First Baptist Church of Oak Island

Imagine showing up to play basketball and discovering nobody brought a basketball - and someone says, "That's okay, let's just play without one." Ridiculous, right?But sometimes that's how churches treat the Bible. As long as the music is good and the coffee is hot, it's like - do we really need the word?In this message from 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Pastor Lyle makes the case that Scripture isn't a side dish in the Christian life - it's the main course. Paul tells Timothy to "continue" or "abide" in what he's learned - the same word Jesus uses in John 15 about abiding in the vine.THREE REASONS WE ABIDE IN SCRIPTURE:1. Scripture leads us to Christ (v. 15)The Bible isn't a book of morals or an Aesop's fable collection. It's a redemptive book where Jesus is the hero. From Genesis to Revelation, every page, promise, and prophecy leads to him. As Jesus said on the road to Emmaus, all the Scriptures point to himself.2. Scripture is breathed out by God (v. 16)"Theopneustos" - God-breathed. The Bible has dual authorship: human writers with their own personalities, carried along by the Holy Spirit. This means we don't sit in judgment over Scripture - it sits in judgment over us. We don't edit it. It edits us.3. Scripture equips us for every good work (v. 16-17)Scripture is profitable for teaching (doctrine), reproof (conviction), correction (getting back on the path - like a spiritual GPS), and training in righteousness (forming holy character). The goal isn't just information - it's transformation. God wants to make you "complete, equipped for every good work."KEY VERSE:"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17REFLECTION QUESTIONS:- What's the first thing you reach for in the morning - your phone or the Word?- Does the Bible possess you, or do you simply possess a Bible?- Where might you have quietly drifted?- If you have children or grandchildren, are you the primary one pouring Scripture into their lives?

In 2 Timothy 3:1-14, Paul warns his young pastor Timothy about the dangerous days he's living in. Not to scare him - to prepare him. And the biggest danger isn't the culture outside the church. It's disordered love inside the hearts of people who look religious.Paul identifies three disordered loves that mark difficult times:→ Love of self (narcissism) - the desire to BE somebody→ Love of money (materialism) - the desire to HAVE something→ Love of pleasure (hedonism) - the desire to FEEL somethingEvery moral failure of a leader. Every moral failure in your own life. Trace it back - it's one of these three.Then Paul says: "You, however…" Two of the most beautiful words in the passage. While everyone else is going that direction - you, follow my example. Follow my teaching, my conduct, my aim, my faith, my patience, my love.This is Christianity. "Follow me as I follow Christ." Not a set of rules. An invitation into a way of life.THREE THINGS PAUL CALLS TIMOTHY TO DO:1. Understand the times - the last days are marked by disordered love (v. 1-5)2. Discern false ungodly influences - they infiltrate, imitate, and are eventually exposed (v. 6-9)3. Follow godly faithful examples - the Christian life is often caught before it's taught (v. 10-14)KEY VERSE:"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money...lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." - 2 Timothy 3:1-4 THE THREE LOVES:Every commercial you see is appealing to one of three things:→ To BE somebody (self, pride, fame, recognition)→ To HAVE something (money, possessions, stuff)→ To FEEL something (pleasure, escape, comfort)Ask your kids: which of these three loves is this commercial trying to sell you?REFLECTION QUESTIONS:- What do you love most right now - if you're honest?- Which of the three disordered loves (self, money, pleasure) do you find most tempting?- Who are you following? And what kind of example are you becoming for those around you?- Is your faith something others can see and follow, or is it just a form without power?Connect with us - fbcoi.org

