Dear First Baptist Family,

When Jewish pilgrims traveled to the Passover each year, they called one another to go “up” to Jerusalem.

The idea was both physical and spiritual. On the one hand, they went "up" in elevation to reach Jerusalem. Jerusalem sits on a high hill, so no matter where one comes from, they're always going "up" to the city.

On the other hand, there was a spiritual meaning of going "up" as Jerusalem was the center of religious life in Israel. People are called “up” out of everyday life and out of their normal experiences to seek the face of God.

That is the journey we find ourselves on during Holy Week. We are ascending toward both a remembrance of Jesus' death on the cross and a celebration of His empty tomb. It's a call to lift our hearts and minds to reflect on Jesus’ last week on earth in a human body. 

How can we go up?

One important way to “up” is to slow down. Take time this week to read the passion narratives at the end of each of the four gospels. Consider all that Jesus went through in the final week before His death. Pray through what it means for your life.

Another way to go up is by reaching down to help someone else. Perhaps someone comes to your mind that could use some encouragement. There's a person you've been meaning to call but just haven't done it. Or maybe you've been thinking about giving something away and it's time to do that. You could bless a local nonprofit with a monetary gift, go through your closet and donate unused clothes, or find some other way to serve others. 

Lastly, prioritize being with the family of faith. This is the week when we reaffirm how we are brothers and sisters in a new family. Jesus is our Savior, our brother, and our friend. Since we are His “body,” we experience more of Him when we are together. 

I hope you're planning to join us for our regular Wednesday activities, but also for the Experience the Passion event from 4 to 8 on Thursday (come when you can to Trentham Hall; it takes about an hour to move through various experiences), Eggstravaganza on Saturday from 2pm-4pm at World’s Fair Park, and Easter Worship at 11am on Sunday. Also remember to invite a friend to one or all of these events.

My sermon this Sunday will focus on Jesus being the Crucified and Risen One from the text Matthew 28:1-7. Don’t forget to bring flowers to decorate the cross! It's going to be a great celebration and it won’t be the same without you. 

With much love, 

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family,

In early 2025, a 67-year-old hiker named Grant Gunderson fell into a steep ravine on Mount Tamalpais in California. With no way out and darkness closing in, he faced the kind of situation that would send most people into panic. But Grant later said, "I was never afraid because I knew that God was going to help me get rescued." 

So he simply prayed and waited — calm in the dark — while a 40-person search and rescue team worked through the night to find him. 

It was nearly twelve hours before they did. When he finally made it home, he said, "I feel like God has blessed me with a second chance to make a difference for Him in this life."

That is the witness of Jehovah-Shalom — the Lord our Peace (Judges 6:24). Not the absence of danger, but the presence of a God whose peace transcends it.

We see Jehovah-Shalom also giving people peace in the New Testament through Jesus, who Himself is the “Prince of Peace.” Mark 4 and 5 reveal what that name truly means in practice.

Peace Over Fear

When a furious storm swept over the Sea of Galilee, the disciples found Jesus asleep in the stern — seemingly indifferent while waves crashed over the sides of the boat. Their cry was raw and honest: "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

Perhaps you've prayed something similar. In the middle of a raging storm — financial, relational, physical — God can feel distant, even asleep. 

But Jehovah-Shalom was never absent. With a single word, Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" — and the sea lay down like a scolded child.

The God of peace doesn't panic. He speaks, and chaos obeys.

Peace Over Confusion

After He crossed over to the farther shore, Jesus met a man so tormented that no chains could hold him. He lived among tombs, crying out day and night, utterly lost inside his own mind. His name, he said, was Legion — because he was many. Whatever held him, it had robbed him of identity, dignity, and peace.

Yet when this broken man fell before Jesus, the Lord of Peace spoke again — and where there had been chaos, there was now a man sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. 

Jehovah-Shalom restored what the storm had shattered. He does not merely quiet the outward waves; He brings order to the inward ones, too.

Peace Over Despair

Perhaps the most tender storm is the one Jairus faced. His daughter was dying — and then she was gone. The messengers delivered the news with cruel practicality: "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher anymore?"

But Jesus, overhearing, turned to that grieving father and offered the most countercultural words imaginable: "Do not fear, only believe." He walked into a house full of mourners and weeping and remained completely unshaken. He took the girl by the hand and said, "Little girl, arise." And she did.

Jehovah-Shalom enters our deepest despair not with explanations, but with presence — and then with power.

The Peace That Is a Person

In each of these storms — fear, confusion, and despair — Jesus did not offer a strategy or a system. He offered Himself. Like Grant Gunderson, alone in that dark ravine, trusting that rescue was coming, we are invited to rest in the One who governs every storm we face.

His peace is not the absence of trouble. It is the presence of the One who rules over it.

Jehovah-Shalom — the Lord is Peace.

Today, God gives you another chance to grow, worship, and serve as you follow Jesus. His peace is available to help you through whatever you're facing. So call on His name today. Apply the name Jehovah-Shalom to your biggest challenge. Let His peace fill your soul and give you strength to endure.
 
With love,

Pastor Brent McDougal

P.S. This Sunday I’m continuing to preach on the names of Jesus from Matthew’s gospel with a focus on the name “Rabbi” from Matthew 26:17-25. I hope you’ll be present for worship as we bow before Jesus, the name above every name.

Dear First Baptist Family,

Jen and I sat on the porch yesterday and noticed the budding trees and emerging colorful flowers. Warmer weather and outdoor fun are just around the corner. I love the way that Spring lifts the heart as new life blossoms. 

God is a God of the old and new, of conclusions and beginnings. Seasons of change always come, for the earth as well as our lives. 

One of my favorite verses comes through the prophet Isaiah, where God says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19, NIV).

God is doing something new with our church. There’s a great spirit of love. We’re listening to one another and working well together toward our collective mission. We may not agree on everything, but together we agree that our purpose centers on Christ: We Help People Find and Follow Jesus.

Let me highlight just a few new things happening and invite you to pray and get connected. 

Baptismal Waters are Stirring

Until the end of the year, our baptismal theme and invitation will be A River Runs Through It. As a person who loves rivers, I get excited every time someone enters into the life-giving waters of baptism. 

We have two people who have expressed interest in baptism in recent weeks, and I expect there are more to come. We plan to baptize this Sunday, Easter Sunday, and probably one more time in May. We will highlight testimonies and celebrate baptisms as we go. Maybe God is calling you into the waters. If so, please reach out to me at bmcdougal@fbcknox.org.

Contemporary Service Starts Strong in the Chapel

We had a strong beginning to our contemporary service re-launching in the chapel. Richard Buerkle, Jim Snell, Seth Ramsdell, Jaynie Moore and Michael Moore, in addition to church volunteers, helped us get the space ready. Those who attended this first Sunday enjoyed the pre-worship refreshments and then took part in a Spirit-filled service, including communion where participants approached the altar to receive the elements. 

If you’ve never been to the early service, I encourage you to check it out. Some people switch between the early and late services on a regular basis. 
 
Madie Coffer Begins March 9

Our next chapter in FBC's children's ministry starts on March 9 and we welcome our new Children's Pastor. Madie is a great fit and I know that you will enjoy working with her. This is a great opportunity for some new volunteers to step forward to help Madie as she begins.

One of the most important things we do together is encourage the next generation to follow Jesus. Through teaching, fun activities, seasonal things like eggstravaganza and VBS, and much more, we point the youngest members of our church to Christ. 

Please pray for Madie and extend her a warm welcome as she begins! 

We Are Family

Finally, our stewardship focus from here until the end of our fiscal year (June 30) will be We Are Family (cue the music). The core message is just what it says: we’re family! In families, we take care of each other and invest in our shared life together. Everyone contributes — some more, some less, depending on the season — but we all participate because this is our family. 

As we develop our budget for the next fiscal year, we’ll be sharing what it costs to sustain our family life. We want every family member to feel loved, accepted, and seen. Together we make an impact beyond what we can do as individuals. 

Just as new life is emerging through a beautiful Spring ahead in East Tennessee, our church is emerging, too: toward decisions to follow Jesus, greater faithfulness, passionate worship, and intentional discipleship and stewardship. 

I can perceive it. Can you?

With love, 

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family, 

While on a night safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa, I had an elephant encounter I will never forget.

About 30 of us loaded up in an open air vehicle. Sitting in the middle of the backseat, with two women on my left and two on my right, we were all given spotlights to catch the eyes of animals often hiding in dry river beds and savannas. 

For two hours, we saw nothing and began to make our way back to the camp. Then we spotted two baby elephants close to the road on the right and quickly came to a stop. Baby elephants are remarkably cute. Every face was turned to the right as we snapped pictures and marveled at being so close to such magnificent creatures. 

All of a sudden, we heard a bloodcurdling screech from the other side of the road. Every head turned to see a massive mother elephant emerging from the brush just beside our vehicle. We had split the herd and the mother was beginning to charge us to protect her babies. 

Every person in the car started to scream. Our vehicle lurched quickly forward with a near miss as the mother elephant almost head-butted the back of our vehicle, just a few feet from where I sat.

As we pulled ahead, relieved to be putting some distance between us and the danger, our guide did an interesting thing. He stopped the vehicle. We watched as the elephant comforted her babies, but then the elephant turned its attention back to us and started to paw the ground like a bull, looking to charge our car. 

All of us in the car started yelling again and urged the guide to get out of there fast. But he didn’t. He just pulled a little forward with every step the elephant took towards us. If the elephant moved back, our guide moved toward her. 

Eventually the elephant lost interest and we returned back to the camp. But I’ll never forget that night. 

I felt completely powerless. I was stuck in the backseat with someone else driving, sometimes moving in a direction I didn't want to go. 

A lot of people feel that way today: powerless. They may feel powerless in relationships, powerless to do anything about our political and economic systems, or powerless to change something in their lives. Powerlessness is a terrible feeling, but it's all too common.

Those who feel like they have no power often choose a range of responses. Some people retreat, some people become cynical and bitter, and some people fight back. 

