First Baptist Church, Stillwater – Newsletter for the week of Sept. 28, 2025

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” – Genesis 1:27 (NIV)

Perhaps two of the most divisive words in the English language are: “they” and “them.” And I’m not referring to the more recent usage of those words to signal someone’s gender identity. In 2025 America, we are obsessed with protecting ourselves (or us) from others (them).  How often have you heard a politician say something like: “they’re dogs!” “They’re liars!” “They’re cheaters!” “They’re not real Americans!” 

Us v. Them is a case that has been litigated endlessly with no real winner. In our own faith tradition there exists a dichotomy of us versus them. “They don’t preach the ‘right way.’” “They’re not reformed.” “They’re reformed.” “They’re egalitarian.” “They’re complementarian.” “They’re liberal!” “They’re fundamentalist!” 

And on and on it goes. Human nature cannot get enough of deciding who belongs in the categories of “us,” and who belongs in the categories of “them.” Sometimes divisions are necessary, the Bible even has examples of this (see Acts 15:36-39); but even then the end of that story is reconciliation (see 2 Timothy 4:11 for the end of the Acts 15 division). The story of God is reconciliation. The reconciliation is between God and all other things (Colossians 1:19-20). Only God has the right to divide things from Him and everything else. He is holy, everything else is not. Yet even this holy, almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing God isn’t satisfied with division. So out of great love, He sends us Jesus (see Romans 5:8). And this Jesus isn’t interested in his cultures’ ideas of “us” v. “them.” He calls the lower class (fishermen), the traitor class (tax collectors), and the untouchable class (Gentiles and lepers), to Himself. The Pharisees and at times even His apostles were shocked! “She’s not one of us!” The disciples cried as they saw Jesus speaking to a Samaritan woman (John 4). 

This brings us to the beginning. Genesis chapter 1. The first chapter of the first book of the Bible tells us that mankind is made in God’s image. Every person who was, is, and will be bears the image of God. A scandalous woman at the well. A leper in need. A nation-betraying tax collector. A lowly fisherman. All raised up in God’s image by God’s only Son. 

For us in 2025, in a culture that demands to know at all times who’s out and who’s in, we may pause to reflect those whom our evangelical industrial complex have deemed as “out.” 

The undocumented migrant and the DAR member; the LGBTQ and the fundamentalist Baptist; the liberal and the conservative; the criminal and the clergy; the privileged and the poor; In Jesus’s estimation all are image bearers of God. And all of them have but one plea when they are standing before the throne of God: “Nothing but the blood of Jesus!” 

So then, in God’s image bearing family, we have two categories: Lost Beloved and Found Beloved. And the Found Beloved are Greatly Commissioned to seek the Lost Beloved and change their label to “Found Beloved.”

May it be so with us.
Matt  

Announcements and Other Thoughts
Wednesday Night Gathering – I hope to see you this Wednesday night for our prayer and Bible study time in the fellowship hall at 6pm!

 

Choir rehearsal and Cantata – To join the sanctuary choir, all you have to do is talk to Brant and show up Wednesday nights at 7:00pm for rehearsal. And if you’re one of those people who start dreaming of sugarplums and candy canes once August ends, then you should pray about joining our Christmas cantata. Rehearsals are Sunday nights at 6pm

 

BUILD NIGHTS – Also, mark your calendars for the first ever BUILD NIGHT at FBC. The purpose of Build Nights is to honor the foundation and legacy of FBC by seeking God’s future for FBC together. These sessions will be designed to help us begin charting a way forward for our church as we seek to be the church God wants us to be. Our first Build Night will be Sunday, Oct. 5. at 4:30pm and will last approximately 1 hour. The reason for this time is to leave a chance for those rehearsing for the choir or Christmas program to participate. We intend to serve a meal, if you’d like to contribute a dish, please sign up here:  https://forms.gle/xfHPQeZzbjmZd9Td6