In 2 Timothy 2:14-26, Paul gives Timothy - a young pastor dealing with doctrinal confusion, conflict, and false teachers - a high and challenging call. Using three images: a workman, a vessel, and a servant, Paul lays out four areas where the Christian simply cannot afford to be careless.And here's the thing: this isn't just for pastors. Every believer has been called to go and make disciples. Every one of us is, in some sense, a teacher - of our kids, our grandkids, our neighbors, our coworkers. This passage is for all of us.FOUR AREAS WHERE WE MUST NOT BE CARELESS:1. Not careless with Scripture"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." The word rightly handling (orthotomeo) means to cut it straight - like a road builder creating a straight path. We need to read God's word in context, study it diligently, and teach it faithfully.2. Not careless with words "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me" - that's a lie. Paul says careless words ruin people (the word for ruin is where we get "catastrophe"). Words spread like gangrene. Before you speak, before you post, before you correct someone, ask: does this serve truth? Does this build people up? Does this make Christ clearer?3. Not careless with holiness God is not looking merely for gifted vessels. He's looking for clean ones. "If anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work." Flee youthful passions. Run to Christ. And run with people running the same direction.4. Not careless with souls "The Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone." We're not trying to win arguments - we're trying to win people. Think of a ladder: God grants repentance at the top, and our job is to bring people up one rung at a time through prayer, service, kindness, and the gospel. Don't push people off the ladder.KEY VERSE:"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15REFLECTION QUESTIONS:- Are you a careful student of God's word, or do you pull verses out of context to support what you already believe?- Think of one person close to you but far from God. What's one rung you could help them climb this week?- Where are you being careless right now - with scripture, words, holiness, or the souls of others?- Who are you running with? Are they pulling you toward Christ or away from him?

May 24, 2026Memorial Day is about memory. It's about refusing to forget sacrifice.When we forget the men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom, Memorial Day becomes just another barbecue. When we forget Christ, the church becomes weak, fearful, and distracted.Paul writes to Timothy from a dark Roman dungeon - not because he has forgotten Jesus, but because Timothy has started to. And under pressure, under opposition, under exhaustion and fear, we all do.In this Memorial Day message from 2 Timothy 2:8-13, Pastor Lyle LaFountain gives us four anchors for remembrance - four things to hold onto when life gets hard and our vision starts to blur.FOUR ANCHORS FOR REMEMBRANCE:1. Remember the promise of the risen King 2. Remember the power of the unstoppable Word 3. Remember the purpose - the global mission of salvation 4. Remember the unshakable faithfulness of God THE TRUSTWORTHY SAYING (v. 11-13):If we died with him → we will live with him (promise)If we endure → we will reign with him (reward)If we deny him → he will deny us (warning)If we are faithless → he remains faithful (anchor)KEY VERSE:"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound." - 2 Timothy 2:8-9REFLECTION QUESTIONS:- When life gets hard, what do you tend to remember — your circumstances or Christ?- Are you talking to yourself or preaching to yourself?- Is this "your gospel" — or just the church's gospel?- What is one place in your life where you need to remember the unstoppable word?- Are you willing to endure inconvenience so that someone else might hear the gospel?THIS SERIES: This message is part of our ongoing series through 2 Timothy - "Finishing Strong" - at First Baptist Church of Oak Island. CONNECT WITH US:fbcoi.org

May 17, 2026What does faithfulness look like when the Christian life feels slow, difficult, and exhausting? In 2 Timothy 2:3-7, Pastor Lyle shows us three pictures Paul gives Timothy of the Christian life: a soldier, an athlete, and a hardworking farmer. Each image reminds us that following Christ requires endurance, discipline, focus, and patient faithfulness.We often want quick results, instant growth, and comfortable Christianity. But Paul calls believers to something deeper: steady perseverance. One step at a time. One day at a time. Through suffering, temptation, distractions, and discouragement, the Christian is called to keep moving forward in Christ.As William Carey famously said, “I can plod.” Faithfulness is often not flashy - it is ordinary obedience sustained over time by the grace of God.KEY POINTS:• Endure hardship with the focus of a soldier• Embrace discipline like an athlete• Labor patiently like a hardworking farmer• Think deeply on God’s truth and trust Him for understandingKEY VERSE:“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hardworking farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.” - 2 Timothy 2:3-6REFLECTION QUESTIONS:- What distractions or “entanglements” are pulling your focus away from Christ?- Where is God calling you to greater discipline and endurance?- Have you grown weary in doing good, or are you continuing to faithfully “plod” forward?- What seeds are you planting today that may bear fruit years from now?- Are you slowing down enough to meditate deeply on God’s Word and depend on Him for understanding?CONNECT WITH US:fbcoi.org

