First Baptist Owasso

Chris Wall • Matthew 27:62 - 28:15 Seconds after Jesus proclaimed from the cross, “It is Finished”, remarkablethings took place. Immediately there was an earthquake. The sky grew dark. In the temple, the curtain was torn from top to bottom. Dead people came out of their tombs and went to see their friends. This was not a normal day. It was not a normal crucifixion. It was supernatural. In fact, it was so remarkable, Matthew reminds us of one of the guards who said, “Surely this was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:54). Things were so crazy, the Chief Priests decided to post some guards at the tomb but they did not just guard it, they sealed it as well. Then it happened. It was a full blown resurrection encounter right in front of their face. Matthew tells us there was another violent earthquake but this one was followed by an unsealed tomb, some women who came to tend to Jesus’ body, an announcement from the angel of the Lord and some completely freaked out soldiers. They e

Chris Wall • Mark 10:32-45 In Mark 10, Jesus is boldly and bravely on His way to Calvary. Think of the weight of the moment. Jesus is confronting the reality of becoming sin for all humanity. Holy God, becoming sin. It is a statement that comes off of our lips but the magnitude of it is difficult to comprehend. In all honesty, as human beings, there is no real frame of reference to understand COMPLETE HOLINESS. One day we will see it. Jesus with intensity and intentionality revealed in this moment that he was headed to the cross. He told them in advance but for some reason when it actually happened, the disciples were completely surprised by it. This lack of expectation is curious especially when you read Mark 10:32-45. Jesus flat out told them as they were walking to Jerusalem, “I am going to die, be buried for three days and then I will rise from the dead”. He just said it, in plain English. Ok, He said it in Greek. But still, it was a clear resurrection encounter. Sadly, those closest to J

Chris Wall •. Matthew 12:38-42 People often want to see signs from God. The request for signs give evidence to unbelief. In Matthew 12, the teachers of the Law came to Jesus, hoping he would show them a few tricks. They wanted Him to prove that He was the Messiah. Seriously, what more proof did they need? If they were real students of the Bible, they would have read about Him and noticed the prophets spoke of Him. If they would have looked deeply at His life, it would have been clear He was God in the flesh. But, these men came to Jesus to see a show. They came wondering if he could be impressive. Jesus chose not to cater to their unbelief by performing a miracle to please them. Instead, He offered a resurrection encounter through lesson from Jonah and a Queen. Jesus always had the ability to reveal hearts. Jesus revealed how the religious leaders rejected the wisdom of Christ standing right in front of them. The main lesson behind these history lessons is the tragic reality that people can be familiar w

Chad Balthrop • Colossians 2:18-23 We live in a generation "that can't even." We're told to "live our truth." Whatever choice you make, your next judgmental critic is only one click away. With relentless individualism, we let no one tell us how to live. Yet so many people feel empty. Lost. Alone. All too often, the desire to "let no one" influence our thinking becomes a trigger that gives everyone a piece of who we are. These voices become obstacles that limit our faith. What excuse prevents you from fully trusting Christ? What explanation gives you a reason to move further from God and those who love you most? What if you could recondition your thinking and recondition your habits? Scripture tells the story of the One whose grace defines...and redefines us all.

Pastor Chris Wall • Colossians 2:1-10 Paul was a good shepherd of God’s people. Every shepherd will be required to fight off some wolves that come in for an attack. Over the next three weeks we must take some time and fight off some wolves attacking our flock. In the Christian life, we never stand still. We are either moving forward in spiritual growth or slipping backwards into spiritual apathy. Every believer is an open target for the enemy to attack but those believers who are slipping into apathy will find themselves exposed to the enemy. One of the ways to prepare is to know the word. The greatest offense is a formidable defense. In Ephesians, God gives us armor to protect ourselves while providing only one offensive weapon; the sword of the Spirit. The first part of this passage moves us to a powerful foundation of God’s word as preparation for the spiritual attacks. We cannot miss this as we prepare for the warning to the church at Colossae.

Chris Wall • Colossians 1:24-29 We live in a world that does not understand the value of suffering. Irealize that in the midst of suffering, it is often hard to recognize value, but Paul often reminded us of the value by rejoicing in difficult times. Paul’s enemies likely made a big deal of the fact that this great leader was writing from a prison cell. But Paul turned this weapon around and used it to help the church recognize the power of God in the midst of his suffering. Amazingly, we can rejoice in suffering because Christ provides strength in the midst of afflictions and in the midst of ministry. The road of ministry is not an easyroad. Every believer is a minister of the gospel. However, the miracle of following Christ is not that He keeps us from tough assignments, but that He walks with us through every tough assignment. God did not call us to easy, He called us to ministry. Let’s fulfill that call at ALL TIMES, in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, ALL OUR LIVES.

Pastor Chris Wall • Colossians 1:18-23 Last year, we took fourteen weeks taking a long doctrinal look at the church. One of the biggest lessons we learned was that the mission and message given to the church is the only hope for humanity. Not only is the church commissioned to spread the gospel, but the church is commissioned to equip the body to serve the Lord. In this passage, we get a glimpse of what an effective church looks like. Even though the challenges in 2021, we still have everything we need to be an effective church.

Misael Gonzalez • Colossians 1:15-17   Worshiping God becomes much more profound when we know the magnitude of who Jesus is as the Author, Creator, and Sustainer of the universe; He is the glue holding our us together. Have you ever had a moment in life where you realized the universe was much larger you could have ever imagined? The passage of this sermon does that very same thing. It focuses on the reality that our worship of God is inspired by what we know of God.

