WELCOME
Communion Worship Service
Good morning First Baptist. We welcome you to worship this morning. Be sure to remember your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the week as you pray for them, and as the Holy Spirit brings their faces to your mind. Be sure to also connect with them in the ways that are possible. And if you have any questions or would like to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to contact the church through the church telephone and leave a message. (519-733-4144)
Songs
Call to Worship
And before we rush into plans and goals and resolutions, we want to start this year by doing something simple and important:
We want to turn our attention toward God.
Because He’s already here.
He’s already at work.
And He’s already inviting us to walk with Him.
Psalm 16:11
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy.”
So wherever you’re coming from this morning — tired, hopeful, distracted, excited, uncertain — you’re welcome here.
Take a breath.
Let your shoulders relax.
And let’s turn our hearts toward the God who loves us and walks with us.
Songs
Prayer
Prayer of Confession
Gracious and loving God,
As we begin this new year,
we come to You just as we are.We confess that we often rush ahead of You.
We fill our lives with noise and hurry.
We trust our own effort more than Your presence.We confess that we sometimes choose productivity over prayer,
busyness over listening,
control over trust.We confess that we have not always loved well —
we’ve been impatient when we could have been kind,
defensive when we could have been humble,
silent when we could have been compassionate.We bring all of this to You now.
Not to hide.
Not to excuse.
But to receive Your grace.Forgive us, Lord.
Renew us.
Re-center our hearts on You.Teach us again to walk with You,
to listen for Your voice,
and to rest in Your love.
Words of Assurance
Hear this good news:
God does not meet us with condemnation, but with compassion.
He does not turn away from us in our weakness, but draws near in love.Scripture promises us:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”So receive this grace.
Let it lift your heart.
And walk in the freedom God has given you.Amen.
Start Strong
Becoming a People Who Live in God’s Presence
Today's Message: Pastor Dave Page
There’s something about the start of a new year that makes us reflective, isn’t there?
We think about what we want to change, what we want to improve, what we want to leave behind.
We talk about “starting strong.”
Strong goals.
Strong plans.
Strong habits.
But before we rush into resolutions and calendars and to-do lists, we want to invite you to pause and ask a different kind of question — a question we’re going to keep in front of us all year long.
Not: What are we going to do?
But: Who are we becoming?
Not just what are we doing this year…
but who are we becoming as people, and as a church?
Our mission says:
We are committed to becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ and inviting others to do the same.
That word becoming is important.
It reminds us that faith is a journey, not a finish line.
In other words, following Jesus isn’t something you arrive at — it’s something you walk into, day after day.
It’s not a box you check.
It’s not a level you reach.
It’s a relationship you grow into.
Which means:
There is room to grow.
There is space for questions.
There is grace for mistakes.
There is patience for the slow work God is doing in us.
And that’s actually good news.
Because if faith were a finish line, some of us would feel behind.
Some of us would feel like we’ve failed.
or like we’ve disqualified ourselves.
But because faith is a journey, it means:
Where you are is not where you have to stay.
And where you are is not where God gives up on you.
The world around us is in a hurry…..God is not in a hurry with you.
He is committed to the long work of shaping each of us into the likeness of Christ.
Slowly.
Gently.
Faithfully.
So when we say we are “becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus,” we’re not claiming we’re there.
We’re saying we’re walking in that direction.
And that’s what matters.
Direction always matters more than distance.
And Jesus is patient enough — and loving enough — to walk with us every step of the way.
And here’s the key idea for today:
If we want to start strong, we don’t start with effort.
We start with presence.
Because who we become always matters more than what we accomplish.
And that’s what we’re going to talk about today.
God’s Presence First.
Let me take us to two stories from the Scriptures — one from the Old Testament, one from the life of Jesus — that together show us just how central God’s presence really is.
Scripture Reading: Exodus 33
12 Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”
14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15 Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”
17 So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”
God has just rescued Israel from slavery.
He’s promised to lead them into a new land.
There’s a future waiting.
But something has gone wrong.
The people have broken trust with God.
The relationship is strained.
And God tells Moses, “Go ahead — I’ll send an angel with you.”
Which sounds good… unless you’re Moses.
So Moses says something striking here:
“If your presence does not go with us, do not send us from here.”
That’s a bold thing to say….especially to God Himself!!
Moses is basically saying:
“God, I don’t want the promise without You.
I don’t want the blessing if I lose the relationship.
I don’t want success if it costs me Your presence.”
Moses chooses presence over progress.
Moses chooses God Himself over God’s gifts.
And that tells us something important:
God’s presence is not a bonus.
It’s the whole point.
Now, let me show you this through a different lens…. fast forward to Luke 10.
Jesus is in a home with two sisters — Mary and Martha.
Martha is doing everything right.
She’s serving.
She’s hosting.
