First Baptist Family of Asheboro, NC

Good morning on this memorial day weekend that we're also celebrating graduates.  We are able to worship together today because of the sacrifice others made on our behalf.  We have  religious freedom.  We can travel to places where we cannot do what we are doing right now.  We gather publicly and freely. Our graduates are in a time of life where they will face new challenges.  In Luke 4 Jesus is at a place where he's about to begin His public ministry.  Jesus went through a time of temptation.  We've all faces temptations and challenges.  Jesus demonstrated for us how we can follow God and be victorious.  We are tempted to walk away from our trust in God. To think God has abandoned us  We think God has abandoned us.  It's a surprise to us that the Sprit of God leads us towards challenges.  We think God is supposed to keep us from challenges.  Last week we read about the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus like a dove,  The Holy Spirit fills Jesus and Luke refers to th

Baptism is a special time for us; it's a special moment in the life of the church.  Baptism also reminds us of our own baptism.  My parents were very involved in church.  My dad filled and drained the baptistry.  As a kid I was fascinated by the baptistry.  In summertime as a kid my cousins and I would practice baptizing one another at the pool, playing games and dunking one another.  Baptism is meaningful and it's also unusual.  It's different than anything else you do.  You don't see baptism anywhere else, so what is it and why should someone be baptized?  The baptism of Jesus is in Luke 3 in two verses.  It's actually one sentence in the original language.  As we read Jesus' baptism it's a time to think about  our own baptism.  There's some reasons we baptize: Baptism connects us to believers throughout history.  Baptism is something we have celebrated as a church for a couple thousand years now.  Millions and possibly billions of people have been

In the past year we've had a great reminder of the role of teachers.  Teachers have adapted and adjusted and they've done more than they even thought the had within them.  We all can find ourselves in a teaching role sometimes.  John the Baptist was a teacher.  If you can teach where John taught you can teach anywhere!  John gives a new meaning to remote learning.  Today we learn how John did his teaching and what it means for us.  Some of you are Sunday School teachers; some of you are career teachers.  All of us are in a teaching role sometimes.  We can imagine John with a big beard as he introduces Jesus.  John's teaching tips for us are crucial. Hear from God.  We need to know what we have to say.                2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.  We remember Zechariah, a priest.  John is his son.  We remember when John was in Elizabeth's womb that he leaps when Mary comes to

  As we think about moms today it's interesting to know that a mother's brain structure changes when they give birth. The brain changes to make mothers more emotional and more sensitive towards their children.  God has made us to adapt as needed.  Moms think about what their children need.  You probably already did this today, you've planned ahead.  On a bigger scale you think about the future.  Imagine what level of responsibility Mary feels!  What do you do with this child from God?  Luke 2 is Mary's story, what Mary did to be sure Jesus is able to do what the Father wants Him to do.  This is true for mothers today too. Follow God’s plan.  When we think about being a mom we might be afraid we are going to mess up our kids.  Dads wonder if they've physically hurt or injured their child, but moms worry about the emotional scars of their children.  There are some things we know to do.  Mary does what she knows to do in this passage.                          27 An

Today we are in the only place in the Bible where we learn what Jesus was like as a child.  We know lots about Jesus' birth, but we have little about Jesus as a child.  We learn a lot in a few verses in this passage.   Have you ever wondered what your parents were like as children?  Children, ask your parents what their favorite toy was as a child.  It's helpful to know what was formed in us as children.  Jesus and his family took a trip to the Temple in Jerusalem and Jesus stays behind after his family left to return to Nazareth.  God's goal is to make us more like Jesus.  What can God do in my life?  God begins this in our early stages in life.  Jesus and his family worshipped together. Worship together.  Jesus and his family had a habit of worshipping together.                         41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.  42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.   Notice key words here in these