First Baptist Church Billings, MT

First Baptist Church Billings, MT First Baptist Church was founded in 1898. All are invited to come.

We currently offer one Sunday morning worship experience with Bible Studies, prayer groups, and coffee/snacks, starting at 9:00 AM and the worship service starting at 10:00 AM.

07/13/2025

YouTube is not working so we are not broadcasting this a.m. sorry for the inconvenience

04/18/2025

Coffee break by Pastor Ross Lieuallen

Jesus Is Risen! Wow!

Yes, we know the story! But they didn’t. Mary Magdalene saw where Jesus was buried; she went early that Sunday morning to pay her respects; anoint his body; and mourn. She had followed Jesus; watched Him die. Now her dreams have died, along with others who felt like they had a future. They had all learned much from Jesus. They had witnessed countless miracles. Now…it’s finished for them. No one was expecting “resurrection.”

When Mary comes to the tomb….surprise! It’s empty. Who rolled away the stone? “Sir, if you have taken his body, please let me know where you have taken him!” And then she hears Him call her name!

Mary was the first person to whom Jesus appeared. What a privilege! Can we imagine what that experience was like? To be the first person to see Christ in His resurrected body. Something so gloriously unexpected, to say the least.

Years ago, there was a couple who made a trip to Billings. They were from our former church in Oregon. Their purpose here was not just to see us, but for some business reasons. But yes, “Let’s surprise Ross and Jennifer” was also on their agenda. I remember being in the library and stepping into the hallway, and there they were: Kelly and Dawn. It was like a dream…but it was real; they were real. And totally a surprise! Okay that’s my best “being surprised” by someone that I could come up with about the disciple’s being surprised by Jesus. I was shocked…in a good way.

I think we all need to be shocked by Jesus “appearing” to us! He has appeared to us when we first met Him…let’s praise Him for that this Easter. He appears to us every day…in the Word; in our spirit; in our minds; in others; in circumstances; perhaps some reading this would attest to visions and dreams where they encountered Christ. But He appears. He makes Himself known. That’s always on His agenda!

Surprise us, Jesus, with Your presence in special ways, this Easter! Surprise us as You did those on that first Easter morning! May the gospel narratives become alive to us in new ways as we read them! WE believe in You; Thank you that You rose again and are alive! Amen!

Blessings,
Pastor Ross

04/18/2025

Coffee Break by Pastor Ross Lieuallen

Jesus Washes Our Feet

Today is Maundy Thursday. It’s the day we celebrate Jesus and the twelve having the Last Supper, and then Jesus washes their feet. I’m sure they shocked when Jesus girded himself with the servant’s towel and took the basin to begin washing their feet. He didn’t have to wash their feet; He wanted to! I was struck again this morning with Peter’s, “You shall never wash my feet” attitude.
I think we’re all a little bit like him. It’s much easier to serve than be served; give than be given to; pray for others than receive prayer in person; you get the point. Sometimes Jesus washes our feet through others acts of kindness and grace. But what we also must realize on this Maundy Thursday is the myriads of ways He washes our feet or has already washed our feet. . .Himself.

He cleanses us from sin both eternally (Romans 5:9), and as we confess; His blood cleanses us (I John 1:7); He heals us of diseases (Luke 5:15); He washes us with the Word (Eph. 5:26); He lives to intercede for us before the Father (Romans 8: 34); He sympathizes with our weaknesses and gives us grace (Heb. 4:15-16); He has and will abundantly provide for us (Phil. 4:19); He makes our burden light and gives us His yoke (Matthew 11:30).

He knows how to wash feet. He’s been doing it for a lot of people for a long time!

This devotion today is not about how to become better servants. It’s about praising Him for washing our feet! Let’s honor Him this Holy Week and always for all that He did for us. Let’s praise Him for Him being a very present help daily; and that He will never fail nor forsake us today or tomorrow!
Take some moments today and imagine Him washing your feet. He loves you, and delights in us as he delighted in his first disciples that evening.

Blessings,
Pastor Ross

04/11/2025

Coffee Break by Pastor Ross Lieuallen

Temptations

Temptations…oh how they linger! We are never immune; they feel wonderful; if they didn’t appeal to us, we wouldn’t feel their magnetic pull. We all have our different tastes for what could be “tempting,” don’t we?

Back to the text about Christ’s temptations in the wilderness that I believe happened after the forty days of fasting. The big picture: Jesus defeated the devil and his conniving ways. And from that, we draw our own strength, strategy, and peace in overcoming our own temptations. But let’s back up for a moment. This is a huge topic for our lives, but I also want to explore some questions from this story.

The devil comes to Jesus. How? Perhaps as a person. He tempts Jesus once with turning stones into bread. Jesus defeated that one, though really ‘tempting’ it was, because Jesus was hungry, and He could’ve done it! How come Jesus doesn’t just rebuke the devil then? We are told to rebuke the devil, and he will flee (James 4:7). Why did He allow the devil to tempt him two more times? Why did He allow the devil to “take Him” to the pinnacle of the Temple? I take that to be literal, so why would Jesus allow Himself to be put into such a precarious position? I don’t know. But my hunch is. . .

