GOOD FRIDAY

APRIL 17, 2025 IN-PERSON SERMON

The Message of the Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Dr. Billy Graham's Challenge to Preachers: 
1. Preach with Authority
2. Preach with Simplicity
3. Preach with Repetition
4. Preach with Urgency

What was the Spiritual Health of the Corinthian Church?

• Divided

• Immature

• Leaders

• Beliefs 

Three Truths from 1 Corinthians 1:18:

I. The Word of the Cross
1. Guard Against Compromise 
2. Anticipate People's Response  

II. The Options of the Afterlife  
1. What Does the Bible Teach? 
2. How is a Person Saved? 

III. The Hope of the World 
1. Embrace the Cross
2. Remember the Cross
3. Preach the Cross
4. Cherish the Cross
5. Carry the Cross

Three Questions to Consider:
1. Are You Sharing the Word of the Cross? 
2. Are You Living with a Sense of Urgency?
3. Are You Thanking God for the Cross?     

EASTER

APRIL 20, 2025 IN-PERSON SERMON

Lessons from the Psalms: The Belief of Champions!

Psalm 146:1-10

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!

I. In All Seasons of Life, Praise the Lord (Psalm 146:1-2)
1. Praise is a Response of the Soul (not just the flesh)
2. Praise is Expected in the Temporal (not only in the eternal) 

II. In All Relationships in Life, Trust the Lord (Psalm 146:3-4)
1. Trust the One (Jesus) Who Saves
2. Trust the One (Jesus) Who Overcame

III. In All Circumstances of Life, Glorify the Lord (Psalm 146:5-10)
1. The Power of God
2. The Grace of God 

As You and I Understand the "Belief of Champions," the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, How Does That Affect Our Christian Lives? 
1. Overcome Mountains
2. Break Addictions
3. Navigate Life
4. Redeem Brokenness
5. Finish Strong

APRIL 20, 2025 STUDY GUIDE

Lessons from the Psalms: the belief of champions!

Psalm 146:1-10

Growing up, what was your "go-to" breakfast? Was it pop-tarts, bacon and eggs, cereal, or something else entirely? What was the name of the breakfast cereal known as the "Breakfast of Champions?" Do you know why it had that nickname? Do you remember the athlete on the box? Did you ever eat it? Did you like it?  

It's Resurrection Sunday! Jesus is alive! An empty tomb changes everything. Take a moment and answer the following three questions:        

• How do you explain the gospel to someone? 

• What does the Bible say about the resurrection? 

• What difference does the empty tomb make in your life? Can you share a specific example?  

An amazing day to praise the Lord is Easter Sunday. The Psalmist opens this ancient hymn with a word of praise. It's always appropriate to praise the Lord. How do you praise the Lord? Is your life a continual witness of praise? What lessons do you learn from Psalm 146? 

1. In All Seasons of Life, Praise the Lord (Psalm 146:1-2). In Psalm 146, the Lord is mentioned eleven times, and God is mentioned four times. The Psalmist praised the Lord all the days of his life. Adversity comes to all people, believers, and non-believers. How do you praise the Lord when you experience accidents, cancer, miscarriages, or rebellious children? Read Romans 8:28.  

2. In All Relationships in Life, Trust the Lord (Psalm 146:3-4). Every human being is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). However, God never asks you to place your trust in people. People fall, disappoint, mislead, and die. Psalm 146 is about trusting the Lord. Why do you choose to place your trust in the Lord rather than people? Talk about how Jesus saves and overcomes. 

3. In All Circumstances of Life, Glorify the Lord (Psalm 146:5-10). Read 1 Corinthians 10:31. How are you glorifying the Lord in your life? Read Psalm 146:5-10. Do you see the many reasons why God's people should glorify Him? The Psalmist glorified the Lord because of His power and grace. How have you personally experienced God's power and grace? Glorify Him now!                        

In the final minutes of our pastor's message, he'll talk about how the resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything. He'll give you five personal applications/examples. Talk about these five phrases in your study group. 

1. Overcome Mountains
2. Break Addictions
3. Navigate Life
4. Redeem Brokenness
5. Finish Strong

Here are two final questions for you and your group to discuss: 

• Reflecting on the pastor's five phrases, which one resonates most with you personally, and why? How does the resurrection of Jesus Christ empower you in that specific area?  

• Psalm 146 emphasizes trusting and glorifying God in all circumstances. Considering the challenges and relationships in your life, what is one practical step you can take this week to more fully trust God and glorify Him? 

We pray you'll worship with us this weekend. We have a Good Friday service on Friday at noon in the Grace Worship Center. We have two worship services (7:30 and 10:30 am) and Connect Groups (9:00 am) on Resurrection Sunday. What a blessing to praise the Lord for the cross and the empty tomb this weekend! 

He is Risen! 

View all of the "Lessons from the Psalms" Sermon Series Study Guides at fbct.org/psalms. 

