First Baptist Blowing Rock

We continue to examine the Apostle Paul's warning to the Corinthians church in 1st Corinthians 3 as he introduces the idea of Christians standing in judgement before Christ to give an account of their lives. Sadly, for a majority of people, most of what we claim to believe and understand about Heaven is based more in popular literature, movies or television than in scripture. So it is not uncommon to discover that many Christians do not understand that their are two judgements mentioned in the New Testament and both have huge eternal consequences. Most would recognize the "Great White Throne" judgment mentioned in the Book of Revelation where all mankind will give an account for their lives and how they responded to Jesus Christ invitation of salvation, but many do not understand about the second judgment that Christians will face. This will not be a judgment of sin but rather one of stewardship. Join us as we explore what this place of judgment will be and how our lives lived for Christ today

Can a Christian be "worldly"? or "Carnal"? And if so, what does that really mean and look like in a practical sense for today's church? How would you define an "immature" Christian versus a "mature" Christian and does the maturity level of a Christian really matter anymore? As the Apostle Paul continues to confront the divisions in the Corinthian Church (as well as today's church), those are just a few of the questions he strives to answer and define. Could it be that one of the reasons so many Christians struggle in their relationship with God and their faith is their maturity level? Listen in as we try to allow Paul's teaching to shine some light on the "shallow" faith that seems to be so pervasive in the church today and what we can do about it. Could it be that spiritual immaturity is corrupting the message and ministry of the church and endangering Christ followers? Listen in! From 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:9. Thank you for listening to our podc

In our passage from 1st Corinthians 2; the Apostle Paul continues to explain God's wisdom versus the wisdom of men and now he introduces the role that the Holy Spirit plays in illuminating God's wisdom for Christ follower. In this message, we give an overview of the Holy Spirit's role in the life of Christians with an emphasis on how he brings scripture to life. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can know the ways, wisdom and will of God as revealed in His word. We discuss the confusion over the Holy Spirit's role in a Christ followers life and the difference between revelation and illumination. From 1st Corinthians 2:6-16. 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 Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

What makes an effctive witness? What makes an effective Sermon?  Why was the Apostle Paul's message so powerful that we continue to study and follow his example today? In this passage from 1 Corinthians we can gain some insight into how Paul was able to release the power of God's wisdom and message through his life and testimony as well as discovering how we can do the same in our own churches and personal lives. In a world where we are told the church must be more "relevant" and focused on "needs based" message and ministry; the Apostle Paul counters that the most relevant message is that of the Cross. In this Sermon we examine how followers of Christ can allow what the world calls "foolish" to be unleashed and released as the "power of God". From 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.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 Yo

As the Apostle Paul continues to explain the differences between the wisdom of the world and God's wisdom in his 1st Letter to the Corinthian Church; today's message finds him listing several examples that prove that divide. Using paradoxical language, he describes the types of people that God uses to further his kingdom; the types of people that He calls to serve, to minister, to teach and preach. In a time where so many Christ followers are quick to find excuses for why they "cannot", the words found in our passage today offer a rebuke and an encouragement for why "God can"! From 1st Corinthians 1:26-31.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 Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

Paul continues his discussion on the divisive nature of the Cross and all that the Cross represents by taking his assertion from last weeks message that "there are only two true responses when we are confronted by what Christ accomplished on the Cross" and suggest their are two main reasons people reject the "Message of the Cross". Have you ever wondered why people reject Christ and walk away from his offer of forgiveness and salvation? This message looks at those two groups; one wanting a sign from God, and others caught up in their own wisdom, reason and understanding, and explores how that relates to today's culture. We also examine and discuss the "expected process" of someone converting to Christianity, or surrendering their life to God through Jesus Christ and ask the question "Have we made it more complicated than it really is?". From 1st Corinthians 1:18-25.   Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and shar

As the Apostle Paul continues to confront the divisions in the Church at Corinth over personalities and preferences, he moves into the issue of philosophical differences. Just as last week we examined how the Cross is the foundation for unity within the church, this week we look at the "flip side" and how the Cross can be divisive outside of the church and when it comes to world philosophies. We discuss the centrality of the Message of the Cross to everything Christians believe and uphold and how that message compels Christ followers to "deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus". From 1st Corinthians 1:17-19Thank 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 Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

