Free Spirit Bible Baptist

Why we will no longer be a welcoming church

We’ve decided to quit being a welcoming church. No kidding. We’re giving it up. Like so many congregations, we’ve sunk an amazing amount of time and energy into becoming a welcoming church. We changed worship styles, trained greeters and ushers, wore name tags, brewed coffee, went to workshops on hospitality and put our friendliest people …

What does Jesus think about Homosexuality?

Is homosexuality a sin? It’s an age-old question, and there are people on both sides of the debate, each quoting their Bibles. How do we know who’s right? What would Jesus do if he were…

Apostle Jeffrey Woody Installs a New Pastor

By Journalist Ms. Jones NEWBURGH – “It’s not easy starting a ministry from scratch… That’s what we did. When God sends you out… God will meet every need. We are here almost 21 years later in a building that belongs to us. We’re no renters… 55,000 square feet all because of our obedience to God. […]

7 Hard Words Every Pastor Needs to Hear

I love pastors. I love to encourage pastors. And, it’s Biblical. (Ephesians 4:29 – or something like that.)Seriously, I’m a pastor. And, I work with pastors everyday. Having not been a pastor – in the business world longer than I’ve been a pastor – I’ve still got somewhat of an objective — almost outside perspectiveAnd, now I am a pastor – having been one for over a decade – sometimes I wish I could share with pastors what I’m really thinking.…

8 Concerns That Church Members Seldom Tell Pastors

There are some concerns that are harder to bring up than others. Things like: We're concerned about your marriage.

His pew or hers? Woman concerned about man she met in church

Q: I met a nice guy at church of all places, and he's invited me out. I'm excited but nervous. Do I stay at his house or let him come to mine? It's been a while.

What You Need to Know Before Joining a Church

Before we attend a church, we should know that it is a legitimate church. Now, obviously, if the sign on the front of the church reads “Church of Satan,” we know it isn’t a legitimate body of Christian believers.

Who is the Holy Spirit? John 14:16-18

We are a Southern Baptist Church, by affiliation. We cooperate with, and are part of a larger denomination. East Shore Baptist Church (ESBC) is an independent church, which truly believes in God’s Word, the Bible, as the sole source of faith and practice.

How to Live the Bible — The Courage to Rebuild

This is the one-hundred-sixtieth lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz’ How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here. “And I told them of …

What Does It Mean to Quench the Spirit?

Paul cautions believers in his letter to the Thessalonians: “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). The imagery is that of a fire being put out—quenched. Some Bible versions translate the word quench as stifle, suppress, or restrain. Immediately after Paul warns believers not to quench the Spirit, he says, “Do not treat prophecies … Continue Reading

Biblical Thinking About Money

Speak Scripture into Suffering

God has spoken abundantly and sufficiently in his Word. You can learn skillful application of his Word to speak Scripture into suffering.

Bible Study: What are you worried about?

This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.

Desire Sweeter than Honey: Studying the Bible with Dr. Stephen L. Cook

Desire Sweeter than Honey: Studying the Bible with Dr. Stephen L. CookHow can we grow in the virtues of patience and humility through learning to engage the Bible prayerfully? What might one need to

A consciousness of Spirit is the true source of my good.

I live in an abundant universe that is teeming with all manner of good. Yet the ultimate source of my good is never a particular job, bank account, or person. Those are simply channels through which my prosperity might flow. When I focus on the channels rather than the source, I narrow my capacity to receive the flow of life’s plentiful, diverse expressions. Instead I look to Spirit as the one true source of my good and recognize that I have an endless…

Taking the Spirit Seriously

What Would Happen if we took the Holy Spirit Seriously? What would happen if we took the Holy Spirit seriously? The issue is of course, that everyone feels as though they take the Holy Spirit seriously in their theology. Pentecostals believe that the Holy Spirit helps Christians to have intimate experiences of God’s presence, Reformed … Continued