But some people discover a way to move beyond the sense of powerlessness to a sense of peace. Some people take their feeling and turn it into constructive action. 

Where can we find power in a time like this? 

During the Lenten season, we are focusing on the names of God. Elohim is a Hebrew word that is translated “God” or “god.” It’s one of the most common names for God in the Old Testament, starting in the very first verse: “In the beginning [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, ESV)). The name Elohim occurs over 2,500 times in the Tanakh, another name for what we call the Old Testament.

The basic meaning behind the name Elohim is one of strength or power. Elohim is the infinite, all-powerful God who shows by His works that He is the creator, sustainer, and ultimate judge of the world.

Interestingly, the word Elohim is grammatically plural rather than singular. The singular form of Elohim is probably Eloah; the -im suffix in Hebrew denotes the plural form. Why is that?

Some people think it points to the Trinity — Father, Son, and Spirit — a first indication of how God is three-in-one. But the better way to grasp it’s meaning is though a plurality of majesty. God’s greatness, power, and might all seem to be majestically multiplied. 

When we trust in our own power, we will be prone to manipulate or harm others so that we ourselves can feel more powerful and safe. The ends justify the means, we think. 

But when we trust in God’s power, we find a stunning combination of love and might. It’s power to make things better. It’s power that God shares with us so that we can feel secure while navigating this wild world. 

To tap into God’s power, make listening to God’s voice the most important part of your day. This happens through scripture, prayer, and wonder - by allowing our hearts to be in awe of God’s creation. In her poem Whistling Swans, Mary Oliver muses on hearing God’s voice in creation. “God’s silence never breaks,” she says. “But is that really a problem? There are thousands of voices, after all.” 

Elohim shares power with us: the power to listen, the power to forgive, the power to endure. That kind of power can always be with you, even if you’re stuck in the backseat, going the wrong direction.

I want to encourage you today with the knowledge that you have more power than you think. You have Almighty God on your side and the power of the Holy Spirit within you. “…the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV).

This Sunday’s message will center on the name for Jesus as the Suffering Servant from Matthew 12. Hope you can join us for worship. Until then, lean on God's power. 

With love,

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family,

As a follower of Jesus Christ, you’re a bringer of good news to others. 

Sometimes you bring good news just by being who you are. The Bible says, “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s good news, but our own lives, too” (1 Thessalonians 2:8 NLT).

Other times, you’re called to speak good news. You can share the difference God has made in your life. You can tell them about our church family and how there’s always room for one more.

Today I want to share some good news. God is doing great things through our church and I want you to know about it. 

Introducing Madie Shehan Coffer as Our Candidate for Children’s Pastor

The Children's Pastor search team has worked diligently for over six months to identify candidates, interview the best ones, and prayerfully discern the right fit for this important ministry. I serve as an ex officio member of that search team, and we believe that we have found the right person: Madie Coffer. 

Some of you may remember Madie as the wife of Brandon Coffer, who used to be our pianist before becoming the worship director for Central Methodist Church here in Knoxville. 

Madie has been serving as the children's pastor there for about 18 months and has other experience working with children's ministry. She studied early childhood education and also took extensive courses on leadership during her time at Carson-Newman. Madie has a clear calling to ministry and great vision for the future.

This Sunday, February 22nd, we will have a brief business meeting at the conclusion of each worship service to congregationally cast our votes to call her as the next Children’s Pastor. I hope you can be present. It's going to be a great Sunday!

Update on the 15% Mission

Our mission is this: We Help People Find and Follow Jesus. The statement captures our goal of continuing to reach people for Christ and disciple them in His way. Our mission involves all of us, as each of us is called to share the good news and help bring others to be a part of our congregation. 

We have a big dream as we think about fulfilling this vision: the 15% mission. We are asking God that over the next 20 years, God would give us the opportunity and help us to have a spiritual impact on 30,000 people in any given week throughout the city of Knoxville. That would be 15% of the population - hence, the "15% Mission." It's a vision for reaching our greatest potential.

Why 15%? First, that percentage represents a hundredfold where we currently are (although our TV audience is already around 3000 individuals in homes, nursing homes, etc., where we already have an impact). Second, many social scientists think 15% (or a number close to that) is a "tipping point” — a point at which the whole culture is impacted by the movement, not just the 15%. So the spiritual impact (fruit of the Spirit, people coming to Christ, discipleship, the poor being assisted, and so on) would be felt all through our region.

The 15% mission is audacious, but not reckless. We believe it is possible and that God is leading us to be the most faithful, city-changing, servant-leading church that we can be. 

In this first year, we’re focusing on foundations: the systems, relationships, and momentum that will carry us through the next 20 years. Where are we now in the 15% mission? You could break down our spiritual impact like this:

In person worship Average of 300/week

Television participants 3000/week

Facebook worship participants 600/week

Listeners to Prayer Power radio 1000/week

Prayer power daily devotions 60/week

Homeless neighbors CareFirst average 75/week

Other service/gathering opportunities 100/week

Total in 2025: 5135

Currently we have a spiritual impact with 1.7% of our city’s population. That’s not bad at all — but we are a long way from the goal of 15%. Let’s begin where we are, stay in step with the Spirit, and keep reaching out to share the good news and invite people to connect through our fellowship.

First Community is Moving to the Chapel

Starting March 1, we are relocating First Community Worship to the Chapel (below the Sanctuary). Worship will begin at 8:45 am, with Coffee & Conversation from 8:30–8:45 with our ministers. 

The Chapel will offer a more welcoming, intimate worship space, easier access to parking, and a better experience for visitors and families. Please pray for our church as we make this important move. 

Ash Wednesday and Lenten Lunches

Finally, I hope that you will take part in our Ash Wednesday service this Wednesday at 6 PM in the sanctuary. It's an opportunity to begin the season of Lent with a spiritual focus and a posture of humility. 

This Wednesday, we will also begin with our Lenten Lunches as we do each year. We gather at 12pm for a brief time of worship, then enjoy a fellowship meal for a donation on each Wednesday during Lent (except for the week of Spring Break). This week's Lenten Lunch will be at Church Street United Methodist Church. 

I hope you can use the news I'm sharing today! I'm excited for what God is doing in our fellowship and grateful to be on the journey with you. 

Much love,

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family,

When Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico in 1519 with 11 ships, 13 horses, and 553 soldiers, he did something legendary: he ordered the ships burned. His crew watched their only way home turn to ashes. Cortés was signaling that retreat wasn't possible. The only way forward was to complete their mission.

Sometimes we need to burn the ships too. We need to stop clinging to the past, forgive ourselves for failures, and risk what we have to achieve something great. The choice to surrender everything to God is a burn-the-ships moment.

A mentor of mine faced such a moment while pastoring. Two churches contacted him, one larger, one smaller with less pay and influence. He felt drawn to the smaller church but knew his family would sacrifice.

"I knew I had a decision to make, but it was more than a choice between churches," he said. "I believe God was calling me to fully trust Him—to stake everything on His power—or forever live as a coward." He burned the ships and went to the smaller church.

The Holy Spirit brings us to such moments. A new venture or mission presents itself that requires deeper dependence on God. But most people keep a plan B close, preferring past success or comfort over the wild, unpredictable calling of the Spirit.

Rees Howells experienced such a moment when he said yes to the Holy Spirit's indwelling. When he opened a mission for desperate people, he constantly met those struggling to wholeheartedly follow Jesus. Rees began to see that people often struggle like a sailor thrown into the sea, finding themselves in one of three positions. 

First, there is the struggling position—flailing in the water, fighting waves, only able to help themselves.

Second, there is the clinging position—grasping the lifeboat's side, safe but hands too occupied to help others.

Third, there is the resting position—sitting safely in the boat with hands free to help others. This is the place of deliverance where the sea's effects are no longer deadly.

The mission workers realized they needed the resting position to effectively serve others. "We soon found out we could not provide, and that was just the place the Lord wanted us," Rees wrote. "Then we had to find out that we could, if we would trust Him. The Holy Spirit allowed us to be failures once or twice, so we left off struggling. We clung to God's promises, and He never failed us."

In what position are you today? Struggling, clinging, or resting?

Some people are in the boat but rarely help neighbors or strangers in need. They've never risked something so daring that only the Holy Spirit's help could accomplish it.

So I'd add a fourth category: Abandoning.

Sometimes, we have to get out of the boat of comfort, safety, and convenience. Remember how Peter did that one day? ”Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus" (Matthew 14:29, NIV).

Sometimes you must leave everything behind to grasp the one thing that matters. You need to abandon ship to fall into Jesus's arms, or burn the boats and head into the mainland with no map.

Make a decision. Put a stake in the ground. Commit to a path and don't stop.

My friend David felt called to pastor as a teenager, inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. to speak for the voiceless and serve those in poverty's bondage. That calling led him to Southern Seminary in Louisville, where money was tight.

The Kentucky Derby brings incredible wealth to Louisville one week yearly. Organizers employed seminary students—considered more honest and less susceptible to bribes—to work the stadium.

One year, when David desperately needed money for the next semester, he worked the most expensive section. A man approached asking to enter without a ticket. David refused. The man then pulled out enough cash to pay not just one semester, but a whole year. He held it out. All David had to do was take the money and look away.

David had a choice to make. But he really didn't. He'd settled the matter long before in his heart.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said. "My soul is not for sale."

David knows what it means to rest in God's care. He's in the boat, daily reaching out to help others find safety and rest. And sometimes—sometimes—David is called out of the boat to do something that can only happen through God's power.

Today may be the day for you to rest in the boat. It may be the day to step out of the boat. It may be the day to burn the boat.

He's calling to you. Go to Him now in the power of the Holy Spirit. Don't look back. Don't be afraid. He's reaching out to take your hand. His way is better. His Word is trustworthy. He's got you. He'll keep you. He'll guide you. He who calls you is faithful.

With love,
Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family, 

In the early part of World War II, a Navy submarine was stuck on the bottom of the harbor in New York City. It seemed that all was lost. There was no electricity and the oxygen was quickly running out. 

