FBC Van Alstyne

Matthew was a tax collector, which made him very unpopular with the Jewish people. But Jesus saw value in Matthew and called him to follow. Matthew responded to the call and brought his friends – mostly tax collectors and “sinners” – to Jesus.  When the religious leaders of the day criticized Jesus for associating with […]

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Many people claim that as long as you are sincere in your beliefs you will be okay. But in reality, you can be sincere, but be sincerely wrong. Nathanael was sincerely wrong. He had studied the scriptures and the prophecies about the Messiah, but his prejudices almost caused him to miss the Messiah’s call to follow. Through this […]

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Thomas is known for his initial doubt of Jesus’ resurrection, but Philip had a habit of questioning what Jesus could do.  He was probably pragmatic and pessimistic, a “bean-counter.” Throughout the book of John, we see Philip’s divine encounter with Christ, his doubtful expression of what God could do, and his disappointing exclamation about what Jesus […]

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The deaths of Jesus’ disciples provides a powerful testimony to the truth of their message.  Not all scholars agree on the details of some of the ways the disciples died, but they agree on the reason for their deaths: They were unwavering and unrelenting in their claim to have seen Christ die and to have […]

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The apostle John was probably the youngest of the disciples, possibly still a boy. In his youth, he was zealous and sometimes acted rashly. But John aged well. As he matured, he didn’t become bitter, he became better. The whole teaching of love by John is vibrant, with the deep heart-knowledge of one who has explored […]

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James was not well-known in scripture.  When he is mentioned, he is always paired with his brother John.  John was the disciple whom Jesus loved.  James may have been the disciple who loved Jesus. He was passionate, but Jesus helped him direct his zeal and become a driving force for the gospel.  

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Andrew was included in the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples along with Peter, his brother, and John.  Andrew’s name means “manly.”  His life and testimony show us what a real man is.   Real men love Jesus. Real men bring others to Jesus. Real men live for Jesus.  Andrew didn’t seek the spotlight.  He served […]

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One of the things that makes the disciples so great to study is that they were human. They had failures as well as victories. They had weaknesses as well as strengths. Peter is a prime example. John MacArthur calls Peter, "The disciple with the foot-shaped mouth. Peter was impetuous, but the Lord used Peter to accomplish some extraordinary things. In this message, Pastor Mike walks us through Peter's initial step of faith, his inconsistent walk of faith, and his incredible leap of faith.

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Jesus chose twelve men from among His followers to be apostles.  He poured his life into these twelve men – teaching and transforming them into people who would change the world.  In this series, titled Follow Me, Pastor Mike will look at each disciple individually and examine his impact as well as what we can learn […]

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There are events in our lives that change everything in our world.  Starting school, starting high school, starting college,  moving away from home, getting married, having children – these are events that change everything. Easter Sunday culminated a week that changed everything.  1 Corinthians 15, often referred to as the “resurrection chapter,” stresses the importance […]

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