May 10, 2026What if the most important thing you do today isn't for yourself but for the generation coming behind you?On this Mother's Day, Pastor Lyle LaFountain opens 2 Timothy 2:1-2 to show us Paul's final charge to his young protégé Timothy: be strengthened by grace, and pass that grace on.We live in a consumer culture - even in church. We come to be fed. But Paul calls us to something greater: a mission of multiplication. Not just receiving the gospel of grace, but entrusting it to faithful people who will carry it further than we ever imagined.KEY POINTS:• Be strengthened daily by the grace that is in Christ Jesus• Entrust the gospel of grace to faithful people 7 WAYS WE ARE STRENGTHENED BY GRACE:1. Remembering the gospel daily2. Honest weakness before God3. Abiding in Christ through prayer4. The word of his grace5. Repentance and fresh cleansing6. Obeying from grace, not for grace7. Through the people of graceKEY VERSE:"You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." - 2 Timothy 2:1-2REFLECTION QUESTIONS:- Who is your Paul? Who is mentoring you and helping you grow?- Who is your Timothy? Who are you one step ahead of that you can pour into?- Are you strengthened by grace daily, or are you trying to run the race in your own strength?CONNECT WITH US:fbcoi.org

May 3, 2026What happens to your faith when things get hard, and the people around you walk away?In this week's message, Pastor Lyle walks us through 2 Timothy 1:15-18, where the Apostle Paul - writing from a Roman dungeon - contrasts two kinds of people: those who abandon us in difficult times, and those who run toward us.We live in a culture of self-protection. We protect our comfort, our reputation, and our schedule. But Paul shows us that real Christian love always costs us something - and adversity is what separates surface-level friendships from the ones that truly last.KEY POINTS:• Self-protection steps back when times get tough • Gospel friends practice the ministry of refreshment • Costly loyalty searches out with courage KEY VERSE:"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." - Proverbs 17:17CONNECT WITH US:fbcoi.org

April 26, 2026Pastor Lyle LaFountainA German pastor who lived through the moral wreckage of Nazi Germany once toured America. Someone asked him what struck him most about American Christians.His answer: "They have an inadequate view of suffering."He wasn't wrong.We live in a culture designed to eliminate discomfort. Heated seats, memory foam, apps for everything. We avoid hard conversations, awkward people, bad news - anything that costs us comfort, approval, or reputation. And when suffering finds us anyway, we think we must be outside the will of God.But in 2 Timothy 1:8-14, Paul writes from prison - real prison, not the kind with video games and phones - and tells his young disciple Timothy something radical:Don't be ashamed. Share in suffering. Follow the pattern. Guard the deposit.Not because suffering is good in itself, but because the gospel is worth it.This message is part of our series through 2 Timothy - "Finishing Strong" - the last letter of a dying apostle to his discouraged young pastor.KEY POINTS:• The Christian life begins with and revolves around the gospel • Do not be ashamed of the gospel • Share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God • Follow the pattern of sound words • Guard the good deposit entrusted to you THE TWO OPTIONS:Comfortable Christianity - avoids shame, suffering, and risk; lives for now; ends in regretCostly Christianity - embraces suffering, is unashamed, takes risk, lives for eternity, ends in gloryKEY VERSE:"But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me." - 2 Timothy 1:12REFLECTION QUESTIONS:- Where are you tempted to stay quiet about your faith?- Where do you soften the truth to avoid controversy or discomfort?- Are you living comfortable Christianity or costly Christianity?- Have you been treating suffering as a sign that you're outside God's will, when it might actually confirm you're in it?- Do you know whom you believe — not just what you believe?CONNECT WITH US:First Baptist Church of Oak Islandfbcoi.org

