Houston's First Baptist Church

Overcoming Fear

Adversity in life is guaranteed, but what will you do when it comes? Will your world fall apart, or will you hold onto the one who holds the world together? Fear wants you to focus on your enemies, but faith brings your gaze upon the Lord. Cry out to the Lord, and as your faith arises, the fear will fall.

Nathan Confronts David

When Nathan confronts David, what was hidden and gnawing away at David became revealed. In that moment, David chose cleansing over covering-up his sin, and God forgave him. Bring your sin to Jesus, and let Him cleanse you, forgive you, and restore you. The voice of sin may be loud, but the voice of forgiveness is always louder.

A Night of Passion Becomes a Life of Pain

As we look at the life of David this week, we see the power of sin and temptation, and we see how one night of pleasure can lead to a lifetime of pain. We all have clay feet, so let's confess our sin before the Lord, give it to Him, and ask Him to protect us and fill us.

David’s Battles: Fulfilled Prophecy and Future Promises

In life, battles will come. Let your focus be on God — not on yourself and your own life — and abide in Him. His power will come to you and through you, and you will shine in such a way that captures hearts for the Kingdom of God. The battles we fight and win today are our legacy and investments for tomorrow.

From Shepherd to King

David was unlikely as a shepherd, and now we see him anointed as king. And while we may not be kings, each of us is a leader because each of us has influence. As we learned through the life of David, let’s keep our eyes on the Lord and follow the leadership He gives. When we are positioned in a place of surrender, we can live in both success and adversity well.

Becoming a Person after God’s Own Heart

If you want to become a person after God’s own heart, there are habits you can pursue to move in that direction. Whatever you give your life to habitually is what you’ll become, and what you are becoming has eternal implications. Pursue God and His will above all else, and know that God will meet just where you are on your journey.

Four Attributes of God-Honoring Friendships

Pastor Gregg highlights 4 times in David's life when demonstrated how to be a God-honoring friend. We are encouraged to come to Jesus. It is because of the friendship we have in Him that we can be a good friend to someone else.

Unlikely Trial, Unlikely Teacher, Unlikely Timing

In David’s life we see that he had an unlikely trial, an unlikely teacher, and unlikely timing. Like David, we all face unlikely trials in our life and seasons of wilderness. Let the wilderness teach you to put your hope in God and trust Him and His timing completely.

The Bigger They are the Harder They Fall

What is one giant in your life? Give it to the Lord, and trust that, in His timing and in His power, the giant in your life will fall. Victory is in the Lord!

The Choosing of David

The choosing of David shows us that the obvious choice is not always God’s choice. Just as David was unlikely, so are we, but God chose us! Let’s be faithful where we are and know that God sees our hearts and can take us wherever He wants us to be.

Message by Ben Stuart

There is an existential crisis in the world today, and we need to care. We need to speak the word of life and share our lives. As we invite people in to see the gospel lived out in our own lives, a city and a culture can change. Ask the Lord for open doors this week and the courage to walk through them.

Can I Trust God?

In life, we won’t always have clarity nor understanding, but we can trust. We can trust God and walk by faith because God sees it all; He understands it all; and He is all together good. In whatever your area of need, trust Him and obey Him in full surrender today.

Unshakeable Confidence

How do we have unshakeable confidence? It is in our God’s provision, presence, and promise. Let’s get our confidence in Him and pass it on, so that we can make a difference in our city, nation, and world.

When Naysayers Come

When you are walking in the will of God, you can expect opposition to come. Choose to remain focused on your assignment though, and guard your heart and your mouth. Live for the audience of one, and when the naysayers come, just keep walking.

Persevering as a People

On Independence Day, Dr. John Tyler from Houston Baptist University looks at how America's founding documents reflect a desire to pursue the Great Commission. He shares stories of people who persevered against great odds to ensure religious liberties, and how believers must continue to do so today.

Persevere in the Present

There are circumstances in each of our lives that are harder than we thought or taking longer than we thought. In these things, you need perseverance and you need focus. Fix your eyes on the race set before you and keep the end in mind. In Jesus there is provision of His power, His strength, and His joy. Stay close to Him, and just keep walking.

The Perseverance of Parenting

As we celebrate Father's Day today, we want to encourage fathers to let their heart, soul, and mind be fully for the Lord. Your parenting will flow from that. Pray for your family; encourage your family; spend time with your family; and have fun with your family! You won’t always get everything right, but there is grace and forgiveness along the way. Just keep walking with the Lord.

