Posts by Michael Nelson (Page 12)

Weekly Update – May 12th, 2022 As Christians, we are all called to a type of ministry.  There is no such thing as isolating ourselves from other believers, just as there is no such thing as inactivity when it comes to serving the Lord.  We are to be actively investing ourselves into the lives of others, younger and older, mature and immature, similar to us or different.  Ministry isn’t only a call to those who are paid or to those…

Weekly Update – May 5th, 2022 The major news story of this week has been the leaked document from the Supreme Court about the upcoming overturning of Roe v. Wade.  In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Norma Leah Wilson (Jane Roe) essentially allowing abortion on demand.  On the same date, the Supreme Court ruled in Doe v. Bolton defining health as “anything that a woman defines it to be, even if it is nothing more than her…

Weekly Update – April 28th, 2022 After over a two-year hiatus, we will open up two new home groups this summer.  In the past we have had home groups, and in fact, even now, there is still one currently meeting over zoom.  These groups will be intentionally filled with a range of people, from children, to married couples, to singles and senior adults.  Our goal is to meet on Sunday evenings over dinner for fellowship, study and prayer.  There are…

Weekly Update – April 21st, 2022 The Great Commission is a well-known and popular call that many Christians are familiar with in the New Testament.  It says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I (Jesus) have commanded you….” (Matt. 28:19-20)  Typically when we read that verse, the first thought that comes to our minds is…

Weekly Update – April 14th, 2022 Since 2015, First Baptist Church has had a Maundy Thursday service the Thursday before Easter.  This night is primarily meant to function as a time to reflect and prepare ourselves as we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Now when we say Maundy Thursday, there is still likely some confusion over its significance.  Good Friday we know, and of course, Easter Sunday we know, but what is so special about this day…

Weekly Update – April 7th, 2022 As we continue to watch the downgrade of our culture, we must remember how important it is for the church to remain counter-cultural to all that we see around us.  There is pressure from many angles to capitulate to what are quickly becoming the norms of society in terms of the sexual revolution, the idolatry of self, and the general acceptance of immorality.  Over the last few months in 1 Timothy, we have seen…

Weekly Update – March 31st, 2022 One of the hardest aspects of living in community with others is practicing forgiveness.  Someone says a wrong word against us, goes behind our back or tells others something untrue and it hurts us.  On many occasions the advice given to us might be to avoid the person who has wronged us, never trust them again, sit on the opposite side of the church and “warn” others about their sin.  But if we examine…

Weekly Update – March 24th, 2022 In just a few weeks, we as Christians celebrate the cornerstone of our faith.  As the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “if Christ has not been raised, then our faith is in vain.”  What this means is that the resurrection does matter.  We can’t simply resort to saying that Christianity is about doing good for others or living a morally pure life.  If Christ has not been raised, then he is just…

Weekly Update – March 17th, 2022 As Covid restrictions have relaxed and people seem to be moving beyond the pandemic, we have begun to see a number of visitors on Sunday morning once again.  Some are repeat visitors, others try for a Sunday and then we may see them again in the future, but either way, our church has had a number of new people walk through its doors.  In the New Testament we see a command given to Christians…

Weekly Update – March 10th, 2022 This coming Sunday night (3/13), we will begin a new series titled, Follow Me.  This six week series is designed to challenge us on what Jesus truly meant when he uttered the words, “follow me” to those who would be his disciples.  Here is a brief description of the study: “What did Jesus really mean when he said, “Follow Me”? In this new book, David Platt, author of the New York Times bestselling book,…

Weekly Update – March 3rd, 2022 In the big picture of Paul’s letter to Timothy, we have quickly seen that all is not right in the Ephesian church where Timothy is stationed.  False doctrine is being taught with an emphasis being placed upon “myths and endless genealogies” (1:4).  These so-called teachers were teaching what is “contrary to sound doctrine” (1:10), so much so that some were making “shipwreak of their faith” (1:19).  One of the ways that the apostle Paul…

Weekly Update – February 24th, 2022 This past Sunday, we took time to pray for the situation involving Ukraine. Since then, tensions have escalated with Russia now posting over 190,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian border. It is expected that many peaceful Ukrainian cities will soon find themselves under Russian aggression. Send International is a missions organization, and they have posted 11 ways for you and I to pray for the Ukraine. Here they are below: 1. Ask God to redeem…