First Baptist Church

First Baptist Church Pastor: Rex Shope
Deacons: Neal Gracey, Alan Peterson, Jeff Shope, Deane Park(honorary)

First Baptist Church of Three Springs PA
Our history dates back to the early 1850s when a Baptist Sunday School was started in Scottsdale (present day Three Springs). An outgrowth of revival meetings at the Shirleysburg Baptist Church, we were formally organized as a church on November 3, 1859. Our church has from its beginning been affiliated with the Centre Baptist Association and the American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware.

06/20/2026

Happy “Resolute” Weekend, Everyone!

1 Samuel 18; 20; 2 Samuel 1; 2 Samuel 21.

Jonathan and David, now that is a friendship that still thunders across the centuries. When you say, “resolute friends,” you’re naming exactly what Scripture highlights: a loyalty that didn’t wobble even when the world around them did. WE saw this kind of friendships this week at Bible School with children of all ages. But what about this word, resolute? It means steadfast and purposeful.

Ok, what made their friendship so resolute? Covenant, not convenience. They didn’t just “get along.” They bound themselves to each other before God. That’s why 1 Samuel says “Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” Costly loyalty. Jonathan defended David even when it meant standing against his own father’s rage. That’s not small. That’s backbone. Shared reverence for God’s purposes. Jonathan wasn’t threatened by David’s calling. He celebrated it. He even said, “You will be king… and I will be next to you.” That’s humility with steel in it. Emotional honesty. When they parted, they wept together. These weren’t stoic, distant men. They were brothers in spirit.

Soooooooooooooooooooooo, why their friendship still matters is because it shows what “godly friendship” looks like when life gets complicated. It’s loyalty without flattery, courage without rivalry, love without conditions, and truth without fear.

It’s the kind of friendship every person hopes for and every generation needs. WE saw much of this friendship this week in vacation Bible School as several dozens of children and adults of all ages shared friendship and the love of God with each other; therefore, if you would like to continue, and you don’t have a church, join with us here at FBC of Three Springs PA.

Bless your week and bless your friendships, amen.
Deacon Neal

Vacation Bible School 2026Emerald CrossingFirst Baptist Three Springs PA
06/18/2026

Vacation Bible School 2026
Emerald Crossing
First Baptist Three Springs PA

06/15/2026

VBS
Three Springs Baptist Church
9:30-11:30
15th-19th

06/08/2026

Happy “Supplicant” Weekend, Everyone!
1 Samuel 1:9-25
“Hannah conceived because she asked the Lord for a child”
1 Samuel 1:20 (paraphrase)

This week a woman by the name of Hannah teaches us how a true “supplicant” approaches God. First of all, A supplicant is not someone who begs without hope, but someone who brings their deepest ache to the God who hears our prayers.

Hannah’s sorrow did not push her away from God but toward Him, as it should you and me. She approached God with “holy desperation” that is, a heart aware of its need. Are there times of anxiety or stress when you aren’t sure exactly what you need from God? I have felt that way before, as well. When that happens, sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is simply stand up again and walk toward the Lord with what is hurting you, whether pain or stress and anxiety or a financial downturn, or a relationship issue.

Have you ever made God a promise that if He would do one thing, you would do another? Sometimes we try to bargain with God, don’t we? You see, in this lesson, Hannah’s vow is not a bargain; it is surrender. She is not trying to get something from God; she is offering the very thing she longs for back to Him.
Friends, Hannah’s explanation is one of the most beautiful self-descriptions in Scripture: “I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit… I have poured out my soul before the Lord.” That’s what God wants from us, …our souls, our spirits,…poured out!

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, A supplicant doesn’t hide their soul, they pour it out. God cannot fill what we refuse to empty. May I help with a hint? Faith does not always remove the burden, but it lifts the heart so the burden no longer crushes us. I have found that in most situations the “supplicant” receives peace before they receive the answer.

This will be a great SS taught by Deacon Jeff Shope. Do you remember what Hannah prayed for; a child. God remembers Hannah. Samuel is born. And Hannah does the unthinkable, she gives him back. This is the mark of a true supplicant: They hold God’s gifts with open hands. We learn in the lesson that spiritual maturity is measured not by what we receive, but by what we release.

Hannah’s greatest act of faith was not praying for a son, although that was very important, but it was giving him back. Think about that. Does God give us things or blessings to see if we will give them back to Him, knowing that everything we have came from Him anyway? Hmmm, interesting!

See you in Sunday School and don’t forget that next week is Vacation Bible School. Have a great and blessed week!

Deacon Neal

06/05/2026

Happy “Dutiful” Weekend, Everyone! June 7, 2026

Judges 4:4-10; 14, 21-22.

