First Baptist Church
January 4, 2026

      • Psalms 23.1-4ESV

      • Psalms 23.5-6ESV

  • God Leads Us Along
  • Lord I Need You
  • Be Thou My Vision

      • 1 Thessalonians 2.13ESV

  • By Faith
  • Change is rarely easy—even when it’s good.
    When God brings transition, it often stirs mixed emotions:
    gratitude for what has been
    sadness for what is ending
    excitement combined uncertainty for what lies ahead
    Today is no different.
    gratitude for what has been.
    For the rest of my life I will cherish these 11 years being your pastor.
    I am grateful to have pastored this church, that I have pastored with joy and not had to endure what many pastors do.
    I have been thankful to grow with you!
    My life and my families life has been forever changed and I have been able to watch God change yours as well.
    sadness for what is ending.
    Yesterday I pulled the rest of the stuff out of my office and there was a sadness.
    I am sad to not be able to teach and watch you grow and be excited about that teaching every week.
    I am incredibly sad to no longer be working hand in hand with Pastor Mike.
    excitement combined with uncertainty for what lies ahead.
    There is a sense in which I cannot wait for tomorrow.
    Yet I had a very real moment this week of “what in the world am I doing”
    Those moments are always followed with prayer and excitement because it is out of those moments that God does great things.
    2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV
    9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
    for each of you as you look at the future you probably have the same feelings.
    excitement with some uncertainty for what lies ahead.
    My season as your pastor has come to a close
    While that brings different emotions, I want to say this clearly and biblically:
    This church is not losing its future.
    This church is stepping into it.
    The best is yet to come.
    The future of this church has never rested on one man—it rests on a faithful God.
    Obedience brings blessing.
    God saw fit for a leadership transition.
    God will bless our obedience.
    God will bless the church’s obedience to the word.
    Let me encourage you with some thoughts today!

    I. God always leads His people through change.

    Joshua 1:1–2 ESV
    1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.

    I. God always leads His people through change.

    Moses was not just a leader—he was the leader.
    He had led Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and toward the Promised Land.
    If there were ever a moment when God’s people might think, “What are we going to do now?”—this was it.
    Yet notice what God didn’t say.
    He didn’t say, “Everything is over.”
    He didn’t say, “The mission has failed.”
    He didn’t say, “Now you are on your own.”
    He didn’t say, “Boy I messed that up.”
    He didn’t say, “That got out of control quickly.”
    Instead, God says, “Now therefore arise.”
    God’s work continued—not because Moses remained, but because God remained.
    God had a plan.
    God leads His people through change.
    Church, pastoral change does not signal God’s absence. It should signal His continued direction.
    When done well.
    When done in obedience to God’s Word.
    It ushers the church into a new and exciting chapter.
    “Now therefore arise” - enter the next chapter.
    The baton was passed to Joshua.
    The next chapter required the Israelites to take God at His Word.
    It required obedience that might not have been popular.
    March around the walls for 6 days quietly.
    On the 7th they shouted.
    Then blessing came.
    After doing what God commanded no matter the cost.
    After walking in obedience matter how weird it seemed.
    No matter what people’s opinions were… Joshua led obediently and blessing came.
    Joshua reminds us that God always leads His people through change, but we must follow with obedience.
    It has been our goal to follow God with the same attitude.
    It hasn’t been easy - we have fought a lot of things - but we strive to obey the best we can as we learn.
    The layout of our services.
    The rhythms of our church.
    The music we sing.
    The programs we do our don’t have.
    All in striving to obey God the best we can.
    Though it has been difficult in many ways PM and I have been encouraged several times by conversations with people specifically refrencing how refreshing it is that we don’t worry about
    How its always been done or how other churches do it.
    We worry about what God’s Word says.
    That will be the continuing key to blessing through this transition and God’s leading into the future.
    Not only can we be encouraged because God always leads His people through change, but we can be encouraged that…

    II. God’s faithfulness does not end with the season.

    Ecclesiastes talks about the seasons of life.
    Our lives go through many seasons.
    Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 ESV
    1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
    Our church has endured these seasons for the past 11 years.
    But God’s faithfulness never changed.
    It will not change in the next season.
    Lamentations 3:22–23 ESV
    22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