April 19, 2026Guest Preacher: Chad Hood is the Executive Director of The Trellis Group and author of Go Disciple. He focuses on discipleship rooted in Luke 9:23 - denying yourself, taking up your cross daily, and following Jesus. He is a personal friend and mentor to Pastor Lyle LaFountain.In 1796, William Wilberforce walked out of the House of Commons completely defeated. The bill to abolish the slave trade had just failed by four votes - because several of his key supporters had gone to the opera.He was ready to quit.Then he received a letter from his mentor, John Newton - the former slave trader who wrote Amazing Grace. One letter. At the right moment. From the right person.Wilberforce stayed. Eleven years later, the bill passed. And on his deathbed, he saw the full emancipation of slaves throughout the United Kingdom.That's exactly what's happening in 2 Timothy chapter 1. Timothy is discouraged, disillusioned, and afraid. And at just the right moment, he receives a letter from the man who discipled him.In this message, guest preacher Chad Hood opens 2 Timothy 1:1-5 and unpacks the first words Paul writes to his discouraged young pastor: Grace. Mercy. Peace.Three words. Past, present, and future. And all of them are available to you right now.KEY POINTS:• Paul - called by God's will, not his own ambition• Grace - God moving toward you (the past)• Mercy - God meeting you in your weakness (the present)• Peace - God settling your soul through his presence (the future)• Serving and worshiping are the same thing• The power of praying for someone by name, night and day• Sincere faith - passed through generations, now dwelling in youKEY VERSE:"Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." - 2 Timothy 1:2REFLECTION QUESTIONS:- When you look back at your life, where can you see God's hand guiding you to this moment?- Which of the three - grace, mercy, or peace - do you most need right now?- Is there someone God is calling you to pray for by name, consistently?- Who in your life needs to receive a "good word at the right moment" from you?- Are you looking for life in the right place?CONNECT WITH US:First Baptist Church of Oak Islandfbcoi.org

2 Timothy 1:1-7: Leading in the Face of FearPastor Lyle LaFountain April 12, 2026In this message from 2 Timothy 1:1-7, Pastor Lyle explores how believers can move past paralyzing fear and live with boldness by the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Key Takeaways:The Spirit of Power: We are called to replace a spirit of fear with the power of God. The Spirit of Love: Fear often causes us to turn inward, but God’s perfect love is an outward-moving force. Following the example of Jesus Christ, who served rather than being served, believers are empowered to love and serve those around them.The Spirit of Self-Control: Godly character and holiness are not accidental; they require intentional discipline. Core Scripture:2 Timothy 1:7: "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."Reflection Question:Are you burying your talents and resources out of fear, or are you investing them in the kingdom of God?Connect with us:www.fbcoi.org

Steve Jobs, near the end of his life, said he found himself believing in God more as he faced death. But then he paused and said - maybe life is just like an on-off switch. You're here, and then one day you're just... off.Is that all there is?In this Easter Sunday message, Pastor Lyle LaFountain opens 1 Corinthians 15 - one of the most important chapters in the entire Bible - and makes the case that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not wishful thinking, not a myth, not a fairy tale. It is a historical fact. And if it's true, it changes everything.Recorded on Easter Sunday at First Baptist Church of Oak Island, where the morning began with 16 baptisms at sunrise in the ocean.THE RESURRECTION CHANGES:• What you believe - the gospel is the most important message in the world (v. 1-4)• What you trust - eyewitnesses and evidence (v. 5-11)• Who you are - no one is too far gone for grace (v. 9-10)• Your future body - this perishable body will put on the imperishable (v. 50-53)• How you face death - oh death, where is your sting? (v. 54-56)• How you live every day - be steadfast, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord (v. 57-58)KEY VERSE:"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." - 1 Corinthians 15:57-58BOOKS RECOMMENDED IN THIS MESSAGE:- More Than a Carpenter - Josh McDowell- The Case for Christ / The Case for the Resurrection - Lee Strobel- The Reason for God - Tim KellerREFLECTION QUESTIONS:- Have you received the gospel, or do you just know about it?- Is there someone in your life who needs to hear this message?- What is one step of obedience the resurrection is calling you to take this week?CONNECT WITH US:First Baptist Church of Oak Islandwww.fbcoi.org