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE

Join us for our Good Friday Service on Friday, April 18 at noon in the Grace Worship Center

CELEBRATE EASTER AT FIRST BAPTIST

Celebrate Easter with us at First Baptist as we invite you to join us for Worship at 7:30am or 10:30am on Sunday, April 20! Childcare is available at both services. We also invite you to join us for Connect Groups for ALL ages at 9:00am!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT GROWTH GROUPS

Check out our Midweek Growth Groups on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:15pm. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow in Christ together!

FIRST STEPS CLASS

UPCOMING CLASS: SEPTEMBER 21, 2025, 12-2 pm

LOCATION: hope BUILDING, original fellowship hall

Our First Steps class is designed for new members and guests. We invite you to join our Senior Pastor, Dr. Ronny Raines, and our ministry team for our next membership class. We'll treat you to a delicious lunch and then help you discover how God wants to use you at First Baptist Church. As you attend the class, we'll cover the following subjects:

• A personal relationship with Jesus Christ

• Meaning of church membership

• Biblical baptism

• The Lord's Supper

• The church's beliefs and vision

• Opportunities to give

• Ways to serve in the church

• Ministries at First Baptist Church 

• Meet our ministry team

• Time for Q&A

• Tour our church facilities

We hope you'll join us for our next First Steps class. You can register by filling out the online form HERE or contacting Dana in the pastor's office at 931.245.0000 or dana.abee@fbct.org.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

SAVE THE DATE: June 16-20 l 9:00am-12noon
WHO: Entering Kindergarten to Completed 5th Grade
Preschool VBS is available for Volunteer children who are PreK and younger.
WHAT: A 5-day intensive Biblical learning experience for kids that is also FUN for kids and teachers alike! Our kids kick-off the day with Worship Rally, then rotate through Bible study, Rec., Missions, Snacks, Crafts, MORE!
WHEN: June 16-20 | 9am-12noon
COST: FREE
Get Involved: Interested in joining the team as a leader or volunteer? Email vbs@fbct.org for more information.

ALL VBS Adult Volunteers will be required to pass a background check and Ministry Safe Training.

Volunteer Early to reserve your VBS shirt.
Learn more and register to volunteer at fbct.org/vbs.
Child registration will begin on April 20!

KIDS MUSIC CAMP 2025

THE AGAPE LEAGUE

For children in completed K through completed 5th Grade

• Auditions: May 14th | 5:00 pm-7:10 pm
  (for acting parts and/or singing solos)

• Music Camp: July 14th-18th | 9:00 am-noon

• Musical Presentation: Saturday, July 19th at 5:00 pm

Camp choir books and CDs will be available in the church office Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. starting Thursday, April 10th.

General Agape has called the mighty Agape League together to solve a crisis in Suburbiana City, high in the mountains in the impenetrable Agape Fortress! Calling on the super-powered fruits of the spirit available to every follower of Christ, these heroes must face an enemy within their ranks when Ironblade forgets his superhero identity (self-control) and becomes entangled in the pervasive worldly culture. Things worsen when they learn that the entire group faces the same fate unless each member continues to exhibit their gifts! Will the League recover its powers? Will the citizens of Suburbia City be saved? Will the source of true power – God’s Word – finally be utilized before time runs out? Find out in the latest release from Word Kids, The Agape League: Superheroes of the Spirit! Acclaimed children’s writer Christy Semsen has delivered another high-powered production that is super-sized in every way: a high-octane story, clever dialogue, dynamic contemporary songs, and uncompromising spiritual truth.

Learn more and register at fbct.org/musiccamp.

FIRST BAPTIST MUSIC

Check out all of the First Baptist Worship Team videos from our online worship services at fbct.org/music.

THE VOICE - MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Stay up to date with all that is going with our monthly newsletter, the Voice! Visit fbct.org/voice!

MEMBERSHIP AND GIVING TOOLS

Fellowship, Worship and Discipleship are fundamental to an obedient life in Christ. First Baptist Church maintains several tools to help us stay connected, share and offer the sacrifice of praise, and grow together. Scroll to the bottom of the home page at fbct.org and click on "app" to see options for adding these tools to your phone or other device. You can use these tools to stay connected to your discipleship group, contact the church, watch past worship services and sermons, as well as support the FBC financially as the Lord directs for you and your family. There are even instructions for how to access these tools using your web browser.

Using these apps, updating your profile information to share with the church is easy. When changes occur in your family life such as a move to a new home, change in email address, etc. you can update your information to be sure that our communication with you is efficient. You can even add a picture to make it easier for your church family to put a name with a face!

Information about any groups that might be of interest to you, such as Connect Groups, teams, committees, etc will be available as well.  Group Leaders can use the tools to take attendance online and access other features.  You can contact the church through the app, read messages from group members/leaders and browse the church directory.

Check out fbct.org/app  for instructions on how to get the app and reach the membership and giving website.

LOVE the time of worship through song today? You can follow us on Spotify and listen to our playlist each week! Follow us on Spotify “First Clarksville” and sing along!