pastor's Blog
FBC's Pastor's Blog was developed to be an encouragement to those who read it. Whether it be digging a bit deeper into the Word, recommending a good read, sharing a few words to reflect on to start your day or to give updates on what's happening in our church - you won't want to miss it!
The Total Depravity of Man
by: Joseph Hamlin
03/25/2024
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The Total Depravity of Man
Total depravity is a term that refers to mankind’s corrupt nature being perverse and sinful throughout.
The adjective, “total” does not mean that each sinner is as totally or completely corrupt in his actions and thoughts as it is possible for him to be (thus you may have very nice unsaved neighbors). Instead, the word “total” is used to indicate that the whole of man’s being has been affected by sin. The corruption extends to every part of man,
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Denying Self in Marriage
by: Joseph Hamlin
03/18/2024
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Denying Self in Marriage by Saying Yes
In a marriage, both partners tend to think they are selfless and giving to their spouse. Both the husband and the wife would point to the many things they do to show their love for the other. Unfortunately, all too often the love we are showing our spouse is a love for ourselves and not for them.
If we think we are selfless and loving to our spouse, but only do things for them when we feel like it, we're not truly denying ourselves.
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Wives be Submissive to your Husbands
by: Joseph Hamlin
03/11/2024
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Wives be Submissive to your Husbands
In our world today, any suggestion that a wife should submit to her husband is looked down on as a horrible thing that needs to be rejected. This rejection of submission often comes from a sinful rebellion against the will of God. However, sometimes this rejection even comes from Christians.The idea of submitting to one’s husband can cause an individual to cringe. In this case it is often because the Christian woman has a false picture...read more
Husbands Love Your Wives
by: Joseph Hamlin
03/04/2024
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Husbands Love Your Wives
As a Christian counselor, there are a few verses that I seem to always hear when counseling couples. The one I probably hear from a wife more than any other is Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her". Although this is an appropriate use of this text, it is usually better if I exhort the husband in this way rather than the wife. As I do this the inevitable question comes up, “What ...read more
A Herd of Heroes
by: Dave Anderson
02/26/2024
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A Herd of Heroes
In the early 2000’s, a tourist caught on video a scene that unfolded in the Kruger National Park in South Africa. He posted it on YouTube where it was then seen by millions of people. This is what happened. A young water buffalo was grazing when a crouching pride of lions launched an attack. Reacting instinctively, the herd panicked, fled, and left the calf at the mercy of the lions. One lion knocked him into the lake and then five more jumped on a
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The Unpardonable Sin
by: Joseph Hamlin
02/19/2024
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Did I Commit the Unpardonable Sin?
This is a question that often comes up in biblical conversations. In this blog post, I will answer this question from a biblical perspective.
To begin, I will give a biblical definition of what the unpardonable sin is. There are several passages in the bible that speak of sin that will not be forgiven. Jesus says in Matthew 12:31-32,
“Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit
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Can't Buy Me Love
by: Dave Anderson
02/12/2024
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Can’t Buy Me Love
In 1964, the Beatles lamented in a hit song, a well-known truth that still gets ignored today – Money can’t buy love. Not only do men still try to buy love with expensive gifts, parents try to buy the love of their kids with great gifts, and politicians try to by love (votes) with pork barrel handouts. We all know you can’t buy love, but that knowledge does not prevent us from making the futile effort anyway.
On the MSNBC website, Melissa Dahl p
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The Gospel Demands Repentance
by: Joseph Hamlin
02/05/2024
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The Gospel Demands Repentance
"The Gospel demands repentance", This statement causes some individuals to become agitated. Many believe that a gospel that demands repentance is a gospel based on works. Others will acquiesce to the fact of this statement; however, they will change the definition of what repentance is. The Ryrie Study Bible states that repentance is simply a synonym for faith. Still others say, “Yes, the Bible does require repentance for salvation; however,...read more
Sweet Sorrow
by: Dave Anderson
01/29/2024
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Sweet Sorrow
In 1991, Amy Grant wrote and sang this beautiful melancholy song about saying farewell to a dear friend. “I will be walking one day, down a street far away, and see a face in the crowd and smile, knowing how you made me laugh, hearing sweet echoes of you from the past. I will remember you. Look into my eyes while you're near, tell me what's happening here. See that I don't want to say good-bye. Our love is frozen in time, I'll be your champion and you wi
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Bottled Water
by: Dave Anderson
01/15/2024
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Bottled Water
In 2008, I read an MSN webpage article that revealed Americans bought 15 billion dollars of bottled water per year even though clean, drinkable water is available on tap. Since tap water costs about one cent for five gallons, that meant Americans were buying bottled water at a thousand times the cost. In 2007, we purchased fifteen times the amount of bottled water we purchased in 1976 and that amount is increasing ten percent each year! What is prompting us t
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The Nameless Road
by: Dave Anderson
01/01/2024
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The Nameless Road
A few years ago, I was driving on State Road 1431 far outside Austin, Texas, (home of the loathsome Longhorns) when I came to an intersection that confirmed what I feared -- I was in the middle of nowhere. The intersection sign read, Nameless Road. I did a double take. If the road is nameless, why does it have a sign? Why isn’t the sign blank? If the road is nameless is its destination nameless? The golden oldie song by America drifted through my min
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Christians and Christmas
by: Joseph Hamlin
12/25/2023
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Christ is Born! Alleluia!
As a special treat, I'd like to share a blog post from Pastor John MacArthur, followed by an amazing song sung by Mr. Philip Webb and the Grace Community Church choir. It is my hope that both of these will be a blessing to you as it has been for me.
Merry Christmas dear friends! Pastor Joe-
Christians and christmas
by John MacArthur
Christmas presents a conundrum to many believers. Do you withdraw from the world and its materialistic excess at this ti
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A Lump of Coal
by: Dave Anderson
12/18/2023
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A Lump of Coal
How would you feel if someone called you a lump of coal? Probably not very good. Imagine you just sang on a nationally televised talent show and one of the judges remarked, for all the world to hear, that you are a lump of coal. Would you tense up? Fight back tears? Argue? Or would you do what Paul Potts did on the TV show, Britain’s Got Talent, and just smile?
Paul had introduced himself to the talent judges as a mobile phone salesman. When he told th
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Why do Birds Flock Together?
by: Dave Anderson
12/04/2023
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Birds of the same species fly around together, feed together and migrate together. Crows hang with crows, eagles with eagles, chickens with chickens and scrub jays with, well, even scrub jays don’t like other scrub jays. When referring to people, the axiom birds of a feather flock together, is used to suggest that people hang around with people most like them. It also implies that a lot can be learned by observing someone’s associates. These
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Can Christians be Demon Possessed?
by: Joseph Hamlin
11/27/2023
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Can Christians be Demon Possessed?
Growing up, most of us have heard tails of houses in the neighborhood that were haunted or stories about someone’s dear departed Aunt Ginny who visited them in their bedroom one night. The paranormal is a very popular subject. In our current culture, we are inundated with movies and television shows that deal with demon possession and all manner of paranormal activity. Whether it be movies like the Exorcist or television shows about the p
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