Have you ever been in a situation where another person actually saved your life? I have one older brother and when we were kids we loved to swim during the summer months. We lived within walking distance of the Tobique River and often would go swimming with our friends. One time I got caught in the current of the river and found myself in water over my head. I was too small to stand up and not strong enough to swim out of the current. I went under the water and took my first gulp of water. And then a second time. I was going to drown if someone didn’t save me. My older brother Larry, who was much bigger than me swam over to me, grabbed my arm and pulled me to safety. There is no telling for sure what could have happened that day but I believe my brother saved me from drowning. As the one who was saved that day, I knew I needed help beyond what I could do if I was going to live. This Sunday we continue our series titled Relevant Orthodoxy by looking at the doctrine of Salvation. It is from this doctrine we have developed the christian term “saved” to describe the work of God’s Salvation in our lives. As with my need to be saved from drowning that day in the river, so the doctrine of salvation and being saved points to the fact that we need to be saved from something that only God can do the saving. We are all sinners in need of a Savior.  Join me this Sunday as we consider Salvation and the Depravity of Man.

We are in the middle of a sermon series titled Relevant Orthodoxy, touching on five essential doctrines of the church and how they are relevant to life in 2022. Last week we looked at Theology Proper and the Trinity; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. While all three are equally God, the Doctrine of Jesus is one that faces continued scrutiny and confusion because He is the focal point of our faith. Like the Trinity, the nature of Jesus is difficult to understand in the human context. Jesus is eternally God, but at the incarnation He became both God and man at the same time. How can this be and what are the implications for us because of this unique union of the God – man in Jesus Christ. Our text for Sunday, Philippians 2:5-11 is thought of as an early church hymn? When you read it in your Bible you will notice it is styled to set it apart from the rest of the chapter which usually means those verses are some form of oral tradition that was memorized in the church. That makes our text on Sunday a very important passage to know and understand. Join us this Sunday as we look at Jesus, The Focus of our Faith.

Last week we started a 5 week sermon series titled “Relevant Orthodoxy” where we will look at five key doctrines of the Church and how they are relevant to life today. The first message was on the authority of Scripture.  I preached that message first because what we believe about Scripture is foundational to all other doctrines. However, the most important doctrine is Theology Proper; the study of God. The God of the Bible is unlike the so-called gods of any other religions because our God is a Triune God: that is one God in three distinct persons. The doctrine of the Trinity is not spelled out for us in any one place in the Bible, BUT the doctrine of the Trinity is throughout the entire Bible from the beginning to the end and everywhere in between.  In over 30 years of ministry, I have received more questions about the Trinity than any other area of doctrine so I know this is a difficult concept to grasp. This Sunday we will look at the Trinity from the relational perspective between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and how that impacts the relationships we have in life. The more you understand the relationships within the Trinity, the better your relationships will be with others. I hope you will join me this Sunday as we explore the Trinity.

Not too long ago we could answer questions about our Christian faith with the simple answer, “because the Bible tells me so.” While that answer may speak a foundational truth you believe, many people in society will respond with skepticism or even disbelief about the authenticity of the Bible, let alone its authority over our lives. Questioning the authenticity and authority of Scripture is something that has crept into some aspects of Christianity. In an attempt to stay relevant with society some denominations have abandoned belief that the Bible, in its entirety, is God’s Word and in so doing have removed themselves from under the authority of scripture. This Sunday we will consider both internal evidence (from within the Bible itself) as well as external evidence (from sources outside the Bible) that support Scripture as the Word of God which has authority over our lives. Join us this Sunday as we consider this fundamental doctrine of Orthodox Christianity.

The word “community” is often used to describe the places we live. For example, “I live in the community of Kure Beach”. But that is not the truest sense of the word. Webster’s Dictionary defines community as “the people with common interests living in a particular area.” It is unlikely that we share common interests with everyone who lives in what we call our community. The current trend is to find the things that we don’t share in common to divide neighbors from living peaceably with us. But the church is one place where we can find and value true community. While our church is composed of people from all different backgrounds and walks of life there is a common interest that instills the truest sense of community among us: our salvation in Jesus Christ. When we experience community in Jesus Christ, the differences and diversity each person brings with them doesn’t weaken us but instead strengthen our community. Join me this Sunday as we consider the Value of Community and have the opportunity to make a commitment to the Spiritual Community that is Kure Beach FBC. 

