A man who had been blind from birth receives his sight. But as John 9 unfolds, we discover that the greater blindness in the chapter isn’t physical at all.

The man who could not see begins to recognize Jesus for who He truly is, while the religious leaders who were convinced they could see become increasingly blind to the truth standing right in front of them.

That raises an important question for every one of us:

Do we have eyes to see who Jesus really is?

Spiritual blindness isn’t always caused by a lack of knowledge. Sometimes it comes through pride, self-reliance, religious confidence, hardened hearts, or simply becoming so convinced that we are right that we are no longer willing to let God correct us.

The blind man could say one simple, powerful thing:

“One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” — John 9:25

In this episode of Rooted in God’s Word, we walk through John 9 and consider what spiritual blindness looks like, what causes it, and how we can guard our own hearts against it.

Our prayer should continually be:

“Lord, help me see what You see, believe what You say, and change what You show me is wrong.”

🎧 Join us for “Spiritual Blindness” — John Chapter 9, on Rooted in God’s Word.

#RootedInGodsWord #SpiritualBlindness #John9 #GospelOfJohn #JesusChrist #BibleStudy #GodsWord #Faith #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #OpenMyEyes #FollowJesus #FirstBaptistChurchOfHightstown

Today at First Baptist Church of Hightstown, we were blessed to hear a special message from our Worship Leader, Dr. Chris Peterson, titled “The Power of Worship.”

Teaching from Acts 16:1–40, Chris took us into the story of Paul and Silas and reminded us what can happen when God’s people choose worship even in the middle of hardship.

Paul and Silas had been beaten, imprisoned, and placed in chains. Yet at midnight, instead of surrendering to despair, they prayed and sang hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

Then God moved.

The prison was shaken.
The doors were opened.
The chains came loose.

And before the night was over, a jailer and his household heard the Gospel and believed in Jesus Christ.

That is a powerful picture of worship.

Worship is more than singing songs on Sunday morning. It is an expression of love, reverence, surrender, and devotion to God. It turns our attention from the prison around us to the God who is with us in the prison.

Chris also takes us to John 4:23–24, where Jesus tells us that the Father is seeking those who will worship Him “in spirit and truth.”

And in Luke 17:11–19, we see the healed leper return, fall at the feet of Jesus, and give Him praise. Ten received healing, but one returned in worship, and Jesus spoke of something deeper: his faith had made him well.

The invitation of this message is simple:

Become a worshiper.

Worship when things are good.
Worship when you are hurting.
Worship when the doors seem closed.
Worship when you cannot see what God is doing.
Worship because Jesus Christ is worthy.

And never underestimate what God may do while His people are praying, praising, and worshiping Him.

🎧 Join us for this special episode of Rooted in God’s Word: “The Power of Worship,” with Dr. Chris Peterson.

#PowerOfWorship #Worship #Acts16 #PaulAndSilas #SpiritAndTruth #JesusChrist #HolySpirit #PrayerAndPraise #Faith #FreedomInChrist #RootedInGodsWord #FirstBaptistChurchOfHightstown #FBCH #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #Gospel

📖 John 8:39–59 - Who is your Father?

This week on Rooted in God’s Word, we take a powerful look at one of Jesus’ most challenging conversations in the Gospel of John.

The people standing before Jesus claimed Abraham as their father. But Jesus challenged them to look deeper—not at their ancestry, religious identity, or what they claimed to believe, but at the condition of their hearts.

Who we belong to is revealed by what we love, what we believe, whose voice we listen to, and how we live.

Jesus exposes the difference between claiming to belong to God and truly belonging to Him. He confronts their pride, their rejection of truth, and ultimately reveals the spiritual allegiance behind their actions.

Then comes the stunning declaration:

“Before Abraham was, I am.”
— John 8:58

Jesus was not merely claiming to be another teacher or prophet. He was revealing His divine identity, and the response of those listening shows just how deeply their hearts had rejected the truth.

But this passage isn't only about them.

It confronts us with a question:

Where do you find your identity?
Whose voice are you listening to?
Under whose authority are you living?
Where does your wisdom come from?
Who do you ultimately belong to?

The world offers countless identities, loyalties, and sources of security. But Jesus calls us to something far greater: to know the Father through the Son.

For those who belong to Christ, this is our great comfort and joy:

We know the Son.
Through the Son, we know the Father.
And we know that we belong to Him.

Join us this week on Rooted in God’s Word as we explore John 8:39–59 and ask the question that every person must ultimately answer:

🎧 Who Is Your Father?

Come meet the Son, so that you too may know the Father.

