Fishkill Baptist Church

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) There are certain stories that just don’t feel right when they end. Not because they’re bad… But because they feel unfinished . One of the most famous examples of this is the movie The Empire Strikes Back . If you’ve seen it, you know how it…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Louie Zamperini was an Olympic runner who went on to serve as a bombardier in World War II. During a mission over the Pacific, his plane crashed into the ocean. Out of eleven men on board, only three survived. Louie spent 47 days drifting at…

INTRO: Invitation into the Story I want to tell you a true story today. A story about someone I know really well. It’s my story… The story of how the resurrection of Jesus changed not just what I believe… But how I live… Because He Lives. EARLY LIFE: The Approval Story My story begins in 1980, when I…

INTRODUCTION: We read earlier from Mark’s gospel that at the crucifixion of Jesus… “There was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.” And one thing we all know about darkness… It makes seeing difficult— Sometimes even impossible. But the darkness of the cross is different. Because this darkness……

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Have you ever noticed how powerful a single light can be… when everything else goes dark? In the first The Lord of the Rings movie, there’s a moment where Frodo is preparing for a journey he doesn’t fully understand—and certainly can’t control.…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Have you ever asked someone this question: “Do you think you’ll go to heaven when you die?” It’s a simple question—but it reveals a lot. And more often than not, the answer sounds something like this: “I hope so.” Not certainty. Not confidence.…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Have you ever noticed what happens when something gets squeezed? If you take a tube of toothpaste and apply pressure, what comes out? Whatever was already inside. The squeeze doesn’t create it. It reveals it. This is true of our lives as well.…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) In the 1500s, a preacher named Hugh Latimer was summoned to preach before King Henry VIII . The reason… Latimer had recently delivered a sermon that deeply offended the king. So, the king commanded him to appear again the following Sunday to…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) In April of 1970, three astronauts were on their way to the moon aboard Apollo 13. Two days into the mission, an oxygen tank exploded. In seconds, everything changed. The spacecraft began losing power. Oxygen levels dropped. Systems shut down.…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Have you ever done the right thing… but still felt like you lost? William Wilberforce was a British politician in the late 18th century whose conversion to Christ dramatically reshaped his life’s mission: to abolish the British slave trade.…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Well, it’s Super Bowl Sunday. And I want you to consider the fact that every football player grows up with a picture of how the story is supposed to go. You work hard. You follow the coaches. You learn the system. You sacrifice. And eventually……

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Have you ever had a moment where you knew what you needed to do… but the people you love most begged you not to? Not because they were trying to stop you from obeying God. Not because they were evil or malicious. But because they were concerned…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Some words carry more weight than others. Not every sentence is created equal. There are words we say every day that disappear into the air as quickly as we speak them—casual, forgettable, ordinary. But then there are words spoken at the end.…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) The title of today’s sermon may sound a little strange: What Do You Want on Your Tombstone? Some of you may remember a rather darkly humorous commercial from the 1990s for Tombstone Pizza. In the commercial, a man is about to be executed, and…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Every new year, we do the same thing. We turn the calendar, and almost instinctively we start thinking about change. Goals. Resolutions. Fresh starts. We tell ourselves, This will be the year. The year we’re more disciplined. More intentional.…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) One of the most familiar Christmas characters today is the Grinch. He lives high above Whoville, alone and guarded, convinced that distance is safer than connection. His heart is closed off because opening himself up to people—feels dangerous.…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Last week we began our Advent series I’m calling, “Let Earth Receive Her King,” by going all the way back to the beginning—to the garden in Genesis 3 . We were reminded that the reason our world feels broken, confusing, painful, and dark is…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) This morning is the first Sunday of Advent —a word that simply means “coming.” For centuries, the church has used these weeks leading up to Christmas to slow down, to remember, and to prepare our hearts to celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ.…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) If you’ve ever read The Lord of the Rings or seen the films, you know the character Gollum—this frail, haunted creature clutching the Ring — calling it his “precious.” The Ring promises him power, identity, and control. It whispers that he needs…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Power. It’s what drives much of the world around us. The power to conquer, to create, to control. We chase it in different forms — success, wealth, influence, control over others, even mastery over ourselves. This hunger isn’t new. Alexander…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Have you ever tried to be faithful to God—really tried to do what’s right—and yet things just didn’t go the way you thought they should. Things just didn’t seem to add up ? You prayed, you served, you obeyed, and instead of seeing clear results…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) You might have missed it through all the costumes and candy but this past week also marked Reformation Day — remembering that time in church history when God used an ordinary monk named Martin Luther to spark a movement that changed history.…

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) We’re in the middle of football season, so let me ask you… Have you ever seen a game when you’ve watched a quarterback take hit after hit. Every time he drops back, he gets knocked down — sometimes hard. Then you hear the commentators start…