When the Apostle Paul begins to confront the problems and issues plaguing the Corinthian church, he starts with addressing the power struggles and division that is tearing the church apart. As many churches today continue to be torn apart over issues of personality, programs and power; Paul's words still ring true. If division and quarreling is left unchecked it can destroy a church body, a churches witness and their ministry to the local community, leaving individual Christians as spiritual casualties in the process. Join us Paul "names names" and calls out the various groups on their real agenda by reinforcing the power of unity that is only found in the Cross. From 1st Corinthians 1:10-17Thank 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 Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

There were over 80 prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the birth of the Messiah; very specific prophecies, and yet many of the very people who had spent their lives studying those prophecies missed his arrival. The odds of one person fulfilling all 80 of those prophecies are 1 in one hundred quadrillion (1 with 17 "0"'s) yet Jesus Christ fulfilled them all. In this message, we finish up our series on The Real Christmas Story by looking at how many times Ralphie was warned about the dangers of a Red Ryder BB gun and shooting his eye out and how that relates to the warnings of the coming Messiah. We will examine some of the various prophecies about the birth of the Messiah and how Jesus fulfilled them as well as the prophecies from Jesus's own lips and the Apostle Paul about the second coming of Jesus Christ. Will we be as prepared for his second coming as the religious scholars were for his first?   From Isaiah 9:6-7, 1st Thessalonians 4:13-5:11Thank you for listening to our podcast

We begin a new series examining the Apostle Paul's first letter to the Church at Corinth that we are calling "The Struggle is Real". In this series we hope to address many of the struggles that Christians face trying to live out and apply Biblical principles and truth to their everyday lives. This message is an introduction to the series and examines the history and problems facing the Corinthian church and the culture they live in. We also find Paul laying a foundation of some important truths that he will build on throughout the letter. In his short introductory greeting Paul addresses not only who the church is but also what it means to be "sanctified" in Christ and why that is important to both the original readers and to us today. From 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 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 Youtube page. Contact us at office@

Part 2 of our Real Christmas Story series that examines the Biblical Christmas story through the lens of the popular movie and television show "A Christmas Story". This week we discuss Ralphie's dad and all the trials and tribulations he faces in the movie and how that related to Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus Christ. Joseph is a character who usually gets pushed to the sides of our nativity scenes and Christmas musicals. There are no songs about Joseph and we know very little about him; yet without Joseph and his obedience to God in a very trying and difficult circumstance, we would have no nativity. Join us to discover how God used Joseph to fulfill numerous Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus' birth and how his example of obedience can still teach us a few lessons today. 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 Youtube page. C

We kick off our new series that uses the popular Christmas Movie "A Christmas Story" as a jumping off place to discover some important elements of the Real Christmas Story that tend to get overlocked. As we discuss Ralphie and his Christmas experience in the 1950's and his pursuit of a Red Ryder B-B gun, we will take a closer look at several scenes and storylines from the movie and how they compare to the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The first in this series examines the "Dreaded Triple Dog Dare" when Ralphie's friend Swartz dares Flick to stick his tongue on a frozen telephone pool. Join us as we discover why Jesus was born when he was and how that fits into God's overall plan for each one of our lives. From Galatians 4:4-7.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 Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowing

  Every year it seems like the Christmas Season starts earlier and earlier and as Thanksgiving bleeds into Christmas, it might be beneficial for each of us to take a moment, hit the pause button, and examine our hearts. While we like to bemoan the commercialization and secularization of Christmas, those issues are not the heart of the problem - the problem just might be our hearts! This week between Thanksgiving and the start of Advent gives us a great opportunity to examine our hearts and make sure we have the right foundation and motivation to start the Holidays off right. Join us as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ. From Matthew 6:22-24;33. 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 Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

