First Christian Church - Elizabethtown, Ky

Your diet is going great. You’ve cut back on fried foods, soft drinks, and ice cream. Then someone brings donuts to the office and you eat the whole box. You’re managing your time much better. Making lists, setting priorities, and staying focused are becoming habits in your daily life. Then the tournaments begin. You find yourself engulfed in the excitement and fixated on watching every game on TV. We all have our weak spot. Sure, there are many things that can knock us off stride. But for most of us, there’s one thing that stands out. There’s one thing that seems to get us every time. We know what it is. We know when we’re vulnerable. We know that we want to do better. But no matter how hard we try, it’s our weak spot and it causes us problems time after time. As we continue our look at Samson, we’ll see his weak spot. The man, whose name is synonymous with strength, had a weakness that devastated his life. Relying on his incredible strength was not enough for Samson. We need to learn from his mistake. Deali

Samson was chosen from birth to rescue Israel from the Philistines. God sent an angel to prepare his parents for his impending birth. His mother was not to drink wine or any other alcoholic beverage nor eat any forbidden food. When Samson was born, his hair was not to be cut—ever! Those instructions must have seemed sensible to his mother until that thing about his hair. God blessed Samson as he grew up. Then, Samson’s character flaws kicked in. Against the advice of his parents, he demanded a Philistine woman as his wife. When Samson’s ego got the better of him, God again gave him strength enough to solve his problem. Then Samson’s anger surfaced, God used the incident to destroy some of the Philistines. God continued to bless Samson in spite of himself. He used Samson to destroy 1,000 Philistines. But Samson’s ego kicked in again and he bragged about his conquest. His attraction to another woman, Delilah, resulted in his strength being removed when the Philistines learned his secret and cut his hair. His ey

Bill Cosby once quipped, “A new father quickly learns that his child invariably comes to the bathroom at precisely the times when he’s in there, as if he needed company. The only way for this father to be certain of bathroom privacy is to shave at the gas station.” Fathers are important to the family and in the lives of their children. Dr. David Popenoe wrote, “Involved fathers bring positive benefits to their children that no other person is as likely to bring.” Research shows that children who grow up with involved fathers do better in school, have more self-esteem, and are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. These facts certainly speak to the importance of fathers. There are many fathers in the Bible. The thing about these men is that they were ordinary….they made mistakes, but they were extraordinary because they obeyed God. Joseph was Jesus’ earthly father. He took care of Mary, taught Jesus to be a carpenter, and met the needs of his family. The Bible says that Joseph was a righteous man and surely

There is a war going on in our society today; A war against purity in our marriages. Our culture has become obsessed with sex. We constantly see images that try to create temptation in our minds. Marketing professionals understand this, and capitalize upon it. God created sex as an intimate, beautiful act between husband and wife. Sadly, sin has corrupted it. The media has made it an idol. Society accepts sex outside of marriage as normal. It never tells of the hurt, brokenness and regret that accompanies adultery. In Hebrews 13:4, Paul says, “Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers.” Paul isn’t saying to keep your marriage bed pure when you feel like it. He’s urging couples to do whatever it takes to protect their relationship from outward and inward temptations always. Those temptations might include inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex, emotional unfaithfulness, pornography, adultery, or rejecting your sp

It’s been 52 weeks, a WHOLE YEAR, since our church fellowship moved into our new facility. And what a whirlwind it has been. We have a beautiful worship auditorium, a state of the art kids education wing, a great commons area where we can build relationships with others, and sufficient adult meeting space where we can learn how to live the life of a Christian together. In one word, God has richly BLESSED us not only over the past year but the years leading up to our church moving into this new facility. And with those blessings has come a multitude of CHANGE. We’ve seen our average attendance change from about 700 a Sunday to about 1,000 every Sunday. We’ve seen a change in the number of personal decisions for Jesus. Our baptismal numbers have changed dramatically. We’re baptizing more people now that we ever have in the history of our church. More people are becoming members of this church than ever before. We’ve also seen a change in the attitude of our church from being inward centered to reaching out beyo

Let's have some fun--sounds easy enough. But it may take a little thought and a bit of effort. Interestingly, even having fun has some structure... and rules. The basic rule for fun is one we all know. The Golden Rule: do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31 NIV) Now The Golden Rule is not just for children on the playground or any particular group of people; it applies to all. In fact it may have greater meaning as we get older. Respect should have no boundaries; it should be exercised at all times. Let's agree that fun is not just a "kid thing" or something that ends at a certain age; and it is linked to respect. Fun is about laughter and sometimes has a reputation of frivolity, leisure, or wasting time. But let's take a different view of fun--as a building block in the foundation of a strong marriage. Fun can be a sign and a symbol. A married couple will have fun when they have love and respect. Love and respect stems from a thoughtful approach to the relationship that is focuse