He allowed three temptations that mirror life’s three great needs of every person: fleshy needs; power needs; envy needs. Also, Jesus allowed more than one to show that even in His utter physical weakness, and totally depending on the power of the Spirit, He could defeat the devil at the devil’s best game and home court advantage. The devil had no opening, no chance, tried his best strategies, but to no avail. And let’s never forget. . .these were TEMPTING! That’s why they’re called temptations! They had an appeal for gain and pleasure.

More to our lives. What are our temptations right now? What have they been? What are you drawn to that is not God’s will? And you know it’s not God’s will!

Let’s remind ourselves: temptations are not sin. They are the “mouse trap” that lures us, that gets us caught. In the moment we have all reacted; in the moment we have all been lured to the apple. But what about the lingering temptations. . .like “I’m not sure I believe that anymore.” . . . .or “I’m going to seek revenge, but I don’t know exactly how”. . .or “I’ve given it thought, and I deserve this at this season in my life, even though I know it’s not God’s will.” What about the reoccurring temptations? Wrestling in the moment or with lingering thoughts are very real. . .and tempting. But we can resist. We are not victims of the devil. Do we fail? Yes. And we confess those and receive forgiveness. We learn. But let’s also draw upon Jesus in times of our weakness and call for His power in our thoughts, emotions, and decisions.

Pray this. . .Jesus, you know this thought, desire, action is very real to me. It seems if I did this, it would bring some gain or pleasure. But I have discernment. I know better. Give me Your strength, power, and Scriptures to defeat lies of the enemy as You defeated him at Your weakest. I claim right now that the temptation’s grip on me will be gone in Your name!

Blessings,
Pastor Ross

Lenten Retreat this Sunday (April 13th, 2025)1:00 PM to 6:00 PMThis is an in-depth time to deepen your faith and walk in...
04/10/2025

Lenten Retreat this Sunday (April 13th, 2025)

1:00 PM to 6:00 PM

This is an in-depth time to deepen your faith and walk in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Consists of 4 different topics, with food, fellowship, and music.

You will be blessed.

Where: First Baptist Church, 218 N 34th Street, Billings, MT.

04/06/2025

From the Desk of Pastor Ross:

Dear congregation:

I am writing this to encourage you to pray and consider our Lenten Retreat. . .Sunday, April 13th (Palm Sunday) 1- 6pm. Many of you have attended in the past and received much from the Lord. Many of you have seen the announcement and wondered: "Is this for me?" Or thought: "I can't afford the time!" Trust me, time spent in Jesus' presence reflecting on Him and what it means to follow Him is certainly time well spent! Our theme this year is "Following Jesus with our cross" from Mark 8:34.

What do we do? We listen to brief presentations on different topics around this theme; we spend time alone with Jesus; we spend time in small groups; we spend time as a larger group in worship and communion. There will be plenty of snacks and break times!

It helps if you sign up on purpose and not wait till the last minute! Sign up sheet is in Narthex; if you want us to sign you up, then please reply to this email.

God bless,
Pastor Ross

Coffe Break April 4, 2025 by Pastor RossWhat Gets Done In Forty Days?“And Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the ...
04/05/2025

Coffe Break April 4, 2025 by Pastor Ross

What Gets Done In Forty Days?

“And Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the Spirit for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days.”

Our acknowledgement of Lent comes from the gospel accounts of Jesus spending forty days and fasting in the wilderness where He defeated the devil’s temptations and schemes.

Forty days. What gets done in forty days? The greatest leader ever to walk on earth inaugurated His mission with forty days of being alone, (yes communion with the Father) in a wilderness. You would think He would’ve spent time strategizing about vision, values, mission, and obviously develop a business plan. Actually, someone did approach Him with some unique development ideas of how He could better accomplish His mission. He quickly dispensed with that salesman.

But it raises a question. What did He do then for forty days? Isn’t one’s time valuable? It seems like forty days of “doing nothing” is somewhat of a waste! I believe the temptations were at the end of his forty days. So, it raises questions and for me a word about how I spend time.

Did He feel the angst of needing to get something done? After all, the world needed Him. Did He take hikes? Did he pray? Obvious answer. Did He think about stuff? Did He throw rocks at critters? What did He do in His waking moments?

I’m leading to this. I actually find great comfort and joy in His forty days. How many times do we read in Scripture…wait for the Lord (Ps. 27:14)? Waiting can feel like forty days. I find great faith and hope from His forty days that my labor for the Lord is never in vain (I. Corinthians 15:58). Daily time in His presence is never a waste of time. Attending church, Bible studies, prayer meetings, retreats, camps, are forty days. A lifetime of walking with Him is forty days. Every day with Jesus should be sweeter than the day before.

I believe Jesus enjoyed these forty days! Even without food. Go figure. I don’t believe He was looking at His watch and wondering: when will this end? He may’ve hoped He could spend another forty-day session once He started being around others! Who knows? What we can know is nothing done with Him, for Him, or from Him is a waste of time. We need our forty days. We always need to allow Him to fill our days with His glory.

