First Baptist Church Haynesville

09/06/2026

A Service of Deacon Ordination
The Baptist Deacon: B.C. and A.D.
Acts 6:1-6 and 1Timothy 3:8-13
CCS Facilities/Streaming License #: 13493
CCLI License #20341410

09/06/2026

Are You Alright Today?

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

Here is a simple question I want to ask you today:

Are you alright?

Just me and you here. Nobody else is listening. You don’t have to put on a smile. You don’t have to give the answer everybody expects.

Are you really alright?

Naturally, I already know what many of us are going to say.

“I’m alright.”
“I’m good.”
“Everything’s fine.”

I know because I say those same words.

Someone asks, “How are you doing?” and before we even think about it, “I’m good” comes rolling out of our mouth.

But what if you’re not?

What if behind that smile is a heart that is exhausted?

What if you went to bed last night with something heavy on your mind and woke up this morning carrying the exact same thing?

What if you’re worried about your family, your marriage, your children, your health, your job, your church, your future or something you haven’t even told anybody about?

Sometimes we keep saying “I’m alright” because we wonder, Who really wants to hear about my worries? Who wants to hear about my problems? Everybody else has enough going on.

So we carry it.

And we get really good at carrying it.

That is what makes “Are you alright?” such a complicated question. It sounds like it should have a simple yes-or-no answer, but sometimes there is an entire story hiding behind the word “fine.”

Maybe today you need permission to admit:

No. I’m really not alright today.

And do you know what? You can tell God that.

You don’t have to clean up your emotions before you pray. You don’t have to pretend with Him. He already knows about the tears you haven’t cried, the thoughts keeping you awake, the disappointment you’re trying to hide, and the hurt you haven’t found words for yet.

Jesus said:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Notice He didn’t say, “Come to Me when you get yourself together.”

He said come.

Come tired.
Come worried.
Come confused.
Come disappointed.
Come hurting.
Come when you don’t even know how to explain what is wrong.

Sometimes the most honest prayer we can pray is simply:
“Father, I’m not alright today. I need You.”

And maybe that is where healing begins not by pretending everything is okay, but by finally being honest enough to place what isn’t okay into the hands of the One who loves us.

And there is another side to this devotion.

Ask somebody else today.

Not the casual, “Hey, how are you?” as you keep walking.

Stop.

Look at them.

“Are you alright?”

And if they hesitate, give them enough time to tell you the truth.

Because sometimes the person saying “I’m good” the loudest is silently hoping somebody cares enough to ask them twice.

Summary
We have become very good at saying “I’m alright” even when we’re not. But God isn’t asking us to pretend. He invites us to bring Him the worry, hurt, exhaustion, fear, and heaviness we have been carrying. You may not be alright today but you don’t have to carry today alone.

Something to Think About
Take away the automatic answer for a moment.

Are you alright today?

Not what you want everyone else to believe.
Not what you think you’re supposed to say.

Are you really alright?

And if the answer is no, what have you been carrying that you need to finally tell God about?

Then ask yourself one more question:

Who around me might be saying “I’m alright” when what they really need is someone to notice they’re not?

09/05/2026

What If We Believed God’s Words Like We Believe Theirs?

Have you ever had one of those days when somebody says something good about you, and it lifts you up more than you expected?

Maybe they tell you, “You did a great job.”

Or, “I appreciate you.”

Or maybe it’s simply, “I’m proud of you.”

And suddenly, your whole day feels different.

You walk a little taller. You smile a little more. Things that would normally get on your nerves don’t bother you quite as much. You’re practically walking around on cloud nine because somebody noticed you, appreciated you, or reminded you that what you’re doing matters.

I got to thinking about that.

Why can’t we be like that with Jesus?

Why can one compliment from another person stay in our minds all day, but we sometimes struggle to hold onto the promises God has given us?

Think about what God has already told us.

He tells us that He loves us.

He tells us that He will never leave us.

He tells us not to be afraid because He is with us.

