First Baptist Church of Clemson

05/31/2026

Worship for the Members and Friends of First Baptist Clemson May 31, 2026

05/25/2026

Along the Way…Celebrations

Our church staff meetings take place on Tuesday mornings. We begin each meeting by sharing celebrations from the previous week or weekend. These celebrations can be directly related to our church ministries, or they can be of a personal nature. I added celebrations to our meeting agenda early in my tenure because I think it is important to find joy or moments to celebrate each week. Life and ministry are difficult and there are always plenty of problems and struggles to deal with. It’s easy to get stuck dwelling on the bad rather than finding and celebrating the good. In Philippians 4:8, Paul says, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Paul knew that whatever our minds are consumed with will eventually shape our thoughts.

My celebration for this week’s staff meeting is/was (depending on when you read this) the commitment expressed by our congregation during this past Sunday’s worship service. Part of our Pentecost celebration was encouraging our congregants to celebrate the birthday of the church by coming forward during the offering time to make a commitment to our capital campaign and to indicate the areas of church ministry in which they will seek to serve. This can be a precarious moment for a minister as we wait to see how the congregation will respond, especially on a holiday weekend when attendance is usually lower. I watched with joy, however, as the spirit moved among us and one by one, people filled the aisles and expressed their commitment to serving God through First Baptist Clemson. As I said a silent prayer of thanks, I thought of Philippians 1:3-6, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

I invite you to join me in celebrating all the ways God blesses our lives and our church. Let’s commit ourselves to being a people of joy because as Jesus says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:11-12

Grace,
Rusty

05/24/2026

Worship for the Members and Friends of First Baptist Clemson May 24, 2026

05/23/2026

05/18/2026

Along the Way…Distorted Vision

I arrived at my favorite coffee shop to enjoy a bite of breakfast and do some devotional reading and sermon tweaking. When I went to pay, I reached for my glasses and realized I had left them at home. I’ve never had prescription glasses, but I do depend on my readers. Without them, I can’t see much up close. While I enjoyed my breakfast and was able to read over my sermon because I could increase the font to 26 point, my other reading plans were derailed.

As I sat there frustrated over forgetting my glasses, and not being about to read without them, it occurred to me that we often see life with distorted vision leaving us unable to see clearly what’s really important. The world loves to tell us or show us how we should “see things,” rather than allowing us to bring our vision to light. For example, social media shows us what appears to be the happy lives of our peers often leaving us to see our lives as less fulfilling or unaccomplished. Likewise, advertising shows us all the ways we could be happy and satisfied if only we had the right vehicle, the right clothes, or the right house. In essence, we are told to look at how insufficient our possessions are and then see what life could be like if only we bought in.

The truth is, distorted vision has been a problem since the beginning of time. In Genesis chapter 3, scripture says Adam and Eve had the perfect life in the Garden of Eden. Then the crafty serpent convinced them that God was keeping something from them and showed them how pleasing the fruit of the forbidden tree was to their eyes. One look with distorted vision ended their garden bliss.

Fast forwarded thousands of years, and Jesus says in Matthew 6:19-22, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.” In other words, if we see life through the lens of Jesus, we will see clearly what has lasting value rather than that which is temporary albeit usually shiny and pleasing to the eye.

After forgetting my glasses, I decided I had better keep an extra pair in my car and in my briefcase, so I can read the things that help me see life clearly.

Grace,
Rusty

05/13/2026

Find the old sanctuary in this picture!

05/11/2026

Along the Way…Time and Distance

I left my house on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. and arrived at my parent's house in Powhatan, Virginia, (just outside Midlothian) at 7:15 p.m. I knocked on my parent's door and surprised my mom for Mother’s Day. I had not seen my parents since before Christmas, in part because I live in Clemson, SC, and it seems like a long way, so it’s easy to justify not making the drive. But the reality is, in seven hours I made the drive and created a lasting memory. I woke that morning in Clemson, taught and preached at church, then drove, and still had several hours to visit before retiring to sleep in Virginia.

In reflecting on this trip, it occurred to me that we usually let way too much time pass between visits with family and friends. We think the distance between us is prohibitive. But the truth is, in just a few hours we can cover several states and enrich relationships. As much as we complain about traffic and highway delays, our highway system is amazing and affords us easy and quick travel. I have come to realize that the problem isn’t time and distance, it’s simply prioritizing our time and keeping distance in perspective. Another reality is that time passes quickly and relationships do not last forever. In “no time,” we can leave our house and spend time with people we love.

How long has it been since you went to visit friends and family? My guess is that too much time has passed. I also suspect that you could find the time and drive the distance in a few hours. One of the pieces of information we’ve heard through the years on the radio and local TV is, “the time and temperature are…” Perhaps it would be more beneficial each day if we heard, “the time and distance between visits are…!”

Grace,
Rusty

05/10/2026

Worship for the Members and Friends of First Baptist Clemson May 10, 2026