She’s being responsible.
Mary sits at Jesus’ feet and listens.
Here’s how Luke describes this scene in his Gospel.
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.
40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke tells us Martha was “distracted.”
The word there literally means “pulled apart.”
Dragged in too many directions inside.
And eventually Martha says what many of us feel.
She comes to Jesus and says,
“Lord… don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?”
Or if we’re honest, what she’s really saying is:
“Jesus… don’t you see how much I’m doing?”
Now, most of us have had a moment like that, haven’t we?
A moment where we’re tired.
Where we feel unseen.
Where we feel like we’re carrying more than our share…and no one seems to notice.
Maybe it sounded like:
“God, I’m trying so hard here.”
“God, I’m doing my best.”
“God, don’t You see how much I’m holding together?”
Maybe it was in parenting.
Or at work.
Or in caring for someone who needs you.
Or in serving at church.
Or in trying to be faithful in a season that feels heavy.
And in those moments, it’s not that we’re doing something wrong.
It’s that we’re doing something good…without stopping to be with God.
Notice how Jesus doesn’t respond to Martha with criticism.
He responds with compassion.
He names what’s happening inside her.
He sees that she’s not just busy — she’s anxious.
Not just serving — she’s overwhelmed.
Not just working — she’s carrying too much alone.
And He gently invites her back to what she needs most.
Not less responsibility. But more presence.
You see, Jesus always knows something we often forget:
When we stop receiving, we eventually start resenting. And He loves us too much to let that be our story.
“Martha, you’re worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better.”
Not because serving is bad.
But because serving without sitting eventually empties us.
Mary chooses presence before productivity.
And Moses chooses presence before progress.
Same invitation.
Different settings.
Both stories remind us:
You can be busy for God and still miss God.
You can be doing good things and still neglect the best thing.
So as we begin 2026, before we ask,
“What should I do this year?”
Jesus invites us to ask,
“With whom am I walking this year?”
Because what we do for God will never be as important as who we are with God.
Jesus invitation for us is to choose what is better….to choose presence.
So how do we Become Fully Devoted Followers?
Being a “fully devoted follower” doesn’t mean perfect.
It means oriented.
It means Jesus is the centre we’re turning toward — again and again — even when we stumble, even when we’re tired, even when we don’t get it right…we stay close to Him.
And as we stay close to Him, something begins to happen:
We slowly start to look like Him.
That’s what our Core Values describe.
They’re not targets to hit — they’re fruit that grows.
When we live close to God, we become:
People of prayer.
People who worship.
People who love well.
People who serve generously.
People who live sent lives.
Not because we’re impressive — but because God is present.
Let me give you a picture of what that looks like.
There was a pastor and writer named Eugene Peterson.
He pastored a small, ordinary church for many years.
He wasn’t famous.
He wasn’t chasing influence.
He wasn’t trying to build something big.
He was trying to be faithful.
Later in his life, he became well known for translating the Bible into The Message, but that wasn’t his goal.
His goal was to help his people actually live the Scriptures, not just know about them.
He often described the Christian life with this phrase:
“A long obedience in the same direction.”
We love that.
Not a dramatic sprint.
Not a spiritual high.
Not a moment of intensity.
A long obedience….In the same direction. A Journey
That’s what becoming looks like.
Peterson resisted the idea that faith was about constant activity, constant growth, or constant visible results.
He believed it was about staying close to God over a lifetime.
Showing up.
Praying.
Listening.
Loving the people in front of you.
Doing the next faithful thing.
And over time, something happens.
You become kinder.
More patient.
More grounded.
More gracious.
More attentive.
Not because you tried to change yourself.
But because God slowly changed you.
That’s what it means to become a fully devoted follower.
Not flawless and not finished.
But facing the right direction.
Walking with Jesus, being shaped by His presence.
And slowly becoming more like Him.
As we come toward the end of this message, I want to give us two very simple, very gentle ways to respond this week.
-Not as rules.
-Not as pressure.
But as invitations into presence.
Because formation doesn’t happen through information.
It happens through attention.
Application 1 — Create (or Renew) a Daily “Meeting Place” with God
The first invitation is this:
Create — or renew — a small, regular meeting place with God in your day.
For some of you, this is brand new.
You’ve never had a daily rhythm with God before.
And if that’s you, please hear this clearly:
Start small.
Start gently.
Start imperfectly.
Five minutes is enough.
A single Psalm is enough.
A whispered prayer is enough.
God is not measuring your time.
He is welcoming your attention.
But for others of you, you already have a daily meeting with God.
You’ve been faithful.
You’ve shown up.
You’ve built that rhythm over time.
And if that’s you, this invitation isn’t to start something new —
it’s to receive it again as a gift, not just a habit.
Because even good rhythms can become automatic.
Even sacred practices can become routine.
