This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. — Acts 2:23 (NIV) Many people around us accept Jesus as a good teacher, as an example of virtue, or even as a great [...]

Did you hear what happened to the Iraqi man who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush during a 2008 press conference?

Fundamental to The Great Commission is the command to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:18). This obviously involves bringing new people into the fellowship we have with one another. We are to “go” out from our group and “make” new followers of Jesus to join with us.
As we speak the good news of Jesus, the Christ, we are confident that the crucified one is not only living and able to offer forgiveness (Acts 2:36-39), but he is also with us. Yet it’s not just Jesus and it’s not just his presence…

The September 2009 First Pres Newsletter is now available.

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. — James 2:26 (NIV) One of the questions we ask those who desire to join First Pres is: “Do you receive and rest upon Jesus Christ alone?” A moment later we ask, “Do you promise to support the Church in its [...]

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. — James [...]

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. — Romans 8:3 (NIV) On our recent trip to Orlando for the denominational meeting I was delighted to find that [...]