🙏 Let’s pray, rejoice, and worship together.

Who Is Your Father?Who is your Father?

John 8:31-47 - The Truth Will Set You Free

Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

But what kind of freedom was Jesus describing?

In this message, we examine the difference between simply claiming to believe and truly living as a disciple of Christ. Jesus reveals that practicing sin leads to slavery, while abiding in His Word leads us into truth, freedom, and a genuine relationship with God.

The truth may confront us, expose what is hidden, and challenge what we believe—but Jesus does not reveal the truth to condemn us. He reveals it so that we may surrender our sin, recognize the lies that have held us captive, and become free indeed.

Listen to the latest episode of Rooted in God’s Word as we study John 8:31–47 and consider what it means to belong to Christ, hear God’s Word, and walk in His freedom.

🎧 Listen now, and please share this message with someone who needs to know that freedom is found in Jesus.

#RootedInGodsWord #TheTruthWillSetYouFree #John8 #FreeIndeed #JesusChrist #BibleTeaching #ChristianPodcast #AbideInHisWord #FreedomInChrist #FirstBaptistChurchOfHightstown

“I Am the Light of the World” — John 8:12–30

Jesus declares one of the most powerful truths in Scripture:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” — John 8:12

In this episode, we walk through Jesus’ teaching in the temple as He reveals who He is, confronts unbelief, warns of the consequences of dying in sin, and points ahead to the moment when He will be “lifted up” on the cross.

The message is simple and powerful:

Jesus is the Light of the World.

His light exposes what darkness tries to hide.
His light reveals truth.
His light exposes the plans of the enemy.
His light brings life.
And His light can set hearts free.

If you feel surrounded by darkness, there is hope. The darkness cannot overcome the Light of Christ.

🎧 Listen to this week’s episode of Rooted in God’s Word and join us as we continue our journey through the Gospel of John.

#RootedInGodsWord #GospelOfJohn #John8 #LightOfTheWorld #JesusChrist #BibleTeaching #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #Faith #FirstBaptistChurchOfHightstown

🎙️ NEW EPISODE | Rooted in God's Word

Streams of Living Water
📖 John 7:37–52

On the final and greatest day of the Feast of Booths, as water was being poured out in celebration and anticipation of God's provision, Jesus stood in the temple courts and made one of the most astonishing invitations in all of Scripture:

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink."

In this episode, we explore:
💧 Why Jesus chose this exact moment to make His invitation.
💧 What it means to truly thirst for God.
💧 The promise of the Holy Spirit as the "living water" given to every believer.
💧 Why Jesus' words divided the crowd.
💧 The courage of Nicodemus to stand for righteousness when others would not.

Jesus wasn't offering physical water—He was offering Himself. He promised that all who come to Him in faith would receive the Holy Spirit, and that from within them would flow streams of living water, bringing life, hope, and refreshment to a thirsty world.

The same question that divided the crowd in Jerusalem still confronts every person today:

Who is Jesus?

Join us as we walk verse-by-verse through John 7:37–52 and discover the life-changing promise Christ extends to every thirsty soul.

🎧 Listen now and be encouraged to grow deeper, stand firmly on God's truth, and become more deeply Rooted in God's Word.

#RootedInGodsWord #John7 #StreamsOfLivingWater #LivingWater #HolySpirit #JesusChrist #BibleStudy #ExpositoryPreaching #ChristianPodcast #Faith #Gospel #BibleTeaching

Before You Pick Up That Stone
📖 John 7:53–8:11

What do you do when someone else's sin is on full display?

In one of the most powerful encounters in the Gospels, the religious leaders drag a woman caught in adultery before Jesus; not because they cared about righteousness, but because they wanted to trap Him. What follows is an unforgettable display of truth, justice, mercy, and grace.

In this episode, we explore:
• Why the Pharisees' judgment was hypocritical.
• What Jesus meant by, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."
• The difference between confronting sin and condemning sinners.
• How Christ perfectly balances holiness with mercy.
• What this passage teaches us before we pick up our own stones.

Jesus neither excused sin nor crushed the sinner. Instead, He exposed hypocrisy, extended mercy, and called the woman to a transformed life.

Join us as we study this remarkable passage and discover what it means to reflect the heart of Christ in a world that is quick to condemn.

🎧 Listen now and be encouraged to grow deeper, think biblically, and become more firmly Rooted in God's Word.

