First Baptist Blowing Rock

How do we know what God's dream or vision for our life is? Does everyone have one? What about the church, how can we know? Where do we start? Join us we continue our series "This is Us" by talking about the tension between "where we are" and "where God wants us to be" and how it relates to the "dreams and visions" that Peter talked about in quoting Joel at Pentecost. The Bible is clear that God created each one of us with a purpose but how can we know what it is, and once we do, what can we do about it? In this message that reflects on the recent history of First Baptist Blowing Rock, we examine what it takes to get from "here" to "there". From Nehemiah. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

A celebration and encouragement to all of our Mothers. From Matthew 15:21-28Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

How many of us have allowed the "cant's" of the world and the people around us to stifle and kill our hopes, dreams and visions? The Bible is clear that God has a purpose for each one of us and he reveals and plants that purpose in our hearts through his visions and dreams. He does the same thing for churches and ministries. Then how can we know it is a "God given dream" and not just our own? What do we do once we discover what His dream is for our lives? or for our churches? Join us as we answer those questions and discover how we can learn to turn all of those "cant's" in "cans"! From Act 11:6-10. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

One of the rare phenomenon found in many churches is the idea of an "inactive member". Many churches claim to have one number as "church members" that is usually much greater than the number of people who are in worship on a regular basis. Some have "members" who have not been in that church for years, some who they don't even have an active address or phone number to be able to contact; yet they are still counted as "members". In searching the Bible it is difficult to find anything that might indicate it is possible to be an "inactive" church member; the name itself is an oxymoron. How do you define "active" or "inactive'? Join us as we discover what the New Testament defined as an active member of a local faith community and along the way uncover why we should "join" church in the first place. From Colossians 3:11-17Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with oth

We continue our "This is Us" sermon series by examining the "how" and "why" of the various things we do in the church by discussing how we evaluate church health or church success. How do we measure success and by what standards? It is difficult to evaluate the success of a program or ministry unless we first examine why we do those programs or ministries. Do we do them because their is a Biblical mandate or it was something the early church exampled? Or do we do them because it is a preference (the way we like it, or way it has always been done)? Or do we do them because of pragmatism (it works, or has worked somewhere else)? We can't honestly evaluate something until we investigate the "why's". This message examines the principle of church membership. Is joining a local church a preference, pragmatic or a biblical mandate? What does the Bible say? Why is it important? Join us to discover the answer. From 1 Peter 5:1-4,Hebrews 13:17. Thank you for listening t

We continue our examination of who we are as "the church" by looking at the first church and what where their guiding motives and methods. As we plan for the future and who we want to be as a church and a Christian community in ten, twenty or even fifty years; the best place to start is by examining where we have come from, where we have been and to allow those lessons to become guardrails that guide us towards the future. We have an example in Acts 2 of the most effective and Biblical church growth model in history; yet many fail to apply those founding principles as they plan for the future, choosing instead to chase trends, fads and programs. Join us as we discover how the secret to the churches future might just be found in our past. From Acts 2:42-47.Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingr

In this session we examine the world setting and context for the end of Genesis (Joseph's death) and the beginning of Exodus (Moses birth and calling). We also answer some questions related to our Sunday sermon series on Baptist beliefs that cover; baptism and infant baptism, religious liberty and communion. We hope to have the maps and study notes available online at the churches website this week. Thank you for following along and for your emailed questions. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

We continue the sermon series "This is Us" calling us to examine who we are as a church, what we believe, what is our vision for the future and how are we going to accomplish it; this morning we examine "Where we came from", our heritage. Using the story of Josephs bones in Genesis, Exodus and Joshua, we discuss the importance of passing along our story and how Christ has impacted that story to the next generation. Building on the history of how FBC Blowing Rock came into existence 115 years ago, we are challenged by what it might look like 115 years from now and our role in that future. The reason so many churches are in self preservation mode is because they have lost sight of their original mission and message and have resorted to programs and personalities to try and stay relevant. We can never understand where God is leading us, if we do not understand and remember where we have come from. Join us as we discover the importance of the "Keepers of the Bones", not only in the h

Join us as we rediscover the power and purpose of the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. What does the empty tomb mean to me and do for me? From Psalms 22, Philippians 3:7-11Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

This week we begin our journey to Easter by examining the journey Jesus took to the Cross. By asking the question, "When did Jesus start on his journey to Calvary"? or even "When did Jesus make the choice to start on the road that led to the Cross"?; we survey pivotal points in His life, take a quick survey of the Old Testament, including the Prophets, the Old Covenant, Moses's calling and even God's covenant with Abraham to try and discover a surprising answer. Join us on a journey of discovery as we each prepare our hearts to make the journey to the Cross in the coming weeks. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

