First Baptist Granite Falls

Palm Sunday marks Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. From this point forward the cross is the destination. But why? Why did a perfect Jesus, in whom there was no sin, have to die on a cross? Couldn’t there be another way? If God created the universe, certainly He could make another way for our sin to […] The post Why Did Jesus Have to Die? appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

The news from the angels in the field of shepherds was initially frightening. So much so, the angels had to tell the shepherds to “FEAR NOT”! The next thing they revealed was that the purpose of their announcement was to bring the shepherds “GOOD NEWS” of “GREAT JOY”! This Christmas we must get past the […] The post Rediscovering Joy | Luke 2:10-14 appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Love came down at Christmas time! The post Rediscovering Love appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

The shepherds of the Christmas story were out in the field doing their job. While watching over the flocks the last thing they expected was a host of angels to appear and give them the greatest news they had ever heard! What happens when fear grips us? We usually have allowed someone or something to distract us […] The post Rediscovering Peace | Luke 2:8-20 appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

As we “Rediscover Christmas” this December, we begin in Luke 2 with the story of Simeon and Anna. These two precious saints of God had waited many years to see the fulfillment of the coming Messiah. The prophecies came true and what was once a figment of future hope, Simeon finally found the Christ child […] The post Rediscovering Hope | Luke 2:21-38 appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

God is good at keeping His word. He came to earth as a baby in a manger to save us from our sins. Before He ascended to Heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2, the church is born as the Holy Spirit comes and marks the beginning! Dive in with us […] The post Acts 2:1-13 | The Birth of the Church appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

In the final days before the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ followers spent time with final preparations for their mission. As we look into the final part of Acts 1, we will see the must haves for the mission. The post Acts 1:12-26 | Must-Haves of the Mission appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

In Acts 1, we see how Jesus prepared His followers for the road ahead. A revolution was coming like no one had ever seen. The world was about to impacted by the greatest story ever told and now experienced!In Acts 1, we see how Jesus prepared His followers for the road ahead. A revolution was […] The post Acts 1:1-14 | Preparing for Revolution appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

We are embarking on a long journey through the book of Acts. We are going to take it week by week to explore the mission of the early church and the amazing things God did with a people who were committed to Him. We will see how all churches can become this same vibrant church […] The post Acts 1: The Introduction appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

What do you seek? Where do you look? What do you give? This account of the wise men seeking Jesus and finding him. Their desire to pursue Jesus is astounding…considering what they went through to get to Him. The gifts they brought to Jesus, the new King, were symbolic of the prophecies Jesus came to […] The post Are You Satisfied With Christmas? | Matthew 2:1-12 appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Isaiah 9 shows us what Jesus offered us through His attributes. All that He is, He came to be for us! The post The Mission of Christmas | Isaiah 9 appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Christmas was first realized when Jesus came as a baby in a manger. We find that account in Luke 2. However, John 1 actual helps us realize the fullness of how God became a man. The incarnation is one of the foundational miracles ever! It’s hard to believe. But, it’s true. Love really became embodied […] The post Love Came Down | John 1 appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

The Transformed Life Includes… 1. The Seed of Your Transformation 2. The Root of Your Transformation 3. The Fruit of Your Transformation 4. The Pursuit of Your Transformation The post Part IV: Impacting Change (Titus 3 | Colossians 2 | Matthew 28) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Living a Transformed Life Makes You… 1. Clarify Your Calling 2. Grow Up in the Faith 3. Do Your Part The post Part III: Growing Up in God | Ephesians 4 appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

To Have a Transformed Life… 1. God Wants You to Be Committed 2. God Wants You to Be Changed 3. God Wants You to Be Satisfied The post Part II: How to Have a Transformed Life | Romans 12 appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

The Transformed Life is…. 1. Rooted in the Gospel 2. Becoming Something New 3. Being Reconciled to God, Reconciling Others The post Part I: The Transformed Life | 2 Corinthians 5:12-21 appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

The overall set of armor prepares us for battle. Tune in for the final message in the “Armor of God” series! The post Part 6: Weapons of War | Ephesians 6 appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

The “good fight” is made possible by the armor we wear from God. It protects us and provides us weaponry to accomplish the mission God has called us to. The post Part 5: Fight the Good Fight | Ephesians 6 appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Ephesians 2:1-10 and chapter 6 shows us the importance of wearing the helmet of salvation and the breastplate of righteousness. The post Part 4: Breastplate of Righteousness & Helmet of Salvation | Ephesians 2:1-10 appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

