First Baptist Church Hazard

05/27/2026

We certainly could use a Van driver each evening for our VBS, need to be at least 25 years old and have an adult or teen partner to go with you. Great rewards in heaven for Van Drivers! Let pastor tim know if you are interested.

05/23/2026

05/22/2026

Honors Night 2026

05/22/2026

5.22.26 Iphones
This is pastor tim from Hazard First Baptist with Today’s Good News.
We live in a digital world, more than likely everyone listening to this message has a smartphone in your pocket. You would never consider leaving home without it.
My relationship with a rotary phone began back in late 60’s which often had a 20 ft handset cord that you could strangle your sister with and knock things off kitchen counters.
Also at this time, if you were out and broke down in your car, you had to use - a phone booth, depositing a quarter in it. Our kids can’t imagine a world in which we had to suffer these things- using a land line and machines which don’t take a credit card.
Then a bag phone came along in the 70’s. Made us all feel like James Bond, having a phone in your car, which worked about 20% of the time.
But technology has certainly advanced. In the 80” I recall getting one of these at work, a pager which would vibrate at such a rate that every time it went off, I would yell like a dog that had been hot by a rock.
In the late 90’s - Blackberry’s appeared on the market. The makers of blackberry laughed at the iphone saying a digital touchscreen would never work, people like the feel of the type pad. Blackberry went out of business in 2022.
So today we each have a smartphone, that we can use for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health- as we have become married to this device. This device weighs about 8 ounces, and it has much control over our lives.
It can be used for good or bad- there are many good ways that we can use our smartphones, as we can access the Word of God. We can be discipled via online sermons and books.
I use my phone to listen to preaching almost every day, we can pay our tithes online, we can use our phone to get answers to biblical questions, we can record sermons and devotionals, the list goes on and on for great spiritual uses. Use your phone to grow in the faith.
This has been pastor tim with Today’s Good News.

05/21/2026

5.21.26 There’s an app for that
This is pastor tim from Hazard First Baptist with Today’s Good News.
There’s an app for almost anything and everything, and there are many phone apps that are very effective in providing technology that improves our lives, and then there are also apps that really don’t add much value to our day and are somewhat hilarious. Such as the
• Pocket Whip App: It turns your phone into a motion-activated whip (complete with the crack sound). Perfect for when a friend is taking way too long to finish a story.
• The Sneeze App: An app that lets you trigger realistic (and disgusting) sneeze sounds. It’s simple, but in a quiet room, it’s guaranteed to get a reaction.
• How bout a PrankDial app: This one allows you to send pre-recorded prank calls to people. It’s "smart" enough to pause when the person speaks, making it sound like a real (and very confused) person on the other end.
• PawsTalk (Pet Translator): It claims to "translate" your dog or cat’s barks and meows. While it’s clearly for entertainment, the "translations" it generates are usually hilarious and oddly sassy.
• Finch App: This one is actually useful and very cute. You take care of a little bird by taking care of yourself. The funny part is the "discoveries" the bird makes and the quirky personality it develops as it grows.
But on the serious side, I encourage you to download apps that can cause you to grow in the Lord.
There are many Bible reading and study apps, also Prayer journaling and devotional apps, which can be a great source of daily encouragement.
But my favorite App is known as Faithbot, it is a study assistant designed to help individuals learn more about Jesus and Christianity. Christian AI. Its responses are grounded in the scriptures, operating from a conservative evangelical perspective, providing answers that will guide you in your faith walk.
And I want to encourage you to download the First Baptist Church Hazard App- by going to your app store and searching for First Baptist Church Hazard. ON this app, you will have access to a Bible app, also to commentaries by Dr Albert Barnes, a library of our sermons, and several other sources of information and encouragement.
This has been pastor tim with Today’s Good News.

05/20/2026

5.20.26 Things boys can teach moms
This is pastor tim from Hazard First Baptist with Today’s Good News.
I recently saw a bumper sticker that humorously declared, “Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your kids.” Parenting is indeed a challenging journey, and often, while we strive to teach our children, they end up teaching us some valuable lessons in return.
I recently read an article written by a mother, who clearly has quite an energetic son. She shared some of the unique lessons he has taught her:
• You should not throw baseballs up when a ceiling fan is turned on.
• The glass in a double-paned window will not stop a baseball that has been hit by a ceiling fan.
• The ceiling fan motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42-pound boy wearing a Superman cape, hanging by a dog leash.
• When you hear the toilet flush, followed by the words, ‘uh-oh,’ it’s already too late.
• No matter how much Jell-O you dump into a swimming pool, you still can’t walk on water.
• VCRs will not eject a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
• The spin cycle on a washing machine can make a cat very dizzy.
• A dizzy cat can throw up two times its own body weight.
Most importantly, she concluded, only with a sense of humor can you survive parenthood.
We can certainly learn a lot from our children, especially when navigating the energetic and sometimes unpredictable stages of parenthood. This story made me wonder: does God sometimes feel a bit like this mother, watching us—His beloved children—as we do our own ‘crazy’ things? Yet, despite our often foolish or misguided actions, He still loves us deeply. He remains incredibly patient with us. He never says, ‘That’s more than I can forgive; I’ve had enough of you.’
Instead, He continually extends His mercy to us. As the prophet Jeremiah beautifully wrote in Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV):
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
God’s compassion for us never fails. Each morning, His mercies are fresh, reminding us of His enduring love and boundless patience. This is the Good News that gives us hope and grace every single day for those who repent and believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.
This has been pastor tim with Today’s Good News.

05/19/2026

5.19.26 Direction
This is pastor tim from Hazard First Baptist with Today’s Good News.
God cares about every area of your life. He cares about your family life, your school life, and your work life. Your work matters to God, even if it is not a Christian vocation. There is great value in honest, hard work.
Many of you will remember Zig Ziglar, motivational author and speaker; he had enthusiasm to spare, and he loved the Lord. He used to tell a story about a young couple lost on a country road. They spotted an old farmer, so they stopped the car to get directions.
The man said, “Sir, could you tell us where this road will take us?” With a twinkle in his eye the wise old farmer smiled and said, “Son, this road will take you anywhere in the world you want to go—you just have to keep moving in the right direction.”
Life is all about the journey, not just the destination. Are you heading in the right direction? Are you applying your talents and God-given gifts to your journey in life?
Sometimes, that "right direction in life" feels less like a highway and more like trying to herd cats through a car wash, doesn't it?
It's easy to get distracted or, let's be honest, just plain lazy. We might tell ourselves we're just "resting," when really, we've achieved a master's degree in procrastination. The pile of laundry suddenly seems more intimidating than Mount Everest, and that important task for work? Well, it's developing quite the magnetic pull towards tomorrow's to-do list.
But here’s the wonderful truth: God, in His infinite wisdom and humor, isn't surprised by our occasional detours into "productive avoidance." He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:14, ESV). Yet, He still calls us to diligence; to be faithful stewards of the gifts and opportunities He's given us (Colossians 3:23-24, ESV). He doesn't expect perfection, but He does cherish our willingness to keep moving, to apply ourselves, even when our efforts feel small. Remember, even a baby step in the right direction is still moving forward. He is patiently cheering us on, ready to grant grace and forgiveness for our stumbles, and always equipping us to get back on the road.
This has been pastor tim with Today’s Good News.

05/17/2026

Today three are washed by His grace and made new in Christ! 🤍

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
- 2 Corinthians 5:17