First Thoughts | Blog Ministry | First Baptist Church

What is the Problem with Legalism?

Written by Heath Lambert on January 30, 2023. Posted in Marked By Grace.

A few weeks ago, I was with a group of people out and about. I got talking with a dear and precious Christian couple who lives in my city of Jacksonville. They were familiar with me and my ministry. And we got talking about the ministry here at First Baptist and about my ministry. At one wonderful point in the conversation, this dear sweet Christian woman said, well, I’m just going to ask you a question because I heard something about you. And you’re standing here, and I’m just going to ask you if it’s true. I heard you’re a legalist. Are you a legalist? I laughed because I thought that was a great question to ask. I loved the directness of the question, and I laughed with her. I said, well, first of all, I have been called a lot of things in my ministry....

First Baptist Church Hosts Open Mic Event to Address Community Concerns

Written by Heath Lambert on January 27, 2023. Posted in First Thoughts.

First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Florida will host an open mic event on Sunday evening, January 29, at 6:00 PM. This event will provide an opportunity for members of the community to come and publicly voice their concerns and questions to Pastor Heath regarding a recent action of the church to require their membership to sign a statement on biblical sexuality. “First Baptist Church of Jacksonville recently approved a statement on biblical sexuality that is required of all their members. Christian communities typically require statements of faith for membership, and this statement expresses a view of sexuality that is old as the Bible. Nevertheless, when word of this action became known in our community it inspired concern, questions, and anger. First Baptist Church desires to love...

Praying for Revival

Written by Heath Lambert on January 23, 2023. Posted in Marked By Grace.

We are living in dark days. I think if there’s anything Christians know and agree about, it is that we are living in dark days. Just everywhere you look, you see it, you look at global politics, and you see regression and pain and conflict and moving in the wrong direction. You look at American national politics for American Christians, and you see politics are moving in the wrong way. You get some victories every now and then. But the broad scope of history over the last couple of decades seems like a slide in the wrong direction. And then you look at churches, oh, my goodness, you look at churches, and you see churches in decline. Everybody I know is trying to figure out how to do ministry in an environment that is harder to do ministry than it was even just a decade ago. Even...

Books on Revival

Written by Heath Lambert on January 23, 2023. Posted in First Thoughts.

I am desperate to see a mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God in our day. I am desperate for revival. A mighty and great work of God is the only thing that can solve the overwhelming problems Christians are currently facing. It is the only reality that can stem the tide of cultural decline currently pulling our world into full-scale collapse. The Spirit of God alone can do what all our programs, politics, and striving have failed to accomplish. On Sunday mornings in 2023 at First Baptist, we will be preaching through the book of Acts. Each week we will examine how the story proceeds and pay attention to the relevant biblical and theological principles, but our emphasis each week will be to evaluate God’s work in the revival that was the creation of the early church. The series is...

Does First Baptist Church Fight About Calvinism?

Written by Heath Lambert on January 16, 2023. Posted in Marked By Grace.

One of the most common questions I’ve received over my years of serving First Baptist Church is something like, what is the church’s commitment or position or standpoint regarding Calvinism? Now, there are a lot of reasons why that’s been a frequent question that has been asked of me. But the most important reason, I think, why that’s been asked of me at First Baptist Church has to do with a family who used to attend our church who was very committed to the issue of Calvinism and was very upset about the issue of Calvinism. This family was very upset, and over a long period of my ministry, they just demanded that I declare war on Calvinism in our church. They said they knew people who were Calvinists. They said they knew people who were spreading Calvinism. I...

Connecting Scripture with Students

Written by RJ Lago on January 16, 2023. Posted in First Thoughts.

I am old, at least that is what the local teenager tells me. In my earliest days of youth ministry, I could easily skip my way past the generation gap. I was married, but I did not have kids, so I was seemingly closer in age and more relatable to a teenager. But now I am just plain old compared to these youngsters. I will not lie to you; it hurt the first time a teenager in my youth ministry made fun of me for my age. I was a newly married twenty-five-year-old, and one of my students said I looked like I was a forty-five-year-old. That strangely stung. I told the teen that I have a great eye doctor, and they should call him because he is taking new patients right now. We laughed, and then I told them to get off my lawn and go home. If you are any older than me (I am 28 years old), you...

What is a Good Bible Reading Plan?

Written by Heath Lambert on January 9, 2023. Posted in Marked By Grace.

We’re here at the beginning of the year in 2023. It is still that time of year when people are thinking about New Year’s resolutions. They’re making their plans for the year, and one of the things that Christians do every year, is talk about (even if they don’t do it), they talk about how to have a plan to read the Bible for 2023. I think that you should have a plan to expose yourself to the Bible on a regular basis. I do that. There are all sorts of Bible reading plans and all sorts of methods that you can use. I want to talk to you today about how I read the Bible in a year. And I want to talk to you about giving you a challenge about how you might read the Bible this year in 2023. It’s not too late. My Method I started reading the Bible through every...

When Your Loved One is Consumed by Drugs, Alcohol, and Life-Dominating Sins

Written by Steve Clifton on January 9, 2023. Posted in First Thoughts.

One of the most devastating things a parent can learn is that your child is addicted to drugs, alcohol, or any other life-dominating sin! We question many times, “what did I do wrong as a parent?” The same can be true when it is not our child but a close family member or even a friend. From studying Scripture, we know that Psalm 1:1 teaches us the progression of mankind toward sin. God tells us in this verse, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” Did you pick up that progress there? Walks, stands, sits? Your loved one has taken that progression, and something other than God has now become their master. The root of an addiction is really a desire of their heart that has turned into an idol they...

Why You Should Read the Bible in 2023

Written by Heath Lambert on January 2, 2023. Posted in First Thoughts.

For years, I have had a commitment to read the Bible through each year. As I look over my adult life, I see that as one of the most spiritually significant commitments I have ever made. The Blessings of Bible Reading That is why I experienced such a struggle when I was asked to write about why you should read the Bible this year. The truth is that I feel so many benefits of Bible reading that I feel overwhelmed at where to start. But I must say something. I opened the Bible to the longest chapter in Scripture which also happens to be exclusively devoted to God’s Word. It is Psalm 119, and it is rich with reasons to read the Word. Here are just five really good reasons from the Bible itself about why you should read that Word this year. 1. You Need Blessings First, God will give you his...

How Should Christians Think About the New Year?

Written by Heath Lambert on January 2, 2023. Posted in Marked By Grace.

The New Year All right, well, I want to welcome you to 2023, I want to welcome you to the first week of 2023, and I want to welcome you to the first anniversary of the Marked by Grace podcast. We began this weekly topical podcast in January of 2022. And we are now starting our second full year here at the very beginning of 2023. When we get to the New Year, everybody starts to think about time. We’ve been thinking about the passing of time with the conclusion of last year, we’re thinking about the preciousness of time at the beginning of this year, and many of you are thinking about how you’re going to spend your time. You’re thinking about your plans once you return from vacation. You’re thinking about New Year’s resolutions. I have been thinking...