By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Ephesians 5:8-21 Paul makes a really interesting contrast here to describe the wonder of the Spirit’s filling of the believer.  Unlike the pagans, believers are not to be drunk with wine but filled with the Spirit. Whatever fills us controls us. I’ve met people filled with pride, filled with bitterness, filled with anger, filled by addictions, and even those blessed

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Romans 8:9-17 At the moment of conversion, when we are born again, the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside us. He indwells the believer and gives them power to live for Jesus. This comes with many benefits to us. It is a constant reminder we are not left alone to stumble through the adventure of the Christian life.  GotQuestions.org lists

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: John 3:1-8, 14-17 John chapter 3, need I say more? This is an amazing encounter as Jesus breaks down the beauty of the gospel and our desperate need of it to Nicodemus.  To this man who had the right bloodline, the right credentials, and the right training He says, “You must be born again.” Nicodemus could not continue on the

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: John 15:26-27; 16:7-15  Of all the benefits that Holy Spirit God brings into the life of believers, conviction is the one for which I am least often and most often thankful. I do not like feeling conviction, it’s not fun.  That overwhelming sense that something I did or felt, something I did not do, or (most often in my case)

By Chuck Williams Interim Pastor, First Baptist Church, Milan Focal Passage: Matthew 25:1-13 Weddings are great occasions. In Jesus’ day the whole village or town would turn out for the week long event. No one wanted to miss this joyous festival.  One of the exciting parts was when the groom is coming down the road with his entourage at night to ‘surprise’ his bride-to-be with his arrival. The job for

By Chuck Williams Interim Pastor, First Baptist Church, Milan Focal Passage: Matthew 24:42-51 The story is told of three apprentice demons who came before Satan to report to him about their work on earth. The first demon said, “I will tell people there is no God.” Satan said, “That will not delude them for they know there is a God.” The second said, “I will tell them there is no

By Chuck Williams Interim Pastor, First Baptist Church, Milan Focal Passage: Matthew 24:32-41 We are an impatient people. How long am I going to wait in line for my Starbucks (which by the way is overpriced burnt coffee beans)?  When is the server going to be up and running so I can get online (which may mean you are left out of your gaming.) I am so hungry. I can’t

By Chuck Williams Interim Pastor, First Baptist Church, Milan Focal Passage: Matthew 24:23-31 Very few things in history have been on a national level known by the world —  9/11/01, the eruption of the Mount St. Helens volcano in 1980, the surprise election of President Trump in 2016.  There is only one event in human history where everyone was aware of it — the Noahic flood. Where the “fountains of

By Chuck Williams Interim Pastor, First Baptist Church, Milan Focal Passage: Matthew 24:15-22 Nobody likes to be deceived — that moment when you realize you have been lied to and taken advantage of. It’s embarrassing.  Therefore, we shouldn’t be surprised to discover in these last days Satan is truly deceiving the nations of the world. What will all of this lead to? Days of deception. Matthew 24:15 speaks about the

By Chuck Williams Interim Pastor, First Baptist Church, Milan Focal Passage: Matthew 24:1-14  Destruction (vv. 1-3). The first few verses refer to King Herod who had taken the existing temple and completely refurbished and remodeled it. He doubled its size and doubled the land on which it sat. This was his finest building project of which he had many. Its grandeur was a wonder to behold. All of that changed