In one last attempt to rescue the sailors, the Navy sent a ship to the spot directly above the sunken submarine. A Navy diver then went down to the dangerous depths and made contact with the submarine. 

When the trapped sailors heard the boots of the diver land on the exterior surface, they moved to where they thought the rescuer would be. In the darkness, they tapped in morse code, "Is there any hope?”

The diver on the outside, recognizing the message, signaled by tapping on the exterior of the sub: ”Yes, there is hope.” 

Many people are running low on hope. Our world is plagued with war and uncertainty. People are tired and anxious, endlessly distracted. There’s also the burden of aging and a culture that feels like it’s crumbling. Lots of people are asking, “Is there any hope?” 

Christians should always be able to say, “There is always hope.”

We have hope because of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. We have hope because He has promised to never leave us and never forsake us. We have hope because Jesus is still building His church of righteousness, justice, and kindness, and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, ESV).  We have hope because one day Jesus Himself “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4, ESV). 

In the Pit With A Lion on a Snowy Day

This weekend’s snow reminded me of one of the more obscure passages of the Bible. It’s the story of Benaiah from 2 Samuel 23:20-21. 

He only gets a few verses, but Benaiah was a “mighty warrior of David” who was known for his fierce fighting. He killed a spear-wielding Egyptian with only a club. Almost as a side note, the Bible says, “He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion” (2 Samuel 23:20, NIV). 

It’s one thing to be in a pit and another to face a lion there. But to defeat a lion in the snow — now that’s a story to make Hebrew history!

Sometimes it seems like the odds are stacked against us. The challenges seem too great. There’s not just one challenge, but multiple threats, that can rob us of our peace and cause our faith to falter. 

God’s hope sustains us in the hardest places. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…” (Psalm 23:4, ESV).

If you’re facing not just one problem, but several, take heart: God is with you. He’s in the pit beside you. He’s working for your good.

Hope Even in Despair

I once visited Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam. During World War II, she was a young teenager, living in a tiny attic with her family. They were Jews and knew that if they were discovered, they would be killed by the Nazis. 

She and her family were indeed captured and sent to a concentration camp in Bergen-Belsen. She died in February or March in 1945. 

But the journal that she left behind has spoken to millions of people since then. It's been translated into 70 languages. 

In that tiny, upstairs space, she wrote, “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, or death… I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too… Yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will come out all right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again.” 

Our call is to light a candle in a dark world. You can do that in your neighborhood, in your workplace, or wherever you find yourself. 

A Blessing of Hope

I'd like to leave you with a blessing today, something that can carry you through this week. I want you to remember that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. Love is going to endure to the end. Hope does not disappoint us, because hope has a name: Jesus Christ. That’s why our mission is clear: We Help People Find and Follow Jesus. 

So here's the blessing: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13, NIV). 

Stay warm and safe and I hope to see you Sunday! 

With love,

Pastor Brent McDougal

P.S. Don’t forget that we will have a special guest for the weekend, Bob Rognlien, who will be leading The Jesus Shaped Way discipleship retreat on Friday night and through Saturday. It's not too late to sign up by emailing pbagai@fbcknox.org.  

Dear First Baptist Family,

I recently ran across a fascinating, true story regarding the USS Titanic that I had never heard before. 

On that fateful April night in 1912, the British SS Californian sat motionless just ten miles from the sinking Titanic. Her crew saw the distress rockets piercing the dark sky—eight white flares, the international signal for catastrophe. 

Yet Captain Stanley Lord, sleeping in his cabin, dismissed them as mere "company signals." The radio operator had already gone to bed. For two hours, the Californian's watch officers debated what those lights meant while 1,500 souls drowned beneath the freezing Atlantic waves.

The SS Californian had everything needed to save them: a seaworthy ship, trained crew, and proximity to the disaster. What she lacked was discernment and then the will to act. When sunrise revealed the truth, it was too late. The SS Californian would forever be remembered not for what she did, but for what she failed to do when it mattered most.

A lot of people feel stuck right now. There are many hurting, hungry people in our country, and it seems like our efforts are never enough to lift people out of poverty — in fact, it seems like things are getting worse for families. We look from a distance on what is happening in Minneapolis and feel anger or resignation. 

This Wednesday we will be talking about race, discrimination, and immigration in my Christian Politics class on Wednesday evenings from 6pm-7pm. This discussion has been part of our plan since early January, but it feels very appropriate given recent current events. We will have a civil, loving and honest conversation, and I will be sharing from my perspective what I believe the response of Jesus followers should be. I look forward to hearing from the perspectives of others. 

In the meantime, what can we do to lower the temperature and live our faith in a time like this?

Don’t Look Away

Maybe the starting point just needs to be not ignoring what is happening. What happens in one part of our country, or indeed one part of the world, affects us all. Plus, we are part of a global family of believers.

There's a story that Jesus told that almost everyone knows. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus describes a situation where a man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho and was attacked by robbers. He was beaten, robbed, and left for dead on the side of the road. 

Two religious leaders saw him, and for their own reasons passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, someone from a group of people who were hated by the Jews, took the time to notice what had happened.

“…when he saw him, he took pity on him” (Matthew 10:33, NIV, emphasis added).

Sometimes I wish I could just shut out the pain of this world, but that's not what we're called to do. Jesus didn’t turn away from the pain of this world. Instead, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36, NIV, emphasis added).

We can’t turn away, either. If you’re tempted to do that, you’re not alone. It also needs to be said that we need healthy habits on how much news we consume. 

But looking away is not an option. Maybe we should start by looking around Knoxville first and seeing where there’s pain. 

Do What You Can

We can't do everything, but we can do something. Edward Everett Hale said, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”

The Good Samaritan did something. Having seen the need, he got off his donkey, bandaged the wounds of the man, took him to a place of shelter, and then paid for his care until he returned. He adjusted his schedule and emptied his pocket to help the helpless man. 

Our challenge at this moment is probably less about having a caring heart than about knowing what to do. Some people may be called to activism, some to serving, some to simply seeking to understand and gathering information. All are called to listen. All are called to love.

It's important to make sure that whatever you're doing, you're having a positive effect on the people nearest to you. So do what you can. Give as you can. Encourage as you can. Listen as you can. 

Search the Scriptures

What does the Bible say about our current moment? While it's a confusing time, we are not left without the wisdom of God's Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

My goal Wednesday is to share some thoughts from scripture and help us prayerfully discern together. 

I'm praying that God will break into this crisis, renew the work of God's church, and help us to be faithful. I'm confident that God is already at work. I'm committed to helping us discern together and stick together. I hope that you'll pray for me and others in our congregation, as well as those who are working for good in our city and places like Minnesota. 

I love you and I look forward to being with you in-person this Sunday, too! My sermon is called “Hope for the Hopeless” and centers on Romans 3:9-12, 21-26.

Stay warm and safe! 

Blessings —

Pastor Brent

Dear First Baptist Family, 

When God called you and gave you salvation, you were “born again” (see John 3:3). It was your second birth, and the image is a dynamic one. A baby needs milk to grow — basic nutrients — and lots of attention and care. So it is with every believer in Jesus who begins a new life.

As we grow up, we still need love and nurturing, but we haven’t been created to be spiritual babies. Here are just a few examples that convey that truth:

Paul wrote, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways” (1 Corinthians 13:11, ESV).

He also counseled the Ephesians to grow in maturity into the “fullness of Christ” so that “we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (4:14-15 ESV).

The writer of Hebrew says, “Let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment…” (6:1-3, ESV). 

One of my favorites is the simplest: “…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18, NIV). 

In short, you and I were created to be cultivated. We were fashioned to flourish. We were born to bloom!

Here are three things our church is actively doing and offering to help us grow as disciples who bear fruit for Christ’s kingdom.

Midweek Pause Disciple Classes

Last week we had a strong start to our midweek classes. People seem to really enjoy a smaller setting in an opportunity to learn together. Our current offerings include:

1. Christian Politics: Theology and Practice - Led by Brent McDougal | Blue Room

This study explores Biblical guidance on political engagement, equipping Christians to engage faithfully in public life without compromising convictions or fueling division.

2. The Book of Job - Led by Josh Gibson | Room 304

This class dives deep into one of the most thought provoking books of the Old Testament as the text of Job confronts the popular theology of its day.

3. Immerse Bible Study: Prophets - Led by Paul Bagai | Conference Room

Immerse encourages people in daily Bible reading, then brings people together to talk about the scripture and hear from the Holy Spirit. You can pick up your free Immerse Bible today in either Trentham Hall or in the Welcome Center.

4. Compassionaries - Led by David Crocker | Trentham Hall

What is the heart of a servant leader? How do you put your faith into action on behalf of the least of these consistently? Those are important questions to explore for those who want to put their faith into action. 

Children's choir and missions also take place at the same time. There's something for your whole family as we enjoy a good meal together from 5 to 6, then take part in a learning experience that can help you to grow in your faith. 

Discipleship Weekend with Bob Rognlien

This weekend, February 6 (6:00-8:30) and February 7 (9:00-3:00), offers powerful teaching, connection, and spiritual growth. The $25 cost (payable on February 6 at the event) covers The Jesus-Shaped Way book, meals, and childcare for ages Birth–12.

You can make a spiritual investment by coming for this insightful weekend. You'll be challenged in your faith and given helpful tools to keep your spiritual growth going in 2026. You'll also learn how to be a more effective disciple in the places where you live, work, and play. 

Search for our next Children’s Minister Continues

The search team for our next Children’s Minister has been meeting regularly to review resumes, strategize for how to find the right person, and conduct initial interviews. We're making good progress, but we need your prayers. Susan Tatum did an excellent job and has left some tough shoes to fill. But we know God has someone wonderful in store for our church who will bless our children and families especially. 

In the meantime, Jama Mosher is serving as our interim children's minister. I loved her children’s sermon yesterday with the raisins, although it's hard to imagine Jama stealing something (we’ll give her a pass since it happened when she was 3 years old). 

Pray for Jama and as you are able, lend a hand. We need lots of volunteers for Eggstravaganza and VBS. Pray also for the person who will serve on our staff permanently. 