He tells us that when we are weary, we can come to Him and find rest.

He tells us that He has a purpose for our lives.

He tells us that nothing can separate us from His love.

Those aren’t just nice words meant to make us feel better for a few minutes. Those are promises from the One who created us.

Yet sometimes I can let one person’s praise put me on cloud nine, while one person’s criticism can send me straight to the ground.

Maybe that’s where I need to change my thinking.

My joy shouldn’t depend completely on what somebody says about me today. My confidence shouldn’t rise when someone praises me and disappear when someone doesn’t notice me.

I need to remember what Jesus has already said.

People’s words can encourage us and we should encourage one another but God’s Word can sustain us.

People may forget to tell you they appreciate you.

People may overlook what you have done.

People may even misunderstand you.

But God doesn’t.

So the next time someone’s kind words make your whole day, enjoy them. Thank God for that encouragement. But then stop and ask yourself:

If those few words made me feel this good, what would happen if I truly started believing everything God says about me?

Maybe we wouldn’t just walk on cloud nine for a day.

Maybe we would walk differently every day because we know who walks with us.

Scripture

Isaiah 41:10
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee…”

Hebrews 10:23
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”

Summary
A compliment can brighten our day, but God’s promises can strengthen our lives. Human encouragement feels wonderful, but it comes and goes. God’s Word doesn’t change. Instead of allowing our worth and joy to depend on what people say or don’t say let’s learn to hold onto what Jesus has already spoken. The One who made the promise is faithful.

Something to Think About
If one person’s encouraging words can change the way you feel for an entire day, imagine what could change if you started every morning believing the promises of God.

Whose words are carrying the most weight in your heart today theirs or His?

09/04/2026

🎙️ When God Turns an Idea Into a Step of Faith

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together… but encouraging one another.” Hebrews 10:24–25

Sometimes God starts something with nothing more than a conversation.

That’s really how Straight Talk from Solid Ground began.

Hollie and I started talking about the idea of a podcast two ordinary women sitting down, having honest conversations about life, faith, struggles, laughter, family, and what it means to keep our feet planted on the solid ground of Jesus Christ.

And somehow that conversation turned into, “Well… why don’t we actually do it?” 😂

So we did.

Today we are excited and maybe just a little nervous to share our very first episode of Straight Talk from Solid Ground.

For our first conversation, we thought the best place to begin was simply by letting you get to know us.

We share a little about who April and Hollie are, where we came from, and some of the people who helped shape the women we have become. We talk about our grandmothers, Ruth Hutto and Hazel Huff, the lessons they left behind, and the importance of the legacy we are leaving for the generations coming after us.

Because legacy isn’t just what people remember about us someday. Legacy is what we’re pouring into people right now. And that leads directly to why we’re doing this podcast.

We aren’t doing this because we’re professional speakers. We’re certainly not professional podcasters. 😂 We’re learning microphones, recording, editing, and everything else as we go.

So will it be perfect? Nope.

Will we stumble over words? Probably.

Will there be things we learn to do better with each episode? Absolutely.

But our prayer isn’t for perfection.

Our prayer is for purpose.

If one conversation encourages someone…

If one Scripture reaches someone at exactly the right moment…

If someone who feels alone realizes they’re not…

If one person is reminded to keep going, keep praying, keep trusting, and keep their life planted on the solid ground of Jesus… then it will be worth it.

Maybe that’s something all of us need to remember today.

Sometimes we wait until we’re completely ready before we’re willing to take the step God has placed in front of us.

But maybe God isn’t asking for perfect.

Maybe He’s simply asking for willing.

Hollie and I are definitely new at this. We know we have plenty to learn. But please know that our intentions and our hearts behind Straight Talk from Solid Ground are genuine: to encourage one another, share biblical truth, have honest conversations, and ultimately point people toward Jesus.

So here we go. Episode 1 : Our Story and The Legacy We Leave

We hope you’ll listen, laugh with us, overlook our rookie moments 😂, and most importantly, walk away encouraged.

