Hope for Our Church

What do you think of – when you think of The Church? Do you think of a building? Are you reminded of sweet memories of fellowship? Do you think about the People of God at worship and at work?

All of these, and many other images flood my mind when I think of The Church. In all honesty, I actually think of our church first. I think about First Baptist Arlington. I think that is okay. I am a member of this church. This is my spiritual family. I love this church!

In this series, we are going to give attention to The Church and to our church.We need to give thought and reflection to both. On the one hand, I need to have my understanding of The Church to be guided by Scripture and sound theological reflection. On the other hand, I need to be actively engaged in a real local church. My life should be shaped by life in a local congregation of believers.

In this series, we will experience some very important days for our church. We will dedicate our new Children’s Building on September 8. I will share a 5-year vision for our church on October 6. We will host Dr. Tod Bolsinger on October 13. This is a strategic and significant season for our church! Here we go!

September 1, 2019

Having Church on Purpose!

Sermon Text: John 15:5-8

First Baptist Arlington exists for a reason! We have been in this community since 1871. God has used us to share the message of hope in three different centuries! Today, we will give due consideration to our purpose as a church as we consider our future: Becoming fruitful believers influencing our world for Christ.

Daily Bible Readings

September 2: Acts 1:1-11

September 3: Acts 1:12-26

September 4: Acts 2:1-21

September 5: Acts 2:22-36

September 6: Acts 2:37-47

September 8, 2019

Blessing the Generations!

Sermon Text: Psalm 145

This is Dedication Day for our church family. We are gathering on this Sunday morning in one Worship Service to celebrate all God has accomplished through our Blessing the Generations Campaign. We will celebrate our families in a time of worship. Obviously, we will highlight our new Children’s Building as we hold a special time of dedication at the conclusion of the service.

Daily Bible Readings

September 9: Acts 3

September 10: Acts 4:1-22

September 11: Acts 4:23-31

September 12: Acts 4:32-5:11

September 13: Acts 5:12-16

September 15, 2019

Glorifying God by Following The Jesus Way

Sermon Text: 2 Corinthians 3:7-18

Today we will focus on the theological foundation of our church. We have been created by God to bear His image and reflect His glory in His world. We are unable to live into our purpose without God’s presence and power in our lives. Praise God for Jesus and the power of His Spirit!

Daily Bible Readings

September 16: Acts 5:17-42

September 17: Acts 6

September 18: Acts 7:1-22

September 19: Acts 7:23-43

September 20: Acts 7:44-8:3

September 22, 2019

Becoming Fruitful Believers

Sermon Text: Ephesians 4:7-16

Our church should be filled with fruitful believers—men and women who are mature in our faith, unified in spirit, and established in love. This is the portrait painted by the Apostle Paul in this landmark text in Ephesians.

Daily Bible Readings

September 23: Acts 8:4-25

September 24: Acts 8:26-40

September 25: Acts 9:1-19

September 26: Acts 9:20-31

September 27: Acts 9:32-43

September 29, 2019

Influencing Our World for Christ

Sermon Text: Matthew 5:13-16

God has called us to engage our world for His sake. Our lives are to be living testimonies of His power and His presence. As we are enriched in our walk with the Lord and with each other, we are to be engaged in ministry and mission for His glory.

Daily Bible Readings

September 30: Acts 10:1-23

October 1: Acts 10:24-48

October 2: Acts 11:1-18

October 3: Acts 11:19-30

October 4: Acts 12:1-24

October 6, 2019

Vision 2020

Sermon Text: Acts 11:19-30

On this Sunday, I will share a 5-year plan for our church to be launched in 2020. We will focus on the priorities that emerge from our Statement of Purpose. The Church at Antioch serves as an example for us as we forge ahead into our future as a church family.

Daily Bible Readings

October 7: Acts 12:25-13:12

October 8: Acts 13:13-25

October 9: Acts 13:26-37

October 10: Acts 13:38-52

October 11: Acts 14

October 13, 2019

Canoeing the Mountains: Dr. Tod Bolsinger, Pulpit Guest

Tod Bolsinger has sounded an alarm to the church in North America. He is challenging us as American Christians to engage the “new normal” of our missional context with boldness and fresh expressions of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Daily Bible Readings

October 14: Acts 15

October 15: Acts 16

October 16: Acts 17

October 17: Acts 18

October 18: Acts 19

October 20, 2019

Our Church is Out of This World!

Sermon Text: Ephesians 3:7-13

The Church actually has a cosmic dimension to it. God is at work through the Church to display His wisdom and express His glory. Our church is a local expression of His grace and an example of His glory!

Daily Bible Readings

October 21: Acts 20

October 22: Acts 21:1-36

October 23: Acts 21:37-22:29

October 24: Acts 22:30-23:35

October 25: Acts 24

October 27, 2019

Our Future is Bright!

Sermon Text: Matthew 16:13-20

The Church belongs to Jesus! It is His Church! He has promised a bright future for the Church! As followers of The Jesus Way, we are engaged in the work of Christ in His world. What a privilege for us!

Daily Bible Readings

October 28: Acts 25:1-22

October 29: Acts 25:23-26:32

October 30: Acts 27:1-26

October 31: Acts 27:27-28:10

November 1: Acts 28:11-31