Let's commit to growing in 2026. God wants you to bloom. God wants our church to flourish. By God's grace, we will. 

With love, 

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family,

Over the holiday, Jen and I were reflecting about some of our early years. We met and fell in love in college, then began to navigate next steps. At the time, Jen was studying nursing and I was finishing a degree in political science and religion, thinking that I was called to be an attorney. 

As we prepared to get married, one factor was that Jen's college had been paid for by a local hospital in Atlanta. The agreement was that as they paid for her tuition, she would serve for a few years at the hospital after graduation. So we thought we would likely be in Atlanta. 

However, she got a call a few months before graduation with the news that the hospital did not have a position for her.  That was good news and bad news. On the one hand, she didn't have a job. On the other hand, she didn't have to pay back her tuition. She was free to go and work somewhere else.

That led to us to relocate to Birmingham, where I started a degree that included both seminary and law school (I only spent one year in law school before pursuing ministry full-time). Jen applied to UAB, and the only position they had available was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). 

Jen would not have considered a NICU position, as she didn’t enjoy that part of her nursing training at all. But that’s what God opened up for her. As it turns out, she found her calling. 

Jen has worked in the NICU for various hospitals for most of her career. She has been a part of both healing and compassionate care for thousands of babies. She’s an amazing nurse to the smallest of patients and their families. 

Birmingham also provided a great launching point for my beginning in ministry and our new marriage. I was offered an internship to help me discern if ministry was for me. We met lifelong friends, too. There’s simply no way to quantify all of the blessings and future directions we experienced from that start in Birmingham. 

I’m sharing all of this because as Jen and I reviewed our history, we concluded that it was the grace of God that allowed her to be released from her obligation in Atlanta. It was God’s grace that led us to Birmingham and God’s grace that carried us through those early years — and every year since — of our marriage. 

Grace is for the biggest needs of life. God’s grace sustains us through times of grief, times of change, and times of disappointment. Most importantly, God’s grace has made a way for us to be saved (delivered, rescued, healed, made whole again). “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

Grace is also for the smallest of life’s circumstances. Little graces — the unexpected windfall, the extra time to accomplish a task, the mitigation of a mistake you made. Grace in kind words, grace in a friend’s laughter, grace in a minor conflict resolved. 

Grace upon grace upon grace. 

That’s what we’re celebrating each week through the Book of Romans as we begin the new year. Paul’s greatest presentation of God’s amazing grace should inspire, challenge, and comfort us through whatever 2026 brings. I hope you’ll be present each Sunday, including this week, as I preach from Romans 1:18-32. 

Until then, may you speak grace, give grace, receive grace, and live by grace. 

With love,

Pastor Brent McDougal

P.S. Plan to join us for the first session of Midweek Pause starting Wednesday from 6-7pm. I will be teaching a mini-course on Christian Politics, while other great offerings include David Crocker’s Compassionaries study, Josh Gibson’s teaching on The Book of Job, and Paul Bagai’s leadership of Immerse: Prophets.

Dear First Baptist Family, 

One of my heroes of the faith early in ministry was a youth consultant named Mike Yanconelli. He was a passionate, tireless advocate for a vibrant, risky faith. His speaking took him around the world and into some unusual situations.

Once he was asked to speak to a group of toastmasters - those who hone their skills in inspired talks, introductions, and announcements. He showed up thinking it would be an easy audience. 

But when he arrived, he realized that he wasn’t speaking to a group of toastmasters, but postmasters! He only had a few minutes to think about what to say. This wasn’t a raucous, energy-filled room, but a quiet, listless audience (no offense to any postal workers reading this!).

So what did Yanconelli do? He didn’t pretend to have anything prepared for the group. Instead, he simply and honestly talked about something that everyone experiences.
 
As Yaconelli recalled,

“On my way up to the podium, I decided to talk about something I frequently talk about: the loss of passion. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I ever had. Halfway through my talk, people were crying throughout the audience. When I was done, they rose to their feet to underscore my call to rediscover passion. They were expecting a lecture on stamp regulations, and I was expecting to talk about using voice inflection and gestures, but just under the surface, a group of postmasters got in touch with their longings for passion again.”

Passion is what moves people. Passion ignites the soul and motivates people to action. Nothing great — no great architecture, literature, legal representation, art, teaching, or business venture — happens without passion. 

My prayer today is that your heart will be moved for what really matters. How can you give your best, pursue your purpose, and invest in the eternal?

It all starts with passion. 

Passion for Worship

Shout out to Richard Buerkle, our amazing choir, actors, instrumentalists, stage team and tech team for a beautiful production of A Christmas Prayer! 

I could tell that lots of people were moved by the storyline. Coming home is a theme almost everyone can relate to, and many people have a broken relationship in their past or present circumstances. 

Richard brings his best every week and it shows. He’s surrounded by a host of contemporary musicians, vocalists, tech assistants, video production helpers, and of course, the talented Rhonda Carpenter and Jing Fang-Huang. 

I’m looking forward to worshiping this Sunday as we accentuate the theme of joy through a children’s readers' theater. Next Sunday our senior adult choir, Golden Notes, will lead us. Then we will gather on Christmas Eve by candlelight to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Don't wait for these opportunities to worship. You can worship today. Wherever you are, whether at home, in the car, or at work, you can pause right now and give thanks and praise for who God is and what God has done. 

Passion for Purpose

Purpose always produces passion. Nothing creates energy like a clear purpose. 

On the other hand, passion vanishes when you lack a purpose. Just getting out of bed becomes a major chore. One person observed that, “It is usually meaningless work, not overwork, that wears us down, saps our strength, and robs our joy.”

You were made for a purpose. Some people are built to be encouragers and that carries through everything they do. Others are healers. Others are teachers. Others equip the church. But all of us have been called to a purpose in Christ. 

Are you living your purpose? If not, ask the Lord to renew your purpose and help you live it every day with passion. If you don’t know your purpose, I would love to have a conversation with you so I can hear how I could be prayerful and helpful in discovering your purpose. You can email me at bmcdougal@fbcknox.org. 

Passion for Pilgrimage

Lastly, I wanted to mention one amazing way for you to rekindle your passion. Join me and others from our church on a Holy Land pilgrimage next year. We will be in Israel from May 30 to June 12, visiting such sites as the rock of Calvary, the sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, and Nazareth. 

While some people have ongoing safety concerns about Israel, I have heard from various contacts within the country about the safety of Jerusalem and other holy sites we will visit. I would not be leading a journey unless I believed it would be secure. 

Additionally, I have experienced the power of this pilgrimage. It is a life-changing, faith-building journey and I would love for you to join me. You can learn more at footsteps-experience.com for a full itinerary.

Psalm 84:5 (NLT) says, “What joy for those whose strength comes from the LORD, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.”

Let’s be passionate about serving Jesus. Let’s practice passion when it comes to inviting others to know Him. Let’s be passionate in worship and seek Him.

With love,

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family,

Six young people boarded a bus in New York, bound for Florida's beaches, when they noticed a quiet passenger named Vingo. He sat motionless in his ill-fitting brown suit, lost in silence, chewing his lip and staring ahead.

Outside Washington, a girl approached him. Slowly, painfully, Vingo began sharing his story. He'd spent four years in prison and was now heading home to Brunswick, just before Jacksonville. But he didn't know what awaited him there.

Before his incarceration, Vingo had written to his wife Martha, telling her he'd understand if she couldn't wait for him. He'd told her to forget him, find someone new, and spare herself and their three children the pain. For three and a half years, she hadn't written back.

Then, a week ago, knowing his parole was coming through, Vingo sent one final letter. He reminded Martha about the great oak tree at the entrance to Brunswick—a huge, famous landmark. If she would take him back, then she should tie a yellow handkerchief to that tree. If not, no handkerchief, and he'd simply keep riding through.

As they approached Brunswick, the young travelers crowded the right-side windows, caught up in Vingo's hope and fear. He stopped looking, bracing himself for disappointment. Ten miles. Five miles. The bus fell silent with anticipation.

Then suddenly, the young people erupted—screaming, crying, dancing in celebration. 

Vingo sat stunned, staring at the oak tree. It blazed with yellow handkerchiefs: twenty, thirty, maybe hundreds of them, transforming the tree into a gorgeous banner of welcome, billowing in the wind.

Home hadn't just accepted him back. Home had declared, unmistakably and overwhelmingly, that he was wanted. Slowly, the old ex-con rose and made his way forward to go home.

In a Distant Country

Sunday we kicked off our Advent theme of Home for Christmas. It’s an invitation to come home — to the Lord, to the church, to the place of acceptance and embrace.

Of course, to come home, you first have to recognize if you have drifted off course. The thing about spiritual drift is that you can seem to others like everything is fine, but you know something is off. 

Some of you may have gotten a little bitter this past year. Some of you have been overwhelmed with anxiety. Some are angry with the state of our nation, the state of our families, or any number of ways that things just don’t seem right. Some of you may just feel a little lost this Christmas season, like the Prodigal Son of Luke 15— “in a distant country” far from the Lord.

If any of that describes you, I want you to know that you’re not alone. Lots of others feel as you do. Church should be a home where you can be yourself and acknowledge your pain and doubts, not denying or masking them. 

Maybe God is saying to you, “I want you to come home to Me. I want you to know the peace I give.” 

But how do you get there? 

Rend Your Hearts

Through the cross, Jesus has provided for us a way back to the Father’s house. He lived among us and was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). He gave his life so we could live again, free from the fetters of sin, shame and guilt.

We receive His grace by believing in Him, humbling ourselves, and returning to Him.

Through the prophet Joel, the Lord said, “Even now, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity” (Joel 2:12-13, NIV). 

It may sound strange to talk about fasting and weeping in what should be a time of joy and gladness, but what if you first need to “rend your heart” before you can have your soul restored? 

In the Prodigal Son story, the son “came to his senses” and realized how he had wronged his father. He looked at his heart and realized the error of his ways. 