Something to Think About
What are you pouring into the people around you today that will become part of the legacy you leave tomorrow?

And maybe there’s something God has been nudging you to do that you’ve been putting off because you don’t feel ready.

You don’t have to be perfect to begin.

You just have to be willing to take the first step.

— April & Hollie
🎙️ Straight Talk from Solid Ground

🎙️ HOW TO LISTEN:
Click the picture/link below, then look under our picture and click the box that says “Episode 1” to start listening. ▶️

We’re new at this, so we want to make sure nobody misses it! ❤️ We hope you’ll listen, share it with someone, and join us as we begin this new journey with Straight Talk from Solid Ground.

Welcome to the very first episode of Straight Talk from Solid Ground! In this episode, April Griner and Hollie Aaron introduce themselves, share a little of their stories, and talk about the women who helped shape their lives and faith. Through memories, laughter, and honest conversation, they refle...

09/03/2026

When Your Mind Won’t Stop

Scripture: Matthew 11:28
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Have you ever closed your eyes because your body is exhausted, but your mind apparently didn’t get the memo?

You’re lying there trying to sleep, but your thoughts are running in every direction. You’re thinking about what happened today, what you should have said, what you need to do tomorrow, what might happen next week, and things that probably won’t ever happen at all.

Sometimes the hardest part about resting isn’t getting our body to be still t’s getting our mind to be still.

But here’s something I have to remind myself:

God is already in tomorrow.

I don’t have to have everything figured out tonight.

God knows I certainly don’t.

There are times when my thoughts get so cluttered with work, responsibilities, people, problems, decisions, church, family, and everything happening around me that I have to stop and pray:

“Father, please help me. Give me peace and ease my mind. Don’t let all these outside things clutter my thoughts until I feel overwhelmed. Help me give them to You.”

Maybe that’s why Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28 are so comforting. He doesn’t say, “Come to Me after you figure everything out.”

He simply says:
“Come unto me…”

Come tired.
Come overwhelmed.
Come confused.
Come with the racing thoughts.
Come with tomorrow’s worries.
Come with the things you cannot fix.

And then He promises, “I will give you rest.”

Sometimes I think I’m asking God to give me peace while I’m still holding tightly to everything that is stealing my peace.

Philippians 4:6–7 reminds us:
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God… shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Notice that last part our hearts and our minds.

God cares about the thoughts keeping you awake at night.

Psalm 4:8 says:
“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.”

Tonight, whatever is racing through your mind, remember this:

You don’t have to figure out tomorrow tonight.

God is already there.

Give Him the conversation you’re replaying.
Give Him the decision you haven’t made.
Give Him the person you’re worried about.
Give Him the situation you can’t control.
Give Him tomorrow.

Then ask Him to quiet the noise enough for you to hear the truth:

“Come to Me…and I will give you rest.”

Summary
We can become mentally exhausted trying to solve tomorrow’s problems before tomorrow even arrives. Jesus invites us to bring our burdens to Him instead of carrying them through the night. We may not know what tomorrow holds, but God does. Sometimes faith looks like closing our eyes and saying, “Lord, I can’t fix this tonight, so I’m trusting You with it.”

Something to Think About
What thought keeps circling through your mind that you need to stop carrying into tomorrow?

Before you close your eyes tonight, tell God exactly what it is.

Then remind yourself:

God is already in tomorrow. I don’t have to have it all figured out tonight.

09/02/2026

9.2.26 Wednesday Evening Service with Dr. Owen Bozeman "The New Heaven and Earth" Revelation 21

CCS Facilities/Streaming License #: 13493
CCLI License #20341410

09/02/2026

09/02/2026

Don’t Hand Them the Remote

Scripture:
Proverbs 16:32 “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.”

Have you ever had somebody say something that just poked you the wrong way?

Maybe it was their tone. Maybe it was a comment they made. Maybe they did something that irritated you, and before you knew it, you were ready to respond.

I know I have.

