Mercy Me - Pt 6 - God doesn’t want us to simply forgive people in our hearts. He wants us to find ways to reconcile. He wants unity in His family. This passage is often interpreted as a manual for church discipline. But it doesn’t say, “If anyone in your church sins,” it says “If your brother sins against you.” It’s a recipe for reconciliation amon…

Mercy Me - Pt 5 - Many people carry unforgiveness in their hearts for years. They say, “I can’t forgive that person. It still hurts to think of what they did to me.” Others say, “If I forgive them, they won’t have to pay for what they did.” How is forgiveness possible when we’re still angry or in pain?learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbccon…

Mercy Me - Pt 4 - The Bible commands us to forgive people unconditionally. So why does God require a great sacrifice to forgive us? The answer tells us what forgiveness really means, and how great our God truly is.learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

Mercy Me - Pt 3 - Many Christians believe in God’s forgiveness in a theoretical sense. In other words, they trust that God won’t use their sins to keep them out of Heaven. But they still feel wracked with guilt. Is all guilt bad? What is the difference between true and false guilt? And how can we walk in freedom?learn more about First Baptist Conro…

Mercy Me - Pt 2 - Some of us are like the woman in this story. We can’t believe that forgiveness is truly possible for someone as tainted as us. Some of us are like the Pharisee in this story. We can’t accept certain people as spiritually clean, after the things they have done. What both of us need is to believe in the mercy God promises in His wor…

Mercy Me - Pt. 1 - Forgiveness is surprisingly misunderstood. Do I need to forget someone’s wrong in order to forgive them? Is it possible to forgive them if they haven’t repented? Should victims of abuse or other crimes forgive the perpetrators, and if so, doesn’t this keep justice from happening? This parable shows us the essence of true forgiven…

Unbreakable - Pt 4 - Proverbs was written to show us wisdom, or how to live a life without regrets. It has much to say about the perils of human anger, and we will explore many of those teachings. In 16:32 it says something counter-cultural: A patient man is actually more heroic than the action heroes we worship. Some of us fear we will be weak, or…

Unbreakable - Pt 3 - Clearly, there is such a thing as righteous anger. It’s possible to be angry and not sin, according to Ephesians 4:26. Many scriptures encourage us to hate evil. And Jesus famously flipped tables in the Temple, a story people often cite to justify their own rage. How do we balance these things with the many scriptures that cond…

Unbreakable - Pt 2 - David was a hot-blooded man by nature, but he urged us to reject our own wrathful tendencies. In the story of his encounter with a man named Nabal and a woman named Abigail, we see how patience has benefits. How many wonderful things are we missing because we won’t let God cure us of rage?learn more about First Baptist Conroe a…

Unbreakable - Pt 1 - The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Two quotes from Dallas Willard are convicting on this subject: “There is nothing you can do with anger that you can’t do better without it.” “A truly mature Christian is almost impossible to offend.” Stop romanticizing and justifying your anger. Confess it. Get help.le…

Praying Like the Master - Part 7 - Lead Us Not Into Temptation - Of course, a holy God would never lead us into temptation. So why would Jesus command us to pray this way? We so often ask for things we want in prayer, without asking, “Lord, what do you want from me?” A powerful prayer life is one in which we are working alongside God as He remakes …

Praying Like the Master - Part 6 - Forgive Us our Debts - Why do we need to confess sins, if Christ has already promised blanket forgiveness? For the same reason that a person who has been rude to their parents needs to apologize; it’s how relationships work. There are immense benefits in confessing our sins directly to God. First, we remember the …

Praying Like the Master - Part 5 - Our Daily Bread - Psalm 81 - After teaching us to pray for Heavenly things, Jesus now teaches us how to pray for earthly things. This is how to come to Jesus for the needs of your heart. Why do we need instruction on this most basic idea? Psalm 81 shows that God wants to give us all the good things we need and mor…

Praying Like the Master - Part 4 - Jesus is commanding us not to be cynical about this world, but to take responsibility for the mess humanity is in, to feel the sorrow that God feels and ask Him to change things for good. Daniel’s prayer is an example of a man who lived in prosperity and peace, but he was heartbroken for the state of his people, a…

