First Baptist Church Springfield

05/12/2026

Genuine Awareness

Are you aware of God's presence in your daily life?

1 Kings 17:8-16

If someone were to ask whether you’re aware of God, you would probably exclaim, “Of course I am! I go to church and read my Bible.” Now, let’s take it one step further: Are you aware of God’s presence in your daily life?

This second question makes it a bit more personal, doesn’t it? You might be thinking, I’m not sure. Am I really aware of God every minute of every day? We would like to have that constant appreciation, but it can be challenging. It requires us to ask some hard questions and make some necessary changes.

During hard times, we often pray harder and longer, crying, “Help me! Give me strength!” Or perhaps, “I believe this” or “I can do that.” Do you notice the common factor? The focus is on self, leaving the Lord out of the matter; we’ve zeroed in on the problem and wish for the ability to handle it on our own. This mindset can in effect make us blind to how God may be working.

There are occasions when the Lord makes Himself impossible to ignore, like the time He provided manna, making it “rain bread from heaven” (Exodus 16:4). But more often than not, God reveals Himself to us in small ways, moment by moment—as He did with the widow’s oil and flour that never ran out. Starting today, be on the lookout for evidence of Him working in your life

05/05/2026

“As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

04/30/2026

04/21/2026

The devil's oldest trick hasn't changed.
It started in the Garden with one simple question — "Did God really say...?" A seed of doubt planted in the mind of Eve. And it worked so well, he's still using it today.

Here's the hard truth about spiritual warfare: the battlefield is your mind. The enemy knows that if he can control your thoughts, he's halfway to controlling your actions.

"Sow a thought. Reap an act. Sow an act. Reap a character. Sow a character. Reap a destiny."

What starts in your mind doesn't stay there.
So how do we fight back? The same way Jesus did — with the Word of God. When the devil came at Him three times in the wilderness, Jesus answered every single attack with Scripture. And every single time, the enemy had no defense.

"I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." — Psalm 119:11
The Word of God isn't just something you read. It's a weapon you carry. And when you know how to use it — the enemy doesn't stand a chance.

04/09/2026

The Desires of Your Heart

When we make loving God our highest priority, He transforms our desires to match His perfect will for us.

Psalms 37:4-7

God wants to be the passion of every believer’s life. If we claim to love the Lord, our connection with Him should have priority over everything else. Yet we often miss the true message of Psalm 37:4 by wrongly assuming the verse means we can get what we want.
In context, that scripture reveals the Lord’s principle for purifying our desires, and it issues a call for devotion to Him. To delight in the Lord means to take pleasure in discovering more about Him and following His will. This leads to the Holy Spirit aligning our heart’s desires with God’s, which always puts us in position to experience His blessings.
When we commit our way to God, we allow our thoughts, goals, and lifestyle to be shaped by His will and the things He loves. In other words, we acknowledge His right to determine whether our longing fits His plan. If we rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him, then we will rely on Him to work out circumstances, even when the desire He’s given us seems impossible.
If we make God our first love (Matthew 6:33), our heart will become focused on making His glory known in our life through obedience. And when we’re aligned with our Father’s will, He’ll give us our heart’s desires in His time. That’s the picture of fulfillment, isn’t it? We’ll simply have no need for anything else.

04/03/2026

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 3:16