First Things First

First Things First Part 07: Priests

March 10, 2024 • Pastor James Gallaher

Priests represent God to the people and the people unto God. There was both a privilege the priests enjoyed as well as a responsibility. It's the same for us today. While we have the amazing treasure of God's Presence in this fragile, earthly body, we also have a responsibility to maintain our "temple" and to bring others to God. It's an amazing dynamic that can only be experienced when we willfully submit every part of our daily lives to Jesus, allowing Him to transform us into the priest He wants us to be. Only then will we realize that potential value God saw in us long ago.

First Things First Part 06: Making Disciples

March 3, 2024 • Pastor Dennis Gallaher

Making disciples was the last charge Jesus gave us before He went back to Heaven, and it should be the primary concern of all Christians. Every person on Earth deserves to know and experience the love of Jesus. Over the years, disciple making for many churches has morphed into programs, books, and a set of "dos and don'ts." Those aren't necessarily bad. They were just never meant to be the starting point. Jesus offered us a different way, and it seems simultaneously simple yet counterintuitive. Love others. Easy, right? This simple command has the power to transform someone's eternity. So often we get distracted by what we can see, such as someone's behaviors, that we fail to see what Jesus sees - their aloneness. Maybe if we took a step out of our world and entered into someone else's we would see God do something that only He can do.

First Things First Part 05: Contentment

February 25, 2024 • Pastor James Gallaher • Philippians 4:11

When you stop and think about it, contentment can be hard to define and even harder to identify. After all, the wise among us would tell you that contentment can be a moving target as we grow older and the seasons of our life change. Life is a journey of ups and downs and everywhere in between. Being content no matter our circumstances can feel much easier said than done at times. The apostle, Paul, says he learned "the secret" to being content whether he had much or little (Philippians 4:11). The good news is that this secret is for everyone. It's not found in a full bank account, pantry, diversified portfolio, thriving business, mass amounts of friends, or anything else that doesn't last. Those things aren't bad in and of themselves, but they don't provide contentment. Trust in God is where we find that often elusive "secret" Paul refers to. When we give God the opportunity to prove Himself to be the loving Father He promised He would be, we learn to trust Him in all things. That is the secret to contentment.

First Things First Part 04: Stewardship

February 18, 2024 • Pastor James Gallaher

Money can be massively divisive topic. It is one of the top contributors to divorce, as a matter of fact. It's no less potent when discussed within the church. The Bible has a tremendous amount to say about the topic of money, however. While it may not be the most important aspect of our faith, it does certainly hold a significant amount of weight to our lives and our relationship with God.

First Things First Part 03: Worship

February 11, 2024 • Pastor James Gallaher

Few topics in the church today come with as much baggage and disagreement as worship. Man, that church had great worship! I didn't care for that song. Their singer can't carry a tune in a bucket. Churches should only sing hymns. Everything is worship! The list of comments goes on. Worship, like prayer and knowing God, is a core component of our relationship with Christ. It's what we were created to do. Over our history, it has evolved into what we most commonly see which is praise and singing. To be clear, that's absolutely part of worship. But what if the topic of worship were a bit more broad? What if the "sacrifice" of worship for each us is our very lives?

First Things First Part 02: Prayer

February 4, 2024 • Pastor James Gallaher

Prayer can mean many different things to many people. Sure there are some common similarities, but the purpose, form, and object of prayer can vary significantly. Prayer to the Christian, however, is one of the most essential building blocks of our faith and relationship with Jesus Christ. Without it, we have lost sight of everything. Prayer is a multi-layer aspect of our faith. It connects us to God, it's a way to care for others, and it has the power to change the world around us. Yet so many are neglecting prayer for reasons such as fear, intimidation, insecurity, religious backgrounds, or lack of knowledge. Today we dive into prayer and hope to empower you to begin a lifestyle of prayer.

First Things First Part 01: Knowing God

January 28, 2024 • Pastor James Gallaher

Why is Christianity different from all the religions in the world? On its surface, there are a remarkable number of similarities, but there is one key difference. We serve and worship a God who can be known. The God of the Bible is One who created us to not be merely His subjects but also His friends. This fact has tremendous impact throughout our entire lives. When life gets chaotic, we have to have that consistent anchor, that true north to guide us. Otherwise we'll be tossed around by every gust of wind and swell of the sea of culture and trends. In a world of information, God invites us to know truth, and to know truth is to know Him. He is the one who created all things and for whom all things were created. If we are going to put the first things first, then knowing God has to be square one.

Freedom Fellowship Church - New Braunfels

The simple things hold the greatest value.