FBC Independence Podcast

God Told Me: Choose A Life Of Love

The child had just fallen down the stairs and sobbed into her mother’s arms.  Mom hugged her child, soothing and comforting her, and said, “Everything’s going to be ok; I love you.” Soon the drama ended.  The child wiped her tears away from her face, hugged her mama one more time, and then climbed down to the floor and ran off with her older brother.  Everything was fine!

 

“Everything’s going to be ok. I love you.”

 

Such powerful words!  As adults, we know that life isn’t easy, and everything isn’t always going to be ok, yet, we still yearn to hear those words, “I love you.”  When we are loved, we are better and stronger.  When we are loved and secure in that love, we can face life, get up, and go on.  When we are loved, there is often peace.

 

In the early church, Paul often talked about God’s love and how his love had moved him to bring the offer of salvation in Jesus.  To be sure, Jesus himself spoke of God’s love, too. 

 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). God’s love leads him to work in our lives, give us new life, and lead us each day!

 

We are taught in scripture that not only is our faith rooted in God’s love, but it is also to be an expression of God’s love!  How we live our faith can be an example of God’s love and grace and help others come to faith in Jesus.  Our love for others is an act of faith; it is a choice!  Paul explains that if our love is “without hypocrisy,” our faith will be loving and sincere.  A sincere faith will avoid the excesses of legalism and judgment.  A genuine faith, without hypocrisy, will offer forgiveness and grace to others and works for the good of everyone.  A sincere faith, based on God’s love, makes life better!

 

Let us learn to love others sincerely so that others might see God’s love at work in our lives.  

 

The best way you can support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.

 

We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/

 

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Thank you for listening. We will see you next week!

God Told Me: Honor Me With Your Faithfulness

Many years ago, I made a huge mistake – I was making homemade ice cream for a family gathering, and I failed to clear the drain hole of the freezer during the freezing process. A little bit of salt water made its way into the ice cream mix, and when I took the first delicious bite, it was apparent that I had messed up – the salt had flavored the entire mix! No amount of brown sugar and vanilla could cover the flavor of the salt – it was just too powerful! We tried to eat it but finally gave up

 and threw it out.  

           

Jesus knew the power of salt, even in his day. 

 

Its flavor enhanced whatever it touched, preserving it from spoilage. Salt was so powerful and valuable; it was used in some ancient cultures as money – soldiers were even paid with salt, so valuable it was in those old days!

           

Jesus knew everyone’s experience with salt and used it as an analogy of how people of faith could affect the culture around them. If salt was ‘salty,’ meaning it had not been diluted with other minerals, it was powerful and useful. Suppose our faith was pure and ‘salty,’ meaning it had not been diluted and weakened with false teachings and sin. In that case, it could have a powerful effect on people and the culture.

           

Jesus told his people, “You are the salt of the earth.”  He wants us to live our faith as ‘pure’ as possible – following biblical teachings, loving others in his name, and faithfully practicing our faith. When we do that, not only will He be able to change our hearts and lives, others will be affected, too!

           

“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Matthew 5:14

 

The best way you can support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.

 

We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/

 

If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/

 

Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.

God Told Me to Do This: Let Me Help You

Jan told an all-too-familiar story: she had grown up in church, been baptized as a child, and when she got into her 20’s, she decided to leave her childhood faith behind and go ‘the way of the world’ so that she could find herself. It wasn’t long, though, when ‘the ways of the world’ began to hurt her. 

 

She ended up pregnant by a man she hardly knew. Because she wanted to do the right thing, she married this near-stranger, tried to make it work, and ended up divorced, without a job, trying to raise her child. 

She struggled like this for a time, met another man, and before long, had another child. The man left soon after. Jan’s life became a downward spiral of bad decisions – nothing she did worked! She felt like she was a total failure and that her life was over. Out of desperation, she found herself in church one morning, trying to find her way. 

As the pastor spoke, her old faith began to stir within her.

          

Over the next few months, she recommitted her life to Christ, reunited with her parents (who were more than happy to help her!), and began rebuilding her life. She found a job, got involved in a Bible Study, and realized the error of her ways; she had rejected God’s ways, and suffered the consequences! God was gracious and loving, though, and began to work in her life. To this day, she struggles: She is still a single mother of 2 young children, holds a physically-taxing job, and carries quite a bit of emotional baggage with her. She has hope, though, based on her faith. She can live each day with the conviction that God has forgiven her, that He wants to help her each day, and that He will work in her life for as long as she follows Him. Her life is hard, to be sure, but she now says, “I am blessed. God is working in me and is helping me raise my children well. 