“Combatting the Enemy’s Lies” — Beauty is sometimes deceiving. What is sometimes seen as true and right may have evil lurking behind it. Satan consistently tries to deceive us and believe that this world is all about us. He is truly our enemy that seeks to distract us and destroy us. This third part in […] The post Armor of God: Part III (Matthew 4:1-11) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

“Our Spiritual Battle Gear” — Belt of Truth & Breast Plate of Righteousness: The second message in the “Armor of God” series deals with our wardrobe as soldiers and followers of Jesus. What does it look like to spiritually wear spiritual battle gear? It’s important that we are completely clothed spiritually. The Belt of Truth […] The post Armor of God: Part II – (Ephesians 6:10-13) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

“Life is War” — Outside of the “cookie-cutter” life that most experience in search of the American dream, there is actually a battle raging in the heavenly places. It has implications on everything we do as believers. This first week in the “Armor of God” sermon series we find ourselves in the middle of of […] The post Armor of God: Part I (Ephesians 6:10-12) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

In Romans 5, we find that God gives us a new way and a new hope! Through His substitution for us on the cross He has given us a way to be completely reconciled to Him! Take heart that this is the ultimate way GOD IS FOR US! The post God is for Us: Part V (Romans 5) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

God’s mercies are new every morning! His mercies find us in the middle of our struggle, they’re always right on time, and definitely unlimited! But God’s mercies are not just available for us to receive and move on. They drive us to an obedient response to worship Him! The post God is for Us: Part IV (Lamentations 3) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Psalm 125 quickly follows it’s previous chapter with encouragement that God is the strength of His people! We must not rely on our own strength because it is insufficient. When we realize He is our strength, it helps us overcome things like depression and doubt, pain and suffering, as well as thoughts of turning away […] The post God is for Us: Part III (Psalm 125) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Psalm 124 reassures us that God never abandons His people. No matter if it’s in the unexpected or in the midst of danger, God never abandons His faithfulness. Tune in to be encouraged that God is for you! The post God is for Us: Part II (Psalm 124) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

With all of the turmoil our country appears to be in, it’s quite refreshing to know that GOD IS FOR US! As we embark on this sermon series in August, we first arrive at Romans 8 where it is chocked full of hope and goodness of God’s love for us! The post God is for Us: Part I (Romans 8) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Join us as Chuck Campbell with the Baptist State Convention of NC leads us through Luke 9 to discover what it means to “surrender” our lives to Jesus for the sake of His kingdom. The post Surrender (Luke 9) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

What do you think about when you hear the word revival? A set of services in the fall and spring? Do you think about a move of God in the church? Take a look with us as Pastor Jay leads us through 2 Chronicles 7 and shows us the recipe for revival. The post Recipe for Revival (2 Chronicles 7) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Talk is cheap when it comes to “love”. The world doesn’t care how “religious” we are, but it cares how we love them! The old adage remains true: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!” Tune in to see how Jesus challenges those caught up in religion to […] The post Love Out Loud (Mark 12) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

In John 8, Jesus emphasizes the validity of authentic faith. Are you truly a child of God? A follower of the Lord Jesus? The post Free Indeed (John 8:31-36) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

In a culture of Christianity we talk about prayer a lot. We use the language, say the words, and promise to pray for people. But what are we praying for? In Colossians 1, Paul gets really specific about his prayer for the Colossian people. It’s a prayer that has the goal of spiritual maturity and […] The post Faith Forward (Colossians 1:3-12) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Luke 15 has long been know as the story of the prodigal son. It’s actually better entitled, “The Loving Father” as the father’s unconditional love for his sons is the focus. The father is mentioned 12 times in the parable alone. This message shows us how a godly, earthly father models the picture of a […] The post Picture Perfect Father (Luke 15) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

In our first Sunday back together in three months (because of the virus), Paul encourages the church to grow up! Hopefully the last three months have allowed us to take spiritual inventory and mature in our faith. Paul shows us that humility, passion, and wonder play a huge role in pressing on toward the will […] The post Pressing On (Philippians 3:12-16) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

