Posts by Michael Nelson (Page 8)

Weekly Update – May 18th, 2023 Last Sunday, we had, what we called, a parent/child dedication.  At First Baptist Church, we want to be a community that not only celebrates children, but we also want to be a place that stands with parents to equip, support, encourage and pray for them as they seek to lead their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.  That means that as joyful as it was to watch six young families present…

Weekly Update – May 11th, 2023 The phrase “listen to your heart” is not an uncommon mantra of our modern day.  If you don’t know what direction to take in making a decision in life, you might hear the advice, “listen to your heart.”  If you are unsure about what to do in a relationship, you might hear, “listen to your heart.”  If you are unsure about whether something is right or wrong, you might hear, “listen to your heart.” …

Weekly Update – May 4th, 2023 On many Sundays over the last few months, we have read larger portions of scripture during the sermon time.  As we have been going through 1 Samuel, it is helpful to sometimes read a chapter or more at a time, to understand the full context of story that is given.  We don’t typically have to do this in Paul’s letters or even the gospels, but with Old Testament narrative, this is necessary.  Nevertheless, no…

Weekly Update – April 27th, 2023 The plan of God, from before the creation of the world, is that we would be redeemed through his son Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:4).  Due to sin, we have all been separated from God, made strangers to his promises, as we live without hope in this world (Eph. 2:12).  But God, being rich in mercy saved us (Eph. 2:4-5).  God’s plan wasn’t just for us as individuals though.  What I mean is that when…

Weekly Update – April 20th, 2023 It has been several weeks now since we have examined the a point in our newly adopted statement on Biblical sexuality.  So far, we have taken an in-depth look at the first two points of our statement.  You can find an explanation of point one HERE and point two HERE.  This week we will take a look at point three which says this: Those born with a physical disorder of sex development are created…

Weekly Update – April 13th, 2023 For the last several years, we have hosted what is called Secret Church.  We have gathered either in homes or at the church on a Friday night in April for 6 hours of Bible Study and prayer.  Over the last few weeks, I have received a number of questions as to what this event typically looks like.  Therefore, let me try to explain what Secret Church is and why it is you should go.…

Weekly Update – April 6th, 2023 In many ways, the remembrance of Maundy Thursday and the celebration of Easter Sunday are two of the most significant days in the life of our church.   Don’t get me wrong here, every time we gather as a church is significant in our lives because it provides an opportunity to encourage one another and proclaim Christ.  But our gatherings this week specifically focus on what is at the center of our faith with the…

Weekly Update – March 30th, 2023 It is easy to neglect to stop and take stock of the evidences of God’s grace upon us as we live in a culture that is prone to complain and criticize. That means that one of the ways that we can live counter cultural to this world is to encourage one another with the faithfulness of God. When we consider the Lord’s work among us, not only does it remind us of his goodness,…

Weekly Update – March 23rd, 2023 When we think about church attendance, typically we think of it in an individualized sort of way.  Perhaps you have heard comments such as, “I am coming to church to get fed” or “I am coming this week to get encouraged.”  With many of us being faithful attenders, individualized comments, even if they are motivated by hope in Christ, will still come through.  We might say, “I need the Word of God in my…

Weekly Update – March 16th, 2023 In 1 Samuel 15, we read about God regretting that he made Saul king (15:11, 35). The writer of 1 Samuel must have known that this was a difficult concept to swallow because in 15:29 he says, “the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.”  In other words, though God “regrets” making Saul king, his regret is not like our regret. …

Weekly Update – March 9th, 2023 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 2nd, 2023 Over the last few weeks, I have had numerous conversations about the revival at Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky.  Honestly, it is hard to form a solid opinion on exactly what is going on there without having seen it or experienced it.  It is easy to say that based upon the large numbers of people and the clips that have been shown on social media that something is occurring on this college campus.  But…