In this message we examine the four men who were so intent on getting their paralyzed friend to Jesus that they ripped open the roof of the house and dropped him through. We discuss which group that we might identify with in this story (crowd, critics, companions) and how that reflects on our sense of urgency or complacency as it relates to our obe…

We kick off a new sermon series based on the description given to John and Peter by the religious leaders in Act 4:13 "They were ordinary and unschooled men but they were astonished and took note that they had been with Jesus.". This new series will look at every day, ordinary individuals who encountered Jesus and how it changed or impacted their l…

As we wrap up our sermon series on Spiritual Warfare, we look at some words of encouragement that the Apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the messy and dysfunctional church at Corinth. In his encouragement we discover 5 "imperatives" or commands that will help us stay focused on the battles we face in our everyday lives. He also gives us some…

In this message we examine the importance of prayer when it comes to spiritual warfare. How do we integrate our prayer lives into the battles we are confronted with on a daily basis and what does that prayer look like? Listen in as we discuss the power and purpose of prayer in our daily lives and especially as it relates to Spiritual Warfare. From …

In Christian circles the phrase "the word of God" is synonyms for the Bible and while that is certainly true and valid, when the Apostle Paul uses this same phrasing to describe the Bible as an incredible weapon and part of our Spiritual Armor, his meaning holds a much deeper truth. In exploring his use of "word" in the Greek language, we begin to …

Have you ever felt spiritually weary or even burned out? Been discouraged by the lack of progress you see in your spiritual growth? Ever given up in your prayer and devotional life because you didn't sense any progress? This message is for you! In this message, we continue to examine the spiritual weapons that we have been given to counter the atta…

Too many Christians are unaware of the power of faith. Most understand that we are "saved" by placing our faith in the person of Jesus Christ and his completed redemptive work on the Cross, but we fail to grasp how our Faith can impact every decision we make and the actions that follow. Faith is so important to the life of an everyday believer that…

Why would the Apostle Paul equate Peace with footwear when he is outlining the spiritual weapons we have been given to stand against the attacks of the enemy? What does it really mean to understand and experience peace - even in the midst of the worst that this world can throw at us? Join us for the message on the importance of peace in the spiritu…

In this message from our Spiritual Warfare Series, we examine the importance that the Apostle Paul places on the "Breastplate of Righteousness" as protection from the attacks of the enemy. Why a breastplate and how can righteousness protect our Heart? We examine the historical understanding of what the heart and stomach represent and how the protec…

In this message we examine what the Apostle Paul calls the "Belt of Truth" and why it is so significant for a Christians facing spiritual warfare. What is this truth and how can it empower us to confront and overcome the lies of the world and the attacks of the accuser? Join us as we look at the historical nature of the "belt" for a Roman soldier a…

As pick back up on our series from the Fall on Spiritual Warfare, we begin to examine the "Armor of God" that the Apostle Paul describes in Ephesians 6. Is this a literal armor? symbolic? a little of both? Why do we need it if we already have Jesus Christ? In the next couple of weeks, we will examine each element of the armor, but this morning's me…

We wrap up our New Years short series that examines the past, present and future of the church by comparing them to King Saul, the Prophet Samuel and David as found in 1st Samuel 16:1. We also use this comparison to look where individual Christians might find their devotional and relationship to God as it relates to yesterday, today or tomorrow. Th…

We continue our look at the three characters found in 1st Samuel 16:1 by examining the role that Samuel played in moving the nation of Israel forward by obeying God and anointing David as the next King. In this obedience, Samuel became the bridge between yesterday (Saul) and tomorrow (David). In this message we ask the question, "Where are the Samu…

In this message we examine a pivotal moment in time for the nation of Israel as God removes his anointing from Saul and calls Samuel to go to the house of Jesse to anoint a new King. In this moment, all three of the characters are facing huge life changing decisions that will reverberate for years to come. As we move into the new year, many of the …

In this Christmas message we examine the two birth narratives from Luke and Matthew and look at the differences between the two and explain why they are different. By harmonizing the two versions we get a complete picture that reminds us of what is truly important about both stories - the incarnation. From Luke 2:1-7 Thank you for listening to our …

As we kick off the Advent season and begin looking towards Christmas, this message challenges us to prepare our hearts for the true meaning of the Christmas Season. We ask the question; have we spent as much time preparing our hearts as we have our homes? If not, then is it any wonder so many miss the power and purpose of Christmas. To help us prep…