Persevere in the Pain

There are going to be moments when there is great pain in your life. In those times, you have to get up and keep walking. Embrace perseverance in the suffering, allow your character to shaped, and rest in hope in Him. Know that the love of God will come and heal your heart, so keep walking and keep trusting in Him.

Persevere through Pressure

You may be in a difficult place in your life, but trust the train engineer to bring you through that dark tunnel. Persevere and know that you are being conformed to His image, and He will use this for His glory.

Perservere through Pressure

Operation Restoration

If you find yourself in a pigpen of sin right now, know the Father is looking to see if you will take steps back to Him. Reflect on your sin, let your repentance lead you back to the Father, and see how He brings restoration in your life.

Revelation: End Times in 30 Minutes

In finishing our study on Revelation, we can know that there is a plan, a future, and a hope! And God’s heart in these end times is “come!” He wants all to come and receive His life giving grace. We won’t always be in this present church age, so come to Jesus and join the bride in longing for His return!

Come!

The Spirit and the bride say come! Turn from what you were, and bend the knee and come. Jesus is the way and the gate, and people from all nations will gather in unity and live in the blessing of His Presence.

Mama Said

Is your life an act of worship to the Lord? Do you keep His Word? Live your life here on earth in light of what is to come. Trust Jesus and let the world know about the great things God has done. His great love for you never ceases, and He is coming soon.

All Things New

As we look towards Heaven, it is something we can be excited about! The beauty is unmatched, and we will finally live in the light of His Presence. We can truly see that there is a plan, a future, and a hope in Him.

Brand New!

In Revelation we get to see all things made new! There is a new Heaven and new Earth, and there will be no more death, no more grief, and no more pain. It is all about being with Him; that is what makes it heavenly. We know not everyone will be there, but there is still grace available today.

Our Final Exam

Each of us will one day pass away. If as an unbeliever, relying on our own works, there will judgement and a lake of fire. If as a believer, relying on what Christ did on the cross, we will be welcomed into Heaven and rewarded based on our lives here on earth. Give your life to Jesus, and live for him today. It touches His heart, and it blesses your life.

Victorious

As we study Revelation 20, we can see the amazing victory! The enemy will be bound, there will be bliss in the 1000 year reign, and the enemy will be defeated in the last battle. We don’t know all the details, but we know it will all pan out. The most important thing is that you know Jesus. Don’t just be around the things of God; make sure that you know Him in your heart.

Easter 2021: Life, Discovery, and Joy!

The tomb is empty, and Jesus is resurrected! Make Him your Lord and number one priority, and you will be amazed at how things begin to make sense. His resurrection power will not only cause us to rise again with Him, but it will bring life to the places of winter in our hearts and lives in the here and now.

Blessings Come Through Brokenness!

As we look to the cross on this Maundy Thursday, let’s remember how Jesus lived. Jesus was blessed because He knew His true identity; He was broken and completely yielded before the Father; and He gave His life away. As believers, Jesus invites us to live as He did in knowing our identity, in brokenness, and in sharing our lives with those around us. This is how we will bring powerful change in this world.

White Horse Return

As we study Revelation on this Palm Sunday, we can see the contrast of Jesus’ first coming and His second. On His first coming, Jesus rode in on a donkey in humility to die a sacrificial death, but on His return, Jesus will ride in on white horse in power and victory. That which Jesus has been through all eternity will be seen; He is faithful and true and Lord of lords. As we await His second coming, let’s be about God’s heart and join Him in His mission to see hearts and lives saved.

Hallelujah!

We all love a good comeback, and the ultimate comeback is Jesus Christ! When He returns, we will praise Him for His salvation, judgement, and power, and we will hear worship all around! If you need a comeback in your life, it starts by coming back to Jesus today.

From Milk to Meat

Now is the time for us to pick up the spiritual fork and knife and move from milk to meat. God did not die for us to stay the same, and the clearest indicators that a believer is growing and maturing are obedience to the scriptures and spiritual fruit. Spiritual maturity doesn’t happen by accident, so let's press in for growth with intentionality.

The False Prophet and Great Harlot

The false prophet and the great harlot come to deceive, divide, destroy, and distract. Everything about the unholy trinity is counterfeit, but it has still been wreaking havoc. Even in all of this there is still hope though, and His name is Jesus. In Him, we can walk in repentance, in purity, and in victory.