Take some time to see what’s in your heart. What needs to be confessed? Where do you need forgiveness? Who do you need to forgive? Pause right now and ask the Spirit to show you what it means to “rend your heart.”

The Promise of Forever

While you and I need to return to the Lord from time to time, God isn’t like us. God doesn’t leave us or forsake us. God is faithful when we are unfaithful. God’s promises don’t change. 

I love the last promise of Psalm 23 as David declares, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6, NIV).

What a wonderful word: forever. We are at home always with the Lord in the here and now, but also forever with Him. 

God’s welcome to you is like a great oak tree with thousands of yellow ribbons. You are accepted. You have a home — forever.

I am looking forward to our choir’s presentation of A Christmas Prayer this Sunday, a story about a young man who makes the challenging journey back home. I hope you’ll bring someone along to enjoy this inspiring time of worship. 

With love,

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear FBC Family,

Happy Thanksgiving week to you! I hope you have a restful, gratitude-filled holiday. Jen and I will have our daughter Emily in town for a few days, and we will head to Alabama during the week for lots of food and extended family time. I look forward to being with you Sunday.

At the end of each service on Sunday, we will have a vote on two items: some bylaws changes and a proposed sale for a surface parking lot we own. The first vote on our bylaws will be with a simple “yea” or “nay.” The second vote on the sale of property will be held by paper ballot. (On Wednesday, we will send out both motions by email, and if you are not able to be present on Sunday, you can still cast your vote. Watch your email for instructions.) 

The bylaws changes, which have come from our Long Range Planning Committee, have been extensively discussed during Wednesday business meetings. They involve changes to such items as clarifying who supervises ministerial staff, adapting how the Church Council chairperson is selected, and how our committees and councils are structured. 

Our second vote has also been discussed in a Town Hall meeting, various deacons meetings, within the Church Council, and at our most recent Wednesday Business Meeting. The motion was tabled (as our bylaws require us to do) until a Sunday morning vote, which will take place this Sunday. 

The Motion

Our church has received a $5 million offer on a surface parking lot we own on the corner of Locust Street and West Hill Ave. Our understanding is that the lot would be used with other contiguous lots to create a live/work residential complex or a hotel. 

Our independent appraisal has concluded that the property is valued at considerably less than the offer on the table.

Why are we considering this offer? While the church has abundant resources, this offer has helped us to see that we have an underutilized asset. 

For the last five years, we have received between $85,000 and $135,000 from leased parking spaces on the lot. At the price of $5 million dollars, that means we are earning between 1.7% to 2.7% each year from the property’s value. We believe that if we sell the property and invest the money, it will earn greater dividends to be used for ministry purposes. 

Conservative estimates, while of course subject to market fluctuation, suggest that we could be receiving double or more the current income we receive from the property.  

If we empower our trustees to sell the property, we will immediately invest the proceeds for 12 months. During that time, our Finance Committee will formulate a plan for long-term use of the proceeds, to be brought back to the church for approval, with the goal of implementing the plan before or with the start of the 2027-2028 fiscal year operating budget.

Some have asked for greater clarity on how the proceeds will be used. We will have robust discussion about that in the coming year, with the Finance Committee taking the lead to consult with our Facilities Committee, Long Range Planning Committee, and other parties and groups who have a strong input on this question. 

Personally, I support this motion from our Church Council and believe it is in the best interests of our church. 

Yes, selling it does negate any future use or development we could do with the property. We could also potentially lose out on any additional value the lot would accrue in the coming years. 

However, the offer we have comes from a very motivated buyer who is seeking to develop more than one lot; thus, his interest is greater than someone who was seeking to develop the property as a stand-alone lot.  Furthermore, the sale of the property would provide resources our church can leverage to sustain our long-term presence in downtown Knoxville, while increasing our missions impact. 

For these reasons, I support the motion from our Church Council. 

Parking in the Future

Many people have raised some important questions and concerns about selling the property. What if we want to develop it ourselves in the future? What about our long-term parking needs? These are valid concerns and I value the church members who have raised them. 

We have held the property for about 40 years as a significant investment. While a wonderful resource, it is located in a place that is not contiguous with the rest of our property. For the last 5 months, we have asked people in various settings and meetings to pray about potential uses. To date, no one has suggested a working idea for what we might do with that property in terms of ministry. Its size and distance from our main property make that unlikely beyond its usefulness as a parking lot.

Furthermore, we want to be good stewards and not guilty of “burying” a treasure and not using to the fullest what God has given to us. 

What about parking in the future? 

One important update I want to give you is regarding what our parking deck contract actually says. We have previously been stating that we have 45 years left on the lease, but I apologize for that incorrect information. We actually have perpetual easement to park on the deck on Wednesday evenings and Sundays, plus an additional 40 days during the year with notice. There is no expiration year on our use of the deck.

So our parking is secure for the future with enough spaces for our current congregation, plus plenty of room to grow. If for some reason we weren't able to use the deck in the future, the surface lot would not be sufficient for our parking needs (plus, it is a little far for people to park and walk). Thus, we would have to look at building our own parking deck on our back lot, which has ample space.  

Parking is essential for the future of our church downtown, but I believe we have more than what we need. That’s why I’m confident we can sell the surface lot and invest it for future ministry purposes. 

The Importance of Unity

It’s been said that God is a mathematician. God loves addition and multiplication — seeing new people come to faith in Christ. Sometimes God allows subtraction — pruning what is growing to help more grow in the future. But God hates division. God doesn’t like it when the Body of Christ is divided or at odds with one another. 

While people may disagree over what needs to happen with this vote, I don’t believe we are divided. Nor do I think this will divide us. We want to be careful to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Jesus said that others will know we are Christians by our love for one another (John 13:35). 

How we get to decisions matters as much as the decisions themselves. That’s why we have had a thorough, multi-layered, prayerful, and deliberate process to address this opportunity. 

While we don’t always agree on everything, we can disagree without being divided. But we must commit to loving one another, assuming the best of one another, serving one another and supporting one another. ‘

Let’s move boldly into the future together!

I love you and I look forward to seeing you Sunday. Again, Happy Thanksgiving!

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family,

One of the most discouraging circumstances God’s people can face is when they suspect that the best days are behind them. What if all of your major victories, accomplishments and successes are in the past?

When we’re young, we have a youthful energy and imagination that gives us optimism for the future. We anticipate the days ahead. 

But as time passes, like a boxer in the ring, we take some body blows. Friends let us down. Enemies attack us. We’re humbled. We may even get a little hardened. It dawns on us that there are probably more years behind us than ahead. Is there any significant challenge ahead that we can still undertake?

When it comes to church, we may wonder: are our best days behind us? We believe on a mental level that God can do all things — God can do a new thing — but on a heart level, we are resigned that it isn’t likely to happen. 

So what do we do? Some people fixate on the past. They look back to some glory days. Some people say, “It’s time to sit back and let others do the work.” 

Some people get into a mode of managing all that God has given and done in the past. The job is to protect the legacy. And God knows we want to honor our history and be faithful to God and all those who have gone before us. But there really isn't an expectation in management mode that God will open up the heavens anytime soon. 

I don’t believe we’re here to stay stuck in thinking that our best days are in the past. I believe that we’re here because we believe that God has a new chapter in store for First Baptist Church. 

God said through Jeremiah, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).

If you look on our “new member” wall (near the church library), you’ll see that during this year we have welcomed more new members than any previous year since the pandemic. There are lots of young faces, but also many older couples and mid-life congregants. It’s exciting to see God’s church expand!

We also can be excited that God continues to hone our mission: We Help People Find and Follow Jesus. Pastor Paul Bagai is working with the Discipleship Council to develop our discipleship process through what we call “The Trail.” It’s a leadership/discipleship model that helps people grow through the stages of Neighbor —> Friend —> Disciple —> Leader —> Multiplier. 

Lastly, I wanted to mention that we have some big decisions ahead. We have a strong offer on one of our property assets, a nearby surface parking lot. We will discuss this offer in a business meeting on Wednesday, November 19. I hope you can be present for that meeting, or voice your prayerful opinion in some other way (you can email me: bmcdougal@fbcknox.org) or call me at 865-850-2167).

God is so good to us, and God has more in store for the FBC family! I’m glad to be on the journey with you as we follow Jesus together. 

With love,

Pastor Brent McDougal

P.S. Don't forget about our church-wide Thanksgiving meal this week after the 11am service (we call it the Love Feast). It's a great opportunity to fellowship with the family of faith and give thanks for all the good things God supplies. Also, you can invite a friend or family member to join us for the special day. Hope you can make it!

Dear First Baptist Family, 

What would we do without the variety of jars and containers we use each day? Just this week, I have used peanut butter jars, mason jars with salsa, containers of milk, carafes of coffee, and glasses for beverages. That’s a small sample of the ways that jars and containers provide a good use for my life. 

Did you know that the Bible says that your life is like a jar? The Apostle Paul refers to our bodies as being “jars of clay” that hold the power of God (2 Corinthians 4:7, NIV). Jeremiah compares Israel to a vessel on the potter’s wheel. Isaiah cries out to God, “We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8, NIV). 

What does this powerful metaphor teach us about God and ourselves? 

God as Creator and Artist

According to Genesis 2:7, God formed humans from the dust of the ground. Each of us is a unique vessel in the hands of God. Like a skilled potter, God knows how to apply the right pressure, score us with God’s fingertips, and shape us into the design God has in mind. 

We can imagine the potter’s wheel as representing life's constant challenges and trials. God uses the everyday events we encounter to sculpt us into the image of Christ.

It's been a while, but I have taken up oil painting in the last decade. I love working with the colors, having a vision for what a canvas can be, then seeing what emerges. My experience is that there is a special connection between artist and creation. I love the process of creating, and while hesitant to share my work with others, I feel a sense of pride and joy when something beautiful is created. 

The Bible says that God is at work in us “for His good pleasure” (see Philippians 2:13). God loves to see us develop, grow, and bring good things to others as God’s unique creations!