And if I’m being completely truthful, this is something I struggle with. When something bothers me, my first instinct is usually, “Okay, we need to deal with this.” I want to say something. I want to explain my side. I want to fix it. And sometimes I probably need to learn to just walk away.

Because I heard something recently that really got me thinking:

Anytime I react to somebody who poked me, I give that person control.

Think about that for a minute.

Someone else says or does something, and suddenly they are controlling my mood, my attitude, and maybe even what comes out of my mouth.

Why am I giving somebody else that much power?

The truth is, I cannot control what somebody else does. I can’t control what they say, how they act, whether they understand me, or whether they intentionally push my buttons.

But I can control my reaction.

That is where self-control comes in.

Galatians 5:22–23 reminds us that self-control is part of the fruit of the Spirit. And sometimes self-control isn’t about some huge temptation. Sometimes it simply looks like keeping your mouth shut when you have the perfect comeback.

Sometimes it means walking away.

Sometimes it means waiting until your emotions settle before answering.

And sometimes it means praying, “Lord, You better handle this one, because if I handle it right now, I might make a mess of it.”

James 1:19–20 says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

Notice Scripture doesn’t say we will never get angry. It tells us to be slow to anger.

There is a space between what somebody does and how we respond and I’m learning that space is important.

I don’t have to attend every argument I’m invited to.

I don’t have to correct everything.

I don’t have to defend myself every time I’m misunderstood.

And I certainly don’t need to hand someone else the remote control to my emotions.

Sometimes the strongest response isn’t saying something at all.

Sometimes the strongest response is walking away, praying about it, and deciding that somebody else’s behavior isn’t going to determine mine.

Summary
People are going to push our buttons. They will frustrate us, disappoint us, and sometimes even intentionally provoke us. We cannot control them, but through the Holy Spirit, we can learn to control our response.

Self-control isn’t weakness. Sometimes walking away takes far more strength than fighting back.

Something to Think About
Who has been holding the remote to your emotions lately?

The next time somebody pokes at you, before immediately reacting, ask yourself:

“Am I responding in a way that honors God, or am I allowing this person to choose my reaction for me?”

Maybe our prayer today needs to be:

“Lord, help me remember that I don’t have to react to everything. Give me wisdom to know when to speak, grace in how I respond, and strength to know when it’s better to simply walk away.”

09/01/2026

That Chapter Is Not Your Whole Story

Scripture:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” Isaiah 43:18–19

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to become obsessed with an old chapter of your life?

Maybe you’re living in chapter 15, but you’re still talking about what happened in chapter 3.

And sometimes other people do it to us too. They walk into our lives today, but they’ve heard about chapter 3. They know about the mistake. The failure. The bad decision. The broken relationship. The season when everything fell apart.

And suddenly, chapter 3 becomes the way they define the entire book.

But here’s what I want us to remember:

Chapter 3 happened but chapter 3 is not the whole story.

I’m not saying that chapter wasn’t painful. I’m not saying it didn’t change you. Some chapters leave scars. Some chapters change the way we think, trust, love, and even see ourselves.

But while we keep flipping backward, God is still writing forward.

God has been moving.

God has been working.

God has been orchestrating things you couldn’t see.

God has been healing places you thought would always hurt.

God has been growing you through things you once thought would destroy you.

And sometimes we’re standing in chapter 15 saying, “But God, look what happened back there!”

And maybe God is saying, “I know. But look where I have brought you since then.”

Think about Peter. Peter denied Jesus three times. That was a terrible chapter in his story. Imagine if Peter had decided, “Well, I denied Jesus. That’s who I am now. My story is over.”

But Jesus wasn’t finished with Peter.

There were more chapters.

There was restoration.

There was forgiveness.

There was Pentecost.

There was ministry.

There was purpose.

The man who once denied knowing Jesus became a man who boldly proclaimed Him.

Your worst chapter does not get to write the ending when God is holding the pen.

Maybe you made mistakes.

Maybe somebody hurt you.

Maybe you went through something you never thought you would survive.

