First Baptist Blowing Rock

Join us as we rediscover the power and purpose of the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. What does the empty tomb mean to me and do for me? From Psalms 22, Philippians 3:7-11Thank 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

This week we begin our journey to Easter by examining the journey Jesus took to the Cross. By asking the question, "When did Jesus start on his journey to Calvary"? or even "When did Jesus make the choice to start on the road that led to the Cross"?; we survey pivotal points in His life, take a quick survey of the Old Testament, including the Prophets, the Old Covenant, Moses's calling and even God's covenant with Abraham to try and discover a surprising answer. Join us on a journey of discovery as we each prepare our hearts to make the journey to the Cross in the coming weeks. 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 continue our Sermon Series examining "who we are" as a church and "what we believe" by looking at what has become the most recognizable Baptist distinctive; Religious Freedom! Since soon after the reformation, Baptist have fought and died for the principle that true worship and true obedience to God can only come through the practice of free will. In this message we examine the history of Baptist and religious freedom, from our first statement of faith in 1644, to the founding of Rhode Island based on religious liberty, to our fight to insure the inclusion of religious liberty in the first amendment to our nations Constitution. We examine the scripture behind this principle and the privilege so many take for granted. We also discuss the misguided thoughts behind the idea of "separation of church and state" and the current battles being waged in America to diminish and destroy religious freedoms. From Galatians 5:1-10.Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for

This week we examine Genesis 15-25 while stopping to examine the meaning and purpose of the Covenant that God makes with Abram. We explain the significance and similarities between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. We also examine the identity of the person described as "The Angel of the Lord" all throughout the early Old Testament and how his identity can change the way we read the stories as well as reveal some new insight into New Testament theology. We also discuss how people in the Old Testament were made right with God that allows them to receive eternal life. From Wednesday night, February 21,2018Thank 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

This sessions looks at the setting and background for Abram's journey to the "promise land" in Canaan. It would be helpful if you have a Map to follow the early part of the discussion. In most Bibles, you will find a Map in the back that shows the "World of the Patriarchs". This is the map we use for the discussion. We will also discuss Genesis 12-15 and Abram's journey to Egypt and his encounter with a strange king from Salem that could have New Testament ramifications. From Wednesday February 14th, 2018Thank 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 continue our study of what makes us a Baptist church and what we believe by looking at the Baptist distinctive of "Soul Competency" or "Soul Liberty". While those terms may not be familiar to many Christians, they are rooted in the idea that every person is created in the image of God and therefore accountable for their own actions and the consequences of those actions before God. This seems to run counter to our modern culture where instead of holding individuals responsible for their actions, we would rather find fault or blame, make excuses and rationalizations. We examine the danger this mindset can have on a nation, a culture and on an individual. Soul Liberty also holds that as each of us has equal access to God, we can also each read, understand and interpret God's word on our own and we examine the dangers inherent in misunderstanding this truth that can lead to legalism or license. From Romans 14:1-13. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to su

We continue our examination of "who we are and what we believe" as Christians and the Church by examining what it means to be "Baptist". This message looks at the Baptist principle of "The priesthood of believers" and examines how it evolved from the reformation principle of "Solus Christus" and it's effects on our ecclesiology, or how we govern and minister as a church. While the idea that Christ is the only mediator between God and Man is not strictly a Baptist belief, when linked together with the principle that every Christian is a "priest" it forms the basis for our congregational form of governance as well as "who does" and "how we do" the ministry of the church. It also reveals the great privilege of direct access to God that every Christian has as well as the great responsibility that comes with that privilege. From 1 Timothy 2:1-6 and 1 Peter 2:4,9-10. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subsc

As we continue our new series "This is Us" by examining what we believe and why we believe it; we take a look at some of the key principles of what it means to be a "Baptist church". This week we examine the principle of Biblical Authority or what Martin Luther called, "Sola Scriptura" - Scripture Alone! Not only will we look at some key Bible passages that shed some light on this principle, but the history of this principle from the New Testament church until today. We also examine those things that other faiths and denominations might elevate on par with scripture when looking at our faith and practices and discuss the danger that a Christ follower might encounter when we stray from "Scripture Alone". From 2nd Timothy 3:10-17Thank 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@firstbaptistblowing

We examine Abram's spiritual and physical journeys as he encounters God and moves his family to Canaan. A look at the original Covenant that God made with Abram and Abram's religious background. We also examine Abram's encounters in Canaan and Egypt. 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

An introduction to our series "This is Us" by examining the name "Baptist" and where it came from and what it means. We examine the issue of baptism by immersion, its history and why it is so important in a Baptist church. This new series will be examining what we believe as a Baptist church and why it is important as well as the history and heritage of our church as it relates to planning for our future. 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

Jesus tells the disciples in John 4 to "Open their eyes to the fields ripe for Harvest" after they seemingly missed an opportunity to share with the Samaritan women at the well. Has the church today fallen into the same trap of missed opportunities? Have we spent so much time focused on ourselves and our own spiritual growth and maturity that we have lost sight of our task? Do we even see these "fields" that Jesus was talking about? What will it take for us to get back to the place where sharing our faith and being Christ witness to those around us is our main priority, or is that even possible at this point? Join us as we discover how regain a "field focused vision" that will allow the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to all we have been missing. From John 4 and also is connected to the sermon theme from January 21st "A Fierce Urgency of Now"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 week