As we approach Thanksgiving, this message examines what it really means to be grateful and thankful and what role contentment plays in developing this kind of approach to life. From Philippians 3:10-13 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 onli…

What does Paul mean when he encourages the Corinthians to "take every thought captive" and what does it have to do with Spiritual Warfare? This message explains and gives some practical examples on what that might look like and why it plays such a critical role in the battle for our minds. From 2nd Corinthians 10:3-6 The 7th message in the Battle S…

In this message we discuss the battle for the mind and strongholds in our mind. What is a stronghold? How do they get built up and what can we do to tear them down. Using another Old Testament example from the life of David, we examine how Christians can identify strongholds and why it is important to deal with them sooner rather than later. From 2…

As we continue to discuss the role and responsibilities of a Christ follower when it comes to Spiritual Warfare, this message takes a deeper dive on just what it means "to Stand". Using an illustration from one of David's Warriors in 2nd Samuel 23, we discover just what it might look like for us to make a stand against the enemies of God. From Ephe…

When you examine Paul's teaching from Ephesians 6;10-13 on spiritual warfare you find two expectations or responsibilities for Christians; "wrestle" and "stand", but what does that mean and actually look like in our everyday lives. In this message we look at some of Paul's other teachings regarding the Christians role in warfare and what it means t…

In this message we look at the Garden of Eden to examine how Satan tempts us to questions God's word and the effects that has on our ability to walk in obedience and overcome sin. We also look at Satan's interaction with Jesus in the Wilderness to discover the ways we are tempted to sin and how to reject and overcome the temptation through the powe…

In this message we examine the enemies of the Christian that Paul identifies in Ephesians 6 and how we can overcome and be victorious in the battle. We also examine the enemy within - our old nature/the flesh and how Satan and the World feeds and corrupts the flesh and disrupts our ability to give control of our lives over to the Holy Spirit. From …

This message is a response to all that our area here in the mountains of Western North Carolina have experienced this past week due to Hurricane Helene. We discuss how the community has come together to serve as the hands and feet of Christ during such a devastating tragedy. We also look at how God provides peace, comfort and victory during the mos…

In this introduction to our new Sermon Series on Spiritual Warfare we examine what Spiritual Warfare is and why it is so important for individual Christians and the church to recognize and prepare for the war taking place all around us. From Ephesians 6:10-12. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page…

We wrap up our studies from the letter of John by taking another look at 3rd John and the situation John is addressing concerning some missionaries he had sent and how the local church was responding to them. This gives us a great example on the importance of missions and its call on the Christians life. We examine how the church is doing spreading…

As we examine 3rd John we see a contrast between two people that John mentions in this short letter and how they responded to his message of truth and those he sent to deliver it. What is the truth he is talking about and why is it so important that we not only welcome and receive it, but that we apply it to our everyday lives? From 3rd John, key v…

While John addresses the same themes of Love and Truth that we found in 1st John here in his second letter, he also becomes more direct in how Christians should deal with false teachers and false teaching and not just the kind coming from those within the church. What about how we allow the influences of the world's popular philosophies and worldvi…

In this final message from our series in 1st John we take an overview of the entire book and examine some metrics that John lays out to give an indication whether a Christian is growing spiritually or not. We examine 5 indicators that John points to as behaviors that will be found in the life of any Christian who is growing beyond just the basics o…

In this message we examine the dangerous influence that idols can have on our spiritual growth and relationship with God. We identify some modern-day idols that Christians struggle with and how to overcome them. From 1st John 5:20-21. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Jo…

Continued discussion on how to overcome personal sin in our lives, including those secret sins that we think no one knows about. From 1st John 5:16-19 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 Youtub…

As John draws his letter to a close, he reminds the church and Christians the importance of accountability within the church and the importance of praying for one another. All of us struggle to overcome sin in our lives and John wants us to make sure we utilize the power of the local faith community in our struggles. From 1st John 5:16-19. Thank yo…

In this message we look at the importance, privilege and power of personal prayer in the lives of Christian. Prayer is the most underused weapon the Christian has available for dealing with the struggles of this life as well as developing a deeper and more intimate relationship with God. From 1st John 5:13-15. Thank you for listening to our podcast…

