Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

October 25, 2025

Flourishing Together

First Baptist Arlington

2025 – 2030

2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (Gospel Guide: Matthew)

FALL 2025: It is Not Good . . . to be Alone

September 7 – November 1, 2025

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”

Genesis 2:18

I Want to Know What Love Is!

1 Corinthians 13

Theme for 2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ

Theme for Fall 2025: It is Not Good to be Alone

Theme for Engagement 2025: Call to the Wild

HUMAN FLOURISHING: One of the domains currently being researched in the Global Flourishing Study is Close Social Relationships

What’s love got to do with it?

Rare is the person who does not want to love and be loved. Love appears to be intrinsic to our humanity. Sociologists may dissect behavioral mechanics behind the claims of love. Branches of medical research may explore the biochemistry of love. But, however explained, it is almost universally agreed that we need love in order to live and flourish as human beings.

-Patrick Mitchel, The Message of Love

PRIORITY – Love is foundational to everything in our lives!

PERSONIFIED – Love is connected to feelings but love itself is not a feeling!

POWER – Love is a powerful force that can overcome selfishness and hate.

PERMANENCE – Love is forever!

Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

October 19, 2025

Flourishing Together

First Baptist Arlington

2025 – 2030

2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (Gospel Guide: Matthew)

FALL 2025: It is Not Good . . . to be Alone

September 7 – November 1, 2025

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”

Genesis 2:18

Working 9 to 5!

Proverbs 6:1-19

God has designed human beings to live as relational, social, and communal beings. From family, to friends, to acquaintances, to our vocation – we live our lives in relational contexts. It is God’s desire for us to flourish in and through those relationships!

POTENTIAL: God has created all of us in His image, thus we all have great potential to serve and honor Him.

PRODUCTIVITY: God has placed within us a desire to be productive and fruitful.

PERSPECTIVE: As Christians, we should have a Biblical and theological understanding of work!

The Bible begins talking about work as soon as it begins talking about anything—that is how important and basic it is. The author of the book of Genesis describes God’s creation of the world as work. It fact, he depicts the magnificent project of cosmos intervention within a regular workweek of seven days.

-Timothy Keller, Every Good Endeavor

When we hear the word “work,” we often think of what we are paid to do. Of course, getting paid is important to make a living, but work is not limited to what we are paid to do. Work is not defined by its compensation but by its contribution to others. Work is not first and foremost about economic exchange, financial remuneration, or a pathway to wish fulfillment; rather, it is about God-honoring creativity and loving contribution.

-Tom Nelson, Why Your Work Matters

Avad – Hebrew word found in the Old Testament in both noun and verb forms (over 430 times). It is translated into English as – service, worship, or work.

PROFIT: The profit gained through our vocation extends far beyond economic value. God uses us through our work to contribute to the common good, serve others, cultivate fruitful relationships, and extend the Kingdom of God!

Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

October 12, 2025

Flourishing Together

First Baptist Arlington

2025 – 2030

2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (Gospel Guide: Matthew)

FALL 2025: It is Not Good . . . to be Alone

September 7 – November 1, 2025

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”

Genesis 2:18

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

Matthew 5:13-16

God has created all of us with an innate desire for significant and meaningful relationships. We find fulfillment and meaning as we live in relationship with God, with our families, with our friends, and with our church family.

As believers, we are also called to be disciples and to make disciples. We are to live purposefully in relationships so that we can help others to: Know God, Experience God, and Serve God.

Each person in our various relational webs needs . . . to be saved, shepherded, shaped, and sent!

This is for all the lonely people!

SALT AND LIGHT: Jesus challenges us to live influential, inspirational, and informational lives in the various relational contexts of our lives as disciples.

BIG PICTURE

Where and to the extent we are able, faithful presence commits us to do what we can to create conditions in the structures of social life we inhabit that are conducive to the flourishing of all.

-James Davison Hunter, To Change the World

INDIVIDUAL/EVERYDAY LIFE

Through our relational webs (neighborhoods, civic groups, athletic organizations, schools, etc.) we have numerous opportunities to practice faithful presence and Christian hospitality.

INCLUSIVE AND INVITATIONAL

We are to learn how to include people into our circles of relationships and invite them to a life with Jesus!

In a world where our neighbors do not understand our language, friendship—not argument—will become the place of evangelism . . . In the West, secularism is not an argument, it is a mood. The functional atheism we experience is not something that most of us have ever thought out, it’s just the way we feel. Anyone who knows relationship knows you cannot disrupt a mood with an argument, you must disrupt it with a presence.