It’s all about the order. Fire, ready, aim. The steps are fine. The wrong order is a recipe for disaster. When conflicts come along, and conflicts most certainly will come along, we need to know the right steps, know the right order, and do what we know is right. Here are some clear directions. Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. -James 1:19-20 (MSG) These words are important enough to deserve top of the mind attention. The reason is simple. Our reflex action to conflict is to get mad, say something we’ll later regret, and never hear the other point of view. Getting the order right requires conscious effort. But the results are certainly worth the effort. A sneeze travels at 600 miles per hour. Harsh words seem to travel just as fast. Like a sneeze, you can’t bring them back. And yes, both are quite capable of creating a mess. Fast words can bring a fast e

Ephesians 5:21 tells us to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Is “out of reverence for Christ” what you’re thinking when your mom or dad tells you to take out the trash? Probably not. Is it what you’re thinking when you pull over because a police cruiser comes behind you and turns on its blue flashing lights? Probably not. You’re thinking about a lot of things other than the idea of submission as you put your car in park and pull out your driver’s license. But the Bible tells us in Romans 13:1 “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” Just what is submission? It’s been defined as a voluntary attitude of giving in, of cooperation. Shelley Poston says that “Submission takes humility. It also takes a lot of prayer and relying on the Holy Spirit.” We’re told basically the same thing in James 4:7 “So, humble yourselves before God.” If you’re still having problems with the concept of submiss

There are a million songs written about love. Popular magazines write about love--how to find it and how to keep it. Greeting card companies would go out of business if not for cards expressing love from one person to another. Movies and television shows have themes about love. The kind of love we see in popular culture pales in comparison to the kind of love that Jesus commands us to have for each other. God calls us to love everybody, even the unlovable, even our enemies. John 13:34-35 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” We show our love for God by loving each other. It is a command (not a suggestion) from God that appears many times throughout the Bible. Jesus set the perfect example of love by dying on the cross to save us from our sins. This is sacrificial love, the same type of love we are to strive for. “God’s unfailing love for us is an objective fact affirm

It’s that time of year again. Spring flowers are on their way to full bloom. We see awesome shades of green popping up everywhere. We hear the crack of the bat and the smell of popcorn at the ball field. Spring is here, but for many of us, the most exciting fact is that baseball season is here. Any of us with even a small knowledge of the game have heard the phrase: “keep your eye on the ball.” It takes focus to be able to get a hit. If you take your eye off the ball even for a second, it could be the difference between a base hit or a strikeout. It has been said that baseball legend Ted Williams would boast that his eyes were so focused that he could actually see the meeting point of the ball and the bat. Sometimes, we lose our focus. We lose our focus on the big game. We lose our focus at work. We lose our focus at home. We lose our focus on Jesus. In fact, many of us right now are more focused on our weaknesses, struggles and sins than we are on Jesus. Focusing that way will do us in. When we fix our eyes

The 2013 box office hit “Now You See Me” was a story about four magicians who pulled off amazing stunts in front of large crowds. We learn in the movie that the success of the magicians revolved around what people thought they saw… or didn’t see. Morgan Freeman played former magician Thaddeus Bradley in the movie. His character told the police investigating the criminal tricks of the magicians, “The closer you think you are the less you’ll actually see. The more you think you see the easier it will be to fool you.” All of us tend to process information on how it affects us. We’re often guilty of seeing what we want to see. Our eyes may deceive us. We miss the reality of the situation because we’re looking for something else or because we are preoccupied with our thoughts, concerns, and desires. So it was with Mary Magdalene and the men on the road to Emmaus. Mary didn’t recognize Jesus standing next to her. She missed what Jesus not being in the tomb meant. The travelers didn’t recognize the resurrected Jesus

Bonuses, rewards, and promotions… those are sometimes the carrots at the end of the stick. Work hard and get something extra, or so seems how we handle many situations in our work life. And often an expectation is created – do more, get more. Let’s be honest, how good does that make a person feel? How much motivation comes from a physical reward? It’s not just at work where this comes into play; it can happen at home with children. “If you do (fill in the blank for the behavior that is desired), you will get (fill in this blank with a thing the child wants). But the toy gets broken, or the game is completed and grows out of favor, and the token of encouragement is gone with little or nothing of it left behind. Paul did not send monetary rewards or prizes to those he recognized in his letters. To those in Colossi, as with those in other cities he wrote to, he sent encouragement. And he challenged them to encourage each other with the power of “thank you” or “keep up the good work”. Paul knew the power of greet

A person in prison asks his friends to pray that God may open a door. That sounds normal. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul made that request. But it’s not exactly what you would expect. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. (Col. 4:3 NIV) None of us would find fault with Paul if he had asked for prayers that the prison door be opened. We would easily understand. That’s the door we would want God to open, allowing us the freedom to continue with our lives. Paul also wanted the freedom to continue with his life, which meant continuing to tell people about Jesus. He knew doors of opportunity could open, even behind the closed doors of a prison cell. Prison wouldn’t be the first place we would choose to go in search of opportunity. But sometimes opportunities show up in the strangest places. Paul continued with these instructions. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to br

