First Baptist Church – Iowa Park, TX
welcome
Welcome to First Baptist Church of Iowa Park and our website. The compass in our logo is a visual reminder of what we are about; “Pointing people to Christ – True North”. We are committed to accomplishing this through Witnessing, Education, and Service. Our hope is that you find this site informative while getting to know us and what we have going on; as well as finding it useful in your spiritual journey.
This website is not designed to replace the assembling of ourselves together for the purpose of Worship and Spiritual Growth. So, we encourage you to join with us as we celebrate together in Worship. Whether it is our teaching during Sunday School/Bible Study time or our Discipleship format or the Sermons during Worship, we believe you will find them firmly based on God’s never changing Word and at the same time applicable to your day to day life. There is a place in our Family for everyone in your family. Enjoy your time on this site and we are looking forward to meeting you in person.
In Christ,
Bro. Glen
AWANAS!!!!!
Wednesday, September 1st is the begining of AWANA clubs. Registration/check-in begins at 6:00 pm. Our kids are going to be having a great year singing songs, having snacks, playing games, participating in council time, and scripture memory, but most importatly they will be hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please join us in AWANA every Wednesday night. Hope to see you there!!!
The First Five Days- Devotion #5
Truth 5>>> The Holy Spirit will help you Live a Holy Life
We’ve covered a lot over the last few devotions. We’ve learned th
at God alone is holy. We’ve learned that God called us to Him and made us holy through the work of Jesus on the cross. But, we also have learned that God desires that we live holy lives, as well. This is where this final devotion comes in. If you were a little bummed out by the last devotion, don’t worry… This devotion is just the one for you.
Here’s the truth you need to know, one that you can carry with you for the rest of your life. Ready? Here it is: God never calls us without equipping us. Think about it. God does not call us to do a job without giving us the tools for that job. God has called you to be holy, to live godly lives that look different from the world around you. And God has given you the power necessary to live this life. What is that power? The Holy Spirit.
In Galatians, the Apostle Paul takes a few verses to describe what it looks like to live unholy lives:
>“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual imorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry, and witch craft; hatred, discord, jealously, fits of rage, selfish
ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21
Yikes! That doesn’t look like holy living at all. That’s worldly living at it’s worst. But Paul takes the next few verses to describe what it looks like to live holy lives. Check this out:
>“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:22-24
Now that’s more like it. The key to this description of holy living is in the first verse. Paul says these characteristics are the fruit of having the Spirit in our lives. God calls us to live holy lives and He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us do it. We aren’t alone. We have the power of God in us to help us stay strong in our commitments. The Spirit helps tell us what is wrong, but also gives us the strength to do something about it.
God never calls us to do something He has not given us the tools to do. You have been given the tools to live a holy llife. What are you waiting for?
Follow Through>>>
How have you felt the Spirit helping you identify things in your life that aren’t holy?
In what ways has the Holy spirit given you strength to turn away from things you know weren’t pleasing to God?
Say a prayer to God thanking him for the gift of his spirit and the power you have to live a life that honors God.
Copyright: 2010 YouthMinistry 360
You survived the first Week of School! Well done– I hope through this series of devotions you have been reminded of who you belong to and challenged to live a life worthy of that calling.
If you found that being in god’s word This week has become a habit and you would like more of it grab the 21 day devotional on the gospel of John off the resource table in the youth room and start a new journey.
If you would rather get your devotions online– sign up for the Devotions at
http://www.dare2share.org/users/signup/
This is an awesome Devotional sent straight to your email.
However you choose to get it continue to dig into the word and pray daily– I promise God will be faithful in giving you time and energy for everything else life throws at you!
“Seek first his kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well…” Matthew 6:33
I believe it… do you?
The First Five Days- Devotion #4
Truth 4>>> Your life must be different from the 
world around you
We’ve covered a lot over the past three devotions. And if we look back, it may seem like we find ourselves in an unusual situation. We know that God is holy. We know he expects us to live holy lives. But, we learned in the last devotion that Jesus made us holy through His sacrifice on the cross. So… If Jesus made us holy, and that had nothing to do with us, where do we come in? Are we off the hook? Does the work Jesus did on our behalf to make us holy mean we don’t have to worry about how we live, or act, or think?