-Justin Whitmel Early, Made for People

Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

October 5, 2025

Flourishing Together

First Baptist Arlington

2025 – 2030

2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (Gospel Guide: Matthew)

FALL 2025: It is Not Good . . . to be Alone

September 7 – November 1, 2025

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”

Genesis 2:18

Your Spiritual Family

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

COMMUNION: As Christians, we gather at the Lord’s Table in community with our God and with our fellow sisters and brothers.

CONTEXT – The Corinthian church was beset with a lack of social cohesion and characterized by breakdowns in relationships.

Corinthian society was riddled by competitive individualism, and this ethos spilled over into the relationships in the church as wealthier members competed for followers. Socially pretentious and self-important individuals appear to have dominated the church. It is likely they flaunted their symbols of status, wisdom, influence, and family pedigree and looked down on others of lesser status. They appear to have wanted to preserve the social barriers of class and status that permeated their social world but were nullified in the cross of Christ. For some, the Christian community had become simply another arena to compete for status according to the societal norms.

-David E. Garland, 1 Corinthians: Baker Exegetical Commentary

CURE – The answer for the brokenness in the local church is for the church to . . . believe and behave like the Lord intended for the local church to believe and behave!

CHURCH – Paul referred to the church as a field, a building, and a body to help the Corinthians better understand the new family of God known as the church.

Why is the health of local churches such a huge concern? Because of what is at stake!

MISSION OF GOD – God is engaged in the redemption of humanity and the restoration of His creation.

CHURCH – Jesus established the church to serve as His instrument on earth to accomplish the Mission of God (Matthew 16:13-20).

COMMISSION – Jesus has commissioned the church to fulfill the Mission of God through both the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20).

CHURCH - The Church is a purposeful community of gathered believers following The Jesus Way together in the fulfillment of His mission.

DISCIPLE - A Disciple: A person being formed by Jesus as they follow Him in accomplishing His mission.

How do we make disciples?

We lead people to:

-Know God

-Experience God

-Serve God

Every human being needs to:

-Know God: Be saved!

-Experience God: Be shepherded!

Be shaped!

-Serve God: Be sent!

Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

September 28, 2025

Flourishing Together

First Baptist Arlington

2025 – 2030

2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (Gospel Guide: Matthew)

FALL 2025: It is Not Good . . . to be Alone

September 7 – November 1, 2025

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”

Genesis 2:18

Why Can’t We Be Friends?

1 Samuel 18-20

Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and social health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality rate of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity. And the harmful consequences of a society that lacks social connection can be felt in our schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance, productivity, and engagement are diminished.

-US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy

God designed us as relational creatures who are to flourish in community. We have the capacity for and the need of friendships.

LOVE – Friendships are forged through love.

UNITY OF SPIRIT – Friends share a sense of unity and companionship.

The essence of Christian spirituality is following Christ on a journey of personal transformation. The distant land to which we are called is not heaven; it is the new creature into which Christ wishes to fashion us, the whole and a holy person that finds his or her uniqueness, identity, and calling in Christ. Spiritual friends accompany each other on that journey.

-David Benner, Sacred Companions

ACT LIKE FRIENDS! Friends take time to express their commitment to their friendship!

LOYALTY – There is an underlying loyalty expressed in true friendships.

INTIMACY – True friends share and confide in each other in healthy ways.

Ryan Chandler
Home is Where It All Begins

Deuteronomy 6:1-12

The idea of the introduction has to be, “Do you want a happy, healthy, whole home?” Everyone does, but how do we create that? Then the rest of the sermon is how to create that home. The ultimate answer is you need the Lord\

A healthy home begins with a healthy individual. “These commands are to be on your heart (Deut. 6:6).” You can’t pass along what you don’t have. You need to love God and listen to His commands.\

LISTEN

These three words are all connected. There is no Hebrew word for obey. The word they would use is shema – hear or listen.\

LOVE

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. What does that mean? Let’s dig into each one just for a bit.\

HEART

In our culture, the heart is often regarded as the seat of emotion. Not so in the ancient world. In the ancient world, it was the seat of reason and will. It’s the seat of decision-making. \

SOUL

Soul means your whole person. It’s your personality. It’s your body. It’s who you are in your entirety. \

STRENGTH

Strength is not only physical, but also encompasses your resources. It’s economic strength. Social strength. Wherever you are strong, use that gifting to love God.\

Loving God requires all of my inner being (all that I think and feel), my whole person (all that I am), and all that I can claim as my own (all that I have).

