FBC Van Alstyne

Jesus said that the world would know we are his disciples by our love for one another.  But this love is more than just a brotherly love.  It is a godly love.  Peter reminds his readers that believers are to love one another from a pure heart. He emphasizes the importance of purity and obedience […]

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What does it mean to fear God?  Are we supposed to be afraid of God, or just approach Him with a sense of awe or holy reverence? In this massage from the Embassy Living series, Pastor Mike explains Peter’s admonishment to the early church to “conduct yourselves with fear,” and reminds us why we should fear […]

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Peter again reminds the church that we are not of this world.  Just as God is holy, we are to be holy, set apart for God’s purpose and His glory.  Yet we are surrounded by media that sends us mixed messages, and sometimes even lies. How do we prepare ourselves to live as aliens in […]

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In 1 Peter 1:3-12, the early church was reminded that although their earthly possessions may have been taken, they have an inheritance in heaven that cannot be taken away. The inheritance that Peter is writing about is not physical in nature, it is spiritual – imperishable, unfading, eternal. In Jesus we have a living hope: the eager, […]

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The book of 1 Peter was written to the early Church in the midst of persecution.  They were scattered throughout different regions and fearful.  In this first message in the series titled, Embassy Living, Pastor Mike relates Peter’s encouragement to the Church.  Christians are chosen by God, aliens in the world, known by the Father, […]

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We can learn much from the disciples by looking at their failures as well as their successes.  Judas Iscariot was chosen by Jesus to be one of the twelve, but he had the biggest failure of them all. Looking at Matthew 26:47-49 and 27:3-5, Pastor Mike shows us some things we can learn about Judas Iscariot, […]

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Teachers will often say that there are no dumb questions.  But some questions are better than others.   Judas (not Iscariot) asks a great question:  How is it that Jesus will manifest Himself to His followers and not to the world?  In essence, how will we know that our relationship with Jesus is a reality?   […]

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Simon was known as “the Zealot.” More than just being zealous, he was a member of a political faction known for being  ultra-conservative and very militaristic. They were considered radicals. Being known as a Zealot was not considered a compliment. Yet even though Simon was fired up for God and Country, and for his cause, he […]

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We know very little about James the Less apart from his name.  But his name tells us quite a bit.  He was probably smaller than the other disciples, possibly younger, likely to stay in the background.  But he was also one of twelve men that Jesus chose to change the world.  In this message, Pastor Mike explores more about […]

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The disciples were disillusioned and disappointed after Jesus’ death, until the resurrected Jesus appeared to them and encouraged them.  Thomas, however, missed that meeting. In fact, he is often known as “Doubting Thomas” because he doubted their testimony.  In this message Pastor Mike looks at the account from John 20:19-29 to uncover the cause of […]

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