True Heart Change

Weekly Update – April 4th, 2024

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  That verse from Genesis 1:1 is probably very familiar to you.  In fact, behind John 3:16, that is likely one of the first verses you may have memorized from the Bible.  But lets try to look a little bit deeper into what is going on when God created everything.  How did God create?  God created everything by speaking it into existence.  Before God spoke there was nothing.  But then God spoke and everything came to be.  This tells us right off the bat that what God says is powerful and important.

From the beginning, God spoke good words to his creation.  In particular, he spoke good words to the pinnacle of his creation, Adam and Eve.  He gave them the commands to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28).  This command was given in order for Adam and Eve to fill the garden with the glory of God.  This is how they were called to image him before the world.  They would fill the earth with people who would worship him and subdue the creation as a display of the authority of God over all things.  But there was one rule in the midst of this creational command.  Adam and Eve could eat of every tree in the garden except for one.  They could not eat of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:17).  Out of perhaps thousands of beautiful, lush and full trees, God spoke his command to Adam and Eve, prohibiting one tree from their hand.  Everything else was for their enjoyment.

Perhaps you know what happens next.  The serpent speaks lies to Adam and Eve.  Not necessarily blatant and obvious lies, but subtle lies that twist the truth.  He recognizes the rule of God, but tells them that the consequence that God gave are not true (Gen. 3:5).  The serpent’s words deceive and Eve listens.  Here we see a shift in God’s creation.  Adam and Eve chose words of death over words of life by choosing to listen to the serpent instead of God.  Then their choice leads to a shift in the words they speak.  When answering God concerning what they did by eating from the tree he commanded them not to, Adam uses his words to blame Eve and essentially blame God, while Eve uses her words to blame the serpent (Gen. 3:12-13).  No longer do God’s imaged creatures use their words to display the God who used his word to create them, instead they now use their words to tear down, destroy and deny the image that they were given. 

So what does this have to do with us?  As we saw two weeks ago, James 3:8 says, “…no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”  Due to the fall of Adam and Eve into sin, we now all have this tendency to image the serpent by speaking words that are “restless evil, full of deadly poison.”  The result, as we will see this week, James 3:16 says that with an untamed tongue, we will, like the serpent, speak words that reflect “jealousy and selfish ambition,” leading to “disorder and every vile practice.”  This is not a very hopeful picture.  From our mouths, words of death that tear down and seek to destroy will reign.  So then, what do we do?

First, we must realize that the problem with our words is not simply our words.  What I mean is, our words are a reflection of something much deeper.  Matthew 15:18 says, “…what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart.”  The problem with our words comes from what is within our hearts.  Therefore, second, the solution comes not merely through a few nice words here and there, but through a change of heart.  How then do we have a heart that is changed?  We have a heart that is changed by looking to the true Word who came down from heaven to live, die and rise again for us.  Only he can change our hearts.  Then through receiving a changed heart, we can begin to speak words of life that build up and point to our creator, instead of words of death that point to our sin.

One day, those of us who are in Christ, will be led back into a place that will be better than the Garden of Eden.  We will once again hear the good words of God as he proclaims to us “that the dwelling place of God is with man” (Rev. 21:3).  In this place, our hearts will be made pure, leading to our words only knowing truth and life.  It is here that the war of words that we are engaged in now within our hearts will be over because of the true Word made flesh.  In the meantime, how do we live now?  This is what we will address over the next few weeks. 

Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson

Written by Pastor
Michael Nelson

Fighter Verse for the Week

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved
- Ephesians 2:4-5

Announcements:

Collegiate Impact: One of our home groups is helping with a dinner for a group of college students meeting at Longview Community College. They could use your help as well. The dinner is for the evening of Friday, April 5th and is for 35 students. If you are interested in helping, connect with Matthew Klika.

Women’s Craft + Brunch: All ladies of the church are invited to the Larson Home at 10am on Saturday, April 13th, for a potluck brunch and a time of crafting. Details can be found HERE.

Youth Dessert Auction: We will hold a Dessert Auction at 5pm on Sunday, April 14th. This auction will be a fundraiser to help send the youth to summer camp. Everyone is invited to bring a dessert to auction and to bid on a dessert. For more details, contact Dan Holsten.

Harry’s Hay Days: On Saturday, May 4th, from 10:00am-4:00pm, First Baptist Church will be participating in the citywide festival called, “Harry’s Hay Days.” We will be hosting carnival games, face painters, balloon artists, Chick-fil-A, and more, right here in our parking lot. Put this date on your calendar and sign up in the hallway to help!

Annie Armstrong Easter Offering: Every year at this time, we raise funds to support missionaries all over North America who are serving with the North American Mission Board (NAMB). This year, our goal at First Baptist Church is to raise $8500. You can give on Sunday mornings through one of our offering boxes located in the foyer or the welcome center. Just mark your envelop as “missions” or “Annie.” Or you can give online HERE and choose “missions” under the Fund tab. You can find more information about this offering HERE.

Prom Dress Giveaway: If you are interested in volunteering with the prom dress giveaway, please contact Amy Blankenship. More info can be found HERE.

Women’s Bible Study: The seasonal ladies’ Bible study began on Tuesday, February 20th. Sessions are offered at 9:30am and 6:30pm. More information and a signup sheet are available on the bulletin board in the hall.

Men’s Bible Study: This men’s study is based on the book, The Exemplary Husband. The study is held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday night of each month at 8:00pm in the library. If you are interested see Clint Blankenship.

Greeting Team: We are looking for volunteers to serve one week a month on this rotation. If you would like more information, connect with Matthew Klika.

Befriend a Student: If you are interested in befriending a student from Longview Community College this semester, connect with Matthew Klika. You can find more information about befriend a student HERE.

Food Pantry: We are in need of pop-top and ready to eat items for our food pantry. These items are needed specifically for the homeless in our community that stop by the church building throughout the week looking for a meal. We are also in need of spaghetti-o’s, ravioli, dry pancake mix, and maple syrup.

Nursery Volunteers Needed: Nursery volunteers are needed each week during the 10:30am service time. Contact Betty for more information on how you can serve.

Equipping Hour

We have three classes held at 9:15am on Sunday mornings. “Firm Foundations” meets in the Sanctuary, a biblical exposition of 1 Peter meets in the Fellowship Hall, and a Ladies’ class studying the New Testament meets in the classroom next to the nursery. You can find more information HERE.

Giving

To Give Online, Go HERE. 

You can also mail your offering to: 1416 Main Street, Grandview, MO. 64030

Home Groups

Home Groups typically meet on the first and third Sunday of each month. Please contact Pastor Michael if you would like to join a Home Group. You can find more information HERE.

Prayer

An updated Prayer Guide can be accessed HERE. 

Prepare for Sunday

Guide for Worship can be found HERE. 

Wednesday Evening Activities

Awana, Youth Group, and Biblical Counseling are on Wednesday evenings. We will share a meal in the Faith Center Gym at 6:00pm before heading to classes at 6:30pm.