January 2026
A NEW YEAR = NEW OPPORTUNITIES
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We read in Isaiah 42:10 – ‘Sing to the Lord a new song, sing His praise from the end of the earth!
You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands, and those who dwell on them.’
As a new year begins, we have new and fresh opportunities to share the gospel with others. We must
never rest on any past achievements or efforts in helping to share the good news of salvation found in
Christ alone.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19-20 – ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that
I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’
This is the Great Commission given to all believers by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is an ongoing command we are to diligently follow and obey. So how does a new year bring new avenues of opportunities? There are numerous ways we can share
the good news in this coming year. Hosting a Bible study, fellow shipping with family and friends, tract distribution, inviting someone to church, sharing our broadcasts through social media, and volunteer work are all excellent ways we can show the love of Christ to others, and perhaps provide an opportunity to witness.
The passing of one year into another is a wonderful time to renew our commitment to Christ. A new song should be in our hearts, and on our lips. Do you have a new song in your heart today? Are you singing His praise from the end of the earth?
We serve a merciful and loving God who wishes all to come to Him. Consider these verses:
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2 nd Corinthians 6:2 – ‘Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation.’
2 nd Peter 3:9 – ‘The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.’
First Baptist, I pray that in 2026, each of us will experience God’s love anew, and we will eagerly share
our testimony with someone who needs to hear the good news of the gospel; of salvation found only in
Jesus Christ.
Pastor Thomas
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December 2025
It’s Good and It’s Pleasant!
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I was scrolling on socials when I was struck by a quick but interesting sentence a man said, who was sharing
wisdom with his nephews. “Blood makes folks related; loyalty makes folks family.” I thought about the many
different types of “family” I’ve experienced in my life, kinships with people who share my bloodline and close
love and loyalty with those who don’t, but they share my heart. I thought specifically about church families.
The Bible says,
1 .Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 . It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went
down to the skirts of his garments.
3 . As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there
the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
Here we see how precious it is to God when we, the body of Christ come together, stay together, get along, and
grow! It’s so precious to him, in fact that the author was inspired to compare our coming together to one of the finest, most powerful symbols in the Bible, oil (or in the KJV, ointment).
Biblically oil represents many things, God’s presence, His power and His blessing. Oil was used in the Bible to
anoint the sick, sanctify people for service and even to prepare our Savior for his death on the cross. So when
this passage speaks so descriptively, that dwelling together in unity is like oil running down, even to the ground, like the morning dew on the mountains that runs down into the valleys, we can be assured that this is something very important to God.
When we think of dwelling together, maybe our own families come to mind. Those who live together with us in
our actual homes. But this metaphorical, poetic chapter is referring to more than that. God is admonishing us
about the blessings that come when God’s body dwells together; that is, sticks closely, shares fierce loyalty and prioritizes unity with one another.
Church family, let us examine this beautiful little chapter in the Psalms and make it our purpose to ensure that
we are together as often as possible, loyal to one another, quick to forgive and seek to be forgiven if and when we offend another. Let’s learn and grow together in the Word of God so that we’re unified in our words and actions. In this way, we get to claim the blessings that are promised in this book, …”even life forevermore”.
Join me on December 7th when the morning sermon will reflect more on this topic of dwelling together in unity
as we talk about fellowship and assembly.
God Bless, Pastor Crystal