Andrea Skeens: "Anxiety can be overwhelming. And for some folks, their anxiety is so great that it affects their everyday life. It changes how they live and breathe and work and play. Paul suggests we turn our attention away from [our anxious thoughts] and focus instead on better things..."

Dr. Jim Somerville's "Talkback" from October 15, 2017. In this visit with the Agape class, discussions include the Spirit's role in the church today; listening for God and looking for signs; the Hubble Space Telescope and its likeness to spiritual retreat; the 2020 Vision process's traction in the church.

Jim Somerville: "Let's imagine for a moment, as some people do, that Jesus is talking [in this parable] about who gets into heaven. Getting into heaven is not a matter of being good enough or working hard enough or having perfect Sunday school attendance. It's a matter of accepting God's invitation..."

Dr. Jim Somerville's sermon to the children from Sunday, October 8, 2017.

Dr. Jim Somerville's "Talkback" from October 8, 2017. In this visit with the Esther class, discussions include the danger of narrow, judgmental Christianity; the purpose and importance of Jesus' life and ministry; the difference among the Gospel messages of John, Mark, and Paul; how you can help move the church forward when you don't have much energy.

Brett Holmes: "We misinterpret and misunderstand God because we aren't actually listening to God, but trying to use God to justify our already-decided beliefs. We are masters at trickery. We swap God for who we want God to be, and often we want ourselves to be God..."

Jim Somerville: "Is it possible that we have built a Christianity that no longer needs [Jesus]? If we talk about politics more than we talk about Jesus in our churches, if we voice our opinions more often than we sing his praises, if we find ourselves divided by the littlest things rather than united by the confession that 'Jesus is Lord,' then do we need to pray that God would make him the chief cornerstone again in our hearts and in our homes...?"

Roberta Damon: "I have come to the conclusion long ago that God is in the minutiae of church as well as the spectacular. When I think about a homeless person coming into First Baptist Church, taking a shower, leaving here with clean underwear and clean socks, having had a snack, carrying a cup of coffee, maybe that sounds like not a very big thing. But it's important, and it's God at work..."

Jim Somerville: "Sometimes I talk to people who agree that going to church is a good idea. They have respect for the Bible, and talk about it as God's word. They admire people who have deeply held religious convictions and live by them. They acknowledge that God probably is the one they will have to answer to in the end.  And yet they don't do anything about it..."

Dr. Jim Somerville's "Talkback" from October 1, 2017. In this visit with the Young Couples class, discussions include the relationship between our church, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship; how to talk to children about God's omnipresence; the Blessing of the Animals; discerning God's will from your own.