John tells us in 1st John 5:13 that the purpose of this letter was so that Christians could have assurance in eternal life. So that we could be confident in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ and have no doubts about what awaits us when we die. Yet, if you were to ask many in the church "If you were to die today, where would you go" you…

In the 15th Century, a Christian Monk with the name Johnn of the Cross coined a phrase, "The Dark Night of the Soul" to describe those times in a Christians life when they face such struggle, difficulties and trials that they feel like God has abandoned them. If you live the Christian life long enough, you will probably face a "Dark Night". In toda…

With all the changes that are taking place in our nation and culture as we move from our Judeo-Christian values where the traditional family is foundational towards a progressive postmodern, post Christian environment - what is the church and Christian's response supposed to be? Should we wait it out and hope for the best, or maybe disengage and st…

We live in a culture where the word "love" has been hijacked by many groups and organizations as a means to justify any and all sorts of lifestyles and behaviors. This subjective view of love has, by its overuse, pretty much made the word undefinable. Yet, the Apostle John spends most of his gospel and a good section of his New Testament letters cl…

As John continues to warn about False Teachers in 1st John 4, he builds on last week's passages on "testing the spirits" and comparing what is being taught about Jesus Christ with scripture, in this week's passages he adds the influence of the Holy Spirit. In this message we discuss how the "power" of the Holy Spirit allows us to overcome the influ…

The Apostle John again warns of false teachers and false teachings in our passage for this message. Here he goes a step further than just warning but also gives some practical test to identify a false teacher and how we can know what they are teaching is unscriptural. Listen in to discover some tools we can use to protect ourselves, our families an…

This message continues our look at 1st John 3:19-24 and the issue of doubts. So many struggle with the assurance of their salvation and in this letter, the Apostle John explains how we can find security in our relationship with God. We break down why it is so important to recognize and utilize the privilege we have to approach God with worship and …

While most of 1st John is written to differentiate between those who "claim to be believers" or "say they believe" versus true believers in Jesus Christ, it also gives us some "test" to help those who are struggling with doubts about their faith to find some assurance. Most of those tests are taught in general terms like "Walking in the Light", "Lo…

All of us have defaults, they are what we fall back on when called to react to something unexpected. They are part of our old nature, who we were before we became Christians and if we are not careful, they can hinder our relationship with God and with others. So how do we change those defaults and which ones should be a priority? Join us as we exam…

One of the debates that plagued the early church and continues through today is the issue of sin and how it affects the life of a Christian. Early church cults taught that since we are under grace and forgiven, it doesn't matter if we sin, and we should not worry about it - this came to be known as "antinomian" thought and was considered heresy by …

What does the Apostle John mean when he uses the term "child of God" to describe those who are Christ followers? You hear people say we are "all God's children" but is that scriptural? In our passage for this message John unpacks the power, privilege and responsivities that come with that name and how it impacts our personal identity. He is drawn t…

This message examines the warning about false teachers that have infiltrated the early church and are causing division and distractions. These "anti-Christ", as John calls them, are dangerous and need to be exposed and confronted. John gives us 3 ways to expose these false teachers and 3 ways we can protect ourselves from their deception. From 1st …

In this message we examine certain "worldly" distractions that can hinder, harm and diminish our personal relationship with God and how to overcome them. From 1st John 2:12-17. 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.firstbaptistblo…

A look at how the resurrection of Jesus Christ influences every area of a Christian's life, not just eternity. We discuss how hopeless the world would be without the empty tomb and a risen savior! From 1st Corinthians 15. 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…

A message on "Good Friday" and the meaning and message of the Cross. This message examines the deceleration of Jesus on the cross "My God, My God, why has thou Forsaken me?" and how it relates to Psalms 22. From Matthew 27:45-46, Psalms 22. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with othe…

How can you tell if someone is a Christian or not? That has been a struggle from the beginning as false teachers and teaching began to invade the church. That is why the Apostle John in 1st John uses phrases like "you may claim" "if you say" as if to indicate that there were a lot of people in those early churches claiming to be followers of Christ…

A message on stepping out on faith as individuals and as a church as we move forward striving to reach our region with the message of Jesus Christ. Also, a message of encouragement for anyone who needs to trust in God when making big decisions. From Numbers 13-14. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our …