Praying Like the Master - Part 3 - Your Kingdom Come - Jesus talked constantly about the Kingdom of God. Mark says it was the essence of His teaching. What is the Kingdom of God? What are we asking God to do when we pray for His Kingdom to come? What happens when we start praying for the Kingdom, not just for ourselves?fore more information about F…

Praying Like the Master - Part 1 - The Lord’s Prayer wasn’t intended to be something we repeat from memory—Jesus specifically tells u not to do that in Matthew 6, and He never prays this exact prayer at any other time. Instead, it’s a model for us to follow, showing us the parts of a well-rounded prayer life. The first two words show us that Jesus …

Praying Like the Master - Part 1 - After telling us we can approach God like a child coming to his father, Jesus abruptly shows us we need to worship His holiness. He created the Psalms for exactly this reason. It’s not that God needs our worship, but we need to worship Him.Oleh First Baptist Conroe

When we feel helpless, we can trust God. He provides what we need.learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

Burying Bad Religion - Part 6 - Bad religion produces self-righteousness and arrogance. The Gospel produces humility and holiness. The legalists who were opposed to Paul were motivated by a desire to avoid persecution. Paul didn’t care what the world (religious or secular) thought of him. How can we get there? Only through the Gospel.learn more abo…

Burying Bad Religion - Part 5 - Bad religion divides churches through a laser focus on something other than Jesus (End times theories and other secondary biblical issues, secular political fights, cultural issues). The Gospel unites people around a laser focus on Christ’s saving grace. When we’re in step with the Spirit, we serve one another.learn …

Burying Bad Religion - Part 4 - Bad religion produces pride, anger, fear, and guilt, but it doesn’t stop the flesh. The Gospel produces love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, etc. Note that the flesh has “works” and the Spirit has “fruit.” A fruit tree doesn’t try to bear fruit, it just happens. In the same way, keeping in step with the Spirit (ak…

Burying Bad Religion - Part 3 - Bad religion enslaves us to a list of rules we can never perfectly keep. The Gospel sets us free to walk with the Spirit of God. The commands of Scripture are everlasting, but were never meant to be our salvation. When we reduce our faith to a list of rules, we are denying grace and re-embracing the slavery Jesus die…

Burying Bad Religion - Part 2 - Bad religion produces a zeal to identify and destroy infidels. The Gospel produces a zeal to love and transform sinners. Paul was criticized by self-righteous people for abandoning the Law. They liked having a sacred scorecard they could use to condemn outsiders, and Paul’s methods threatened them. He had the courage…

Burying Bad Religion - Part 1 - Bad religion is all about what you do for God. The Gospel is all about what God has done for you. In Galatians 1, Paul confronts the church for deserting the true Gospel. Would God say the same to us?learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

The Ever-Loving Truth - Part 6 - Rebellious people can be frustrating. Their determination to do what makes them happy can hurt others and ruin their own lives. So how do we handle the "Black Sheep"?learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

The Ever-loving Truth - Part 5 - Empathy is often discarded when we disagree with someone. But in order for us to reach people with the love of Jesus, we need to show great empathy. After all, Jesus showed great empathy and compassion on us.Oleh First Baptist Conroe

In God We Trust - Part 17 - The history of the Jews can be confusing at times. There is a lot to remember. But it's important, because it shows us how we serve a faithful God.learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.orgOleh First Baptist Conroe

The Ever-Loving Truth - Part 4 - The statistics for people who grow up in church and then walk away from their faith are discouraging to say the least. So, how do we reach out to people who have turned their back on what the Bible teaches?learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnected…

In God We Trust - Part 16 - A great leader is no substitute for a great revival. And where does revival start? learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

The Ever-Loving Truth - Part 3 - We all have neighbors, co-workers, family members, and friends who follow a different faith. How do we tell them the Good News?learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

In God We Trust - Part 15 - Your life is a testimony of what God has done for you. Have you told that story to anyone? You sharing how God has changed you can encourage family and friends to live lives devoted to Christ.Learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

The Ever-Loving Truth - Part 2 - There are many reasons that a gay person might not feel welcome in church. In this message, we address some of those reason, and what we can do to reach them with the love of Christ.learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

In God We Trust - Part 14 - We don't have idols like they did in the Bible, but in many ways we still worship things that aren't God. What are these idols, and how do we combat our tendency to fall before their feet instead of God's feet.learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnected…

