One Year on the Trail — and Now We Have a Song
Brisket. Brotherhood. And a Trail Boss who knows where all the good smoke is.
What started as a simple idea — get the men together, find great BBQ, repeat — has quietly become one of the most anticipated traditions in the Foundations Class at Houston's First Baptist Church. One year in, the Houston BBQ Trail has logged six carefully scouted stops, countless pounds of brisket, and more good conversation than any of us could have predicted.
Every other month on a Thursday, Trail Boss Richard maps the route, sounds the call, and leads the crew to the next great pit stop. The men of Foundations have shown up every time — and the fellowship around those tables has been every bit as nourishing as the food.
That line says it all. The Foundations Men of the Houston BBQ Trail is part celebration, part tribute, and entirely fitting for a group of men who take their fellowship as seriously as their smoke rings. Give it a listen below — and if it puts you in the mood for brisket, that's entirely by design.
🎵 Listen Now
The trail rides on — and Trail Boss Richard is tallying the votes for best stop of the year. Results coming soon. If you haven't voted yet, consider this your final boarding call.
Honor Mike Fabian — Class Gift Closes This Sunday, May 31
A final opportunity to give together in honor of a man who gave so much.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to Toolbox Ministries — a ministry in which Michael was an active and dedicated participant. Toolbox's mission is to help men in the marketplace come to know and follow Jesus Christ, a cause that reflects exactly the kind of man Mike was.
Our class is collecting a gift together. This Sunday, May 31 is your last opportunity to be part of it — don't miss the chance to honor Mike alongside your Foundations family.
Will be collecting in class this Sunday, May 31. Thank you for honoring his memory with the Foundations Class gift to Toolbox Ministries.
Memorial Day Message · May 24, 2026
Memorial Day 2026: People of Prayer
Prayer is essential for spiritual strength — yet many of us struggle with consistency.
May 24, 2026 · Pastor Gregg Matte
This Memorial Day, Pastor Gregg brought us a message rooted in one of the most essential — and often most neglected — disciplines of the Christian life. Through three remarkable examples from Scripture, we were challenged to reconsider what it truly means to be a person of prayer.
Three Powerful Approaches to Prayer
Paul and Silas — Pray with joy in impossible circumstances. Beaten and imprisoned, Paul and Silas didn't pray for rescue — they prayed with songs of praise at midnight. They show us how to maintain hope through prayer even when the walls are closing in.
Anna — Pray with sacrificial consistency over a lifetime. A widow for decades, Anna never left the temple. She worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer. Her life is a picture of what it looks like to build a discipline of prayer not just for a season, but for a lifetime.
Epaphras — Pray with strength for others. Paul describes Epaphras as always wrestling in prayer for the believers at Colossae. He didn't pray casually — he wrestled. Interceding with that kind of strength for others is what transforms ordinary people into extraordinary intercessors.
On a weekend when we honor those who gave everything in service to others, this message was a fitting reminder that the most powerful thing we can do for the people we love — and for this nation — is to pray. Not casually, not occasionally, but consistently, joyfully, and with everything we have.
Which example speaks to you most — Paul's joy, Anna's consistency, or Epaphras's intercession? Wherever you are in your prayer life, this weekend is a good time to recommit.
Earn This: Living Worthy of the Sacrifice
A surprise Memorial Day lesson from Bill Wright — delivered with personal conviction, humor, and a challenge none of us will forget quickly.
📅 May 24, 2026 · 👥 Foundations Class · 🎤 Bill Wright
Bill Wright was asked last-minute to pivot his prepared lesson into a Memorial Day message — after seeing the newsletter the day before. He lost power at his office while preparing and finished the lesson from home, which he cheerfully offered as his official disclaimer before diving into one of the most personally meaningful lessons our class has heard in some time.
Drawing from the closing scene of Saving Private Ryan, where the dying Captain Miller locks eyes with Private Ryan and whispers those two words, Bill framed the entire lesson around a single question: are we living lives worthy of the sacrifices made for us — by those who died on the battlefield, and by the One who died on the cross?
Central Theme: Earning the Sacrifice
Memorial Day, Bill reminded us, was never meant to be just a three-day weekend. It is a somber day of reflection — a day to feel the weight of what was given so that we could live freely. He shared personal connections: friends whose names are etched into the Vietnam Memorial Wall, and family members who served across multiple generations in the Marine Corps.
