By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: II Corinthians 1:2-7 Following Jesus is not comfortable. He’s called us to carry a cross, come after Him, and die (Luke 9:23-24) not kick back in a recliner and wait for heaven. He pulls us out of our comfort zones, whether it’s for evangelism, serving others, or just being a good neighbor. These things are often very uncomfortable. However, even though

By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: II Corinthians 12:2-10 “We are not as strong as we think we are.” That tag line in the chorus of a Rich Mullins song by the same name also happens to be something of a tag line for all of us. Despite outward appearances and inward feelings, we are not as strong as we think. Our very lives are dependent

By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Exodus 3:11-12; 4:10-17 Moses wasn’t a ladder-climbing businessman. He wasn’t a self-assured professional with a great resume and leadership experience. He was a shepherd on the backside of the wilderness. And while he probably wasn’t the guy that anyone would have chosen to lead Israel out of Egypt and into their new homeland, that’s exactly what God called him to do.

By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: John 18:15-18, 25-27; 21:15-19 We like restoration. We like it for movie characters, classic cars, and even kitchens. To have someone or something go down a path of bad judgment or rust or general neglect and then see redemption happen is among the most tangible joys. It brings a feeling of completeness, and we like that.

By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Haggai 1:2-13 The right order matters. It’s not efficient to put the cart before the horse. It’s not wise to buy on credit, getting the item before the payment. And it’s not good to elevate and love self before God. Self-love, however, is our default setting. It’s our home screen. We don’t have to make any effort to be self-centered. We

By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Acts 11:19-26 We are often easily discouraged. This might be because the basis for our courage is usually a fragile mix of life circumstances and perceived control. With just the right amount of wind blowing from the wrong direction our foundation can be weakened or even crumble. Any courage we did have collapses in and discouragement besets us.

By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: John 1:35-49 The earthly ministry of Jesus was a unique time in history as the Son of God walked the streets and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Those who knew about Him had the opportunity to bring others to Him (Andrew and Peter — John 1:40-42, Philip and Nathanael — 43-45). They then could hear His message for themselves, see Him

By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: II Samuel 11:1-9, 14-17 The story of David and Bathsheba is well known because of its seemingly stark contrast to the rest of David’s life. It seems so wrong for something so scandalous to unravel the character of such a good king. One moment he’s leading and ruling well, the next he’s bloated with pride and slacking on the job

By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: 1 Samuel 24:3-12 “Respect is earned, not given” is the oft-quoted mantra when speaking of people in authority. The idea is that those in authority are to lead well before they will be respected by those who are under them. It’s easy to see why it’s used — no one wants incompetent leaders with mindless followers. When we read Scripture,

By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:4-7; 20:10-13 From the beginning of creation, we know that God made us to be in relationship with others. After God had created everything else, He created man, but Adam was alone, and it was “not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). This was the first thing that was not good. Light — good.