Transition: It begins within you, but it doesn’t stay within you. God calls you to share it with all those closest to you. \

Impress them upon your children. How?

Discuss it. Talk about the word of God with them. (What is a good tool that parents can use to talk about our faith with their children?) Grandparents, sometimes the best thing you can do for your grandchildren is to ensure they have a copy of the Bible. Discuss the stories in the Bible, focusing on biblical literacy. As they grow older, you can get into more advance conversations about difficult passages and theology.\

Get creative. Keep it in front of them in visible/tangible ways. In the Israelite and later Judaic religion, they took verses eight and nine seriously. Ancient Israelites would etch the Shema on the doorframes of their home. Today, Orthodox Jews take these verses literally by wearing the Torah on their foreheads and hands.\

What does that look like today?\

Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

September 14, 2025

Flourishing Together

First Baptist Arlington

2025 – 2030

2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (Gospel Guide: Matthew)

FALL 2025: It is Not Good . . . to be Alone

September 7 – November 1, 2025

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”

Genesis 2:18

What Happened?

Genesis 3

Theme for 2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ

Theme for Fall 2025: It is Not Good to be Alone

HUMAN FLOURISHING: One of the domains currently being researched in the Global Flourishing Study is Close Social Relationships

Flourishing Measure Questions

I am content with my friendships and relationships.

My relationships are as satisfying as I would want them to be.

PARADISE LOST: In Genesis 3, we read the account of how humanity’s fundamental relationship—our relationship with God—was damaged.

In Israel, while there was undoubtedly a recognition of the inherent nature of sin, the biggest problem of the Fall was not concentrated in the change in human nature or the heart condition but in the loss of access to the presence of God and the reduced ability to participate in the blessing.

-John H. Walton, NIV Application Commentary: Genesis

PARADISE LOST: Genesis 3 provides the narrative that undergirds the Christian theological view regarding the pervasive effects of sin on all of humanity.

Three kinds of disorder, covering the greater part of human suffering, make their germinal appearance in this chapter . . . In personal relations . . . In the spiritual realm . . . and on the physical plane . . . This multiple disarray is, from one aspect, his punishment, pronounced by God; from another, it is the plain outcome of his anarchy. Leaderless, the choir of creation can only grind on in discord.

-Derek Kidner, Genesis

PARADISE LOST: Genesis 3 recounts how sin leads to shame.

PARADISE LOST: Genesis 3 recounts how sin leads to blame.

PARADISE LOST: Genesis 3 recounts how sin leads to domination.

PARADISE LOST: Genesis 3 recounts how sin leads to separation.

Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

September 7, 2025

Flourishing Together

First Baptist Arlington

2025 – 2030

2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (Gospel Guide: Matthew)

FALL 2025: It is Not Good . . . to be Alone

September 7 – November 1, 2025

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”

Genesis 2:18

God’s Plan

Genesis 2:18-25

Theme for 2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ

Theme for Fall 2025: It is Not Good to be Alone

HUMAN FLOURISHING: One of the domains currently being researched in the Global Flourishing Study is Close Social Relationships

Flourishing Measure Questions

I am content with my friendships and relationships.

My relationships are as satisfying as I would want them to be.

COMMUNION: As Christians, we gather at the Lord’s Table in community with our God and with each other.

Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and social health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality rate of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity. And the harmful consequences of a society that lacks social connection can be felt in our schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance, productivity, and engagement are diminished.

- U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy

In Eden, Adam had the one thing you would think he needed, right? You would think that God was sufficient, right? But God himself said, “No, it is not good” . . . It is crucial to see that our capacity to be lonely with God is not a sign of God’s insufficiency or lack. It is a sign of his unfathomable generosity: God designed us to need people. You cannot experience God the way you were made to until you experience him alongside others . . . Our fullest spirituality is only possible with others. Our intended existence only works in community. Our highest call is only realized when we pursue it alongside others.

-Justin Whitmel Earley, Made for People

CREATOR: Our God exists in plurality and in perfect community in eternity.

COMMUNITY: Since human beings have been created in the Image of God, we have been designed by God to live in community with other human beings. This is God’s plan!

CONNECTIONS: Across the spectrum of our lives, we have the opportunity to develop meaningful connections with our fellow human beings.