God as Sovereign

A sovereign is a supreme leader or ruler. Just as a potter has the right to shape and form the clay according to their own vision, God has the ultimate authority over God’s creation. 

What’s more, when a potter sits at the wheel, the potter has control over the speed of the wheel, how the vessel is formed, and when the process is complete. Our lives are in God’s hands from beginning to end. 

So what does this mean for our lives? How should we respond? 

Humility

We need to continually remember that we are dust. We’re not in charge, we’re not made for our own purposes, and we’re not able to tell the Potter what should or should not be allowed. 

Isaiah 45:9 (ESV) says, “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’?”

Instead, we are called to not complain, but to live by faith and trust. When the pressure comes, we trust that God allows it for a good purpose. 

Pliability

Yesterday I told the story of Adelaide Pollard who wrote the hymn Have Thine Own Way in 1902. You may recall the words: Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way. Thou art the potter, I am the clay. 

Those verses came to Adelaide in a season of heartbreak. She wanted to go to Africa as a missionary, but funds were not sufficient. Adelaide then attended a prayer meeting for some comfort. However, she was struck by a prayer from an elderly woman, who said, “It really doesn’t matter what you do with us, Lord, just have your own way in our lives.”

Adelaide began to reflect on Jeremiah 18:1-3 where God tells the prophet to go to the potter’s house to receive a message. Jeremiah watched the potter at the wheel as the potter saw a blemish. The potter then began to shape the pot again.

Had God delayed Adelaide’s Africa mission in order to shape her differently, to refine her for God’s purposes? She didn’t know, but she was willing to yield herself to the Potter’s hands. While I am waiting, yielded and still. Adelaide eventually made it to Africa as a missionary, all in God’s time.

Are you pliable — flexible — available — to be useful to God? God has a purpose for you. You may not always understand that purpose. If you seek great things for yourself and cling to your own purpose, you're essentially saying, "I want to be the potter, not the clay."

Let go of yourself and let your prayer be the words of an old praise song: Take me and mold me, use me, fill me, I give my life to the Potter's hand.

I love you and I’m glad to be in the process of being “shaped” with you.

Pastor Brent McDougal

P.S. One way that you can give a “jar” to help others is by supplying peanut butter for our FISH food pantry, which distributes food once a month. Our stocks are depleted due to the recent SNAP withholding of funds. We’re asking our congregants to bring jars of peanut butter over the next two Sundays to worship. Let’s do what we can to help hungry people have what they need.

Dear First Baptist Family,

Arthur F. Burns, the former chairperson of the United States Federal Reserve System, was a wise and impactful public servant. He served as an economic advisor to presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan.

Burns was also Jewish. Therefore, everyone was surprised when he started to attend a White House prayer group in the 1970’s. No one knew exactly how to include him. Whenever members were asked to end the meeting with prayer, Burns would politely decline.

One week, however, a newcomer who didn’t know Burns led the group. As the meeting ended, the newcomer asked Burns to close with prayer. Some of the old-timers wondered what would happen. But without missing a beat, Burns held hands with others in the circle, bowed his head, and prayed this prayer:

"Lord, I pray that you would bring Jews to know Jesus Christ. I pray that you would bring Muslims to know Jesus Christ. Finally, Lord, I pray that you would bring Christians to know Jesus Christ. Amen.”

The prayer startled those who were present. Burns expressed a desire for everyone to know Christ, but he especially pointed out that "Christians" need to know Him ever more fully.

A Christian is always a "follower" of Christ. None of us fully “arrive” in this life, but we always understand our need for grace and the daily experience of encountering Christ in a fresh, deeper way.

In fact, the first Christians were not called Christians, but "people of the Way.” We were made for traveling. Either we progress, however slowly and erratically, or we are not on the Way.

This concept of life and faith as a journey also means that we are at different points along the path. None of us alive has reached the destination. Jesus waits for us, offering us an eternal home, but He Himself is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6, NIV). He loves every traveler the same and journeys with us through life’s straits, turns, and obstacles.

I’ve been teaching for several weeks on the B.L.E.S.S. strategy for loving our neighbors and co-workers. It offers an excellent framework for understanding what a weekly flow of following Jesus looks like: beginning with prayer as He did, listening to others, eating together, serving one another in practical ways, and sharing our story.

Are you eager to know Him today, or to know more of Him? Will you lean in to hear His voice, encourage fellow travelers, and welcome interruptions for those He wants you to serve?

Here’s a prayer for the journey ahead, borrowed from the words of Paul in Philippians 3:10-11 (NLT): “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

With you on the journey,

Pastor Brent McDougal

P.S. As we begin November, my next sermon series will be on gratitude. This week’s sermon is entitled “Living with Abundance” and will focus on 2 Kings 4:1-7.

Dear First Baptist Family,

The data is in: many people struggle to trust others these days. 

I recently read a report from the American Bible Society (ABS) that highlighted how Americans increasingly do not trust one another, institutions, and experts. This matters to ABS, because the less people trust in general, the less likely they will trust the Bible as a source of truth and direction.

The report says, “Many of the most pressing problems in American culture these days involve a loss of trust. We have become a suspicious people, doubting not only our social institutions, but often our neighbors and colleagues—sometimes with good reason. This trust deficit has clearly affected the nation culturally and politically, but its effect on our relationships might be just as strong, though less obvious. Might it also affect our spiritual lives?”

They studied interpersonal trust by asking people to place themselves on a continuum between “strongly agree” and “strongly disagree” regarding such statements such as “Most people are basically honest” and “People will usually keep their promises.” Unfortunately, the average was right in the middle, with lots of distrust identified. 

They also took a look at institutional trust and discovered that less than 40% of Americans have a “very high” or “high” trust in medicine, education, and religion. Sadly, 17% of the population has “no trust” in religious institutions. 

How do you invite people to trust Jesus — or to trust the church — when so many people feel like trust has been broken? 

A Congregation People Can Trust

We’ve been working on our bylaws for several months with the help of our Long-Range Planning Committee. Last Wednesday, we met in a business session to discuss some proposed bylaw provisions. 

The changes have to do with the structure of our Church Council, how we participate in church business when persons can be in-person, and so on. While some people think bylaws are boring (admittedly, the discussions can be a little dry), I keep reminding people that good process is important for a healthy church. 

Having created good policies, trust is built when you do what you have said you will do. 

Good communication matters, too. We try to continually improve in how we communicate with transparency about church-wide matters, particular ministry events, and the overall intentions and actions of our church.  

We also seek to treat every person with dignity and gentleness. Trust often is broken through trauma. People who have suffered greatly through their church involvement, or those who have even been disappointed by clergy and other leaders, may really struggle to trust again. Certain types of trauma can especially make people suspicious of others. 

Finally, sticking to Biblical truth provides the foundation for trusting in God. God is 100% trustworthy and the truth shared through God’s word is reliable and useful “for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV). 

In short, to be a trustworthy community of faith, we need to be thoughtful about how we organize and operate, consistent, open, considerate, and Biblical. 

A Willingness to Overcome the “Trust” Barrier to Reach People

I was so thankful for the work of our Community Council to facilitate the wonderful meal for Friends and Family Sunday. I am also grateful for those that took the big step of inviting someone to church, even if they weren't able to make it. 

Sunday was a great step toward helping people to feel welcome. 

The truth is that it's hard to walk into a church building if you've been away for a long time. People are wondering, “Is this a place for me? Can I be loved by you? Can I grow in faith here?”

I think about my time getting to know Jen, when we were falling in love. I remember the dating process, long conversations, and the excitement and anxiety of a new relationship. And then came the "first kiss.” What a moment! It took a long time to get there, but it was worth it.

In the same way, it takes a long time for someone to walk through the doors of a church building, begin to develop relationships, understand the beliefs and practices of the church, and then come to a moment of decision to join the church. That “kiss” represents the growth of trust and marks a next level in the relationship. 

We need to be willing to listen to people, share meals together, and share the story of Jesus as we have opportunity. It might take people a long time to trust us, and it might take a long time to trust Jesus. But trust can be built. We want everyone to come to the realization that Jesus is “…the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16, ESV) and that His words are “trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:5, NIV). 

With love,

Pastor Brent McDougal

P.S. This week I'm wrapping up my sermon series on how to be a blessing to others (remember the B.L.E.S.S. acronym?). My topic will be “Share Your Story” from Luke 10:1-9.

Dear First Baptist Family, 

For a lot of people, the world doesn’t make much sense right now. Politics, the economy, global affairs…it’s a long list. 

But just for fun this week, I’d like to recognize some lesser-known items in our culture that don’t make sense. For instance….

The word "abbreviated" is pretty long. For a word that means "to shorten," it sure didn't take its own advice. Meanwhile "long" is ironically short.

We park in driveways and drive on parkways. Whoever was in charge of naming these had one job and somehow did it completely backwards.

Silent letters. Why is there a "k" in "knife"? It's just sitting there doing absolutely nothing. The "p" in "receipt" is equally useless.

Saying "I slept like a baby" means you slept well. Have you met a baby? They wake up screaming every two hours, need someone to help them go back to sleep, and often have accidents. That's literally the opposite of sleeping well.

There’s a lot that just doesn’t make sense. Much of our lives fall into that category. The older I get, the less I seem to understand. 

I’m OK with that. I hope to mature in a way that comes with greater peace, love, and grace for myself and others. 

I also take comfort in the gospel of Jesus’ kingdom. As I have been preaching on the idea of “blessing” our neighbors, I was struck this week by how Jesus’ kingdom doesn’t often make sense. On the one hand, what He taught and practiced comprises the most logical, loving, and lasting way of life. On the other hand, it was completely upside-down from what most people expected. Jesus turned every human assumption on its head.

“The first will be last, and the last will be first” (Matthew 20:16, NIV).

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the persecuted…” (Matthew 5:3–12, NIV).

"Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44, NIV).

This is the opposite of how the world works. For the human mind, power, position, and payback make sense. But a kingdom where the humbled are exalted and the strong are weakened? That’s utter nonsense. Unless, of course, the true rules of reality come from somewhere beyond human comprehension.

