end? Is it after the presents are opened? when the decorations are down? when the kids go back to school? Who says it has to end? Join us as we discover the key to celebrating the message and meaning of Christmas all year long. Matthew 2:13-23 Thank you for listening to...

Is there a real War on Christmas? Are people trying to remove Christ from Christmas? If so, when did it start and why? Does it really matter? How are Christians and the church to respond? Join us as we conclude our series on cultural topics by looking at what many today are calling a "War on Christmas" and how it affects the church and Christ followers. Matthew 2:1-5 Thank you for listen...

The recent Pew research religious survey and study found that 72% of American's identify themselves as Christians and yet 64% of them say that "many religions and paths can lead to God and salvation". So less than 35 % of identified Christians believe that faith in Jesus Christ alone is the only way to eternal life and a right relationship with God! One of the core and foundational...

With the recent Supreme Court ruling that strived to redefined the definition and description of marriage in the United States - the church's response has been varied. The argument seemed to settle around "rights" - the individuals right, a couple's rights and what feels right but has anyone asked what scripture says "Is Right"? God created and defined the covenant of...

In the last several weeks it seems everyone has had an opinion about the growing Refugee Crisis in Europe and how the United States should respond. Social Media has blown up on the topic, Political candidates all offer their opinions and solutions, Christians seem to wrestle with the conflict between compassion and security; but what does the Bible say? If all we had to go on in forming our opinio...

Should a Christian drink alcohol? Did Jesus drink wine? Was it real wine or more like grape juice? What does the bible say about alcohol? Is it wrong for Christians to drink socially? Even if it is not against scripture - is it beneficial? We examine all of these questions and more as we take a practical look at scripture and how it relates to alcohol and the church. Thank you for listening to our...

The churches historical answers for depression and suicide have always been things like "You just need to have more faith", "If you loved God/Jesus more you wouldn't be depressed" and the like. While they may be great "Sunday School answers" they don't address the underlying issues that cause depression and suicide and they certainly don't minister to t...

A follow up to last week's message on "All Lives Matter". This message looks at the issues of Euthanasia; including doctor assisted suicide and even "passive euthanasia" where life giving measures are withheld. We also address the problems with claiming to be "Pro-LIfe" and yet supporting Capitol Punishment and the death penalty. The question is are we going to b...