First Baptist Church Longview

Have you ever noticed how the people who seem furthest from God are sometimes the ones most drawn to grace? Opening the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, Pastor Collin unpacks why tax collectors and sinners were drawn to Jesus while the religious elite kept their distance. The stunning truth at the center of the parable is that a son’s value to his father never changes based on behavior — and...

Are you trying to follow Jesus in the least costly way? Reflecting on 2 Samuel 24 and David’s encounter at Araunah’s threshing floor, Pastor Collin explores the paradox at the heart of the Christian faith: God’s grace is completely free, yet genuine discipleship is costly. David’s refusal to offer a sacrifice that cost him nothing becomes a mirror for our own walk with God. Examine where you're ho...

Why is it so easy to spot sin in others yet nearly impossible to see it in ourselves? Through the sobering account of David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11, Pastor Collin shows how even a man after God's own heart can spiral into self-deception, adultery, and murder when pride and comfort go unchecked. The mirror we avoid is the very one God holds before us — and the grace waiting on the other side o...

What if the world's deepest problems — violence, injustice, division — are ultimately a *sight* problem? In 2 Samuel 6, Pastor Collin points to David’s unrestrained worship before the ark as a glimpse of a heart fully captivated by a God who is both terrifyingly holy and tenderly near. The breathtaking truth is that Jesus Christ — in whom glory meets humility, holiness meets grace, and justice mee...

Have you ever looked around at your life and wondered, "How in the world did I get here?" Tracing David’s drift in 1 Samuel 29–30, Pastor Collin shows how months of compromise and silence toward God led to the devastating loss at Ziklag, where everything was stripped away. When every support collapsed, David did the one thing that changed everything: he found strength in the Lord his God. Neglecti...

Do you have someone in your life who will search you out in the wilderness and remind you of God's promises when everything feels like it's falling apart? Looking at the friendship between David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 18 and 23, Pastor Collin reveals that deep spiritual friendship is not optional but one of God's appointed means for sustaining faith. We were made in the image of a relational God...

Have you ever been so sure you were right that you charged ahead — only to end up with a decision you deeply regretted? Through the events of 1 Samuel 25, Pastor Collin shows how Abigail’s courage and wisdom prevented David from making a destructive choice. Wisdom — not just permission — is the standard God calls us to live by. Drawing on what he calls "the Abigail question," Pastor Bullard challe...

Have you ever been so sure you were right that you charged ahead — only to end up with a decision you deeply regretted? In 1 Samuel 25, Pastor Collin highlights the moment a wise woman named Abigail steps in to stop David from committing needless bloodshed against Nabal. Wisdom asks not what is permissible, but "in light of my past experiences, current circumstances, and future hopes and dreams, w...

What does God actually see when He looks at you — your résumé, your reputation, your armor? Opening the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, Pastor Collin launches a new series on the life of David by focusing on a shepherd whose heart was fully surrendered to the living God. The battle isn't won by swords or spears but by that kind of heart-first faith, which set David apart from every sold...

Have you ever been so close to something miraculous that you completely missed it? On the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13–35, Pastor Collin highlights how the risen Jesus appeared not in a blaze of glory but quietly, in the middle of an ordinary afternoon walk. The resurrection meets us in the mundane: in dirty dishes, daily routines, and unrecognized moments. Jesus makes Himself known through Script...

In a world where worry feels almost virtuous, how could Jesus possibly command us not to be anxious? Drawing from Matthew 6 and Galatians 2:20, Pastor Collin shows that the antidote to anxiety isn't better coping strategies — it's faith rooted in Christ. The missing ingredient Jesus identifies is trust in *future* grace: the confidence that God's mercies, new every morning, will perfectly meet wha...

When the world feels like it's spinning out of control — a pandemic, uncertainty, fear — does it really feel like anyone is in charge? Looking at John 18–19, Pastor Collin points to the moment when Jesus stands before Pontius Pilate just hours before the crucifixion, revealing the kind of King He truly is. Jesus doesn't promise safety; He promises truth — and His kingdom operates on an entirely di...

