This week, Jansson Jackson joins Chris and Bruce as they discuss Sunday's message about the Egyptian plagues.توسط FBC Midlothian

As God led Moses on the journey of freeing the Israelites from Egypt, there was an event so shocking, so vivid, that it changed how Moses saw everything. Death was coming for all the firstborn, but God provided a way to be protected: they would mark their homes with blood of a lamb, a sign that a substitutionary sacrifice had been made on their beh…

How can we be sure we can trust God when he calls us? How do we know He'll make up for our shortcomings? In a culture of comfort like ours, following God's call can feel like a huge risk.توسط FBC Midlothian

Insecurity haunts all of us, and Moses was no different. When God called him, he pointed out all the reasons he wouldn't be able to answer that call. But where we have doubts and excuses is where God does his best work.توسط FBC Midlothian

Bruce and Chris talk about the ways God work in and through ordinary people in the Bible, as well as in their own lives, to something extraordinary.توسط FBC Midlothian

Throughout the Bible, we find that God chooses to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and there's no better example of this than Moses. Despite his issues, mistakes, and resistance, God still chooses to call Moses to greatness unparalleled in the Old Testament.توسط FBC Midlothian

Chris and Bruce discuss the uniquely sent servant.توسط FBC Midlothian

When you put together your calling, experience, relationships, and training, you become someone who has been uniquely gifted to serve those in the circle of influence God has placed you in.توسط FBC Midlothian

Bruce and Chris discuss the intentional disciple maker and how that's fleshed out in the Bible.توسط FBC Midlothian

Making disciples may break the most difficult and misunderstood part of BEING a disciple. Many think of this as the job of pastors, the trained disciple-making professionals. But part of the whole point of the Gospel is the reversal of this way of thinking: being a disciple of Jesus means that making disciples is YOUR job. So, without formal traini…

How can you show love to your friends in a way that's Biblical? What are the expectations and responsibilities that come with being a friend deeply connected through Jesus?توسط FBC Midlothian

As Americans, we have a culture that is strongly rooted in independence and self-sufficiency. The Kingdom of God, however, is a community where everyone is deeply connected through Jesus, depending on one another and taking care of each other. The next aspect we'll be looking at on this journey is the picture of a deeply connected friend.…

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Following Jesus is a journey, but sometimes we don't stop to think about where we actually are on that journey, where we've been, and where we are headed. This series will be a very practical help to answer those questions, starting with the picture of a Gospel-centered follower.توسط FBC Midlothian

Why God allows suffering of "good people" while evil people prosper is not a new issue. When it comes to prayer we can often feel like God's silence or God's "no" is unjust, or even evil. Bruce and Chris discuss how we deal with this seeming dichotomy.توسط FBC Midlothian

It's a tough aspect, but one we must address if we're going to talk about prayer: When it seems like God doesn't answer our prayers, what are we supposed to think and feel? How should we respond? Perhaps we need to consider the possibility that He has answered... and the answer is "no."توسط FBC Midlothian

Bruce and Michael talk about the purpose, the WHY, of prayer.توسط FBC Midlothian

The world and our culture constantly attack us with false claims about what the Bible says. Knowing the contents of the Bible is crucial to defend against this, but it also gives us the understanding we need as we continue our conversation with our Creator.توسط FBC Midlothian

What does prayer LOOK like? For Jesus, it often looked like solitude. The posture of prayer is as much a spiritual one as it is physical.توسط FBC Midlothian

Praying is often seen as a one-sided thing: words and phrases that are memorized and recited as tradition and ceremony, or as a way to make yourself look religious to other people. Jesus saw it as something completely different: it's a personal encounter, a conversation with God.توسط FBC Midlothian

Chris and Bruce recap and wrap up our 15-week journey through Paul's letter to the Colossians, and look forward to what's next.توسط FBC Midlothian

As Paul begins to wrap up his letter to the Colossians, he addresses how they should appear to non-believers in the way they speak... and in the way they pray.توسط FBC Midlothian

Michael and Bruce talk about the situation of Paul and his team from which they are writing, and the most important thing we can do so the next generation can stand on our shoulders.توسط FBC Midlothian

Independence Day reminds us of the gift of freedom we have in our country, given to us by so many who worked, fought, and died to make it possible. We stand on their shoulders today. At the end of Colossians, Paul gives the Church a reminder of the shoulders it stands on: names of people who served with him with faith, courage, and love.…

Bruce and Chris talk about why Paul didn't outright condemn slavery and how relationships with those we are in authority over are all about integrity.توسط FBC Midlothian

The next few verses of Colossians contain language that have LOADED meaning in the 21st century when it talks about the relationship between masters and slaves. We need to unpack these verses and understand them in their original context in order to gain the wisdom underlying these verses: this is about the relationship between those in a position …