Jesus came to proclaim a kingdom beyond our sight. He said that is the true nature of God’s creation, one that will ultimately be restored from all of the brokenness and dangers and disappointments that resulted from the fall of humankind. 

What can we do to experience more of that kingdom and see it grow? We make it our daily aim to “BLESS” others. Beginning with prayer for our neighbors, co-workers, family and friends. Listening well to others to get to know their story. Eating together — that’s where conversation happens and friendships develop. Serving with love so the lives of others are improved. Sharing the story of Jesus and the difference He has made. 

It’s simple, right? But also kind of upside-down. It takes intentionally to not live for yourself, but for Christ and others. It means dying to yourself every day and living for Jesus. 

This week is Friends and Family Sunday. It's a great opportunity to put your faith into action. Plan to invite someone/a family (or more than one) to join us for worship and the fellowship meal to follow. All are welcome. Let’s pray God would give us a great time of gathering as we extend God’s circle of grace.

With love,

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family,

On Sunday, we introduced an acrostic to help us think about what a life of blessing looks like. B stands for begin with prayer; L stands for listen with care; E stands for eat together; the first S stands for serve your neighbor; and the last S stands for share your story. 

If we are going to live out our mission that helps our neighbors find and follow Jesus, then we have to begin with prayer. Prayer needs to be not an occasional event with regard to our neighbor. Blessing neighbors begins with praying for those who are far from God.

But how do you pray for your neighbor?

Start with a person

Today, can you call to mind just one person for whom you can pray? 

I have a neighbor in mind. He seems like a great guy with a heart to serve. He loves working outdoors, raising animals and tending to his property. He's a bit rough around the edges, but I kind of like that. He’s the one I'm committing to pray for specifically every day this week. 

Jesus had a remarkable way of ministering to the masses, but also going after the one. He told a story in Luke 15 about a shepherd who had lost just one sheep, but left the 99 (probably in the care of others) to go and find the one. He took his time to defend a woman about to be stoned to death for a particular sin. He journeyed across the Sea of Galilee to deliver a demon-possessed man named Legion. He journeyed through Samaria, which all other faithful Jews avoided, to encounter a Samaritan woman at the well. He went after the one again and again.

One time Mother Teresa was asked how she could care for tens of thousands of orphans over her lifetime of ministry. She said she began just by picking up one person, then picking up another. “Never worry about numbers,” she used to say. “Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”

She also frequently said, if she were the only one to answer Christ’s call, she was determined to be that one. 

Maybe the best one to start is with you, with your heart. You’re the one God has called. Ask God to get your soul in the right place of being happy with the Lord, then consider the one you need to pray for.

Pick a place

It helps to have a place in which you can pray from. While God loves spontaneity, God also blesses consistency.

Do you have something of a private sanctuary from which you can pray every day? It may be a favorite chair, a room in your house that's quiet, a back porch or front porch, or a place near your garden.

Jesus taught in Matthew 6:6 (ESV), “When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Have a plan

It also helps to have a reminder, perhaps a note in your Bible, to remember that person in prayer every day. You could commit to praying for them every time you see the reminder, or set an alarm each day on your watch or phone to remind you to pray. 

When you pray for your neighbor intentionally and consistently, here’s what you’ll discover: you start to be concerned for the things that concern them. Your heart will begin to be broken for what breaks their heart. You'll start to have a care for them that will then lead to the other steps of blessing: listening, sharing a meal or coffee, finding a way to serve them, and eventually sharing your story. 

It begins with prayer.

Take the time to pray now and remember, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16, NIV).

Much love to you! I look forward to next Sunday as we think about the idea of listening with care.

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family,

One of my favorite episodes in the life of Jesus happened when His disciples were out on the lake. Jesus had sent them ahead of Him while He stayed behind to pray. The text suggests that the disciples were in trouble, as a storm had come along. The wind and the waves were strongly against them. 

Then they saw Jesus walking on the water to meet them. At first, they thought they were seeing a ghost. 

“Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid’” (Matthew 14:27, NIV). 

The wind and the waves of culture are battering the church right now. There’s lots of fear. We see political violence and lines drawn that contribute to polarization. Many Christians are wondering what it means to be a person of faith in times like this. 

I take courage from Jesus’ call to be courageous. He's still Lord of the storm. 

What kind of courage does He call us to?

The Courage to Forgive

At the Charlie Kirk Memorial service, it was truly an amazing moment when his wife, Erika, forgave the young man who killed her husband. She said that she was following the example of Jesus who forgave from the cross.

Then she said, “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer, we know from the gospel, is love and always love — love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”

It takes courage to forgive, but the courage doesn't come from within. It comes from beyond us in the power of God's spirit. Just as Jesus was able to forgive, we, too, can forgive. When we remember all that God has done for us, it puts everything in perspective. 

Christians in America must be known for our capacity for love and forgiveness, even if that is not mirrored throughout society. 

Is there someone that you need to forgive today? Is there a place in your heart that you have withheld from Jesus because of a grudge you refuse to lay down? 

Ask God to help you be courageous to forgive today.

The Courage to Pray

Jesus calls us not just to love our neighbors, but also to love our enemies. He said that we need to do good to those who hate us, to bless those who curse us, and also to pray for those who persecute us. 

I find myself now more than ever praying for our country. I know that God is able as a strong deliverer and healer to call us back to His heart, change our behavior, and keep us together. 

But I don't believe that will happen apart from prayer.

Take some time today to pray for our nation and to pray for those who are different from you. Pray blessings on them. Ask the Lord to draw them close to the Father's heart.

The Courage to Love

Jesus left His disciples a command: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35, NIV). 

He knew that after He was gone, His disciples would struggle to love one another. So He sent the Holy Spirit to come and live with us to teach us how to love. The Bible says that when the Spirit is in residence in our lives, the love of God is broadly poured into our hearts (see Romans 5:5). 

We can't give up on love. God is love, so to give up on love is to give up on God. Our country needs us to be the people that Jesus created us to be.

When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he asked something boldly. “‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water’” (Matthew 14:28, NIV).

He stepped out of the boat, trusting Jesus. Even though he eventually sank, he knew the exhilarating experience of walking on the water with Jesus. 

Church, don't be afraid. Take courage. He is with us. He can help us to forgive, pray, and love. I am praying for you and I love you as well. 

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family,

Any given day can bring such a range of emotions. Some days we’re overjoyed by good news. Other days our hearts are heavy by circumstances that seem beyond our control. Most days are a mixture. Life’s troubles and delights come together. 

For my part, there are many joys to celebrate. I love our church. I love seeing some of the young people beginning to engage with our fellowship. I love the way that our church is reaching out. 

I also delight in Jen, my children, wonderful ministry colleagues, and friends that make life so sweet.

On the other hand, my heart was really heavy last week for our country. The death of Charlie Kirk is not unique, as there have been other instances of political violence escalating in the last few years on both sides of the aisle. But I can't help but think that we are seeing a new level of civic engagement, where people think that some violence is necessary. 

We have to say clearly together that all violence, including political violence, is not the way of Jesus. He told Peter to put away the sword rather than arming himself for a revolution. His kingdom is a kingdom of truth founded on love.  

Some people feel called to act in times like this, and that can be a faithful response. You can join the efforts of a nonprofit or the efforts of people in our community to stem violence. Or you can volunteer to work with at-risk youth. 

All Christians are called to pray. 

How can we pray for our nation in a time like this? Here are five ways.

God, forgive us. We need to acknowledge that the state of America is in crisis. Families are hurting. Some neighborhoods are safer than others. We can pray, "Lord, forgive us when we wander far from you. Forgive us as Christians for being complacent sometimes or turning a blind eye to need. Forgive us when our entertainment and media seems so divisive and saturated with content and messages that are far from your heart.” 

God, deliver us. God is a great deliverer. God sees the suffering around us and loves to answer the prayers of those who grieve. I believe that we need deliverance from the spirit that has enveloped our nation. I know God can do it. 

God, heal us. The promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14, while spoken in a different context, is still relevant today: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” This is the only land we have, and we all have to share it. We need healing. Fortunately, God is a great healer. 

God, save us. God can save us when we can't save ourselves. Psalm 68:10 says, "Our God is a God who saves; He is the Lord.” How God brings about salvation can be miraculous, or it can happen quietly and over time. We must continue to pray that God raises up peacemaking, humble, moral leaders and commit ourselves to living as Jesus would live in America. 

Maybe the best prayer we can pray is God, change us. Help us to be better. Help us to be more like Christ. Help us to yearn for the good and never celebrate the evil. 

I know I say it often, but I'm glad to be on the journey with you. I'm glad to know that we are a praying congregation as we learn how to love one another. I'd love to hear from you if you have thoughts or just want to talk about how you're feeling. 

With love,

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family,

I once read about a Baptist pastor named F.B. Meyer. He served Christ Church in the heart of London in the 19th century.

By all counts, Meyer had a successful life and ministry. But he confessed that something was lacking. He said that his early Christian life was impaired and his ministry paralyzed because he had held back something from the Lord.

It was like Meyer gave to the Lord all of the keys that represented all of the doors and rooms of his life, but he kept back one for himself.

Every key but one. That key was kept back for a room for his personal use, and the Lord was shut out.

The effect of the incomplete consecration was found in lack of power, assurance, joy, and peace. Fortunately, having discovered the cause of his lack of spiritual vitality, God gave him the grace to turn over the last vestige of his old self. 

“The joy of the Lord begins when we hand over the last key,” Meyers later reflected. “We sit with Christ on His throne as soon as we have surrendered our crowns, and made Him sole and only ruler of our life and its possessions." 

Have you yielded keys to every room in your life? When you give Him every key to every door, Jesus can come in and give your life peace and real security. The storms will come, but you’ll have a foundation for your life that can’t be shaken.

That’s true for our church as well. When we commit our all to Him, we will have a foundation that can stand through all trials. We will have access to the storehouse of his kingdom to supply all we need to fulfill God's mission through us.

With such confidence, we can dream big. We can expect God's help to discern a common vision and also keep us unified through Christ.