Do you ever find yourself exhausted by the constant effort to manage how others see you — or how you see yourself? In 1 Corinthians 4:1–5, Pastor Collin points to the apostle Paul’s freedom from both human opinion and self-judgment as a model for living securely in Christ. The verdict is already in: through faith in Christ, God has declared us forgiven, beloved, and fully accepted — not because of...

Have you ever let someone else's opinion quietly become the label you wear? Looking at 1 Corinthians 3, Pastor Collin opens a new series on identity by highlighting how the apostle Paul, facing criticism and comparison, refused to defend himself and instead embraced his identity as a servant of Jesus Christ. Your identity isn't found in what others say, what you accomplish, what you own, or how yo...

Have you ever wrestled with how to faithfully apply Scripture to real decisions in the life of a church? By examining Acts 6, Romans 16, and 1 Timothy 3, Pastor Collin explores whether women served as deacons in the early church, alongside historical evidence that supports their role in ministry. He ultimately shows that Scripture provides a reasonable and consistent basis for recognizing women as...

Have you ever stood under a truly dark sky and felt the weight of your own smallness? Drawing from Psalm 19 and Psalm 8, Pastor Collin shows that creation — from the Big Bang and the universe's finely tuned constants to the information-rich code written into every living cell — points unmistakably to an intelligent, personal Creator. Far from being undermined by science, belief in God is powerfull...

What would it look like if your life truly counted for something that outlasted everything you can see? Through Mark 4's parables of the growing seed and the mustard seed, along with 2 Corinthians 5 and Matthew 28, Pastor Collin paints a compelling picture of the church as God's world-reconciling, disciple-making, chain-breaking mission in the world. No investment you make — of time, money, talent...

Have you ever experienced something so real and life-changing that you simply couldn't deny it, even if you couldn't fully explain it? Drawing from John 9 and the story of a man born blind, Pastor Collin shows how the formerly blind man's response — "I was blind, but now I see" — cuts through every demand for explanation with the undeniable power of personal experience. You don't have to understan...

Can science really disprove miracles — or has that assumption gone unexamined for too long? Focusing on the feeding of the five thousand recorded across all four Gospels, Pastor Collin draws attention to the interlocking details that place the event in a real time and place. The miracles of Jesus aren't random anomalies; they are the natural outworking of God entering history to redeem it. If we t...

Can you really trust the Bible, or is it just an ancient collection of myths with no historical grounding? Examining the detailed locations and named individuals throughout the Gospels, Pastor Collin presents evidence that points clearly to eyewitness testimony. The Gospels hold up under rigorous historical scrutiny precisely because they preserve real memories from real people. Yet Pastor Bullard...

What would it take to convince you that Christianity is actually reasonable? By drawing from Luke 24 and 1 Corinthians 15, Pastor Collin anchors the Christian faith in the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus rather than personal experience or emotion. The resurrection is not a later legend, wishful thinking, or mass hallucination; it is the one event that explains everything else. If...

What if, in the middle of your most pressing need, God isn't trying to fix something — He's trying to say something? Through moments in Mark 1, Mark 6, and Luke 5 where Jesus withdraws from the crowds to be alone with the Father, Pastor Collin highlights a consistent pattern of intentional solitude. Intimacy with God requires not just talking to Him, but carving out intentional space to hear Him....

Have you ever received a gift that made you wonder exactly how much you were worth to someone? Opening John 1, Pastor Collin shows that the Christmas story is ultimately about your value — that the eternal Word who existed before creation has been in constant, never-ending pursuit of you. The staggering truth is this: God didn't come merely to forgive you, but to adopt you as His own child, giving...

Where do you turn when your heart feels restless and the world seems full of conflict? Centered on Luke 2:8–20, Dr. Kip Salser highlights the angels’ announcement that Jesus’ coming brings peace—not just outwardly, but peace with God through salvation. True and lasting peace is found through faith in Christ, who reconciles us to God through His life, death, and resurrection. This invites us to rec...