In our new Wednesday night study we are looking at the Bible and its setting and context as it impacts all of History. This introduction looks at Genesis and the Creation story. 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

Is the Church more concerned with it's own survival over advancing the Kingdom of God? Have we lost our passion for sharing our faith? Have we emphasized spiritual growth at the expense of evangelism? Have we lost our sense of urgency? Join us as we discover how to regain a "fierce urgency of now" when it comes to sharing with others what is supposed to be the most important thing in our lives. If not us, then who? If not now, then when? From John 4:27-38Thank 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

Psalms 46 has been used as a great source of strength and encouragement to those facing trials and struggles, but what if it was more than a source of comfort but rather a place to find confidence? The Psalmist encourages us to "Know" or "experience" God in a very real and tangible way in our everyday lives but this first requires that we "Be Still". What might that look like and what can we discover if we ever take the time to try it? Join us as we take a closer look at this powerful passage and unlock the keys to what might make your 2018 a year to remember! From Psalms 46Thank 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 does Christmas end? Is it on December 26th? Or maybe it is on January 7th, the end of the 12 days of Christmas and the celebration of the arrival of the Magi in many churches? While we debate and discuss how the beginning of the season keeps getting pushed back early and earlier into November, but what about its end date? Is it when we finish unwrapping that last present, or when the relatives all leave, or maybe when we take down all the decorations? In many Christmas stories and musicals, it seems to end with the arrival of the Magi, but in Matthews version of the nativity, he includes a couple more scenes that seem get overlooked and even left out. Might these 3 scenes bring some insight for when we can officially stop celebrating Christmas or maybe they suggest that Christmas is more than a seasonal celebration? Join us as we examine Matthews additional scenes and what role they might play in helping us in expressing the message of Christmas all year long. From Matthew 2:13-23. Thank you for listeni

When you read in 2nd Corinthians 11:21-29 as Paul describes some of the things he endured and overcame while sharing the gospel, you can't help but thinking "dangerous". But why would this simple, old theologian be in danger or even dangerous to those around him? It wasn't who he was that made him dangerous, but rather his message. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the message of Jesus Christ was foolishness, or offensive to those who are lost and that made it dangerous. For the last 2000 years, history is filled with stories about the followers of Christ who have been considered dangerous by those in power, by those who protect the status quo, simply because they identified and lived out the message of Jesus Christ. So what happened? Are Christians in North America still dangerous? Or for the sake of accommodation or acceptance and approval have we watered down or removed the very parts of the message that made it dangerous, the very parts of the Word of God that releases the power

In spite of what we see in our traditional nativity scenes, we don't know how many Magi/Wise Men there actually were, we don't even know when they arrived on the scene or where they really came from; so what role do they play in the story? Join us as we examine the purpose and message of the Wise Men and how their arrival brings both the Old Testament and the Death of Jesus Christ into the Nativity scene. From Matthew 2:1-12Thank 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

It seems like you can't watch the news or get online without being overwhelmed with acts of "Evil" happening all around the world; church shootings, hunger and homelessness, marriages and homes dissolving and hate filled protest. We have a tendency to want to ask why? what happens that causes these events or these acts? The answer is simple; we live in an evil and fallen world and trying to understand it won't change it, trying to rationalize it won't change it, yet on this first weekend of Advent we find an answer; Hope! Paul closes Romans chapter 12 by reminding us that responding to evil with evil will never stop it or change it - the only thing that can overcome evil is good - and the Bible tells us that the ultimate good that overcomes evil is Jesus Christ. As followers of Christ, we do not live like those who have no hope, who fear evil,but with the understanding that evil can be overcome and one day it will be eliminated. Listen in to find out what that looks like in our everyd

The Apostle Paul warns us that if we claim to be followers of Christ, people will be watching us and for many people, the only definition of Christianity they will see is what they observe from your life. He tells us to be careful and strive to always do what is "right". So what does doing what is "right" mean, and what might that look like in our everyday lives? In Romans 12:17-20, he gives us several practical examples of how we can live out what we say we believe in a way that is not only "right" but is sure to catch the attention of those around us. Join us to discover what it looks like for a Christian to truly live out Christ example in a hostile world. 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

As the Apostle Paul continues to paint a picture of how the followers of Christ are supposed to live from Romans 12, he moves from our relationship with a specific group of people in verses 14-16, to a more general audience in verse 17. While at first glance it may seem to be just a simple instruction to "always do what is right" but when you examine the context and his word choices from the Greek language; it unlocks the keys to a lifestyle that has the potential to transform our culture. In a culture that has embraced Moral Relativism where what is "acceptable behavior" or how we define "right or wrong" changes and shifts according to popular opinion, our circumstances or the situations we face; Paul challenges Christ followers to a different standard. From Romans 12:17Thank 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. Conta