Even prayer can quietly turn into performance.
So the invitation for you is not “do more.”
It’s “be more present.”
To slow down.
To listen again.
To let Scripture surprise you again.
To let prayer soften you again.
Because the goal is not consistency for its own sake.
The goal is connection.
This matters because:
Relationships don’t grow through intensity — they grow through attention.
And God is not after your discipline.
He’s after your heart.
So whether you’re starting fresh or deepening what you already have,
the question is the same:
Where will you meet with God this week?
Application 2 — Practice Noticing God in Ordinary Life
The second invitation is this:
Practice noticing where God is already present in your everyday life.
Not just in church.
Not just in prayer.
But in conversations.
In moments of beauty.
In unexpected peace.
In small acts of kindness.
Because God doesn’t only meet us in sacred spaces.
He meets us in ordinary ones too.
And when we learn to notice His presence, something shifts.
We become more grateful.
More patient, more aware, more hopeful.
We begin to realize:
“I’m not walking through this alone.”
This matters because:
What we pay attention to shapes what we believe.
If we only notice what’s wrong, we start believing God is distant.
If we notice where God is near, we start trusting that He is faithful.
Attention trains faith. Noticing is a legitimate spiritual practice.
It opens our eyes to grace that is already at work around us.
Communion
Because Communion is the ultimate reminder that God does not stay distant.
He draws near.
He gives Himself.
Jesus didn’t just teach us about God’s love.
He embodied it.
He offered His body.
He poured out His blood.
So we could live in restored relationship with God.
So as we come to the table, we don’t come because we’ve done well.
We come because we are loved.
We don’t come with our achievements.
We come with our need.
And that’s enough.
Be reminded again:
God is with you.
And that is where everything begins.
Invitation to the Table
Friends, this table is not a reward for the strong – It is food for the hungry.
It is not a prize for the faithful – It is grace for those who need mercy.
This is the table of Jesus.
Here, God comes close and we receive what we could never earn.
Here, we remember that before we do anything for God,
God has already done everything for us.
So come. Come and receive again the grace and presence of Jesus.
Words of Institution
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus took bread.
And after giving thanks, He broke it and said,
“This is my body, given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Prayer for the Bread and the Cup
Gracious God,
Thank You for this bread and this cup.
Thank You that You did not stay distant,
but came near in Jesus.Thank You for His life,
His love,
His sacrifice,
and His resurrection.Thank You that through Him we are forgiven,
restored,
and welcomed into Your presence.Meet us here now as we receive these gifts.
Nourish us with Your grace and make us a people who live close to You,
and reflect Your love to the world.Amen.
“The body of Christ, given for you.”
“The blood of Christ, poured out for you.”
Prayer
Gracious and loving God,
We thank You for meeting us here at Your table.
Thank You for feeding us with grace we did not earn,
for love we do not deserve,
and for mercy that never runs out.Thank You that in Jesus You have drawn near to us,
that we are forgiven, restored, and welcomed into Your presence.As we leave this table, we carry not just bread and cup in our memory,
but Your love in our hearts and Your Spirit in our lives.And now, God, we bring before You the needs of Your people.
You know every story in this room.
You know the ones who are hurting — carrying grief, loss, or disappointment.
Bring comfort where there is sorrow.You know the ones who are anxious — about health, finances, relationships, or the future.
Bring peace where there is worry.You know the ones who are weary — emotionally tired, spiritually dry, physically worn down.
Bring rest where there is exhaustion.You know the ones who are joyful — celebrating new beginnings, answered prayers, and moments of grace.
Receive our gratitude and deepen our joy.We pray for families and relationships — for healing where there is brokenness,
for patience where there is tension,
and for love where there is distance.We pray for those who are sick or struggling physically.
Bring healing and strength according to Your will.We pray for our community — for our neighbours, our schools, our workplaces, and those who lead and serve.
Give wisdom to those in authority, compassion to those who care for others, and courage to those who stand for what is right.And God, shape us as a church.
Make us a people who walk closely with You,
who love generously,
who listen deeply,
who forgive freely,
and who carry Your presence into the world.As we begin this year, we offer ourselves again to You — our plans, our hopes, our fears, our work, and our rest.
Lead us.
Guide us.
And keep us close to You.We pray all of this in the name of Jesus,
who meets us with mercy, walks with us in faithfulness, and holds us in love.Amen.
Song
Benediction
As you go into this new year,
go knowing that you are not walking alone — God is with you.And how will you know that…by slowing down enough to notice Him.
By paying attention to where His grace is already at work in your life.Church family….Let Him shape you — in your prayers, in your choices, in your relationships.
And as you do, may the grace of Jesus strengthen you,
may the love of God hold you,
and may the Spirit guide you step by step.Go now and live in the presence of God.
Amen.