First Baptist Blowing Rock

All of us struggle with peer pressure or seeking the approval of others. It is part of our human nature - we want people to like us. What happens when that "want" becomes a "need" that we use as validation and identity? What happens when our desire to please others interferes with our desire to please and serve God? In our study from Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul deals with the dangers of what he calls "fearing people more than fearing God" and how it can impact not only how we see ourselves but also how we live out our everyday lives. From 1st Thessalonians 2:3-6Thank 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

When you look at the Apostle Paul's initial visit to Macedonia on his Second Missionary Journey it might be easy to label his efforts a failure. He was whipped, beaten and jailed in his first town Philippi. He was forced into hiding and snuck out of town in the middle of the night in Thessaloniki. He had to flee Berea in front of another angry mob and ended up in Athens. Might seem like a failed effort, but Paul address's this "failure" in his 1st letter to the Church at Thessaloniki and puts his efforts in spiritual terms. This gives us a springboard to discuss success and failure in our culture and how seeming failure can actually be the path to great success. We also look at how our past failures can hinder our ability to be obedient to God. From 1st Thessalonians 2:1-2.  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

As we celebrate Easter, we discuss what "Silent Saturday" must have been like for those early followers of Jesus. Imagine the pain, struggle, suffering and utter hopelessness that must have filled their hearts after watching Jesus be tortured and killed on the Cross. We tend to look back at Saturday through the lens of Sunday and the resurrection, we know how the story ends - but they did not. The Apostle Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 15 about what the world would look like if Jesus had not risen from the grave and it must have been like what Jesus' friends, family and disciples felt on that Saturday. This is the same hopelessness that many feel in our world today, those who have never heard the life changing message of a risen Savior. In this Easter message we discuss the importance of the resurrection and the Hope it brings to our everyday lives, and how it must motivate us to declare the Good News that Jesus is Alive to everyone we know and come in contact with. From 1st Corinthians 15:12-2

This is the message Pastor Rusty gave to prepare for Communion on Palm Sunday 2026. It includes the presentation of the bread and drink. From 2nd Samuel 9:1-13.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

In 1st Thessalonians 1:7 the Apostle Paul calls the Thessalonica Church a "model" church. As a new church with recent converts, what were they doing that led him to describe them this way and what does "model" mean? This message unpacks not only the term but the characteristics that made them an example for others to follow. The challenge for us as individual Christians and as the Church is are we modeling the same thing to those around us. From 1st Thessalonians 1:4-10. Part 2 in our series from the Thessalonians letters of PaulThank 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

In this introduction to our new sermon series from 1st and 2nd Thessalonians we look at the context of the Apostle Paul's visit to Thessaloniki from Acts 17 and how that relates to the letter. As one of the oldest books in the New Testament, and Paul's first letter to any church, we can see the building pattern and themes that will be prevalent in all of his letters. As he encourages and commends the church in his introduction, he also lays out the motivating factors for all Christians and churches on the importance of personal spiritual growth, serving others through ministry, and enduring and persevering when times get difficult. From 1st Thessalonians 1:1-3.  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

This is the short Pastoral Prayer time before the message "Three Dangers Facing the Church in 2026" where Pastor Rusty sets the stage for the message but also offers a warning about judgement that could befall the American Church if we do not get serious about contending for the faith. From Matthew 11:20-24.Please listen to the following podcast to get the full understanding of this message. 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

In this message, Pastor Rusty identifies and breaks down the three greatest dangers facing the church in the coming year and to follow. Jude 3 tells us that one of our responsibilities as Christians is to "contend for the faith" yet so many in the church think that must be someone else's job and as we have grown comfortable, the world continues to press in and divide, discredit and diminish our message. This is a call for the church to wake up and become aware of the dangers both without and within and to rise up, speak up and contend. Dangers to the Church1. A Culture that Hates Us2. Biblically Empty Pulpits3. Complacent PewsFrom 1st Timothy 4:1-2; 2nd Timothy 4:1-3, 12-17; 1st John 4:1-3; Jude 3; Galatians 1:6-9. 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

       In this message we examine what its means to be part of a "Baptist" church. What we believe and why and what makes us distinctive from other denominations and groups. We look at church history from the early church in Acts through the protestant reformation to the founding of the first "Baptist" separatist. We examine the doctrines and theology that form, guided and directed the founding of the "Baptist" church and what it means for us today. We seek to answer the questions, "is it important?" and "why should I care?".  We are first and foremost a Christian church, based on the teachings and message of Jesus Christ. We are also a Protestant church as well as a Biblically Conservative Evangelical church and each of those terms not only define us, but guide us as we serve and reach our communities with the message of Hope, Grace, forgiveness, and salvation. From Romans 6:1-5Do you know what your church believes? Where they came up with those beliefs? Both

In this message we examine the state of families and marriages in American today and discuss the importance of having a marriage based on a Biblical worldview. We look at the foundation of a Biblical Marriage and talk about why marriages dissolve, crumble and fall apart so quickly in today's culture and what we can do to strengthen, restore and redeem marriage. We also examine the 5 most prominent reasons that marriages fall apart and how to guard and protect against them. Regardless of the condition of your marriage or how long or short you have been married, these principles and ideas serve as a reminder that all marriages could use some help. From Genesis 2:18-23, Ephesians 5. 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