Blessings,

Pastor Ross

Fasting“And Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the spirit for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil....
04/05/2025

Fasting

“And Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the spirit for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days.”

I’m sure glad God has a sense of humor. I thought to myself before writing today that I will finish this article on fasting in time to go to Subway! Fasting. What comes to your mind when this word is read, mentioned, or thought? It’s not something very popular; that’s for sure.

Jesus fasted for forty days. Why? Was it to mirror Moses’ fasting on Mount Sinai when he received the Ten commandments? Was Jesus’ fasting a total dependence upon the power of the Spirit in His weakness. . . that at His weakest He still defeated the devil’s temptations? Was His fasting a personal dedication to do the Father’s will? Perhaps yes to all these questions!

Obviously, since the forty days of Lent commemorates Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness, the spiritual discipline of fasting is magnified at this season of Lent. But fasting in most circles has come on hard times. Perhaps it always has. A pastor friend reminded me of a quote by Thomas Acquinas of the Middle Ages: “Everyone joins Christ at the banqueting table; but few join Him in fasting.”

What does fasting mean to us? I agree with Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Redding when he said in a message: “Fasting is not a hunger strike to get God’s attention!” But what does fasting mean or imply? I’m not sure this brief devotional has space to explore all the implications. But let me suggest simply this: sacrifice. When I go without food, I’m sacrificing that for something else: time spent in prayer. When I sacrifice watching TV for an hour, I’m sacrificing that for an hour of prayer or scripture reading. Perhaps when we fast, we realize our power is not our personality or physical strength; it’s His strength!

A friend encourages his church to “fast” social media for a week. Think of that . . .social media. No Facebook, You Tube, perhaps News apps, Instagram, videos, or maybe emails? Are you kidding me? It would be easier to go without coffee for a week!

What does “sacrifice” mean to me; to you, during this season of Lent? I encourage all of us to ask Jesus: “What could I sacrifice for Your glory during this season that might become a habit of my heart?”

Blessings,

Pastor Ross

04/04/2025

Coffee Break by Pastor Ross Lieuallen

What Gets Done In Forty Days?

“And Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the Spirit for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days.”

Our acknowledgement of Lent comes from the gospel accounts of Jesus spending forty days and fasting in the wilderness where He defeated the devil’s temptations and schemes.

Forty days. What gets done in forty days? The greatest leader ever to walk on earth inaugurated His mission with forty days of being alone, (yes communion with the Father) in a wilderness. You would think He would’ve spent time strategizing about vision, values, mission, and obviously develop a business plan. Actually, someone did approach Him with some unique development ideas of how He could better accomplish His mission. He quickly dispensed with that salesman.

But it raises a question. What did He do then for forty days? Isn’t one’s time valuable? It seems like forty days of “doing nothing” is somewhat of a waste! I believe the temptations were at the end of his forty days. So, it raises questions and for me a word about how I spend time.

Did He feel the angst of needing to get something done? After all, the world needed Him. Did He take hikes? Did he pray? Obvious answer. Did He think about stuff? Did He throw rocks at critters? What did He do in His waking moments?

I’m leading to this. I actually find great comfort and joy in His forty days. How many times do we read in Scripture…wait for the Lord (Ps. 27:14)? Waiting can feel like forty days. I find great faith and hope from His forty days that my labor for the Lord is never in vain (I. Corinthians 15:58). Daily time in His presence is never a waste of time. Attending church, Bible studies, prayer meetings, retreats, camps, are forty days. A lifetime of walking with Him is forty days. Every day with Jesus should be sweeter than the day before.

I believe Jesus enjoyed these forty days! Even without food. Go figure. I don’t believe He was looking at His watch and wondering: when will this end? He may’ve hoped He could spend another forty-day session once He started being around others! Who knows? What we can know is nothing done with Him, for Him, or from Him is a waste of time. We need our forty days. We always need to allow Him to fill our days with His glory.

Blessings,

Pastor Ross

04/03/2025

Dear congregation:
I am writing this to encourage you to pray and consider our Lenten Retreat. . .Sunday, April 13th (Palm Sunday) 1- 6pm. Many of you have attended in the past and received much from the Lord. Many of you have seen the announcement and wondered: "Is this for me?" Or thought: "I can't afford the time!" Trust me, time spent in Jesus' presence reflecting on Him and what it means to follow Him is certainly time well spent! Our theme this year is "Following Jesus with our cross" from Mark 8:34.

What do we do? We listen to brief presentations on different topics around this theme; we spend time alone with Jesus; we spend time in small groups; we spend time as a larger group in worship and communion. There will be plenty of snacks and break times!

It helps if you sign up on purpose and not wait till the last minute! Sign up sheet is in Narthex; if you want us to sign you up, then please reply to this email.

God bless,
Pastor Ross

Address

218 N 34th Street
Billings, MT
59101

Telephone

+14062596546

Website

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