When we become Christians, so much about how we think, how we feel, and how we act should change. It can be an instantaneous change—an alcoholic immediately stops drinking, an angry person immediately finds peace, revenge-seeking people immediately extend forgiveness to the ones who hurt them. For some of us, though, the change is gradual, taking weeks, months and sometimes, years as we mature in our Christian faith. Our life may have given us experiences which cause us to be harsh, impatient, and bitter. However, our Savior gave us a life-altering experience that should transform us—however gradually or instantaneously—into a life filled with kindness, gentleness, patience, humility, forgiveness and love. We are commanded to make this change in Colossians 3:12-14NIV, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord

As Christians, the way we behave matters. The way we go about our daily lives, matters. People are watching us, and in some cases waiting for us to “mess up” so they can call us hypocrites. Others are watching us and following our example of Christian living. It matters. “The greatest characteristic a Christian can exhibit is this completely unveiled openness before God, which allows that person’s life to become a mirror for others.” (Oswald Chambers from My Utmost for His Highest) Christian living is all about dying to self and living in Christ. True Christians live in stark contrast to the world around them. It is crucial for Christ followers to lead lives of purity. Holy living honors God’s word. It silences those that try to oppose the Christian way of life; and it makes the Gospel attractive to unbelievers. People who are anchored in Jesus are immoveable, steadfast, and strong. They strive to rid themselves of anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language. Christians put God first in their lives, and

Some of us who grew up in church can testify to the fact that many times the focus was more on what we were NOT supposed to do rather than what Jesus wants us TO do. We may have even lived by the belief that “Good Christians Don’t . . . go to movies . . . shop on Sunday . . . dress casually for church . . . play sports on Sunday . . . have long hair . . . listen to rock ‘n roll music.” It may have even gone as far as being told that good Christians don’t associate with non-Christians. They are evil. They will corrupt you. So, good Christians only associate with other good Christians. Our lives are not about do’s and don'ts; they are about being completely centered in Christ. Because of this, there is no need for fear, condemnation, or to follow some ritual or tradition. There is no need to arrogantly pass judgment on others for things that aren’t important while we ignore much greater things to come. Paul speaks about this in Colossians 2:16-23. Verse 20 says; “You have died with Christ, and he has set you fr

We’ve all heard about groups and cults who make members act in a particular way. They may require members to dress in certain clothes or to cut their hair a special way. They may require the eating of a specific diet or that spoken words be delivered in a very ordered manner. We think all of that is weird. We don’t understand how people can be so naïve and so out of touch that they would allow someone to draw them in and lead them toward a path that is so outside of the mainstream and ultimately detrimental to their self worth and welfare. We all have a human need and desire for acceptance and validation. We too easily forget what led us to a particular point in our life. We see the present, forget the past, and fear the future. People allow themselves to be influenced by that which seems like it has a present benefit. Christians can fall into that same trap in their spiritual lives, also. Paul told the Colossians, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted

An odd thing happened to a friend the other day. Someone at work asked to speak to him and said, “God sent a message to me through you; it was something you did. I am not going to tell you exactly what it was, but I wanted you to know… I wanted you to know that you provided a good example.” He hesitated before saying “thank you” because he said it did not seem right for him to take credit for simply carrying a message. He also thought, it really is not right to take credit for something God did. Apparently he was just a messenger, maybe even an unintentional messenger. So, his stumbling response was just this, “Well, not sure what I did but I am glad it made a difference for you…and maybe I will do it again sometime” – all said with still no clue what it was that he did. He said as he went about his work day, he kept thinking about that encounter. At first he felt good; he made a difference in someone’s life and did it all without being aware of his good deed. That “good” feeling was not so good; he said it w

Paul Carrier, who was a minister at First Christian Church during the 1960s, passed away recently. Paul was a forward-thinking church leader. He understood the importance of people making connections within the church. Recently much has been said about this topic and we are very pleased with how many people are joining life groups. Over 30 years ago, Paul returned to FCC for a revival. His sermon theme was “Alienation”. He noted the societal trend where people were becoming more mobile. He predicted that as people became less connected to families and places they would become more alienated. Since people were never meant to be left alone, they would seek ways to connect. If you question Paul’s prediction, think about Facebook. But personal relationships are only the tip of the alienation iceberg. Alienation from God is a far greater problem. And it’s nothing new. Another man named Paul wrote about alienation in his letter to the Colossians. “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds beca

As children begin their educational trip through life, they face 13 years of school plus an additional year if they’re in preschool. Then college or vocational school could add two to four (or more) years. The learning process is not over as there is always something new to learn on the job. To continually grow in our chosen profession or in our current job, knowledge becomes a lifelong pursuit. Should the same not be true of our walk with the Lord? In Colossians 1:9b-10 (NLT) Paul tells us that he continually was praying for the members of the church at Colosse, that God would give them complete knowledge of His will and spiritual wisdom and understanding. The Scripture goes on to say “Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” Just as we need always to pursue learning new things in our everyday secular lives, we need to pursue knowledge, spiritual wisdom and under