First Baptist Church of Eustace Texas

Good Morning

Let's look at Colossians 1:27

"Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Though World War II did not officially end until 1945, it can be safely said that it was over on June 6, 1944. That was D-Day, when 176,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in France. Eventually, three-quarters of a million troops assembled in France to liberate Europe from the Axis powers led by Adolf Hitler. Many fierce battles followed D-Day before the Axis armies were defeated. But the die was cast on D-Day when hope came once again to the free world.

The same may be said of our Christian experience. Though the day is yet in the future when evil will be eradicated from earth completely, we know it will happen because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By His death, Christ freed believers from the debt of sin. And by His resurrection, death, the last great enemy, was conquered so we might live again and forever. Are you in a battle or skirmish today with the world, the flesh, or the devil? Don’t wish things were different. Instead, put your hope in the fact that with the invasion of Christ into this world, victory was won. True hope is available to all allies of the conquering Christ. True hope is not wishful thinking; it is faith in fact.

Bro. Paul

Good Morning Everyone,

Let's look at Isaiah 43:5

"Fear not, for I am with you."

While stranded on a deserted island, Daniel DeFoe’s character, Robinson Crusoe, salvaged a Bible from the shipwreck, read it, and was converted. He grew into a devout Christian. His life, though missing human companionship, was peaceful and prayerful.

But one day he found a footprint in the sand and realized he wasn’t alone. Knowing the cannibalism of the local tribes, he grew into a fearful man, looking over his shoulder with every step. He no longer slept peacefully. He altered his habits. He visualized himself being captured and devoured. “That former confidence in God … now vanished, as if He that had fed me by miracle hitherto could not preserve, by His power, the provision which He had made for me by His goodness.”

Crusoe had to go back to his Bible, repent of anxiety, and be strengthened again in his faith. He eventually learned the great lesson of faltering Christians: The things we most fear are likely, in the providence of God, to be most used for our good. Those footprints, in the end, led to his deliverance.

God has planned out our future from eternity past and guaranteed it with His promises. We can trust Him.

Bro. Paul

Good Morning Everyone,

Let's look at Philippians 4:6

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

One of the best ways I know to remember how to commit things to God in prayer is by remembering three circles. One is the worry circle, in which I keep nothing.Second is the prayer circle, in which I keep everything.Third is the gratitude circle, in which I keep anything.So when I pray, I am anxious for nothing,prayerful for everything,and thankful for anything(Philippians 4:6).

We feel foolish asking God to help us with some of the things in our lives. But remember: “In everythingby prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”(Philippians 4:6). You just need to write out every one of your concerns before they turn into worries and commit them to God. He does care about each of them. If you take them back, just give them back to Him in prayer again. Day by day, as you get more and more practiced committing the affairs of your life to Him, you will begin to leave them with Him. Your trust in Him will grow, and you will stop grabbing back what you have given Him.

Bro. Paul

Good Morning Everyone,

Let's look at Matthew 19:17

"Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God."

A person who is a good person is an individual of lofty ideals, noble purposes, strong character, reliable conduct and trustworthy integrity. The only one who truly embodies all of those characteristics is Jesus Christ.

We come to understand the word goodnessas we see it alongside the word righteousness.Someone has said that justice is what God gives to us that we deserve. Goodness goes beyond that and is that which God gives us beyond what we deserve.

The great characteristic of goodness as it is found in relationship with righteousness is generosity. It is what a person gets that isn’t deserved. It is what God gives to a person that could never be earned. Goodness in its relationship to righteousness teaches us about generosity.

You don’t have to be rich to be generous. But what do you do with what you have? We need to take a good long look at our lives and ask God how our attitudes have been to the needs around us. If we’ve been protective and closefisted, we need to say, “God, by the grace You will give me, I will change.” Begin to bear fruit in your life, the fruit of a generous spirit.

Bro. Paul

Good Morning Everyone,

Let's look at 1 Peter 4:10

"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

Ministry” and “service” are from the same Greek word and mean essentially the same thing. There is no ministry apart from service. No one can have an impact in ministry who is not also willing to serve, to be a servant.

There is always a price tag attached to service. It might be health; it might be convenience; it might be aggravation; it might be humility. Whatever the cost, it is what adorns the neck of those who minister.

Ministry in the church is like being a parent. The most successful parents are those who learn to sacrifice for their children. And while we parents think our children never are going to realize what we have sacrificed in service to them, they eventually do. And what we have sacrificed for them comes back to us as the fruit of a close and intimate relationship with them. And it’s the same way in ministry in the church. The more we give of ourselves in ministry to others, the more we will get back in return. I heard the speaker John Maxwell say once, “If you are going to go up, you have to give up.” There is no way to advance in ministry without giving of ourselves.

Bro. Paul