Fall 2021: What Do You Believe?

Our lives are actually shaped by what we believe. Our actions flow from our beliefs. In fact, we all have some sort of “belief system” --- even if we have never really given it much thought. This system is either intentionally constructed and evaluated or it just materializes over time.

This fall at First Baptist, we are going to address our individual belief systems or worldviews. I will begin the series by explaining how and why this is such an important endeavor. Then, we will walk through various issues and explore what we really believe about them.

This series promises to be provocative and informative at the same time. We live in a politically charged environment right now. So – let’s pray that God will guide us through this season with grace and maturity as we recognize the value of discussion and dialogue. Let’s pray for unity of spirit within our church body even in the face of diversity.

The beauty of a church family is that it may be filled with rich diversity of thought, opinion, background, and even convictions. Our church family is a great example of this. Our church is anything but uniform! God is not calling us to uniformity! But – He does call us to maturity and unity.

I’m excited about this fall and looking forward to unpacking these various conversations about our beliefs. May God use this season to deepen our faith and draw us into a deeper sense of community here at FBCA.

What Do You Believe?

September 5: What Do You Believe About Belief?

How do you decide what you believe about anything? This sermon addresses how to construct a belief system that is consistent with Biblical truth and historic orthodox faith.

Text: Acts 17:10-12

Daily Bible Readings

September 6: Colossians 1:1-14

September 7: Colossians 1:15-2:5

September 8: Colossians 2:6-23

September 9: Colossians 3

September 10: Colossians 4

September 11: Reflection

September 12: What Do You Believe About Truth?

Sounds like a simple question --- but it is complex in today’s climate. Where do we search for truth? What is our authority for truth? One of the challenges we face in our current social and cultural context is that there is not agreement on the source of ultimate truth. As Christians, we recognize that God is the source and foundation of all truth. He as revealed Himself through His Son who embodied truth itself!

Text: John 8:31-32

Daily Bible Readings

September 13: John 4:1-26

September 14: John 8:12-30

September 15: John 8:21-59

September 16: John 14:1-14

September 17: John 14:15-31

September 18: Reflection

September 19: What Do You Believe About Jesus?

Easily the most controversial figure in all of human history, Jesus Christ continues to be a source of intrigue and debate. What are the essentials in our quest to truly understand the Person of Jesus Christ?

Text: Matthew 16:13-20

Daily Bible Readings

September 20: John 1:1-18

September 21: Colossians 1:15-2:5

September 22: Philippians 2:1-11

September 23: Isaiah 53

September 24: Revelation 5

September 25: Reflection

September 26: What Do You Believe About Government?

All Christian believers have lived throughout history under some form of authoritative government. What should be our relationship to our government? How involved should we be in the governing process?

Text: Romans 13:1-7

Daily Bible Readings

September 27: 1 Peter 1:1-2:3

September 28: 1 Peter 2:4-25

September 29: 1 Peter 3

September 30: 1 Peter 4

October 1:  1 Peter 5

October 2:  Reflection

October 3: What Do You Believe About Prejudice?

OK – this one is easy, right? I mean, people don’t typically brag about being prejudiced! However, we still have debates raging in our nation about racism, Critical Race Theory, Systemic Racism, and the like. This message will take us deeper into the conversation to explore the sin of prejudice and how it often spreads undetected and unnoticed.

Text: Acts 10:34-35

Daily Bible Readings

October 4:  Galatians 1

October 5:  Galatians 2

October 6:  Galatians 3-4

October 7:  Galatians 5

October 8:  Galatians 6

October 9:  Reflection

October 10: What Do You Believe About Anthropology?

According to the Biblical witness, God created human beings in His image. He created them male and female with the responsibility to multiply and exercise dominion on the earth. This has all manner of implications for our understanding of humanity in general and specifically for our understanding of issues like gender, sexuality, and relational constructs.

Text: Genesis 1:26-31

Daily Bible Readings

October 11:  Psalm 139

October 12:  Genesis 1:1-2:3

October 13:  Genesis 2:4-25

October 14:  Psalm 8

October 15:  Psalm 103

October 16:  Reflection

October 17: What Do You Believe About Qualifications for Ministry in the Local Church?

Who is qualified to serve, lead, and engage in ministry in the local church? This seems like a simple question, but again, this one is layered with complexity. We will apply the interpretive techniques we have learned to answer this significant question.

Text: 1 Timothy 3:1-13

Daily Bible Readings

October 18:  1 Timothy 1

October 19:  1 Timothy 2

October 20:  1 Timothy 3

October 21:  1 Timothy 4-5

October 22:  1 Timothy 6

October 23:  Reflection

October 24: What Do You Believe About the Future?

This will be our 150th Anniversary Celebration Worship Service that will be the final piece to the weekend. On the one hand, we will focus on the future of FBC Arlington, but on the other hand, we will explore together how God is shaping the present and preparing for the future for all of His people.

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Daily Bible Readings

October 25:  1 Thessalonians 1

October 26:  1 Thessalonians 2:1-3:5

October 27:  1 Thessalonians 3:6-4:12

October 28:  1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

October 29:  1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

October 30:  Reflection

October 31: What Do You Believe About Eternity?

God exists in eternity. He is both within and beyond time and space. He has designed human beings to live in time and exist for eternity. How does this affect us in our daily lives? What do we know about eternity?

Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

Daily Bible Readings

November 1:  Revelation 4

November 2:  Revelation 5

November 3:  Revelation 7

November 4:  Revelation 21

November 5:  Revelation 22

November 6: Reflection