We continue our Sermon Series examining "who we are" as a church and "what we believe" by looking at what has become the most recognizable Baptist distinctive; Religious Freedom! Since soon after the reformation, Baptist have fought and died for the principle that true worship and true obedience to God can only come through the practice of free will. In this message we examine the history of Baptist and religious freedom, from our first statement of faith in 1644, to the founding of Rhode Island based on religious liberty, to our fight to insure the inclusion of religious liberty in the first amendment to our nations Constitution. We examine the scripture behind this principle and the privilege so many take for granted. We also discuss the misguided thoughts behind the idea of "separation of church and state" and the current battles being waged in America to diminish and destroy religious freedoms. From Galatians 5:1-10.Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for

This week we examine Genesis 15-25 while stopping to examine the meaning and purpose of the Covenant that God makes with Abram. We explain the significance and similarities between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. We also examine the identity of the person described as "The Angel of the Lord" all throughout the early Old Testament and how his identity can change the way we read the stories as well as reveal some new insight into New Testament theology. We also discuss how people in the Old Testament were made right with God that allows them to receive eternal life. From Wednesday night, February 21,2018Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

This sessions looks at the setting and background for Abram's journey to the "promise land" in Canaan. It would be helpful if you have a Map to follow the early part of the discussion. In most Bibles, you will find a Map in the back that shows the "World of the Patriarchs". This is the map we use for the discussion. We will also discuss Genesis 12-15 and Abram's journey to Egypt and his encounter with a strange king from Salem that could have New Testament ramifications. From Wednesday February 14th, 2018Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

We continue our study of what makes us a Baptist church and what we believe by looking at the Baptist distinctive of "Soul Competency" or "Soul Liberty". While those terms may not be familiar to many Christians, they are rooted in the idea that every person is created in the image of God and therefore accountable for their own actions and the consequences of those actions before God. This seems to run counter to our modern culture where instead of holding individuals responsible for their actions, we would rather find fault or blame, make excuses and rationalizations. We examine the danger this mindset can have on a nation, a culture and on an individual. Soul Liberty also holds that as each of us has equal access to God, we can also each read, understand and interpret God's word on our own and we examine the dangers inherent in misunderstanding this truth that can lead to legalism or license. From Romans 14:1-13. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to su

We continue our examination of "who we are and what we believe" as Christians and the Church by examining what it means to be "Baptist". This message looks at the Baptist principle of "The priesthood of believers" and examines how it evolved from the reformation principle of "Solus Christus" and it's effects on our ecclesiology, or how we govern and minister as a church. While the idea that Christ is the only mediator between God and Man is not strictly a Baptist belief, when linked together with the principle that every Christian is a "priest" it forms the basis for our congregational form of governance as well as "who does" and "how we do" the ministry of the church. It also reveals the great privilege of direct access to God that every Christian has as well as the great responsibility that comes with that privilege. From 1 Timothy 2:1-6 and 1 Peter 2:4,9-10. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subsc

As we continue our new series "This is Us" by examining what we believe and why we believe it; we take a look at some of the key principles of what it means to be a "Baptist church". This week we examine the principle of Biblical Authority or what Martin Luther called, "Sola Scriptura" - Scripture Alone! Not only will we look at some key Bible passages that shed some light on this principle, but the history of this principle from the New Testament church until today. We also examine those things that other faiths and denominations might elevate on par with scripture when looking at our faith and practices and discuss the danger that a Christ follower might encounter when we stray from "Scripture Alone". From 2nd Timothy 3:10-17Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowing

We examine Abram's spiritual and physical journeys as he encounters God and moves his family to Canaan. A look at the original Covenant that God made with Abram and Abram's religious background. We also examine Abram's encounters in Canaan and Egypt. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

An introduction to our series "This is Us" by examining the name "Baptist" and where it came from and what it means. We examine the issue of baptism by immersion, its history and why it is so important in a Baptist church. This new series will be examining what we believe as a Baptist church and why it is important as well as the history and heritage of our church as it relates to planning for our future. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715

Jesus tells the disciples in John 4 to "Open their eyes to the fields ripe for Harvest" after they seemingly missed an opportunity to share with the Samaritan women at the well. Has the church today fallen into the same trap of missed opportunities? Have we spent so much time focused on ourselves and our own spiritual growth and maturity that we have lost sight of our task? Do we even see these "fields" that Jesus was talking about? What will it take for us to get back to the place where sharing our faith and being Christ witness to those around us is our main priority, or is that even possible at this point? Join us as we discover how regain a "field focused vision" that will allow the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to all we have been missing. From John 4 and also is connected to the sermon theme from January 21st "A Fierce Urgency of Now"Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our week

In our new Wednesday night study we are looking at the Bible and its setting and context as it impacts all of History. This introduction looks at Genesis and the Creation story. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us for our weekly worship online at www.firstbaptistblowingrock.com or our Youtube page. Contact us at office@firstbaptistblowingrock.com or by phone @ 828-295-7715