 

I don’t know the future, but God is with me.”  

        

Amazing, isn’t it? That is the way God is, though. We sin, rebel, and try our own ways. And yet, when we turn to Him in faith, He responds with grace and love. 

He cleanses us from our sins, works in our lives to bring about His will, and gives us hope. No matter who you are or what you have done, God at some point whispers in our ear, “Let me help you.”         

           

If you know someone who needs to hear this story, tell them! God can use his people to share this wonderful message of the Gospel: God loves us, no matter what! Let me encourage you to turn your life over to God and accept his grace and new life offer.

 

The best way you can support our Ministry is by sharing these videos with your friends and family.

 

We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/

 

If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/

 

Thank you for watching. We will see you next week.

Van Wey Family Update 1-1-2023

Happy New Year! Today, we started our 2023 with an update from Rob Van Wey.

 

About Rob and Julie Van Wey

 

Jesus acknowledged years ago the same problem we face today, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matthew 9:36-38). God is sending military members into all the nations of the world, and the Navigators Military mission helps them through Life-to-Life™ discipleship to take the good news of Jesus and His kingdom everywhere they go.

 

My wife and I first began following Jesus while on assignment with the Army in Hawaii. A couple, attending Navigator Bible studies, took us under their wings, loved us and shared the good news of Jesus with us. It is our hope that God will use us similarly in the lives of military men and women, their spouses and families.

 

Our passion is “to know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same™.” We are trusting the Lord to raise up spiritual generations of people who love and obey Jesus in the Army, that extend to the ends of the earth.

 

You can contribute to Rob and Julie's MIssion by clicking here

 

https://www.navigators.org/staff/23833481/

What Two Women Knew: God’s Mercy is a life-changing power

The comedian’s routine was funny, well-delivered, and “predictable.” He wanted to make fun of Christians and anyone who believed in a loving God, so he pointed out the flaws and mistakes preachers and other believers had made in their ministries. The conclusion was that only stupid people could believe in God because the God of the Bible was angry and did nothing other than punish people for being human!

The tragedy wasn’t that the comedian was attacking the Church; that is to be accepted. The real tragedy was that the stories told by the comedian were those of preachers describing an angry God who
hated ‘sinners’! Based on his accounts, God was always angry, looking for someone to punish!

Truth be told, our God is not angry; his primary characteristic is described in the Old Testament as one of mercy and lovingkindness!
In the story of Christ’s birth, Mary meets up with Elizabeth, one of her relatives that was also pregnant, and they speak to each other about God’s grace and mercy to them and mankind. Mary quoted several passages from the Old Testament: “And His mercy is upon generation after generation, toward those who fear him,” and “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of his mercy.” Mary and Elizabeth had stumbled onto an understanding of God that most never grasp – God is full of grace and mercy, and that is how he wants to relate to us daily! The only reason for God’s anger and judgment is the fact of our sin and our unwillingness to confess that sin and change our behavior.

God loves us and wants to give us grace and mercy. In the Old Testament, we hear through the prophets that God wants his people to resist sin and follow him in faith. If man did that, He would bless them and give them joy. In the New Testament, we are taught that God desires to fulfill all our needs and give us the ability to overcome anything that comes our way. He wants to help us every day and in every way. He loves us!

This Advent Season, invite the God who loves you into your heart. Allow Him to cleanse you through his son, Jesus, and help you in your life.

The best way you can support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.

We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/

If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/

Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.

What Two Women Knew - Our God is Awesome

Imagine the childhood conversation between two young boys: “My dad is bigger than your dad.” “No, my dad is bigger than yours.” “Uh uh, mine could beat yours in a fight!” Not ever – my dad could beat yours into the ground!” And on and on it goes, of course! I wish I could say this was only an imaginary disagreement. Still, I remember arguing with one of my childhood friends in first or second grade. Having the biggest, strongest, or toughest dad was a big deal to two little boys!

 

No matter the age, we may often find comfort in knowing that whatever is “ours” (Dad, mom, car, etc.) is bigger, better, faster, or more powerful than another. This even applies to peoples’ ideas of faith, religion, and even ‘gods.’  

 

After the angel had appeared to Mary and told her of God’s plan to use her to bring about the birth of Jesus, she made a several-day journey to see her friend and distant relative, Elizabeth, who at the time was pregnant with her son, who would grow to become John the Baptist. They hugged and kissed, and after talking for a moment, Elizabeth was moved to rejoice in the precious child, the coming Messiah, carried in Mary’s swollen form. Mary responded in what has come to be called the ‘Magnificat,’ a beautiful collection of Old Testament prophecies regarding The Coming One, to be applied to Jesus. In this poem of hers, Mary spoke of the power of God:

 

“For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name.” A couple of lines later, she said, “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.” Still, later she stated, “He has filled the Hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed.”