Hello all. I almost forgot to write a devotional for this week’s Sunday School lesson that I am privileged to teach this Sunday in Sunday School. I was told that being retired proves to you that before you retire, you barely had time to work because there was so much else to do. Lol. I now agree. So, let’s get into it…

In this lesson, Israel is oppressed by Jabin, king of Canaan, and his military commander Sisera. Into this moment God raises Deborah, a prophetess and judge, wise, steady, and Spirit‑led.

Why did God rise up Deborah, a woman, to lead Israel? The short answer: God raised up Deborah because Israel needed a leader who would listen to Him when no one else would. Her gender was not a barrier to God; it was part of His message. Judges 4 opens with a spiritual vacuum. Israel had: No king; No strong male leadership stepping forward; and A nation spiritually drifting away. “When God cannot find men with courage, He sometimes uses women who have both faith and courage.” There are a lot of Christian Cowardly men in churches today. They come from the tribe of “I-cants!” and they live across the river from the tribe of “I-won’ts!”

Deborah’s rise was not God overturning His design for male leadership, it was God’s rebuking Israel’s failure to produce faithful men. Deborah fits this pattern: God will use the willing, not merely the expected. He doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called! Amen!

Friends, Deborah was fully called, qualified, and strong with courage. Look at most local churches. Many men are qualified but don’t volunteer.

I remember about thirty-some years ago, a man said that when he retires, that’s when he will go to Bible Study. Well, he lived 15 more years and never went once.

Deborah summons Barak, instructing him to lead Israel’s army. Barak agrees but hesitates, …asking Deborah to go with him. Deborah consents but warns that the honor of victory will go to a woman.

God routs Sisera’s army, and Sisera flees to the tent of Jael, who ultimately kills him. God uses two women, one public, one private, to accomplish His deliverance.
Soooooooooooooooooooooooo, I’ll finish my devotion with this verse… “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Why this verse? It’s for an example. I believe that the “Christian Parallel” to this lesson is that we are called to be ruthless with sin, but not with people.

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you…” (Col. 3:5)
Jael’s hammer and tent peg become her tool for decisive holiness.
EXAMPLE: I believe that two of Pastor Rex’s greatest tools right now are the Pulpit and his wife! What's Yours? Jael used what she had, where she was. Churches need people to use the skills and resources they have for the building of God’s Kingdom. Why are so many local churches failing today? Well, ...look in the mirror.

Jael wasn’t a soldier. She didn’t have a sword. She used the tools of her everyday life. That’s what God calls us to do! What are you doing to further the Kingdom of God? Amen. See you in SS 9:00.

Deacon Neal

05/26/2026

Happy “Community” Weekend, Everyone! May 31, 2026
Matthew 28:18-20; Hebrews 10:22-25.
“Let us holdfast the profession of our faith without wavering (for He is faithful that promised)” --- Hebrews 10:23.

Hello, hope everybody had a blessed Memorial Day Weekend. In this week’s devotional and in Sunday School we learn that Jesus doesn’t send you out alone or underpowered. He sends you out with His authority, with His presence, and with a mission that grows you as you obey it.

I have learned that before Jesus gives a command, He gives a foundation. He doesn’t say, “Try your best.” He says, “All authority… is Mine.” Jesus roots the Great Commission in His sovereignty, not our skill. And this authority means Jesus is not merely requesting obedience, He is empowering it.

Friends, there are too many times that we try to do things in our own power and fail, wondering …“where is Jesus?” You don’t step into ministry or anything spiritual with your résumé. You step in under the banner of the risen King. When you teach, encourage, pray, serve, or witness, you do so reinforced by the One who conquered death. That’s why even small acts of obedience carry eternal weight. Remember friends, the Great Commission is not a task to complete, it is a life to be lived!

Soooooooooooooooooooooo, in our Hebrews section of scripture the writer doesn’t say “Try harder.” He says, “draw near.” Not to a faraway God. Not to a God who is disappointed in you. But to a God who, because of Christ, welcomes you with a cleansed conscience and a washed heart.

The Bible “calls” us to Hold Fast. To What? To the Confession of Hope! Why? Because He Who promised is faithful. Thinking back to my old job I can truly say that, “My grip may slip but His promise does not. When we read “Let us consider one another,” I think this is the most countercultural part of the verses because the world says, “Look out for yourself.” Scripture says: “Look out for one another.” The phrase “stir-up” literally means to provoke or to nudge, inspire, or awaken love and good works in others.

What does that mean for me and you? It means, …Someone in your church needs your encouragement. Someone in your family needs your presence. Someone in your circle of friends needs your faithfulness.

You and I don’t gather because we are perfect. We gather because we are in progress, and so is everyone else. Many “Christians” assemble because of God, many “Almost Christians” don’t assemble because of themselves.

