Weekly Update – March 20th, 2025
If you were to ask a group of people to describe the love of God, you would likely get a different definition from every single person. Our culture would describe the love of God as anything that is accepting of their way of life. Christians might even have a difficult time trying to describe what it means for God to love. But listen to how the apostle John describes the love of God in 1 John 4:8-10. John writes, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” What this means is that if we want to understand the love of God, we must look at his son Jesus Christ.
To understand this concept about the love of God, let’s first consider who we are. We are sinners through and through. We have disobeyed the commands of our creator, we have spurn his laws, and we have all gone our own way. In short, we were enemies of God. But then consider the character of God. God is holy, righteous, and perfect in every way. He is only good and he is worthy of all glory and honor. That means that for God to come down to earth in the person of Jesus Christ is the ultimate act of love towards us. He was not obligated, nor did mankind offer him any sort of reward or advantage for him to come. Jesus came and lived the perfect life, died a sacrificial death on our behalf and he rose again to offer us new life. And God did all of this through Jesus Christ simply because he loves us.
With these truths in mind, the apostle John continues. He says in 1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” It is helpful that when we read this, to remember that John is giving this command to the church. It may be easy to love those who are just like us, with the same desires and preferences, who look like us and live like us. But this command is given to the church, who is united together only by the blood of Jesus Christ. Of course, we are to love our neighbor, who essentially is anyone that God puts into our path. But the call to love one another means that we are to love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ the way that God has displayed his love for us through Jesus Christ.
This command to love is not an easy one to follow. The reason why it is difficult to follow is because it requires action from us, for the benefit of our fellow brother or sister in Christ. It requires us to intentionally serve them, and work for their benefit, so that their joy might one day be complete in Christ. This type of love also requires sacrifice. It might be easy to tell someone that we will pray for them. But as much as we should do that, we should also be willing to give up ourselves for their sake, even to the point of forsaking our very lives, so that they might be served. This type of love will necessarily then be enduring because to live out the action of love in a sacrificial way requires us to do so continually. We must endure with one another through good and bad, so that together we might display to the world a love that is supernatural and unlike something that they have ever experienced.
I encourage you to continue on in love for each other in this church. We are all different, with our own individual tastes and comforts. But together, if we live forsaking ourselves for the building up of each other, what we will see is a beautiful picture of the gospel at work in us and before the world. So then, as God has loved us in Christ, you too should love one another..
Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson
Written by Pastor
Michael Nelson
Fighter Verse for the Week
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
-Romans 8:35-37
Announcements:
Prom Dress Giveaway: The prom dress giveaway is in need of volunteers. See Amy Blankenship or sign up on the bulletin board in the hall. Click HERE for more details.
Ladies Bible Study: On Tuesday, February 25th, a seven week Bible study through the book of Esther began. There are two sessions, one at 9:30am and another at 6:00pm. You can check out more information about this Bible study, HERE.
Sisters in Service: For the first time in a long time, the Sisters in Service will be meeting. All ladies of the church are invited to attend at 7pm on Thursday, March 20th. See Sheriann Kessinger for more details.
Men’s Study: On the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, from 8:00-9:15pm, a men’s study through the book, The Measure of a Man, takes place. See Clint Blankenship for more information.
Members’ Meeting: Following the morning service on Sunday, March 30th, we will have a potluck lunch and members’ meeting. There is a signup sheet for the potluck on the bulletin board in the hall.
Worship Jam Night: On the last Friday of each month, at 6:30pm, there will be a worship jam night for all who are interested. The purpose of this event is to have fun and develop musical skill here at FBC for the glory of God. You don’t have to be a part of the praise team to participate. Bring any worship, hymn, or CCM song in a format that can be shared with the other musicians (like a chord chart or a lead sheet). See Martin for more details.
FBC Mini Conference: On April 6th during our Equipping Hour and our Worship Service, we will have Marshall Adkins with us for a mini conference titled, Taking Every Thought Captive. Marshall is an assistant professor of Biblical Counseling at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the assistant director of the Biblical Counseling Center at Midwestern.
Sunday Evening Service: Our next Sunday evening service will be this Sunday, April 13th at 6:00pm. On this evening we will pray together and hear from Scott Neal as he preaches from 1 John 2:28-3:10.
Snodgrasses: If you are interested in supporting Simon and Hannah, you can talk with them or give to them directly HERE (make sure to designate their name for the gift). Additionally, consider praying for them if you don’t already. To get put on monthly update and bi-annual prayer sheet, you can email Simon at Simonsn@cefireland.
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.
Food Pantry: The food pantry is currently in need of peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti noodles and spaghetti sauce, canned soup, canned vegetables, canned tuna, boxes of macaroni and cheese, cereal, and oatmeal. For a complete list of food pantry needs, click HERE.
Awana Bible Club
Awana is held at 6:30pm on Wednesdays throughout the school year. Dinner is at 6:00pm. Children can be registered HERE.
Equipping Hour
We have three classes held at 9:15am on Sunday mornings. “Firm Foundations” meets in the Sanctuary, a study in Isaiah 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.
Worship Service
Worship Service begins at 10:30am on Sunday mornings. Nursery care for children ages 0-4 years is available during the worship hour.
Livestream
Continue to join us at 10:30am on Sunday mornings.
Facebook live: HERE.
YouTube: HERE.
Join us and invite a friend or family member to watch with you.
Sunday School
Children and Youth Sunday School take place at 9:15am on Sunday mornings.
Ages 0-2 and 3–k meet in the nursery suite.
Grades 1-3rd meet upstairs in U-5.
Grades 4th-6th meet upstairs in U-6.
Grades 7th-12th meet downstairs in the youth room.