 

She was bragging about her God! ‘He was mighty; He had done great things; conquered the proud and evil, and fed the Hungry.’ In other words, her God, the One God, was greater than all others!

           

We who follow Jesus understand this! We don’t just believe our God is big and powerful, more than any other – we believe He is The One True God, the one and only God, who is over all!

          

More than 2000 years ago, two young women gathered and rejoiced in the power and glory of the One God. He was gracious and good and would punish evil, care for the downtrodden and give mercy and grace to all who came to Him.

 

Let us join these two women in our worship of the One God and give thanks this Christmas season for his great gift of new life in his son Jesus, who is The Christ.

 

The best way you can support our Ministry is by sharing these videos with your friends and family.

 

We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/

 

If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/

 

Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.

Hanging of the Greens 12-4-22

Every year on the first Sunday of December, our congregations reads interpretations of common Christmas decorations. Enjoy this special service.

 

The best way to support our Ministry is by sharing these videos with your friends and family.

 

We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/

 

If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/

What Two Women Knew “God uses lowly men to achieve heavenly results.”

Have you ever noticed “the beautiful people?”

I went down to the local Dentistry College to meet a friend a few years ago, and I was confronted with a building full of “the beautiful people.” The young female dental students were all gorgeous and had beautiful smiles, and the male students were tall and good-looking, with broad shoulders and square jaws. I felt so out of place!

Interestingly, the world notices those who are physically attractive or come from ‘good families.’ There has been much research over the years. Anthropologists have concluded what most of us have observed: Those that are attractive and come from good backgrounds will get noticed first, receive preferential treatment in almost every area of life, and are even more likely to be elected to public office. People are naturally drawn to those that fit the profile of ‘the beautiful people!’

When you read your Bible, you will find that God not only teaches us to resist the tendency to show preferential treatment to people for any reason, but He also demonstrates that He is “no respecter of persons.” He loves all equally and chooses to use the efforts of anyone who will serve Him! 

During this Christmas season, we will examine the understanding of two women, Mary and Elizabeth, who were heavily involved in the early days of Jesus’ life and ministry. They recognized and celebrated that God could use them in a powerful way, even though they had no social standing at all. God loved and cared for them and allowed their essential roles in his kingdom-building here on earth. This holiday season, let us rejoice that God loves us all and wants us all involved in his plans for eternity!

The best way you can support our ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.

We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/

If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here
https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/

Thank you for listening. We will see you next week!

Who Are We? The Parable of the Good Samaritan

The best way to support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.

 

We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/

 

If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/

Truth or Not? There is more to the Life

Years ago, I started taking guitar lessons – visions of greatness danced in my head! I went to lessons, spent money on multiple guitars and all sorts of equipment, and practiced every day, sometimes for over an hour! I was going to ‘do it’ this time – I would not quit, slack off, or let anything keep me from mastering this instrument as I had in the past – it was that important!

 

Over time, though, I started skipping my daily practice sessions – once in a while. I continued to go to my lessons and still tried to keep going and improving, but over time something happened. I never really ‘decided’ to stop practicing and move on to other interests – I just did.

 

I finally quit my lessons and reduced my practice sessions to just a few minutes, two or three times a week. I had moved on!

 

I still believed that playing the guitar was important to me – but I was kidding myself, wasn’t I? My actions told a different story!

 

The Bible challenges us to look at our actions and not just our words. We might say that our faith is important to us, and even go to church and carry a Bible – but the truth of what we value can be seen in our actions and heard in our words.   

 

In the Bible, Christians are told that they are “aliens and strangers” on this earth. This was not literal, of course; the author (Peter) was making the case that if their lives and values were firmly rooted in their faith in Jesus, they would not ‘fit’ well in this world. The matters of faith challenge the values of this world, and the actions commonly accepted by this world are often unacceptable and offensive to those who follow Jesus! It is almost as if we are ‘foreigners’ on this earth!

 

For those who seriously value the practice of their Christian faith, we are told to do a couple of things in our passage in I Peter 2. First, we are to resist the fleshly desires of this world, keep things in perspective, and not give in to the temptations that come. Second, we must ensure our actions reflect our faith because people are watching! Those in this world may not seek Jesus on their own, but when confronted by the witness of one who knows and follows Jesus and values him above all else, they may see something they desire or need and find Jesus. That is our goal!

 

You can best support our Ministry by sharing these videos with your friends and family.

 

We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/

 

If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/

 

Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.