By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper

Focal Passage: Exodus 1:16-17, 22-2:9

I love to hear babies and kids in our worship services. Several weeks ago, we had one getting a little loud. When the mom got up to take him out he was telling everybody around them bye. 

The reason I love to hear the sound of children is because that indicates to me a growing and alive church. Dead churches don’t have young babies in the sanctuary.   [Read more…]

By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper

Focal Passage: Ephesians 2:11-22

The Great Wall of China was built approximately 200 years before Jesus was born. It took almost a century to build. It was originally 3,000 miles long. Today there are only about 1,500 miles remaining.

It varies in height from 15 to 50 feet high. The average width is about 12 feet.

I have been told that The Great Wall of China can be seen with the naked eye from space. That’s interesting to me, the only thing visible to the eye is a wall man built because that’s what man loves to do is build walls, because walls are built to separate. [Read more…]

By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper

Focal Passage: Matthew 2:1-11

There are some popular misconceptions about these magi. Most of us get our idea about these individuals from songs, cards and poems rather than from theologians. First, most people assume there were three because of the song, “We Three Kings,” and because they gave three gifts. But we’re never told how many there were. 

There could have been two, three, or 23.  They were said to be kings, though the text doesn’t say that either. They were said to be representatives of three families of Shem, Ham and Japeth and therefore one of them is pictured as an Ethiopian. Their names are given as Caspar, Balthazar and Melchior.   [Read more…]

By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper

Focal Passage: Luke 2:25-35

No one likes to wait. But we wait in traffic, in car lines, in grocery stores, in drive-thru’s, for the doctor, for a spouse, for a baby, for retirement, for sermons to get over and for Jesus to return.

To set the story, Jesus has been sent from heaven and entered human history.  The Promised Messiah is now here. Our text takes us to Jerusalem for an event that occurred 40 days after the very first Christmas. [Read more…]

By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper

Focal Passage: Luke 2:1-14

Most people in America are familiar with this passage because every December we watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and hear Linus tell us about the true meaning of Christmas.

Let’s set the scene. An angel rocks the routine of some guys who are just out doing their job, Luke 2:8. In the early pages of the Bible, shepherding was considered a noble profession but in the first century shepherding had gone to the sheep. Shepherds made up the lowest class of people, coming in just ahead of the lepers. Living out in the fields away from society made them outcasts. [Read more…]

By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper

Focal Passage: Luke 1:26-38

When most people think about Mary, the mother of Jesus, they think of a peaceful, serene and virtuous woman. Now all of those are probably true characteristics, but I think she also was a very real person. 

In our passage, Luke paints a portrait of Mary with real doubt, questions and faith. Where I think we see this the best is in v. 38, “I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.  [Read more…]

By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper

Focal Passage: Matthew 1:18-25

In my younger days, I was part of several plays/musicals. It was always the main roles that people desired. It wasn’t too often that you found a small role that had a great impact. However, that is not the case in the story of Joseph.

There is not a lot about Joseph contained in Scripture. He is only mentioned in regard to the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. But what we discover is that Joseph was a man worth imitating. [Read more…]

By Michael Koontz
Pastor, Pine Ridge Baptist Church, Harriman

Focal Passage: Isaiah 7:10-14; 9:6-7; 11:1-5

One of my favorite Christmas hymns is “What Child Is This?” The tune is called “Greensleeves” and was written in England about the 16th century. But it was not until 1865 while America was in the Civil War that an English poet named William Chatterton Dix, wrote a poem called, “Manger’s Throne.”

This is where we get the words for this famous hymn. Part of the poem, which we do not use, speaks of the truth of the cross. Let me encourage you to go look it up.  [Read more…]

By Michael Koontz
Pastor, Pine Ridge Baptist Church, Harriman

Focal Passage: Psalm 138:1–8

As we study Psalm 138, King David is teaching us about praise. We are to praise the one true God. David said he did this with his whole heart. That place in us where our true self is seated. Our emotions, devotion, love, intellect, all that we are is to be focused towards Him and giving thanks and praise to Him alone. [Read more…]

By Michael Koontz
Pastor, Pine Ridge Baptist Church, Harriman

Focal Passage: Matthew 6:11; John 17:11–23

Praying for others is one of the greatest privileges we have as a Christian.

Recently we spoke about the spiritual discipline of prayer at our church. At the end of the service we gave out prayer Bible bookmarks that had several spots to list prayer requests. This was done to help us remember how important it is that we pray for others.

Let’s look at why we pray for others and what we can pray about for others. [Read more…]