Houston's First Baptist Church

May we enjoy our labor and the fruit of it, but it must never be our savior and priority. Money will never satisfy, and we won’t take it with us when we’re gone. Jesus is the only one who brings true joy in life, so let’s make Him our priority and invest our lives in what matters most.

How do we worship when life is unfair? Yes. Different times call for different styles of worship before the Lord in each of us. In every season and every situation, let’s remember to prepare our hearts. Let’s all come in reverence and humility before the Lord, ready to worship, ready to listen, and ready to align our heart to His.

Life isn’t always fair because we live in a broken and sinful world. There will be both good and bad in this life, but with Jesus, and by following His ways, we will make it through.

We are creatures of time, and all of us are restless trying to figure out why we are here. It’s only in God that we find rest, and it’s only in God that we find our purpose. Let’s trust God with our days, and let's live this life with eternity in mind.

Pointless living is the result of elevating the temporary at the expense of the eternal. If we instead prioritize the eternal and are connected to God, a life of contentment, meaning, and joy will be found.

On his last Sunday on staff at Houston's First, Dr. Self encourages us that, even though the world may have walked away from these four foundations, we should examine our own lives to be sure that we are standing for truth, for salvation, for unity, and for God's mission.

This Christmas isn’t about presents, it’s about the Presence of God. Since the beginning of time, Jesus Christ, of the line of King David, had in mind to come and save our souls. And in Christ, we are grafted into His very lineage. This Christmas, let’s remember Jesus Christ who came, so that in Him you might have life. His Presence is the real present, and in Him, our past, present, and future ar...

The bucket list that satisfies the heart is fulfilling the purposes of God. As we fall in love with Him more, seek to know Him, and remain faithful to Him, His purposes will find us. From that space, we can die “done” with a bucket list checked and a life fulfilled.

What really fires you up? Jesus Christ has come to save our souls and live inside of us. Let’s get loud! Let’s celebrate the Lord with sincerity and from our hearts! Our rejoicing here is just a precursor to Heaven.

God’s faithfulness is to all generations, and we can learn lessons through the lives of those that went before us. When we face trials and tribulations in our lives, let’s choose obedience; let’s be courageous; and let’s be thankful. When we keep our eyes on the Lord, living surrendered, we can trust that He is working out all things for our good.

As we head into the holidays, we might be intersecting with people we are less than excited about seeing. Let’s go before the Lord and ask Him to search our hearts. Life is too short to live with strained relationships. Choose forgiveness. It sets you free, and it honors God.

Today is a new moment, a Kainos moment, to honor the Lord with our generosity. Humbly bowed low, let’s give Him our best and live from His Presence. It’s in His Presence that true joy is found. As we honor the Lord in this new Kainos moment, we get to celebrate together!

We want to see God do new new things in and through us. Everything we are and have is His, so let’s give our best back to the Lord. Take the next step in generosity, and let’s be a part of God’s amazing work.

Wherever we are on the journey of generosity, let’s take the next step. When we do that, we find the joy of giving, and we allow the Lord to do something great.

The blessing of giving to things of God brings the greatest joy. Let’s allow the Lord to do heart work in us, so that we can take the next steps. Let’s give the Lord our best and see what He will do.

Kainos is a God-sized task. Let's give our best before the Lord, and Jesus will do something amazing through us. In unison and faithfulness, let's take a courageous step of faith, knowing that God’s hand is upon us because His heart is before us.

Adversity in life is guaranteed, but what will you do when it comes? Will your world fall apart, or will you hold onto the one who holds the world together? Fear wants you to focus on your enemies, but faith brings your gaze upon the Lord. Cry out to the Lord, and as your faith arises, the fear will fall.

When Nathan confronts David, what was hidden and gnawing away at David became revealed. In that moment, David chose cleansing over covering-up his sin, and God forgave him. Bring your sin to Jesus, and let Him cleanse you, forgive you, and restore you. The voice of sin may be loud, but the voice of forgiveness is always louder.

As we look at the life of David this week, we see the power of sin and temptation, and we see how one night of pleasure can lead to a lifetime of pain. We all have clay feet, so let's confess our sin before the Lord, give it to Him, and ask Him to protect us and fill us.

In life, battles will come. Let your focus be on God — not on yourself and your own life — and abide in Him. His power will come to you and through you, and you will shine in such a way that captures hearts for the Kingdom of God. The battles we fight and win today are our legacy and investments for tomorrow.

David was unlikely as a shepherd, and now we see him anointed as king. And while we may not be kings, each of us is a leader because each of us has influence. As we learned through the life of David, let’s keep our eyes on the Lord and follow the leadership He gives. When we are positioned in a place of surrender, we can live in both success and adversity well.

If you want to become a person after God’s own heart, there are habits you can pursue to move in that direction. Whatever you give your life to habitually is what you’ll become, and what you are becoming has eternal implications. Pursue God and His will above all else, and know that God will meet just where you are on your journey.

Pastor Gregg highlights 4 times in David's life when demonstrated how to be a God-honoring friend. We are encouraged to come to Jesus. It is because of the friendship we have in Him that we can be a good friend to someone else.

In David’s life we see that he had an unlikely trial, an unlikely teacher, and unlikely timing. Like David, we all face unlikely trials in our life and seasons of wilderness. Let the wilderness teach you to put your hope in God and trust Him and His timing completely.

What is one giant in your life? Give it to the Lord, and trust that, in His timing and in His power, the giant in your life will fall. Victory is in the Lord!