#RootedInGodsWord #John8 #BeforeYouPickUpThatStone #BibleStudy #ExpositoryPreaching #Gospel #JesusChrist #Mercy #Grace #Truth #ChristianPodcast #Faith #BibleTeaching

New Episode of Rooted in God’s Word
Sermon Title: “Knowing Jesus”
📖 John 7:25–36

This week on Rooted in God’s Word, we continue our journey through the Gospel of John and witness the people wrestling with the identity of Jesus.

As Jesus teaches openly in the temple, the crowd asks an important question:

“Is not this the man whom they seek to kill?”

Some begin to wonder if Jesus truly is the Messiah. Others reject Him because they believe they already know where He came from. They see only what is familiar and miss the reality standing right in front of them: the Son of God.

In this passage, Jesus reveals that He was not acting on His own authority, but was sent by the Father. He declares:

“I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”
— John 7:29

This statement challenged everything they thought they understood about Jesus. He was not merely a teacher, prophet, or miracle worker. He was the One sent from the Father, fulfilling God’s perfect plan of redemption.

We will also see the urgency in Jesus’ words:

“You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.”
— John 7:34

A powerful reminder that there is a time to respond to God’s invitation. The question is not simply whether we know about Jesus, but whether we truly know Him.

The people of John 7 had information about Jesus. They had seen His works. They had heard His teaching. They had witnessed His power. Yet many still failed to recognize who He truly was.

And the same question comes to us today:

Who is Jesus to you?

Knowing about Jesus is not the same as knowing Jesus.

Join us for this week’s episode of Rooted in God’s Word as we explore “Knowing Jesus” from John 7:25–36 and discover why this remains the most important question every person must answer.

“But who do you say that I am?”
— Matthew 16:15

Listen, study, and be rooted in God’s Word.

#RootedInGodsWord #KnowingJesus #GospelOfJohn #John7 #JesusIsLord #WhoIsJesus #FaithInChrist #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #Sermon #GodsWord #FollowJesus #JesusTheMessiah #BiblicalTruth #TheWordOfGod #KnowChrist

"Judging Righteously" - 📖 John 7:1–24

How do we make right judgments in a world that is so quick to judge by appearances?

In this week's study, we follow Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles. Surrounded by skepticism, opposition, and growing threats against His life, Jesus boldly teaches in the temple and confronts a dangerous problem that still exists today: judging by outward appearances instead of God's truth.

Together we'll explore:

✅ Why even Jesus' own brothers struggled to believe in Him
✅ The importance of God's perfect timing rather than our own
✅ The difference between religion and a genuine relationship with God
✅ Why appearances can be deceiving
✅ What Jesus meant when He said, "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."

Jesus never tells us to stop making judgments. He teaches us to judge according to God's Word, with humble hearts that are surrendered to His will. Right judgment begins with a desire to obey God, examines the fruit of a person's life rather than outward appearances, and seeks to glorify Christ above all else.

Join us as we unpack this powerful passage and discover how to cultivate biblical discernment in a culture filled with confusion.

🎧 Listen now and be rooted in God's Word!

#RootedInGodsWord #John7 #JudgingRighteously #BibleStudy #VerseByVerse #JesusChrist #BiblicalDiscernment #Faith #ChristianLiving #Gospel #Truth #Scripture #WalkWithChrist #PastorErik #RestoringHeartsMinistries #FirstBaptistChurchOfHightstown

🇺🇸 Today's Message: "A People Under God"

As we reflect on the blessings of our nation, we're reminded of a truth that is far greater than patriotism: America is not sustained by its military, economy, or history—but by the sovereign hand of God.

In this episode, we explore:
🇺🇸 Why nations rise and fall under God's providence.
📖 What Scripture teaches about God's authority over governments and leaders.
🙏 The danger of forgetting the One who blesses a nation.
✝️ Why the Church's mission is not to seize political power, but to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.
👑 How every earthly kingdom will one day pass away, while the Kingdom of Jesus Christ will stand forever.

As believers, we give thanks for our country, pray for its leaders, and seek its good—but our hope has never been in any nation. Our hope is in Christ alone.

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord..." — Psalm 33:12

Join us as we open God's Word and discover what it truly means to live as a people under God, while remembering that our highest citizenship is in the eternal Kingdom of Christ.

🎧 Listen now, and don't forget to like, share, and follow Rooted in God's Word so more people can grow in the truth of Scripture.

#RootedInGodsWord #APeopleUnderGod #JesusChristIsLord #ChristIsKing #BibleTeaching #ExpositoryPreaching #BiblicalTruth #GodsProvidence #FaithAndFreedom #KingdomOfGod #Psalm3312 #Daniel221 #Acts1726 #GospelCentered #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #FaithInChrist #SeekFirstTheKingdom #SoliDeoGloria