Our Four Responsibilities as Christians on Memorial Day
Remember and give thanks. Honor those who paid the ultimate price. Visit the Vietnam Wall, Normandy, or a Civil War battlefield and let yourself feel the weight of those names. God Himself commands His people to build memorials — from the 12 stones at the Jordan River in Joshua 4 to the feasts in Exodus 13 and Esther 9 — so that future generations will never forget what was done for them.
Be the light. Matthew 5:14–16 calls us to be a visible, active presence in the world — not to huddle among believers. Bill put it plainly: if every friend you have is already a Christian, that's a problem. Go meet some lost people. He pointed to Pastor Kennedy Dean, who moved his family into a Hindu neighborhood in Fort Bend County and over 15 years turned it into a mission field — one relationship at a time.
Embody John 15:13. "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Supported by Philippians 2:3 and Ephesians 4:1–2, which calls us to walk worthy with humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance — Bill defined it simply: not giving people what they deserve. Extending grace and forgiveness beyond what feels fair.
Be prepared to share your faith. Have your elevator speech ready. Pray for divine appointments. Build relationships first, then share. Most people never lead even one person to Christ outside their own family — but if you win one person, especially a man, the ripple effect through generations can be enormous. The harvest is plentiful. The workers are few. Be one of the workers.
Bill also walked us through the constitutional freedoms purchased by the war dead — freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, the right to bear arms, due process, and protection from self-incrimination — and contrasted them with nations where religious expression has been criminalized. These freedoms are not guaranteed. They were bought, and they must be protected by people willing to live for something larger than themselves.
Just as Captain Miller's dying words challenged Private Ryan to earn the sacrifice made for him, Bill closed by calling each of us to live worthy of Christ's sacrifice — and worthy of the freedoms secured by those who gave everything. Are you earning it?
Stop Playing It Safe — The Ultimate Investment Strategy
Solomon's answer to life's uncertainty will surprise you. Jeff Pennington teaches Ecclesiastes 11:1–10 this Sunday.
May 31, 2026 · Ecclesiastes 11:1–10 · Jeff Pennington
We have spent the last few months traveling with King Solomon through the hard truths of life "under the sun." He has systematically dismantled our illusions of control — warning us that wealth can vanish in a bad venture, human systems are flawed, and unpredictable time and chance overtake us all.
If the future is entirely unknown and out of our control, what is the safest way to live? Should we hoard our resources, avoid risks, and just try to survive?
Instead of letting the unpredictability of life paralyze us with fear, Solomon challenges us to embrace it with faith. This Sunday, Jeff Pennington takes the podium to unpack one of the most encouraging chapters in Ecclesiastes — a passage that calls us to live boldly, give generously, and rejoice intentionally in both youth and age.
"Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days... In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good."
— Ecclesiastes 11:1, 6Come Discover
The Courage to Act. Why waiting for the "perfect" or risk-free time guarantees you will accomplish nothing. He who watches the wind will never sow. He who regards the clouds will never reap.
Generous Stewardship. How to invest your time, talents, and resources in eternal things that outlast the unpredictability of this world — and why diversifying your giving is wisdom, not weakness.
The Urgency of Joy. How to purposefully find gladness and meaning in the days God has given you right now — rather than brooding over an unknown future you cannot control.
Don't miss this inspiring call to stop playing it safe and start investing your life where it truly matters. Join us this Sunday, May 31 as Jeff Pennington brings us home through Ecclesiastes 11. See you in class!
The Midweek Refreshment of Shared Prayer
Join our community as we pause together for the Sweet Hour of Prayer every Wednesday at noon. Please send your prayer requests to Karen at 713-204-8384 by Tuesday so they may be included.
Connecting Through Encore Activities
Pigeon Forge Trip — Interest Meeting!
Thinking about joining the Encore group for a trip to Pigeon Forge? Don't miss the interest meeting being held this Sunday, May 31 at 12:15 PM. Come find out the details, ask your questions, and sign up — all the good information will be right there waiting for you.
Sunday, May 31 · 12:15 PM
Pigeon Forge Interest Meeting · Immediately following Class
You're in Control — Join or Step Back Anytime
We've created a Foundations Class GroupMe message center as a convenient, real-time way to share prayer requests, announcements, and encouraging messages. Join or leave anytime — no pressure. Mute notifications if you prefer silence, or jump into the conversation when something grabs your heart.
Sign up here: https://3zs8.short.gy/FoundationsGM →
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