    II. God’s faithfulness does not end with the season.

    Seasons change.
    Leaders change.
    Circumstances change.
    But God’s faithfulness never does.
    No matter what circumstances are in your life, God is faithful.
    No matter what twists and turns life takes, God is faithful.
    No matter what disappointing thing that happens in our life, God is faithful.
    No matter what thing we just can’t possibly come to understand, God is faithful.
    God’s faithfulness is not limited to a season.
    His love never ends.
    His mercies never run out.
    His faithfulness is GREAT!!!
    We quickly say: ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD…
    Do we believe it when we are tested?
    The same God who sustained this church yesterday will sustain it tomorrow.
    The same God who provided vision, resources, and fruit in the past will continue to do so in the future.
    God is not caught off guard by this transition.
    God is not scrambling to figure out what comes next.
    Or where your next shepherd will lead you.
    He knows the church needs to be led and who needs to be leading it.
    Just the same as He knows where CBM needs to be led and that for some reason I need to be leading it.
    Because God is good and His faithfulness is GREAT, the days ahead are not something to fear—but something to anticipate.

    III. Obedience often requires letting go.

    Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV
    5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

    III. Obedience often requires letting go.

    Following God in obedience often means giving what is familiar in order to embrace what He is doing next.
    This is true for pastors.
    This is true for churches.
    This is true for every believer.
    Obedience sometimes feels like loss—until we realize it is actually preparation.
    God does not lead His people out of something without leading them into something better for His purposes.
    It may or may not seem better at the time.
    "The disciple simply burns his boats and goes ahead. He is called out... The old life is left behind, and completely surrendered. The disciple is dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute insecurity... out of the realm of the finite...into the realm of infinite possibilities." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
    We may be taken out of comfort and security.
    But to be placed in a realm of infinite opportunities.
    God is taking us out of a realm of comfort for the church.
    God does this in our personal lives as well.
    I cannot see the end.
    I don’t know what God will do with my life.
    In those moments of fear I remind myself of the blessing of burning my ships.
    And of how I ONLY have the option to obey.
    1 Corinthians 6:20 ESV
    20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

    III. Obedience often requires letting go.

    For eleven years when we read the word Paul wrote translated into english as “servant” I’ve called out the Greek being “doulos” and then said meaning what? SLAVE
    Can I challenge you again to consider what God might be moving you into?
    What might that thing be that has been in the back of your mind and heart?
    What might the still small voice of the Holy Spirit be prompting you to do?
    Are you willing to burn your boats?
    Are you willing to move into an uncomfortable and unknown season to follow God in obedience?
    Often moving forward in obedience means letting go of something to embrace the next next thing.
    Joshua reminded us that God always leads His people through change.
    Solomon reminded us that God’s faithfulness is not limited to seasons.
    We were also reminded that letting go in obedience is a good thing!
    For these reasons, we can rest assured that….

    IV. If we are willing to obey no matter the cost the best days each of us are ahead!

    Joshua 1:9 ESV
    9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

    IV. If we are willing to obey no matter the cost the best days each of us are ahead!

    Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land—not Moses.
    Church, I believe with all my heart:
    God has more people to reach through you.
    God has more disciples to form among you.
    God has more ministry to accomplish through this body.
    Not just because of who the shepherd is, but because God isn’t finished building His church.
    Because God’s plan was transition and God’s plans are always good.
    I truly believe our greatest impact is still in the future.
    Our most fruitful seasons are still be coming.
    Our strongest days of making disciples, training leaders, and gospel impact still lie ahead.
    Conclusion
    I am stepping aside with gratitude.
    I am stepping aside with peace.
    I have great hope for what God will do next in and through us.
    Because the story of this church is still being written—and the Author of that story is faithful.
    The best is yet to come—not because change is easy, but because God is good.

        • 2 Corinthians 12:9ESV

        • Joshua 1:1–2ESV

        • Ecclesiastes 3:1–8ESV

        • Lamentations 3:22–23ESV

        • Proverbs 3:5–6ESV

        • 1 Corinthians 6:20ESV

        • Joshua 1:9ESV

        First Baptist Church
        howardcitybaptist@gmail.com
        2319374809
        https://fbcohc-howard-city.faithlifesites.com
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