First Baptist Church Decatur

What does your relationship with money reveal about your heart? 
In James 5:1–6, James delivers one of the strongest warnings in his letter, confronting the false security that wealth can promise. While his words are directed toward wealthy oppressors, the deeper issue reaches every heart: What are we trusting to give us peace, security, and significance? 
In this message, Pastor Blake explores how money is a gift from God—but a terrible substitute for God. Together we'll see why we often ask money to do what only Jesus can do, how the love of wealth can cause us to value possessions over people, and why true security is found only in the Lord. 
Whether you struggle with anxiety over finances, the temptation to accumulate more, or simply want a biblical perspective on stewardship, this message is a timely reminder that everything we have is temporary—but Christ is enough.

Will I Trust God With a Future I Can't See? | James 4:13–17 
We all want to know what's next, but God often calls us to trust Him one step at a time. In this message from James 4:13–17, Pastor Blake reminds us that while making plans is wise, true faith means surrendering those plans to the Lord. 
Discover how God leads His people through daily obedience rather than revealing the entire path. If you're facing uncertainty or struggling to let go of control, this sermon will encourage you to trust the One who already knows the future. 
Scripture: James 4:13–17

Following Independence Day, Pastor Blake explores a surprising biblical truth: while our culture celebrates independence, the Christian life is built on surrender and dependence on God. 
Continuing through James 4, this message reveals that our greatest battles aren't merely with temptation or difficult circumstances—they're battles over who will be in control of our lives. James calls believers to submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to the Father, and experience the freedom that comes from wholehearted surrender. 
If you've ever struggled to trust God with a specific area of your life, this message offers both conviction and hope. Through the promise that "He gives more grace," we're reminded that no matter how far we've wandered, God eagerly welcomes those who return to Him. 
 

Our greatest problem is not merely sinful behavior but a heart that slowly drifts from wholehearted devotion to God. Yet even when His people wander, God continues to pursue them with jealous love and offers more grace to those who humbly return to Him.
James exposes the danger of spiritual drift by comparing divided affections to spiritual adultery. Rather than simply breaking God's commands, we often begin looking to other things for the security, satisfaction, and peace that only God can provide. Friendship with the world ultimately reveals a divided allegiance that cannot coexist with wholehearted trust in God. But the passage does not end with condemnation. God lovingly pursues His wandering people, yearning for their hearts and extending abundant grace to the humble. Because Jesus remained perfectly faithful where we have wandered, we can return to God with confidence, knowing His grace is greater than our failures.

In this message from James 4:1–3, Pastor Blake explores the hidden battle beneath our conflicts, frustrations, and unmet desires. James reveals that our quarrels with others often begin with a deeper war within our own hearts—when good desires become demands and ultimately take the place of God. Through practical illustrations and biblical truth, this sermon challenges listeners to examine what their fighting and praying reveal about what they truly believe regarding God's goodness and provision. 
Discover how the gospel frees us from striving, self-reliance, and misplaced trust by pointing us to Jesus—the One who perfectly trusted the Father on our behalf. If you've ever struggled with worry, control, disappointment, or a weak prayer life, this message offers a powerful reminder that our Heavenly Father is good, trustworthy, and already welcomes us through Christ. 

Guest preacher Davey Lyon challenges believers from 1 Corinthians 2:1–5 to live with the same conviction that marked the Apostle Paul: a determination to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified. In a world filled with distractions and competing priorities, this message calls the church to trust in the power of the gospel, faithfully proclaim the whole gospel, and make Christ the central priority of everyday life. 
Through practical illustrations and biblical truth, this sermon reminds us that the gospel is not only the power of God for salvation but also the message that must shape our lives and witness. Whether at home, at work, or in our community, we are called to be faithful witnesses who boldly point others to Jesus Christ and His saving work on the cross. 

In this special VBS Sunday message from John 1:1–14, we celebrate a week of children learning about Jesus while exploring one of the most powerful truths in Scripture: the Light stepped into the darkness for us. Pastor Blake walks through John's introduction of Jesus as the eternal Word, the Light of the world, and the Son of God who became flesh and dwelt among us. Discover how Christ entered our darkness, overcame sin and death, and offers the gift of becoming children of God to all who receive and believe in Him. 

What kind of fruit is your life producing? In James 3:13–18, we discover that wisdom is not proven by what we know, but by how we live. This message explores the stark contrast between earthly wisdom, which produces jealousy, selfish ambition, and chaos, and heavenly wisdom, which produces peace, righteousness, and Christlike character. As James reminds us, the source of our wisdom is revealed by the fruit of our lives—and true wisdom is ultimately found in Christ Himself. 

In James 3:1–12, we see how our words reveal what’s truly happening in our hearts. James warns that the tongue, though small, carries incredible power to bring life or destruction. This message challenges us to move beyond behavior modification and recognize that lasting change only comes through a transformed heart in Christ. Jesus doesn’t just change our speech—He changes the source.

In James 2:20–26, we see that real faith is more than knowledge, emotion, or religious language—it is a faith that moves us to trust and obey God even when it costs us something. Through the lives of Abraham and Rahab, James shows that living faith is revealed through surrender, not perfection, and that no past is too broken for the grace of God. This message challenges us to stop confusing belief with obedience and asks a deeply personal question: what are we still withholding from God? The gospel doesn’t simply invite us to know about God—it invites us into friendship with Him through a faith that is truly alive