Greetings from
Pastor Don Nicholson
ef
Thank you for taking the time to check us out. At FBCNA,
we really do want to be the end of your search for a
friendly church. I personally do not think there is a
friendlier church in Southern Illinois. Of course, I
may be a little biased!
Here in 2007, we celebrate our 50th year of
ministry and we look forward to another 50! Since
coming to First Baptist in 2001, God has been doing a
great work in saving souls and growing His church both
spiritually and numerically. I would love to tell you
we have it all figured out, but that would be a lie. We
are a work in progress and continually strive to improve
as God brings gifted Christians into our family.
As
a Pastor, I am a graduate of Mid-America Baptist
Theological Seminary. I am also currently working on a
degree in Biblical Counseling from Trinity Bible College
and Seminary along with certification through the
International Association of Biblical Counselors.
My passion is to see God glorified and his
people grow more like Him everyday. I agree with Dr.
John Piper when he says “God is most glorified in you,
when you are most satisfied in Him.” My objective is to
model Christ-like service and equip others to
serve as well. There are four passages that ably
summarize this:
Psalm 37:4
Delight
yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires
of your heart.
Ephesians 4:11-12
And He
gave… some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of
the saints for the work of service, to the building up
of the body of Christ;
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All
Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate,
equipped for every good work.
2 Peter 1:3
seeing
that His divine power has granted to us everything
pertaining to life and godliness, through the true
knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and
excellence.
The Holy Spirit uses His Word to take us from mere
outward behavior, to Christ-like character. This is why
I strive to preach verse by verse through Scripture.
My absolute conviction is that the Word of God is Truth
and is just as relevant today as it was a thousand years
ago. It is all that is necessary for your salvation
and your sanctification. What I mean by this is
that Scripture clearly teaches how to have a right
relationship with God and with those around you. It
teaches how to correct sinful habits, or addictions, and
how to replace them with godly habits.
As
a husband and father of four children, I understand the
pressures of life. I do not preach from an ivory
tower. Before God called me into ministry in my
mid-30’s, I had already served our Nation as a United
States Marine and was working as a correctional officer
at a maximum security prison in southern Illinois. I
know how hard life can be from both observation and
participation. I also know that God is faithful and
worthy of absolute trust!
I
hope you will find what you are looking for on our
website. We have tried to give you a sense of who we
are, what we are about, and direct you to resources that
will enhance your walk.
May God richly bless you. I hope to see you one day
either here or in Heaven!
Brother Don