Not so fast.
Here’s the funny truth about our lives as Christ-followers. Jesus definitely made us holy through His death on the cross for your sins. But, God’s call on our life to be a holy person is aimed specifically at the way you live your life. You see, Christ made you holy in God’s eyes. But you were made holy in order to live a holy life. Your life on this earth is a testimony to Jesus’ sacrifice on your behalf. Let’s see what the Bible says about this:
>“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “be holy, because I am holy.” Peter says in 1Peter 1:15-16
>“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12
>“Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God– this is your spiritual act of worship.” Our worship to God involves living holy lives according to Romans 12:1
>“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14
>“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” 1Thessalonians 4:7
It’s pretty straightforward: God expects you to live a holy life. Remember, the idea of “holy” is the idea of being separated for God, to be sacred instead of worldly. God desires for you to live like his children, like members of his family. Your life should look dramatically different from the world around you. Think about how this affects you….
What does the music you listen to say about your holiness? What about the movies you watch? How do your words testify to the fact that you have been made holy by Christ’s sacrifice? How do the clothes you wear identify you as godly and not worldly? What about the way you interact online? The sites you visit, how you conduct yourself on Facebook and other social media outlets? It’s a lot to consider, isn’t it?
It’s ok to feel a little overwhelmed. God never promised living for Him would be easy. But, He has given us life and made us holy so we can live holy lives. The coolest thing? If we live holy lives, we will actually draw people to Christ. They will notice the difference in us and they will recognize this difference is from our closeness with God.
Your holy living is a huge part of testifying to the difference Christ has made in your life.
Follow Through>>>
Are there areas of your life that are not holy? Think about this for a moment.
What do you need to do to make a change in your life? What do you need to do to give up areas in your life that are keeping you from living as one who is holy?
Take these concerns to God in prayer. Commit to making a change. And thank God for his loving forgiveness that enables us to live boldly for him.
Copyright: 2010 youthMinistry 360
The First Five Days- Devotion #3
Truth 3>>> You are God’s. Therefore, you are Holy.
Before we jump in, let’s review a bit. We began at the end (remember?) and learned that God expects you to be holy. Then we learned that God Himself is holy. In this devotion, we’re going to have our minds blown a little bit at the next truth in this study of holiness. You’re about to see how
awesome God really is.
We’ve established that God is holy. Check! You’ve go that one down. But did you know that you are holy as well? We’re not talking about the way you act or talk… Actually, this has very little to do with YOU at all. You are holy, because you are God’s. God has made you holy. Let’s go a little deeper and flesh this out some.
If you’ve read your Old Testament, you know that God called the nation of Israel to be His people. Through Abraham, God created a nation to be set apart for Him. The nation grew, and was ultimately enslaved by the Egyptians. But through Moses and Joshua, God delivered His people to the promised land. Look at what God said about them:
“I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”
Leviticus 11:45
Wow… there it is again. The call to be holy. God was basically saying to the Israelites, because I saved you, you are to be holy. God gave the Israelites the Law to live as holy people. But the Israelites could not keep the Law. They could not live holy lives. Their sin made them unholy. But God knew this all along. So he planned to send His Son, Jesus, as a once-for-all sacrifice for the sins of all humankind. God counted Jesus’ death on the cross as payment for the sins of all humankind.
Here’s the cool thing: Jesus’ death on the cross made us holy. Don’t believe me? Look at what the Bible says:
>“For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
Ephesians 1:4
>“But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”
Colossians 1:22
Remember when we said that God expects you to be holy? He does. But, he knew you could never do it on your own. He knew your sin would always keep you “un-holy”, and that this
un-holiness would always be a barrier between you and Him. So, God sent Jesus to make you holy. If you have professed your belief in Jesus as the Son of God, and have submitted your life to His Lordship, that you are holy in God’s sight And not by anything you have done or ever will do. You are holy in God’s sight because He sees you through the lens of Jesus’ obedient death on the cross.