Antichrist and False Prophet

Though evil is being restrained, Satan is ready to release the antichrist. The antichrist will be one who comes with peace, but he will set himself up as God and will want to be worshipped. There is good news in all of this though because he doesn’t win! Jesus wins! And God has us in this present moment so that we can continue to share the gospel in this hour of grace.

WE>ME: Ice Storm 2021

It has been a very difficult week, but we can know that God is over all things. We will get through this together. Let's be active in sharing our faith during this time as we recognize both the physical and spiritual needs around us. As we give and receive love, it will bring encouragement, refreshment, joy, and a heart for God.

Better Together Weekend

Through looking at the book of Philemon, we can see how biblical it is to show appreciation. Gratefulness actually improves our outlook on life. As we trust Christ in this difficult time, let’s continue to love one another well and know that the church is moving forward and God is at work.

God's Motivation for Missions

Heaven will be filled with the nations; therefore, our earthly plans must involve discipling the nations. Let’s have open hands and humble hearts, and ask God to use us for His glory and our joy.

Tribulation: 1 Scroll, 2 Witnesses, and a Red Dragon

We know that the plans of God are sweet, but they can be tough to take at times. He wants all to come to repentance, and He is faithful to continue to share His Word through His messengers, even at the end. And though Satan is at work, we can rest assured that there is victory in Jesus!

Great Grace and Terrible Trumpets

Studying the seven seals and seven trumpets can feel scary, but we need to remember in all of this that God desires repentance in order bring relationship. God’s strange work is His wrath, but His normal work is His mercy and love. While we are still in this age of grace with the tribulation yet to come, today is the day to turn to Him.

The Seals

God has a Kingdom calendar, and as we look ahead to the 7 years of tribulation, we can see that the antichrist is coming and much difficulty, disaster, and death. As we live in this age of grace, don’t wait but turn and believe in Jesus Christ today for the forgiveness of your sins.

Hearing God

Hearing from God is at the center of the Christian well being. To hear God, we need to be disciplined in our daily walk with Him, and we need to be not only desperate and desiring to hear His voice but also dedicated to responding and obeying when He speaks. God is listening when we pray, so let’s love Him in return by leaning in to hear Him as well.

New Ways, New You

As we begin a new year, allow the difficulty of 2020 to draw you into deeper devotion of the Lord in 2021. Let’s be determined this year to do what needs to be done and walk in a way that shows faith and trust in the Lord. When we devote ourselves to the things of the Lord, we will see how it makes a difference in our hearts and lives.

Appearing Sooner Than You Think

As we look toward 2021, may our expectations be reset. Even if the world around us becomes worse, we need to keep doing what we have been called to do. We need to love well, live in purity, and eagerly wait for His return.

Sing!

We have just come through Revelation 5 which is all about worshipping Christ. As we head towards Christmas, let's join with the chorus of Heaven and creation that worshipped Him in the manger and that is worshipping Him now.

A Heavenly Look at Unity

As we study Revelation, we get a window into Heaven and what it will be like. We see praise, bowls full of prayers, and people from every tribe, nation, and tongue. May we live each day with fresh praise and prayerful hearts, and may our love for others reflect the heart of God and the unity we see in Heaven.

He is Worthy

There are problems happening in our lives that we can’t fix, and It’s these things that cause us to turn to Jesus. Jesus Christ is our hope and He is the savior of the world. He is of the right lineage, He is the lion of Judah, and He is the lamb that was slain for us all. As we study Revelation in this Christmas season, we can look back with hope at when Jesus came, and we can look forward with hope as we await His second coming.

Here as in Heaven

As we process this difficult year, let’s be sure to not let it steal our worship. We can thank God that we don’t have to overwhelmed by our circumstances. We can bless His name because He is our victorious God. Let’s lift our eyes to worship Him, and let our lives be brought before Him in humility, surrender, reverence, and full of thanksgiving. In this, we will find our purpose and joy.

At The Throne

In Revelation 4, we see John is in Heaven in the throne room of God. It is filled with His splendor, and the sound of worship is all around. Join with the worship of Heaven today, and know that we, as believers, we will one day be with Him.

To the Church ... at Laodicea

The church of Laodicea is famous for being lukewarm. They invited compromise into their lives and became accustomed to having the people decide. We as a church today need to be on guard against lukewarm living, and we need to instead choose to be a people that is surrendered to the obedience of Christ and refreshing and life giving to others. Let’s walk with Jesus, and let Him do His work in us and through us.