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Hold Firm: God the Holy Spirit
Many believers are uncomfortable with the concept of the Holy Spirit. We find the idea of a spirit (or Ghost according to the King James Version) unsettling. And mystery is a prominent aspect of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. We cannot control the Spirit and we lack a good analogy, so we lack understanding. Churches treat the Holy Spirit in a variety of ways from affectation (an over-emphasis on the emotional experience) to avoidance. But the Holy Spirit is an important person in the Trinity. We need to approach Him with expectation.
In this message from the Hold Firm series, Pastor Mike unpacks passages from John 14-16; Ephesians, 1 Corinthians, and Acts to explore the Person, the Purpose, the Plan, the Pledge, and the Power of the Holy Spirit.
This message was presented at FBCVA on October 15, 2017.
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- Oct 23, 2017Hold Firm: God the Holy SpiritHold Firm: God the Holy SpiritMany believers are uncomfortable with the concept of the Holy Spirit. We find the idea of a spirit (or Ghost according to the King James Version) unsettling. And mystery is a prominent aspect of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. We cannot control the Spirit and we lack a good analogy, so we lack understanding. Churches treat the Holy Spirit in a variety of ways from affectation (an over-emphasis on the emotional experience) to avoidance. But the Holy Spirit is an important person in the Trinity. We need to approach Him with expectation.In this message from the Hold Firm series, Pastor Mike unpacks passages from John 14-16; Ephesians, 1 Corinthians, and Acts to explore the Person, the Purpose, the Plan, the Pledge, and the Power of the Holy Spirit.This message was presented at FBCVA on October 15, 2017.
- Oct 9, 2017Hold Firm: God the SonHold Firm: God the SonThe church in Philippi encountered a couple of problems. The first of these was rivalry among of believers. Paul addressed this by reminding them to show humility in the same way that Christ did. The second was rumblings of persecution. Paul reminded them that Jesus has been exalted and that one day every knee will bow before Him.In this message from the Hold Firm series, Pastor Mike takes a look at Article 2b of The Baptist Faith and Message - God the Son. He unpacks Philippians 2:5-11 to show the pre-existence, the humiliation, the substitutionary death, and the exaltation of Christ.This message was presented at FBCVA on October 8, 2017.
- Oct 2, 2017Hold Firm: God the FatherHold Firm: God the FatherIn both the Old and New Testaments, the Bible refers to God as Father. He is fatherly over all creation because He created all things, and He is specifically Father to all who believe. But for many, the concept of God as Father can be difficult because our own earthly fathers are far from perfect.In this message from the Hold Firm series, Pastor Mike walks through Article 2a of The Baptist Faith and Message, looking at several passages of Scripture that describe God as Father. Then, drawing from Romans 8:14-17, he addresses what it means when we say we are God's children.This message was presented at FBCVA on October 1, 2017.
- Sep 25, 2017Hold Firm: God
- Sep 20, 2017Hold Firm: The ScripturesHold Firm: The Scriptures: Many evangelicals today don't have a firm grasp on doctrine. For some, doctrine seems too stuffy. For others, it is frightening to sift through the complexities of theology. But doctrine determines how we think, and how we think determines how we act. Doctrine is a systematic understanding of what Scripture teaches,so to get a firm grasp of doctrine, we need to be certain of the authority of Scripture. In this message, Pastor Mike takes a look at what the Baptist Faith and Message says about Scripture, in light of 2 Timothy 3:14-17.This message was presented at FBCVA on September 17, 2017.
- Sep 12, 2017Hold Firm: Get a GripHold Firm: Get a GripWhat do we, as a church, believe? It isn't enough to say, "We believe the Bible." We need to be more specific. In this series of messages, titled Hold Firm, Pastor Mike will walk through The Baptist Faith and Message and its basis in Scripture to clarify what we as a church believe."He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it." Titus 1:9 (ESV)This message was presented at FBCVA on September 10, 2017.
- Sep 5, 2017God Speaks in the StormGod Speaks in the StormAs we watch events unfold in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, we may be overwhelmed by the devastation. We may be tempted to ask "Why, God?" How could a good God allow this to happen? Job encountered similar devastation in his own life, and although he didn't curse God, he did ask, "Why?" In Job 38, God answered, but not in the way Job expected. God gave Job some powerful questions to ponder. Job gained a new perspective, and his story gives us powerful lessons to learn.This message was presented at FBCVA on September 3, 2017.
- Aug 28, 2017Consumers and ContributorsConsumers and ContributorsWe are born consumers. As infants, we rely on our parents to feed and clothe us. But as we grow, we learn to do these things for ourselves. And, as we mature, we learn to contribute more to our families and, eventually to society.Christians are intended to be contributors, both to the church and to the community. But many people who attend church are consumers. We want to sit and be fed rather than to serve. Jesus came, however, to move us from a self-centered, consumer mentality to an others-centered, contributor mentality.In this message, Pastor Mike draws from Matthew 16:24-28 to ask the question, "As a church will we be a collection of consumers, or a coalition of contributors?" We were born to consume, but we are born again to contribute.This message was presented at FBCVA on August 27, 2017.
- Aug 21, 2017Who Do You Think You Are?Who Do You Think You Are?Who do you think you are? It is a probing question. We struggle at times with our identity - not knowing our place in this world. We try to define who we are by what we wear, what we do for a living,the image that we present on social media. In this stand-alone message, Pastor Mike looks at Genesis 1:26-28 to see what God says about our identity, then examines Genesis 3:1-5 to expose what Satan tries to tell us about ourselves.This message was presented at FBCVA on August 20, 2017.
- Aug 16, 2017Confronting the Racism in Our HeartsConfronting the Racism in Our HeartsRacism is a problem in our country today. Even with all of the progress we have made as a country, there is still a deep-seated mistrust of people who are unlike us. The reality is that racism has always existed, and will always exist in this world. It is a result of sin. We all have a sin nature. It is sometimes easier to get outraged against racism outwardly than to examine ourselves inwardly and make real changes. In Ephesians 2:11-22 we are reminded that God didn't send Jesus to just one group of people, He sent Jesus to the entire world. As Christians we are called not just to stand against racism in our country, but to stand against racism in our own hearts. We are called to be people of reconciliation. When we focus on being reconciled to God and Man we can bring reconciliation through Christ.This message was presented at FBCVA on August 13, 2017.
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