You are holy because Jesus made you holy. And that’s pretty amazing.
Follow Through>>>
How does It make you feel that Jesus went to the cross just for you and that his sacrifice made you holy in God’s sight?
Do you understand what it means to have a saving relationship with Jesus? If you have any questions about what it means to have forgiveness from your sins don’t Hesitate to come to a youth leader and ask him or her about how this can happen!
Copyright: 2010 youthministry360
The First Five Days- Devotion #2
Truth #2>>> God is Holy
God is holy. It’s a simple truth with big consequences. If you remember, we’ve touched on this concept already. But, we’re going to dig a little deeper in this devotion and take a look at exactly what we mean when we say, “God is holy.”
First of all, the Bible is full of references to God’s holiness. There are way too many verses to list on this page, but here are a few:
>“In that day men will look to their maker and turn their eyes to the holy one of Israel.” Isaiah 7:7
>“Yet you are enthroned as the holy one; you are the praise of Israel.” Psalm 22:3
>“Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name.” Psalm 30:4
>“Let them praise your great and awesome name– he is holy.” Psalm 99:3
>Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.” Psalm 99:5
So, what scripture is trying to tell us is that God is holy… Ok, got it. But let’s take it a step further and really flesh this out.
When the Bible says God is holy, it means that He is different than anything else in all the creation. It’s kind of like comparison. Picture god in a category all by himself. This category could be called, “sacred”, or better yet, “things of God.” Now, everything else in the entire world, in all creation, would be in a category called, “secular” or “things of the world.” Do you get it? God alone is holy. We’ll look a little later at what it means for us that God has made us holy. But for now, it’s enough for us to know that there is no one holy but God.
God is set apart from the world. God’s ways are perfect. The ways of the world are flawed. God if perfectly good. The world is sinful. God is perfectly loving. The world teaches a selfish, unreliable form of love. God is eternally faithful, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The world is ever changing; what is valuable today is thrown out tomorrow. See what we’re getting at?
God is holy. And because of this, He alone is worthy of our love and devotion. We can safely and confidently give our lives to God knowing that he is separated from all things, and perfect in all that he is.
Follow Through>>>
>Think about the following questions:
Look back at the bible verses above. Why is praise or
worship the right response to God’s holiness?
What does the fact that you have a relationship with a holy God mean for your everyday life?
>Respond to God’s holiness by listening to your
favorite praise song today. As you do, think of who it is you are praising, and how he alone is holy.
Copyright: 2010 Youthministry360
The First Five Days- Devotion #1
OK, there are not too many weeks in the year worse than the first week of school… I’ll give you that.
So in order the make the transition a little smoother– check out what the word of God has to say about who HE is– and who YOU are– as a reminder as you start this new year of school. Really, along with the early mornings, long nights, mystery lunches, and 30 lb. text books, God has some plans for you this year. Seriously.
Problem is, you will never know what they are unless you take some time to listen. Truth is, everyone has plans for you this year; teachers, coaches, directors, bosses… and unless you tap into what God has in store for you, you will just build your life around those plans. And let’s be honest, some of them are really good plans. They just aren’t God’s plans.
So here are five devotions for the first five days of school that will help you remember that God has plans for you. I guarantee spending some time with God each day during the dreaded first week of school can only make it better– I promise.
If you have any questions feel free to call or hit me up on Facebook– I would love to chat about what you’re learning. Otherwise, just go for it.
Truth #1>>> God Expects You to be Holy
Let’s just be honest for a moment: the word “holy” is thrown around a lot at church, but it’s meaning and importance kind of slip away from you, don’t they? Could you come up with a definition of the word “holy” right now? Tough, isn’t it? And if you can’t really define “holy,” it’s virtually impossible to act “holy.” The point of these five short devotions is to help you understand what the word “holy” really means, and what it has to do with your life.
