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

By Chuck Williams Interim Pastor, First Baptist Church, Milan Focal Passage: Matthew 28:1-10 Many things in life are expected — the sun will come up, taxes will go up, inflation will go up, kids will grow up, and some days we want to give up.  But there are some things that are not expected. The Resurrection of Christ is the world’s greatest “unexpectation.” The Pharisees and Romans expected the disciples

By Chuck Williams Interim Pastor, First Baptist Church, Milan Focal Passage: John 16:19-22, 27-33  It has often been said, ‘The greater the struggle, the greater the victory.’ Ask any mother with her newborn infant, any athlete after a last second win, any struggling Christian who receives an answer to a desperate prayer and most will say, “It was very difficult, but it was well worth the sacrifice.”  Before anesthesia, a