Michael and Chris talk about the state of masculinity in our culture and the Biblical picture of masculinity.توسط FBC Midlothian

Our culture has two distinct views on masculinity: a "good man" and a "real man." We need to look to Jesus if we are to be the kind of men and the kind of father's that come with becoming a new kind of human in Jesus.توسط FBC Midlothian

We've talked about the fact that following Christ means becoming a new person. That also means it changes how you approach and function in your relationships. In Colossians 3:18-19, Paul addresses the relationship between a husband and wife. While our culture views that relationship much differently than Paul's culture, we may find that his words s…

Chris and Bruce review and elaborate on what it means to be "clothed" in righteousness.توسط FBC Midlothian

Becoming a follower of Jesus means you have a new identity. The home you made in your old life no longer fits the new life. Therefore you must leave the comfort of your past so you can embrace God's future!توسط FBC Midlothian

Jesus' death and resurrection serves as a picture of our own: when we chose to follow Christ, our old life, the person we were before, died, and we are raised to walk in, to BE, something completely new.توسط FBC Midlothian

Bruce and Chris talk more about what it means for Christ to be sufficient.توسط FBC Midlothian

The Gnostics in Colossae were making the claim the Jesus alone wasn't enough, and that following rules and traditions were also required to be saved. In addition they claimed that they had visions and performed ceremonies made them specially qualified to determine what was required. Paul makes it clear that laws and ceremonies have no power to addr…

Chris and Bruce talk more about the illustrations of circumcision and baptism and how they represent what Christ did for us in His death and resurrection.توسط FBC Midlothian

Becoming a mother isn't just an addition to your life... it completely changes everything. Paul uses the illustrations of circumcision and baptism to explain what happens when you become a follower of Christ: everything about who you are and how you operate is transformed into something new.توسط FBC Midlothian

Chris goes deeper on what it means to walk IN Christ and what he hopes our main takeaway would be from that message.توسط FBC Midlothian

Most people have a tendency to make their religious beliefs and philosophies serve themselves and the life THEY want to live. Paul tells the Colossians that in order to follow Christ, the reverse must be true: you must be rooted in HIM and walk in Him, rather than trying to make Him walk in what YOU want.…

Chris and Bruce talk about the parallels between 1st century Gnosticism and those today who also seek to have power over believers.توسط FBC Midlothian

To us, a "mystery" is something that we don't know, a riddle for us to solve. It's a secret. And this is what some Church leaders in Colossae claimed to have. But it was simply all about control. Paul reverses that and says the "mystery" isn't a secret at all: it's a person. The mystery is that He lives IN US.…

Bruce and Chris dive deeper into what it means to experience Christ versus just knowing about him.توسط FBC Midlothian

How do we go from "knowing about Jesus" to "knowing and experiencing Him?" Something happened in history that must happen in YOUR history, and it's a once-and-for-all event that produces a now-and-forever relationship.توسط FBC Midlothian

Bruce and Chris discuss how we can know that Jesus is real, and what that means for how we live.توسط FBC Midlothian

Colossians 1 includes one of the most powerful, beautiful pictures of Jesus in the entire New Testament. His identity and His accomplishment are tied together. Especially in the world of Gnosticism, this was the core issue that Paul would address. How can you love a Jesus that isn't the REAL Jesus?توسط FBC Midlothian

As we pick up some background on the Church at Colosse, we'll see that the life-altering nature of the Gospel, the LIGHT of CHRIST, enabled them to produce fruit in the midst of troubled circumstances, just as the lighthouse enables a ship to progress in midst of troubled seas.توسط FBC Midlothian

Chris and Bruce talk about how Paul's letter to the Colossians connects with Holy Week and the Resurrection. Holy Thursday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8udH2vlHMIتوسط FBC Midlothian

Easter is the day of remembrance of the core of Christian faith: that Jesus rose from the dead. However astonishing that is, it means very little if we don't understand its significance. It might be surprising to some that we can find an explanation is Paul's letter to the Colossians. More than that, we can learn why this event can change our entir…

Bruce recounts the "ah-ha" moment he had approaching this year's Palm Sunday, and how that affected his world view, Sunday's message, and the outlook as we get ready for Easter.توسط FBC Midlothian

Holy Week is well known as the week that leads to the celebration of the resurrection. It begins with Palm Sunday: a celebration of Jesus' triumphal entry to Jerusalem. But we need to look at the context and ask this question: Why is Palm Sunday so important?توسط FBC Midlothian

Bruce and Chris talk about whether God causes or allows suffering, and what the redemption of suffering looks like.توسط FBC Midlothian