We finish up our study on developing a Thankful heart and grateful spirit by looking at the benefits and blessings that are unlocked when we express gratitude. We look at an encounter that Jesus had with 10 men struck with leprosy to unpack the difference between feeling thankful and being thankful and why it matters. We also suggest some practical ways we can express our gratitude to those around us during the holiday season. From Luke 17:10-19Thank 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 Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

As we continue our series on developing a grateful and thankful spirit during this season of Thanksgiving, this message examines what is at the core or foundation of true gratitude. Why do we sometimes struggle with being thankful for what we have been blessed with and how do we overcome the barriers to a grateful heart like envy, greed and lack of faith? Join us as we examine what the Apostle Paul calls "the secret" of gratitude and how we can learn to apply this "secret" to our own lives. From Philippians 4:10-13.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 online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

For those who have grown up in the church or around the church, you might be unaware of how strange some of the most commonly used phrases sound to those outside of the church. We have a tendency to speak "Christianeze" and cling to our own terminology and catch phrases that might not be communicating what we hope. Think about some of these phrases like; "hedge of protection" "whole armor of God" "Traveling Mercies" "unspoken prayer request" "washed in the blood" "speaking in tongues" and even "born again". If we have to take time to further explain what a term means we might be better off using a different term or phrase. One of the most popular phrases in "christianeze" today is "Blessed and highly favored" and if you have been around Christ followers for any length of time you have probably heard it expressed. There is nothing wrong with the phrase, it comes straight from the Angel Gabriel's lips to Mar

As the average age of a majority of church congregations in the United States continues to rise, it is understandable that the same is true for church leadership. The average age of Senior Pastors in the US is in the mid 50's, our foreign missionaries average is in the mid 50's, even our deacons, elders, Sunday school teachers and committee membership is around the mid 50's. While there is nothing wrong with people in the mid 50's or even older, it stands to reason that as the average age continues to rise and with the current trend of younger people dropping out of church; what is going to happen in 15 years? Will we have difficulty finding missionaries to step in and take the mantle from those who have served faithfully? Will churches have difficulties finding a Pastor? Will we see a shortage of leadership within our congregations? If that happens, how will it effect the spread of the gospel around the world or even in our own backyards? CK Chesterton once said, "Christianity is onl

Have you ever thought about why we gather together on Sunday mornings for church, or corporate worship? Not the theological reasons; it is pretty clear in the Bible that the local faith community is the main avenue for individual Christians to grow and serve and it is the main means by which God accomplishes his purposes here on earth. I am talking about your own personal reasons. Why do you "go to church"? out of habit? routine? obligation? because you think it is expected of you? Building on last week's message of "Why we sing" this message strives to answer in a practical and Biblical manner, "why we gather together" in worship and by doing so, hopefully give us some insight into why church attendance continues to decline across America. From Psalms 100.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 Youtube page. Contact us at o

Have you ever wondered why churches spend between half of even a third of their worship services in song? If you look back over the last 30 years in the history of the American church, the greatest place of contention, disruption, disunity and spiritual warfare has revolved around that portion of our worship services where we sing. We have fought over how we sing, what we sing, and even the instruments we use when we sing and churches continue to split, become spiritually neutered and rendered powerless in the process. For the enemy to attack this portion of our worship service's with such ferocity, it must be pretty important. Listen in the discover "Why we sing". From Nehemiah 12, John 4:21-24Thank 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 Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

Have you ever considered your legacy? What will people think about you when you are gone, or will they even think about you? What about 50 years from now, or 75? When you think of the great examples of those who were faithful to God in the Bible it is easy to come up with the names like Moses, Gideon, Joshua, David, Nehemiah, Elijah; but the vast majority of people whose legacy we follow are unnamed and really unknown. They served God, remained faithful and sought to do his will; yet to our history they seemed to have been forgotten. But God's point of view is much different than our recorded history. To God, each of those faithful forgotten were valued treasures, remembered and rewarded for their service and faithfulness. What a great encouragement for many of us today who can get discouraged or feel like we are all alone, or even underappreciated. Join us as we look at Nehemiah 11 and gain some encouragement to press on. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to o