Maybe your life looks completely different from the story you thought you would have.

Don’t pretend those chapters never happened. There may be lessons in those pages that God never wants you to forget.

But stop putting a period where God put a comma.

Keep turning the page.

Philippians 1:6 reminds us:
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Did you catch that?

God began a work.

And God is still carrying it on.

He isn’t finished.

So when someone tries to define you by chapter 3, you don’t have to argue with them. You can simply keep living chapter 15.

Let them watch what God writes next.

And when you are the one who keeps returning to that old chapter, remind yourself:

That happened to me.
That affected me.
God taught me through it.
But that chapter is not my whole story.

God is still writing.

And I have a feeling some of the best pages haven’t been turned yet.

Summary
We all have chapters we wish had been written differently. We shouldn’t deny them, because God can use even painful chapters to shape us. But we also shouldn’t allow one season, mistake, failure, or heartbreak to define our entire lives. The same God who was with us in chapter 3 is still working in chapter 15 and He isn’t finished writing our story.

Something to Think About
What old chapter do you keep rereading that God may be asking you to finally turn the page from?

Maybe today, instead of asking, “Why did that happen?” ask:

“God, what are You writing now?”

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:19

08/31/2026

Things I Need to Learn to Leave at the Feet of Jesus

Scripture:
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

We often say, “Give it to God,” like it’s easy.

But if I’m being honest, sometimes I give something to Jesus in prayer and pick it right back up before I even finish saying “Amen.”

I replay it. I rethink it. I worry about it. I try to fix it.

I’m learning there are some things I need to leave at the feet of Jesus.

The conversation I keep replaying.
Why did they say that? Why did I say that? What could I have done differently? I can learn from yesterday, but replaying it won’t change it.

The person who misunderstood me.
This one is hard. I want people to understand my heart and intentions. But sometimes they won’t. I can explain myself with love, but I cannot control someone else’s opinion of me. God knows my heart.

The future I’m afraid of.
I can create an entire future in my mind that hasn’t even happened. But Jesus reminds me:

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow.” Matthew 6:34

God is already in the tomorrow I’m worried about.

The outcome I desperately want.
Sometimes I don’t just pray I hand God my script. Lord, please make it happen this way.

Faith is learning to say, Lord, this is what I want, but I trust You even if Your answer looks different.

The thing I wish I could change.
A decision. A mistake. Something I said. Something someone else did. I cannot rewrite yesterday, but I can trust God with what comes next.

The grief I don’t know what to do with.
Grief isn’t always losing someone. Sometimes we grieve relationships that changed, children growing up, seasons ending, or places that don’t feel the same anymore.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” Psalm 34:18

The version of my life I thought I would have.

This one hits differently.

We all create a picture of how we think life will look. We picture certain people staying, relationships remaining the same, prayers being answered a certain way, and seasons lasting longer.

Then life changes.

People change. Children grow up. Relationships shift. Doors close. Seasons end before we’re ready.

Sometimes we’re grieving not only what happened, but what we thought would happen.

And I’m learning:
I cannot fully embrace the life God is giving me today while constantly holding onto the life I thought I was supposed to have.

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. It means I can say:

Jesus, this isn’t how I pictured it. There are things I miss and things I wish were different. But I trust You with the part of my story I haven’t seen yet.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

Maybe surrender isn’t something we do once.

Maybe sometimes we have to lay the same thing down every morning.

The conversation.
The person.
The fear.
The outcome.
The regret.
The grief.
The life we thought we would have.

Jesus, I’m leaving it at Your feet. Help me not to pick it back up.

Summary
Surrender doesn’t mean we stop caring. It means we trust Jesus enough to give Him what we cannot control. Some things can’t be changed, some people may never understand us, and some questions may remain unanswered but none of them are beyond God’s hands.

Something to Think About
What have you already given to Jesus but keep picking back up?

Maybe today isn’t about figuring it out.

Maybe it’s simply about laying it back at His feet and trusting Him enough to leave it there.