See you Sunday as Pete leads us through this lesson.
Deacon Neal

05/20/2026

Happy “Rhythms” Weekend, Everyone!
Mark 2:18-28
“The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath”

What a blessing this lesson will be in Sunday School. In it we find that Jesus teaches that His presence changes everything—our fasting, our rhythms, our rest, and our understanding of what God truly desires. He is not an addition to the old life; He is the Bridegroom, the New Wine, and the Lord of the Sabbath.

The disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting, but Jesus’ disciples were feasting. This bothered the religious crowd. They wanted to know why Jesus didn’t fit their mold.

Jesus answers with a picture: “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?”

I believe that Jesus is saying, “You don’t fast at a wedding—you celebrate.” I also think that Jesus is declaring Himself the Centerpiece of Joy, the One Israel has been waiting for.

There are times for fasting, but the Christian life is not defined by gloom. It is defined by the presence of Christ. When He is near, joy is appropriate. When He seems distant, aching is appropriate. Both are worship.

Jesus is not an “add-on” to our old ways of thinking, living, or performing. He brings a new covenant, a new heart, a new Spirit, and a new way of relating to God. We cannot pour the life of Christ into old habits, old pride, old self-sufficiency, or old religious performance. He reshapes us from the inside out. He makes us new creations, or as the Bible states, New Creatures!

Soooooooooooooooooooooooo, let me bring this devotional home before class by saying that Jesus brings joy where religion brings pressure.

If your walk with God feels heavy, ask: “Am I walking with the Bridegroom, or am I trying to impress the Pharisees, meaning myself or others for attention?” Jesus brings newness where we cling to the old. Where is He asking you to let go of an old wineskin, an old habit, an old fear, an old way of thinking? Jesus brings rest where the world brings exhaustion.

The Sabbath is not a rule to keep; it is a gift to receive. Are you ready to get your life back into rhythm?

See you in Sunday School, the best class you’ll ever attend.
Deacon RNGracey

05/13/2026

Happy “Justice” Weekend, Everyone!
Deuteronomy 24:14-21; Ephesians 6:5-9; 1 Timothy 6:17-19
Paraphrase: “Help the poor, the fatherless, the stranger, and the widow: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all thy work of thine hands.”

Biblical justice is not merely about fairness, it is the active, compassionate use of power, position, and possessions to protect, uplift, and dignify others.

This theme runs like a golden thread through Moses, Paul, and the early church. I learned a long time ago that just because people have the same job in the field, no matter what the occupation, they do not necessarily have the same bank accounts. There are poor and not so poor people working together all the time. I’ve also learned that the poorer laborer is not a “resource” he is a brother or sister made in God’s image.

The Bible teaches these lessons all through scripture by explaining the reason for leaving crops at the edges of the fields for gleaning. In that culture, a day’s wage meant that day’s food and God hears the cries of the oppressed. Justice is not optional; it is covenantal. It’s about choosing not to squeeze every drop of profit so someone else can live.

The Apostle Paul addresses the ancient household system, not by endorsing it, but by transforming it from the inside out. Friends, the workplace is a small mission field where the aroma of Christ should be unmistakable. Does your work ethic include loving others, and assisting a co-worker where its needed? We must treat employees, coworkers, and volunteers as we want to be treated, not as instruments.

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, in 1Timothy, Paul now speaks to the wealthy, not to shame them, but to redirect them. We must remember that wealth is not condemned; arrogance and misplaced hope are. Generosity is not charity; it is participation in God’s character. “Storing up treasure” reframes giving as an eternal investment. I am so glad that my wife and I have learned that generosity is the Christian’s retirement plan in the kingdom economy. That we need to hold our possessions with an open hand. We must practice “ready generosity” not reactive, but pre-decided giving while at the same time asking: Does my giving reflect gratitude or guilt?

I remember that my grandma used to give so much to charity and she never had much to give. When asked why because she didn’t really know where all the money went, said, “God knows where the money goes and He knows who gave it and why they gave.” She taught me a great lesson!

Friends, justice is not merely legal, it is moral, relational, and compassionate. Whether you have wealth, authority, or influence, God expects you to use it for good. It is the outward expression of inward righteousness.

So I will finish my devotional with these few questions for you to ponder before class:
Where are you tempted to “harvest to the edges” of your life, or not?
How does your workplace reveal your view of Christ?
What does generosity reveal about your trust in God?
Who in your life is “crying out” for justice or compassion?
Friends, let this lesson reveal that justice is love with “work boots on.” Amen.
Deacon Neal

1st John 2:19. “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would...
05/05/2026

1st John 2:19. “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” -

John is saying: Their departure revealed their true nature. They didn’t “lose” salvation—they never possessed it. Their leaving exposed that their connection to the church was external, not internal.

“Continuance is the signature of genuine faith. Departure is the revelation of counterfeit faith.”

In this context, Paul’s description of running the race until the end is so much clearer!

When people leave the faith, it doesn’t ruin them, perse’ …it reveals them.

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8655 Hudson Street
Three Springs, PA
17264

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