STUDY ADJUSTMENT: Because of our inability to gather because of the COVID-19 virus outbreak, this week is a review in order to catch everyone of how we got started in the covenant series. We are doing an overview of where we’ve been in the study and catching up through God’s covenant with Abram. The post Covenant Study Review (See Summary) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Abraham and Moses are just a couple of “big” names we are familiar with when it comes to the Bible. As we consider how God implanted His process of covenant relationship with us, we must know that He always used a vessel, a go between, a “mediator” to implement the partnership. This week join us […] The post Covenant: Abrahamic Covenant and the Law (Session 8) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

“The value of an object is seen in the intensity of its pursuit.” – Scotty Smith  Jesus is God on mission. Our missionary God pursued us all the way to the cross. He wrapped Himself in flesh and provided Himself as a sacrifice to fix our sin problem. We can know how valuable we are […] The post Epic Incarnation (John 1) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

The offer still stands. Thousands of years removed from God’s covenant with Abram, His offer to His people is still good and true. He told Abram he would bless all nations and their descendants. Jesus even prayed in John 17 that we today would believe because of the faithfulness of God and His gospel. Covenant […] The post Covenant: Offer to Descendants (Session 7) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

In this epic story, we find out quickly we are not in control. There is a God and we aren’t Him! He is the great Creator, King, and Judge of all the earth. God sets the terms as to how we enter His kingdom. If we are a part of a kingdom, we must be […] The post Epic Unworthiness (Psalm 97) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

To become “one” can look different in many scenarios but generally holds the truth of unity and intimacy. One of Paul’s favorite phrases was “in Christ”. It tells of our “being one” with the One who is our Savior and King. Becoming one in covenant with Jesus shows us there is so much more to […] The post Covenant: The Oneness of Covenant (Session 6) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Covenant is “deadly serious”. God takes covenant seriously. Learn what taking a “walk into death” looked like in the Old Testament and how we take a “walk into death” in our relationship with Him today! The post Covenant: A Walk Into Death (Session 5) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Perfect creation by a holy Creator is followed by an epic rebellion when mankind willfully chose to disobey God. God lays out the consequences of that sin, but also continues to pursue us in the midst of our rebellion. Do you know He’s pursuing you? Are you ready to give up and give in to […] The post Epic Relationship (1st Peter 2 / Genesis 3) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Covenant is solemn. It’s binding. It’s an agreement and partnership. How seriously does God take covenant? Tune in this week to find out! The post Covenant: A Solemn Binding Agreement (Session 4) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

The story of creation takes a detour as mankind willfully goes against God’s Word. It sets up an “EPIC Rebellion” that plunges mankind into a catastrophic tailspin that separates us from a Holy God. Tune in as we see the debilitating effects of our sin nature. The post Epic Rebellion (Genesis 3) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

In week 3 of our covenant study, we will see the importance of exchanging weapons and belt. What’s symbolic about this gesture? As we enter covenant, God promises to protect us from our enemies! The post Covenant: Exchanging of Weapons & Belt (Session 3) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

The “Epic” Story of God begins and ends with Him. He is our majestic Creator. It is all for Him and by Him. Listen in as we establish the foundation of this story that He is writing, and including us in it so that all may worship Him. The post Epic Creator (Genesis 1) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

In our second week of study on Covenant, we look at the “exchanging of robes” between David and Jonathan. This is a great picture of how Christ robes us with His righteousness when we enter a covenant relationship with Him! The post Covenant: Exchanging of Robes (Session 2) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

Machelle Kirby, Director of the Caldwell Pregnancy Care Center shares with us about the ministry God is using them for in Caldwell County. They’re gospel-centered and intentional when it comes to discipling women and men through the tough times of unplanned pregnancies. After Machelle speaks, Pastor Jay shares the important truth that we are “image-bearers” […] The post Sanctity of Life Sunday: A View from the Caldwell Pregnancy Care Center appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

God’s Story. Your Story. Covenant is the framework of our relationship with God. It is the fabric of commitment, promise, and partnership God uses to solidify His connection to us. As we study this foundational concept, it will change the way we view our relationship with Jesus, and it will change the way we worship! The post Covenant Midweek Study (Session 1) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

If we connect & grow, we will automatically serve & go. Gospel transformation causes us to desire personal spiritual growth that makes us passionate about going to give out the gospel! The post Gospel Identity: Serve & Go (John 13) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.

In John 15, Jesus emphasizes the importance of abiding in Him. Believers must purposefully pursue and connect in order to grow! Spiritual growth is part of our Gospel Identity. The post Gospel Identity: Connect & Grow (John 15) appeared first on First Baptist Granite Falls.