In this message we examine the purpose statement for First Baptist Church of Blowing Rock. We discuss what people should be looking for in a church family and how we should fit into that search. We describe and discuss what our goal is as a local body of Christ and how every member has a role to play in helping us to accomplish those goals. From Colossians 3:11-17.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 wrap up our series on living in the second mile by looking at the second metaphor that Jesus uses to describe his follower - Light. What did he mean by calling us light and how does that impact not just our own personal lives but the influence we have on others? Join us as we take a deep dive on the importance of light in our lives and how that translates to our everyday spiritual lives and our encounters with darkness. We also look at the results on our culture and nation when the church and individual Christians "hide their lights".  From Matthew 5:14-16Thank 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

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus calls his followers "Salt". Of all the metaphors you could think of to describe Christians, salt does not sound like much of a compliment. What did he mean by describing Christians as salt and how does that relate to the second Mile? Join us to uncover why "salt" fit perfectly when describing the church and what can happen when a Christian or church loses it's saltiness. 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

While most Christians strive to actively pursue all of the characteristics we have discussed for living in the second mile from Jesus's teachings on the Beatitudes, there is one that we actively avoid - persecution for being a follower of Jesus. Around the world today in places like Nigeria and Syria, Christians are not only facing terror and persecution for following Jesus, many are facing death. While here in America, persecution seems rare for Christians as we have been protected by our Constitution and our foundation on Judaeo/Christian values, that might not always be the case. In our passage, Jesus makes clear that for his followers, persecution is as much a reality as meekness or mercy - it is something that should be expected. Join us as we discover why Christians face persecution, how we can prepare for it and why Jesus would say that it is actually a gift. From Matthew 5:10-12. Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join

The Bible talks a lot about purity and being pure at heart but what does that mean? Is that something that God does for us or do we play a role in it - or both? Join us for this message on another characteristic that is evident in the lives of those who want to live in the second mile as Christians. We explore the confusion behind what it means to be "justified" and "sanctified" and how purity of heart has the potential to open our eyes to actually be able to see God move in our lives and in the world around us. From Matthew 5:8Thank 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

When do we most resemble Jesus? When do our actions and behaviors cause others to see Jesus in us the most? While Jesus tells us that the world will know we are His disciples "by our love", in Matthew 5, he identifies another characteristic that allows us to be most recognizable as Children of God. This morning we look at what does it really mean to experience "the peace that passes understanding" and how that impacts our personal relationships. What does being a "peacemaker" look like lived out in our everyday lives? From Matthew 5:9Thank 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

In today's culture we once again find the idea of being merciful or offering mercy to be politicized and considered a weakness - the same was true in the 1st Century during the life of Jesus Christ. That is one of the reasons that the "Good Samaritan"s " actions in the parable in Luke 10 are considered controversial. It was much easier then and now to stay disengaged and not get involved. To rationalize in our mind that "they got what was coming" or maybe even "better them than me", but Jesus turned that idea on its head by calling his followers to be merciful not because someone deserves it but simply because if we are truly his followers we have been offered so much mercy from God that we can't help but show mercy to those around us. Join us as we look at our 5th characteristic of someone who can live and thrive in the 2nd Mile. From Matthew 5:7Thank you for listening to our podcast and we would love for you to subscribe to our page and share with others. Join us

Here we examine what it really means to "Hunger and Thirsty for Righteousness" by breaking down what each word means and what that means for our Christian walk. Are we really hungry for the presence of God or are we hungry for what God can do for us, or for a religious experience, or does it only happen during tragedies and struggles? If we are ever going to thrive living out "Second Mile" Christianity we must develop a spiritual appetite for the presence of God in every area of our lives. The problem is we are not spiritually hungry because we are too filled by the "food of the world" or we have never really understood how "hungry and thirsty" our souls are for the presence of God. Join us as we break down and examine this very important character trait and "Beatitude" from Matthew 5:6. 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.firstbaptistblowi

When you think of the most powerful people on earth, meekness is not one of the character attributes we would usually use to describe them. Yet when Jesus is listing character traits that a Christ Follower will need to live and operate in the second mile, one of the most important is meekness. Not only is it the practical application when we seek to live the first two traits he has mentioned - it is what empowers us to strive to follow in his footsteps and be obedient to His Word. This message defines and explains what Biblical meekness is and why it is so important. It also gives us some practical examples of what meekness looks like lived out in our everyday lives. From Matthew 5:5. 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

At the start of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus follows up his call for those who want to follow him to be "poor in spirit" to promise for those who mourn that they will be comforted. It is easy to read this as meaning "mourn" in a sense of our emotional response to facing death, sickness or tragedy, and there are plenty of those promises in the New Testament, but that is not what he is talking about here. In verse 4 of Chapter 5, he is talking about a different type of mourning. A type of mourning that is the emotional response to the intellectual reality of verse 3 - a mourning over sin. All sin and its consequences - the sin in our world, our nation, in the lives of those we love and most importantly in our own lives. We can never expect to live in the second mile if we are not heartbroken over the things that break God's heart. Listen to discover what that might look like in our everyday lives and learn the promise that comes to those who are broken hearted over sin. From Matthew 5