First Baptist Church Wimberley Sermons

[[:encoded, "Psalm 23:5 gives us an unusual image: \"God prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies.\" Yes, God cares for each of us in every situation, including the rough times. Anyone who has read Psalm 23 knows this in His head. But now let's all know it in our hearts: God loves and cares for you!"]]

[[:encoded, "God is interested in the very best for us. Fact is, sometimes our sin nature keeps us from knowing His best for us. But God wants to do do more than just give us direction. He wants to take us to a destination."]]

[[:encoded, "God is always with us in the highs and lows of life, but often it's in the valleys that we see Him most clearly. In fact, if you're going to have peace in your life, you'll have to go through some valleys. But here's the promise: The scripture doesn't say you will walk IN the valley. It says you will walk THROUGH the valley. If you're a believer, problems are temporary , but His blessings are eternal."]]

[[:encoded, "God is our protector. He wants to give us rest and peace. When we understand the promises of God, it helps us to gain a better appreciation of \"He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.\" Let God, the Shepherd, be your Protector today."]]

[[:encoded, "The original word for \"Lord\" in the Bible is so sacred that those who first wrote the words of scripture wouldn't even say the name. This speaks of how powerful is God! He is omnipotent and eternal. And yet, this same God is our shepherd, personally interested in each of us. The Great Shepherd provides, protects, guides and directs us."]]

[[:encoded, "Pastor Mike plays the part of Simon of Cyrene as he performs this moving monologue. At first Simon says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but by the end of the story, he realizes he was actually in the right place at the right time."]]

[[:encoded, "When you give your life to Christ you are a given a living hope, a hope for the future, and a hope for today. You are given a lasting inheritance; it will never perish or fade away. In fact, the antidote to fear is hope. So on this side of Christ's resurrection, remember that Jesus wants to give you hope that will last forever."]]

[[:encoded, "Pastor Mike plays the part of Simon of Cyrene as he performs this moving monologue. At first Simon says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but by the end of the story, he realizes he was actually in the right place at the right time."]]

[[:encoded, "The Word of God tells us what is true and useful, but it also rebukes us when we are in the wrong. We might not like it, but if we are doing something wrong, and even dangerous, we need an authority to get us back on the right path. Thankfully it also corrects us by telling us how to make things right. Our source, the Bible, is an amazing book that guides us in any and every situation. The reason God gave us His Word is that He wants us to be equipped for everything in life."]]

[[:encoded, "When we give our lives to Christ, He brings us through four stages. Actually, some Christians never go beyond the first couple of stages because of fear. Today we're discussing the final stage, \"Engage.\" This is where we can start \"producing fruit,\" or becoming true disciple makers. People who progress to this stage move beyond the fear, and become completely sold out to Christ."]]

[[:encoded, "The last couple of weeks we've been discussing the stages that God brings us through when we come to faith in Him. We saw the \"explore\" stage where we discover the way of Christ. Once we put our trust in Him, we move to the \"Establish\" stage, where our faith starts to take root. The following stage is when God \"Equips\" us for His work. The problem is there is fear in advancing to this stage. This message discusses how we deal with that fear."]]

[[:encoded, "You can know all about Jesus, but there has to be a time when you cross over from \"explore\" to \"establish.\" When you make the crossover, you establish an identity with God. This is done through salvation. Listen to find out what else happens when you make this crucial step."]]

[[:encoded, "Jesus spent time with the multitudes, and yet if you read scripture closely, you'll see He spent most of His time investing in the lives of a small group of men, who later went on to change the world. This message discusses four phases in Jesus' model approach to disciple-making."]]

[[:encoded, "What is a disciple? A learner or follower of another. He's a maturing Christian who practices what he believes. In the case of Jesus, our learning should lead to obedience and action. When Jesus says to \"go and make disciples,\" it's time to get up and do what He says. We show Jesus He's our number one priority when we do what He commands."]]

[[:encoded, "One of the ordinances of our church is the Lord's Supper. This message is not only about the reasons we take the Lord's Supper, but about what the blood of Jesus has done for us."]]

[[:encoded, "God designed us to need each other. We need relationships in order to grow and become everything God wants us to be. Listen to this message, and discover how there are at least four relationships we all need."]]

[[:encoded, "When it comes to loving God, we all have good intentions, don't we? The disciples told Jesus they loved Him, and yet, when Jesus really needed them they scattered. But ultimately these same disciples went from being weaklings to warriors. Read Acts and you'll see a boldness for Christ that couldn't be matched. The Holy Spirit made that change in them, and He can do the same for you."]]

[[:encoded, "When it comes to our lives, does Jesus have first place? Well, Jesus gives us four tests in Mark 12:30 which indicate if He does. The verse challenges us to love God with our heart, soul, mind and strength."]]

[[:encoded, "When it comes to our lives, does Jesus have first place? He gives us four tests in Mark 12:30 which reveal the answer."]]

[[:encoded, "During the Christmas season, we think about the first coming of Jesus. But we need to think about the second coming too, because the second coming completes what was begun in the first."]]