I'm so grateful for all those who filled out the recent survey about our church’s future. About 100 respondents gave input to help us consider areas in which we could develop future mission endeavors. I'll be sharing thoughts from that survey on Sunday, September 21.

I'm also thankful for the great turnout we had for last evening's Town Hall. The topic of discussion was the potential sale of some property that is not contiguous to our church campus, but nevertheless represents part of our downtown ministry footprint. I loved hearing the good questions and input that church members shared to help us prayerfully consider what God is leading us to do.

God has great plans for our church. But I fully believe that we won't see all that God can do through us until we get to the point of giving God the last key. This means that we put everything on the altar - all the finances God has entrusted to us, all of the assets, all of the skills and talents and spiritual gifts God has so freely given to our church - and ask God to multiply these gifts for kingdom purposes. 

Would you join me in praying that God would light a new spiritual fire within the soul of our church? Would you pray for wisdom for our leaders? Would you prepare yourself to be a vessel that God can use even more fully, as together we say to the Lord, “We want you here. We need you. We adore you. We want what you want”? 

Let's keep turning over the keys until the last one is in the Lord's hands.

I'm so glad to be on the journey with you. I love you and I love serving our church. I look forward to the future and the increase of the joy of the Lord among us.

In Christ,

Dr. Brent McDougal

P.S. I hope you’ll check out 2 new things that God has done over the last few weeks. First, we have launched prayerpower.com as a resource for our church as well as the community. This website is intended to be a place for resources regarding prayer, daily devotions, and videos to help you grow closer to Jesus. Second, this past Saturday I launched a radio show on Joy 620 (FM dial 102.5) called Prayer Power with Pastor Brent McDougal that airs every Saturday from 11am-12pm. This medium will allow us to reach thousands of people each week with encouragement for faith and prayer.

Dear First Baptist Family,

I always love the slower pace of the summer, but also love the routine and celebrations of the Fall. Fall is the time of back to school, back to work, and back to basics. It also is a great time to look ahead for what God is doing in our church. 

Two Sundays ago, I cast a vision for what I believe our church can do together, and what I believe God wants to do through our church. I'm calling it the 15% mission. The idea is that over the next 20 years, we would seek to have a spiritual impact with 15% of Knoxville's population in any given week. 

I also said that three things are required of all of us for this mission to be fulfilled: a commitment to discipleship, a willingness to plant seeds, and a passion for prayer and fasting. 

After Labor Day, I'm asking you and others in our church to engage in six days of prayer and fasting. Each day by email, you'll be sent suggestions for prayer. But I'd like for you to consider today how you might fast from something during that week. 

Why fasting? In the early church, prayer and fasting were means by which people drew near to God. It's a way of expressing your dependence on God while also seeking God specifically for wisdom, help, or direction.

If you want a more fruitful relationship with God, or if you need help in a time of real need, then fasting is a way to obtain the grace you're looking for.

The best place to begin is with the definition of fasting. In the Old Testament, the main Hebrew word used for fasting is tsom, which refers to fasting from food. In the New Testament, the Greek word for fasting is similar, meaning abstaining from eating. 

So in both the Old and New Testaments, fasting is about going without food to see God for some special reason. You can fast from things like social media, television, alcohol, or other things to seek God's purposes, but there's nothing like abstaining from food that especially expresses your need for God. You could do without all of those things and survive, but you can't do without food. 

Why would anyone go without food? It's because we're inherently weak and needy people. Going without food helps us to remember that sometimes we need to knock loudly on the gates of heaven. Fasting is about a more urgent, earnest, and heartfelt seeking of God. It demonstrates that together we are desperate for God. 

In the Bible, people fasted in times of national emergency, when they needed deliverance, when they needed helpful guidance, or when they were simply in need of humbling themselves because of their sins. Moses fasted on two occasions at least for 40 days and 40 nights. Daniel observed a fast of 21 days. Hannah, when she was baron and heartbroken, fasted as she prayed. 

Even Jesus fasted for 40 days before He began His great mission and during his time of temptation.

Next week, starting on the Tuesday after Labor Day, I'm inviting you to fast from something during that week. It may be that you fast from food for a day (but not without water), or even just one meal during the day. Perhaps you will fast from alcohol for the week as you pray, and seek the face of the Lord on behalf of our church. Maybe your fast will last only a day, or maybe for the full six days. Perhaps you need to fast from television or shows they were already showing you away from the Lord. 

If you're relatively healthy, you shouldn't have trouble fasting from food, but if you have some physical issue, of course I encourage you to be wise about that. 

God has said, “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Our goal is to develop a greater hunger from God and to seek God's face for our future and all that we need to face that future. We're asking God to give us a greater appetite for God and to lessen our appetite for the things of this world. 

Let me know what questions or thoughts you have! I look forward to seeing what God will do in our church during that week. I love you and I'm so glad to be with you on the journey. 

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family,

Yesterday during my "Vision Sunday" sermon, I talked about the parable of the sower (see Matthew 13) and the importance of us planting seeds for the future. The farmer is described as sowing the seed (representing the Word of God) broadly, and when it falls on the good soil, it produces a crop - 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown. 

The question is, "Could we be a hundredfold church?" Could God use us to be a part of a movement of the kingdom of God in Knoxville? 

I have faith that God not only can, but will. 

We currently have 300 people in worship on any given Sunday. The vision is not that we would grow "one hundredfold" (in membership) from that, but that over 20 years, God would help us have a spiritual impact on 30,000 people in any given week throughout the city of Knoxville. That would be 15% of the population - hence, the "15% Mission." It's a vision for reaching our greatest potential.

Why 15%? First, that percentage represents a hundredfold where we currently are (although our TV audience is already around 3000 individuals in homes, nursing homes, etc., where we already have an impact). 

Second, many social scientists think 15% (or a number close to that) is a "tipping point" - a point at which the whole culture is impacted by the movement, not just the 15%. So the spiritual impact (the fruits of the Spirit, people coming to Christ, discipleship, the poor being assisted, and so on) would be felt all through our region.

I believe this vision is bold but not reckless. It's totally doable, based on the tools at our disposal currently and what God will provide in the future. Without God it would be impossible, but with God, all things are possible. 

Here are three ways we need your help.

First. please pray. We need God's wisdom to discern what the next steps are in leaning into the 15% mission. We know it won't be accomplished all at once, but over many years. God can do what we can't do, and God sees a lot further than we can see. We need God's help to know what needs to be done and how to faithfully begin. 

During the days after Labor Day, I am calling our church to engage in six days of dedicated prayer and fasting. On those days, you'll be sent by email and on social media ways to pray, but also invite you to consider how you might fast from something for those six days. Maybe for you it's alcohol all six days, or maybe it's a day without lunch. Maybe you'll be led to give up some kind of food or refrain from TV shows or social media. The idea of fasting is to intensify your dependence on the Lord. 

Second, share. You all should've received a survey as you consider the future of our church. (If you didn't receive it, click here.) We need your help in listening to the Spirit of God through each of our lives. We hope to have these surveys completed in the next two weeks.

Third, dream. There are so many ways that we could extend our impact in the city of Knoxville. Think about the percentage "15%." What could our church do to improve the lives of people by 15%? Maybe we could dream of mobilizing people to reduce the poverty rate by 15% in our city over the next 20 years. We could think about how to bless 15% of the graduate students at UT. Or some other number. The point is, the Spirit is infinitely creative. Let's dream together. 

I would love to hear from each of you regarding what God can do through us in the next 20 years. The vision isn’t set in stone, but I believe it gives us a compelling compass to guide our direction.

If I haven't told you recently, I want you to know that I love you and I love serving with you! We have a great church with a great future. Let's believe in God for great things. 

Pastor Brent McDougal

Dear First Baptist Family,

I'm so glad to be back after a few weeks in Croatia and Germany with our mission partners. God is up to some really good things around the world — offering hope, helping people have what they need, drawing people to Christ — and we get to be a part of it in our little corner of the world.

But where are we going together as a church?

I've been praying for God's direction for our fellowship and speaking with a lot of leaders about their hopes and dreams for our church. I've also been searching the scriptures for what our church is called to be in a time like this.

This Sunday is “Vision Sunday.” During my sermon time I will be sharing some thoughts on where I believe we need to be going as a church, but also inviting you to offer some prayerful feedback about our future.

Here’s a preview of some of what I plan to share.

Our Mission: We Help People Find and Follow Jesus

Jesus is the center of our fellowship and the only One worthy of our best effort and praise. We want as many people as possible to come to know him as Savior and follow him as Lord.

For many years, we have talked about how we are “in the center of the city with the Savior.” That is certainly true. But it doesn’t tell us about what we are called to do together in the center of the city. At a time when so many people are stepping away from church life, we can't take for granted that people will come to us to the center of the city to meet Jesus.

Instead, our mission needs to be an active engagement with people throughout our city as well as a welcoming presence downtown.

Our Horizon: Stretching Out

One scripture that has been meaningful to me in recent weeks is Isaiah 54:2 (NIV): “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.”

By “the place of our tent,” I take that in a metaphorical sense to represent our people. What is the state of our current congregation and what are the “curtains” we have closed to limit what God can do through us? The cords represent the way that we reach out, while the stakes could be taken to mean our core beliefs and teaching.

I believe that God is calling us to expand the circle while making sure we disciple and love those who are already here.

Our Expectation: God’s Abundance

Another verse that has been very important to me in the last year is Ephesians 3:20 (NLT): “…all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

Whatever we dream we can accomplish as a church, God always dreams bigger. God is the one who supplies the power. God is the one who gets the glory.

This Sunday and in the coming weeks, you’ll have the opportunity to weigh on what dreams God has prayerfully placed on your heart for our church. You'll be invited to “ask” and “think” in a big way.

We need a God-sized vision that can only be accomplished with God’s help. But we want it to be the right vision, one based on God’s agenda, not our own.

Please pray in advance for Sunday. I hope you will be present if you are able. I believe it’s going to be a great day, and I want you to be a part of it.

With love,

Pastor Brent McDougal