There is a tendency in society to measure our lives in comparison with other people.  How have we done as a parent in comparison to other parents? At work we are often evaluated relative to the performances of other people. We love to brag about our favorite sports team when they are doing well in comparison to a friend’s team that is not doing as well as ours. The Church is not immune from the practice of comparison. When there is a church that has had some success in a certain ministry it is easy for other churches to compare themselves to that church, wondering why they are not having the same results. That comparison often leads to copying what another church has done, expecting the same results, but being disappointed that God did not replicate the fruit with them. God has designed the church on a few foundational principles that can be applied in different cultures, and throughout the many generations that span the age of the church. What works in one church may not work in another church. What worked in one generation may not work in the next generation. Instead God calls the local church to be devoted to following the basics, implementing those in light of the unique community and cultural setting that church is doing ministry in. Join us this Sunday as we consider from Acts 2 What’s a Church to Do and make some unique application to our ministry right here in the Cape Fear Tidal Basin.

Sunday is a special day for our church: One Church – One Service! While I am so thankful for the two unique worship services we have every week, I am excited we will all be able to worship together this Sunday. In the New Testament, unity is one of the primary characteristics of the church and that will be the focus of our entire service. Our church is comprised of people from all over the United States. We also have people from various denominational backgrounds and religious experiences. And yet somehow God has called all of you together to form this one, united church in this beautiful place called Kure Beach.
What unites a church together? Is it just because we attend the same service or hear the same message? That we dress and speak like each other? Some people think it’s because the people share the same political views or are passionate about the same social causes. None of those are a basis for true and lasting unity in a church. In Ephesians 4:1-16 the Apostle Paul lays out for us what is the basis for unity in the Body of Christ. Join me this Sunday for this special service, where we will take a deep dive into this rich teaching from Ephesians. Our service will also incude the Lord’s Table – Communion.

It was a year ago last Wednesday that Sue and I moved to Kure Beach and this weekend marks the start of my second year as the pastor of Kure Beach First Baptist Church. There is a lot I could say in reflection of the last year, but in short it has been a year where God has affirmed the decisions the church had made prior to us starting ministry together, as well as an affirmation to Sue and me that we are in the place God wants us to be. Two years ago the Church went through an evaluation process to better understand how to be the church God wants us to be. Many positive changes were made at that time, including the adoption of a new purpose statement, “Anchored In Hope”, based on Hebrews 6:19 “This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.”  Sunday’s message will be on this passage, focusing on “this hope.” The purpose of an anchor is to keep a boat from drifting in the uncertainty of the sea’s waves and wind. The people on the boat will only have hope to the degree that the anchor is fastened to something immovable, below the water’s surface and out of their sight. The same is true in the spirit life. We will only have hope in the troubled seas of life to the degree we believe our lives are anchored to something that is immovable! Unchangeable! What is the anchor of your life? Is it another person? Finances? Health? You fill in the blank. Hebrews 6 reveals that Jesus is the anchor, fixed with surety in heaven that provides this hope. Join me this Sunday for a special message that will strengthen your walk with God as well as reestablish what we as a church are called to be and do.

The automobile is an amazing invention of the modern era that is used virtually all over the globe. When working properly, even the simplest of automobiles is a tremendous display of power, moving either great mass or traveling at fast speeds. We all know the power of a properly working automobile. Many of you watch NASCAR and it could be said that a well tuned race car is the pinnacle of what an automobile should be. The opposite of a race car would be a “car planter.” That’s an abandoned automobile where weeds and sometimes even trees are growing up through the middle of the car because it has been sitting there, unused for a very long time. A “car planter” is the opposite of power because it has lost its ability to do what it was created for. 

Acts 1 tells the story of Jesus’ last moments here on planet earth, followed by His ascension into heaven. In his final words to the disciples, words that very much apply to us today, Jesus speaks about our purpose, our mission and the source of that power? The follower of Christ that  is on mission and connected to the source of power God provides we can be like that NASCAR race car, fulfilling our intended purpose we are created for. We would see people coming to faith in Christ and culture that better reflects the character of God. Unfortunately, some Christians can relate to the “car planter,” as believers that have gotten off mission and become disconnected from their source of power. Join us this Sunday as we look in Acts 1 – The Church on Mission.

Every successful organization has a clear mandate of what it is trying to accomplish. The church is no different. We don’t need to do any research and development to discover what we are supposed to do. We don’t need a consultant to help us better understand what the goals of our organization need to be. The mandate for the church is not a mystery to be discovered because Jesus made it plain and simple in the final words he spoke to his disciples just prior to his ascension into heaven. In Matthew 28:19-20 Christ’s followers are commissioned to do his business after he leaves. And this is not any ordinary commission . . . it’s called “The Great Commission” because it is great. Christ has not called his followers to do anything in a boring, ordinary way! No, Jesus calls us to do something GREAT. Join us this Sunday as we consider “What’s So Great About the Great Commission.”