The Ever-Loving Truth - Part 1 - All around us are people who assume the Gospel isn’t for them. Some are our friends or loved ones. How can we reach them? Scripture calls us to “speak the truth in love.” Some Christians emphasize love without reference to biblical truth, and others preach nothing but condemning truth without love. In this series, w…

In God We Trust - Part 13 - This week we look at three stories with three unique lessons. And then we ask ourselves, are we putting our trust in men or in God?learn more at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

The Mule-Headed Prophet and the Missionary God - Part 4 - Grace-healed Eyes - The repentance Jonah expressed in chapter 2 doesn’t mean his stubbornness was gone forever. It’s amazing to see a preacher so angry at the success of his own ministry, but once again, it’s a sign that Jonah wasn’t actually living by grace. When we let grace heal our eyes,…

In God We Trust - Part 12 - Here we read a story about God accomplishing His will despite the corrupt character of the leader in charge. But the leader's character filters down to the people he leads. So, what does good character look like?Oleh First Baptist Conroe

The Mule-Headed Prophet and the Missionary God - Part 3 - What happens in Jonah 3 is one of the greatest miracles in human history. It’s hard to imagine how earth-shaking it must have been. We claim to believe in God, but the god we truly believe in seems to be too small to change anyone’s life. If we believed in the God of Jonah 3, we would live q…

In God We Trust - Part 11 - Let's look at two stories about what fear can do to us, and how we can respond.learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

The Mule-Headed Prophet and the Missionary God - Part 2 - Here's Your Sign - When religious leaders asked Jesus for a sign that He truly spoke for God, He offered them only “the sign of Jonah.” When Jonah went into that fish for three days, it changed him. He had resisted God’s grace when it meant salvation for people he hated, but now it meant his…

In God We Trust - Part 10 - Pride can keep us from experiencing the best that God has to show us. In order to truly embrace His love, and truly love those around us, we must become humble. Pride has a cost.learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

Houston, We Are the Problem - The Mule-Headed Prophet and the Missionary God - Part 1 - In this entire story, Jonah is almost comically stubborn. It’s easy to laugh at him. But are we so different? We let prejudice, busyness, laziness, and lack of compassion stop us from being salt and light. We can all admit this world is broken. It won’t get bett…

In God We Trust - Part 9 - There are stories in the Bible where God suddenly declares judgement on someone. It's so shocking and unexpected. How do we interpret this? Should we be worried? What does it mean, and why are these stories in the Bible?learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnected…

Saints and Our Stuff - Part 4 - Invest in Tomorrow. The future is uncertain, and that can make us anxious. Believe it or not, generosity can help change that anxiety to anticipation. This is one of Jesus’ most confusing parables. But the point is about using our stuff now to make a better future for ourselves, and for others. He made the same point…

Saints and Our Stuff - Part 3 - Breaking the Chains - Money and stuff can be a trap. It destroys families, causes wars, ruins lives. But there is a way off the greed superhighway, and we see it embodied in the story of a wee little man. Spoiler: When we truly follow Jesus, generosity comes naturally, and generosity kills greed.learn more about Firs…

In God We Trust - Part 8 - Sometimes it feels like the bad guys always win. How is that fair? How can God allow things like that? Is God a just God?learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

Saints and Our Stuff - Part 2 - This world says the good life is found by gaining more stuff. Jesus said the good life is gained by giving stuff away. Does that mean we should all renounce our possessions and become monks? Matthew 6:25-31 gives a great framework for making decisions about our stuff. learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconro…

In God We Trust - Part 7 - You are designed to have a purpose. Without purpose life can feel meaningless. So, what is your purpose?learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnectedOleh First Baptist Conroe

Saints and Our Stuff - Part 1 - Most of Jesus’ teachings about money were warnings about its dangers, not secrets on how to acquire more. That’s ironic, since His followers were all poor. So what, in His view, is so dangerous about wealth, and how can we avoid its snares?learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnected…

In God We Trust - Part 6 - We believe that God is powerful. Do we act like we believe that? Are you expecting God to move in a powerful way, or are you expecting God to be limited? How do we start to trust that God will move in bigger ways than we could ever imagine?learn more about First Baptist Conroe at fbcconroe.org/getconnected…