Chris Wall • Colossians 1:3-14   Worshiping God becomes much more profound when we know the magnitude of who Jesus is as the Author, Creator, and Sustainer of the universe; He is the glue holding our us together. Have you ever had a moment in life where you realized the universe was much larger you could have ever imagined? The passage of this sermon does that very same thing. It focuses on the reality that our worship of God is inspired by what we know of God.

Chris Wall • Colossians 1:1-8  The core of Christianity is the gospel. The heart of every gospel centered Christian is urgency and clarity with the gospel message. This year, the leadership of First Baptist is asking you to join us to recommit to sharing the gospel where we live.  Our 2021Gospeladventure is to build a missionary mindset in our lives. Every believer is called to be on mission (Matthew 28:16-20)  The people of First Baptist have an expanding mission in Spanish and English. We have an expanding mission from the inner city of Tulsa to the expanding suburbs and surrounding towns. The question before us is whether or not we will accept it. God wants to involve us in His mission. And as our loving Heavenly Father, He has given us everything we need to accomplish it.  Epaphras sets an example for us as he was given strength in every situation, power by the Holy Spirit, while being faithfully surrounded with passionate, committed, and capable Believers who stood ready to

Chris Wall • 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11   Ending 2020 with a call to remain alert seems to be an appropriate ending to an unforgettable year. This passage in I Thessalonians 5 has been written as an encouragement to the church to live in the light. In all honesty, light has been a constant theme throughout the entire Christmas season. This passage first of all points to the reality of the second coming of Christ and the inevitable end of days of grace on the earth. The world is groaning like the pains of childbirth speaking to the inevitable Day of the Lord inescapable for everyone. With this reality in view, God’s people have a clear responsibility to wake up, think, and be alert all the way to the moment of His return. 

Chris Wall • 1 John 1:1-4 How many Christmas stories have you heard? There is Scrooge, It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Elf, Diehard, and don’t even try to walk through the Hallmark Channel lineup. Christmas time is chalked full of incredibly creative made-up stories. However, we recognize that real life is better than fiction. So, when it comes to the real life version of Christmas, the details are more remarkable than any of the made up tales. However, when it comes to the uniqueness of the Christmas story, it is not fiction. Jesus actually entered human history in real time occupying real space. The Christmas message is not just a bunch of nice stories or an interesting legend; it is actually true. Because it is true, fellowship with God is possible. 

Chris Wall • Luke 2:22-35   Christmas is a joyful time of the year. But before the joy of Christmas can truly be realized, one has to confront the warning of Christmas. Christmas brings hope, joy and salvation causing people to know lasting peace and strength. The Christmas message leads to stability in this world resulting in a literally rising to heaven on the last day. But this same Christmas message causes others to a literal fall in this life ultimately leading to their spiritual death due to rejection of the Savior. The real truth question that this sermon will allow us to confront is whether or not Jesus will be YOUR rise or YOUR fall. I pray this is a day when someone comes to know Christ as their Savior. At the same time this will be an evangelistic message, it also provides an opportunity to reveal the dangerous call God’s people have received. The Christmas message is not safe. It is not comfortable. The call before us results in a gospel adventure causing opposition at ev

Chris Wall • Isaiah 9:1-7   The prophet Isaiah in both Chapter 8 and 9 discusses the reality of the human condition. The message of Christianity and the Bible communicates how things really are worse than they appear. People really are desperate for meaning and direction. The human situation really is hopeless, It really is darker than we care to admit. This is the honest truth and everyone really gets it when they think about it. However, in spite of this inescapable dark reality, the message of Christmas is that LIGHT has come from outside this world exposing the seriousness of the human condition while revealing the path to hope, peace, comfort and complete salvation. Light came into the world.     

Chad Balthrop • Hebrews 9:11-22   Fingerprints, facial recognition, and DNA - each provides a unique identifier that is built into your God-given design. Scripture shows us that the blood of Jesus is a unique identifier. By His blood, He enters the Holy of Holies. By His blood, He makes right what once went wrong. Through the Lord’s Supper, a group of Believers remembers His body and blood, broken and shed for His people. The Lord’s Supper becomes a unique identifier that draws His people together and reminds us of His forgiveness and grace. With this mark we remember - Only Jesus.

Chris Wall • Galatians 5:16-26 The gathered church is the God-ordained environment where the fruit of the Spirit is cultivated and the fruit of the flesh is defeated. For fruit to grow, the environment matters. Just as fruit cannot grow in every climate. The fruit of the Spirit is meant to grow in a specific setting. In the gathered church, there is a safety net of relationships, accountability, and resources. It is in the gathered church where we learn to overcome that internal battle of the flesh resulting in a life that walks by the Spirit.  

Misael Gonzalez • 2 Timothy 2:14-26   The things you say, do, or use are a window into the beliefs you hold about the world and the one who created it. What you truly believe influences what you truly practice. As children of God, we truly believe that He establishes a people to be set apart for a purpose that is much greater than our own. This challenges us to live in a manner worthy of the high calling of Jesus Christ. If we truly believe God is everything he says he is, it transforms everything we do with and for Him.

Chad Balthrop • Matthew 6:19-21   Who do you trust with your heart? We have a choice. You can invest your life in something that is temporary where time deteriorates and hurtful people take - OR - You can entrust your heart to something that is timeless. You can give yourself into the hands of the only one able to protect your heart from the ravages of time and the hurts of people. The position of your possessions becomes the condition of your heart. 

Chris Wall • 1 Corinthians 12:12-27   When Jesus established the church, he was not launching a building campaign. He was not describing an organization. He was not starting a business. He was describing an unstoppable force that he would personally build until the end of humanity. The gathered church is the body of Christ and this body fleshes itself out in a local context. Our congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through an established process of self-governance. In our congregation, each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Our scriptural officers are elders and deacons. In this passage, the church is identified as the body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all ages. 

Tom Elliff