To do this, we’re going to sort of start at the end. Which, granted, is a weird way to start. But, hang in there and you’ll see that it’s a pretty good way to go about accomplishing our goal. What does it mean that we’ll start at the end? Simple: we’re going to look at what God expects of you, and then go back and show you exactly what it all means. Got it? Cool…
Let’s make this really clear. When it comes to holiness, God’s expectations are spelled out in no uncertain terms. God says in the Bible, “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2) If God is holy, and expects us to be holy, then we really need to figure this out.
If something is “holy” it means that it is sacred by nature, as opposed to something that is worldly, or common. It means a certain separation from the world. What is holy is of God, not of this world. In the Bible, God is described over and over again as being holy:
>1 Samuel 2:2 says, “There is no one holy like the lord.” But the Bible also call us to be holy, just like God.
>Leviticus 20:26 says, “You are to be holy to me be cause I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.”
>1 Peter 1:15-16 says, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.”
The call is clear: God has a very real expectation that we act and live holy lives.
Like we said before, we’re starting at the end. Now you know that God expects you to live a holy life. We’re going to spend the next few days learning exactly what that mean.
Follow Through>>>
>Spend a few moments in prayer to God, praising him for his holiness and asking him to open your eyes to learning more about his being holy.
Youth Lunch & A Movie
Sunday, August 15th * Immediately Following Sunday Morning Service
Pizza Lunch on the Bus * 12:50 Showing of Disney’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice (PG)
Bring Money for Pizza & Drink ($4) and Movie ($5.75)
Rides Will Be Provided to and From Lunch & A Movie!
We will pick up Hot Fresh Pizza from The Hut then eat as we head to the Movies! See You There…
Sports Camp
We are gearing up for Sports Camp 2010!!! We are excited to get to spend the week with your children.
Date: 8/16 through 8/20
Time: 6-8 pm
Monday: Volleyball, Tuesday: Soccer, Wednesday: Baseball, Thursday: Football and Cheerleading, and Friday: Parents Night.
Cost is $10.00 per child. Children will recieve a camp T-shirt, and a snack and drink will be provided. Please pick-up a registration form from the church office or at the children’s ministry stand. Registration forms and money are due by August 11th. Please turn them into Jennifer or to the church office.
Make a Difference Concert Tour
On Oct. 23rd World Vision’s Make a Difference Concert Tour will roll into Wichita Falls and FBC is making discounted tickets available to you and your family.
The Tour will include a spoken challenge from best selling Christian author Max Lucado and music from Michael W. Smith, Third Day and Toby Mac.
It will be a great night of music and ministry as Max shares about outliving your life by making a lasting impact on your world. You will also have the opportunity to sponsor a child in need through the ministry of World Vision.
Cost for the show is $24.50 (that’s $2 off the box office price) and the first 36 to buy tickets will be guaranteed seats together! Sign up in the church foyer or come by the office to reserve your tickets.
Student Evangelism Conference Details!
Just five days until we head to Frisco, TX for this year’s Student Evangelism Conference! It’s always a really great weekend of renewal and focus on reaching out to friends and classmates. Here are some important details…
Cost: $25 + money for two meals (fastfood and mall foodcourt) and sack lunch with you on the bus Friday. Additional money for snacks, mall etc. might be fun but not necessary.
Leaving at 10am Friday morning / Returning 6pm Saturday Evening
Lodging: First Baptist Frisco, TX
Packing: Pack for overnight but remember a couple things… Air mattress, pillow, towel, BIBLE!
Medical Release Form! Doesn’t need to be notarized but does need to be filled out and signed by a parent.
Schedule:
Friday: 10am- Meet at Church
12noon- Arrive and eat!
1:30pm to 4:30pm- Workshops
4:30pm to 5:30pm- Check in at FBC Frisco, Eat Dinner!
6pm- Rock out at SEC
10pm- Head to FBC Frisco
Saturday: 7:30am- Breakfast
8:30am- Rock out at SEC
Noon- Head to Stonebriar Mall
Lunch and fun at the Mall!
3:30pm- Head Home
5:30-6pm- Arrive Home
Space is limited so please get your money is ASAP so you don’t miss this great weekend!