Every good story ends with a happily ever after. But what happens when the ending doesn't feel quite right?In this final message of our series through the Book of Job, Pastor Lyle LaFountain takes us to Job chapter 42 - where God restores everything Job lost, and then some. New wealth. New children. 140 more years of life.And yet... something feels incomplete. Because it is. And that's exactly the point.The ending of Job isn't meant to fully satisfy you. It's meant to make you long for something more - to point you toward the ultimate restoration that's coming. An earthly picture of a heavenly reality.Preached on Palm Sunday, this message ties together the whole arc of Job's suffering and points us directly to the cross.KEY POINTS (from James 5:7-11):• The steadfastness of Job - persevering through suffering• The purpose of God - we don't get the why, we get the who• The compassion and mercy of God - grace, not rewardsJOB'S THREE LONGINGS FULFILLED IN CHRIST:- A mediator → 1 Timothy 2:5 - there is one mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus- A witness and advocate → 1 John 2:1 - we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous- A redeemer → Job 19:25 - "I know that my Redeemer lives"REFLECTION QUESTIONS:a. Is there someone in your life you've been withholding forgiveness from?b. Are you worshiping God for who he is, or for what he gives you?c. When your questions go unanswered, can you trust the who even without the why?d. How does the end of Job point you toward the hope of heaven?

The Puzzle of Suffering | Job 4-37 Why do the righteous suffer?If God is good and all-powerful, why does pain come into our lives?In Job 4-37, we step into one of the most honest and intense conversations in the Bible. Job is suffering deeply, his friends think they have the answers, and everyone is trying to solve the puzzle of suffering. But in the end, their explanations fall short.In this message, we explore:The three “puzzle pieces” of sufferingWhy Job’s friends get it wrongHow often do we respond poorly to those who are hurtingWhat real faith looks like in the middle of painAnd how Job points us to our ultimate hope in Jesus ChristJob doesn’t get an explanation for his suffering.He gets something better - a revelation of who God is.And in the middle of his pain, Job begins to long for a mediator, a witness, and a redeemer, a longing that is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus.Key TakeawayThe answer to suffering is not found in human explanation, but in divine revelation-and in a living Redeemer.Scripture: Job 4-37Connect With Uswww.fbcoi.orgIf this message encouraged you, be sure to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs hope today.

What do you do when the darkness feels overwhelming - when even your faith doesn't seem to hold back the weight of suffering?In this message from Job chapter 3, Pastor Lyle LaFountain walks us through what he calls the most depressing chapter in the entire Bible. Job has lost everything - his family, his wealth, his health - and now, seven days of silence later, the shock has worn off. What we hear from Job is raw, honest, gut-level lament.And yet - even in the darkest chapter of the oldest book of the Bible, there is hope.KEY POINTS:• Suffering can lead to the darkness of depression (v. 1-10)• Suffering can make death look attractive (v. 11-19)• Suffering drives us to bring God our hard questions in prayer (v. 20-23)• Suffering reveals what we fear most (v. 24-26)• Suffering points us to the greatest sufferer - Jesus ChristKEY VERSE:"After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth." - Job 3:1REFLECTION QUESTIONS:- Have you ever brought your "why" questions to God? What happened?- What does your suffering reveal about what you fear most?- Is there someone in your life right now in a "dark night of the soul" who just needs you to show up?CONNECT WITH US:First Baptist Church of Oak Islandwww.fbcoi.org

Sermon 1 in the Series: Job - When All Hell Breaks Loose - The Book of Job ExplainedPastor Lyle LaFountainMarch 1st, 2026Why does God allow suffering? The book of Job wrestles with one of the hardest questions in life: Why do bad things happen to good people? In Job chapters 1–2 we meet a righteous man who loses his farm, his fortune, and his family in a single day. Yet instead of cursing God… Job falls to the ground and worships. Why? What kind of faith can survive a day like that? This sermon explores one of the most honest and powerful books in the Bible and its teachings on suffering, spiritual warfare, and the sovereignty of God. But the real question of the book of Job may not be the one we think. Most people ask: “Why do the righteous suffer?” But the deeper question of Job is: “Why do the righteous worship?” Six Anchors When All Hell Breaks Loose 1) Build Your Faith Before the Fire 2) Don’t Rush Past the Pain 3) Choose to Worship Even When It Makes No Sense 4) Maintain an Eternal Perspective 5) Recognize God Is Sovereign — Even Over Evil 6) Guard Your Heart from the Poison of BitternessFirst Baptist Church Oak Islandwww.fbcoi.org