Sunday School Lessons Archives - Baptist & Reflector

JAN. 27: ASSURANCE

January 22, 2019

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Genesis 35:1-15

God uses this week’s text to remind us that He is always faithful.

Jacob had been gone from home for what seemed like a lifetime and now God was calling him back. He was to go back to the place where God had first spoken to him and made the promise to bless him and continue the Abrahamic covenant through him.

Jacob prepares his household by ordering a removal of all the idols and a purification of every person. The first thing we see Jacob do here is prepare to meet with God. How much might be changed in our worship services if we spent time preparing our hearts to meet with God beforehand. [Read more…]

JAN. 27: WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES OVERWHELM

January 22, 2019

By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper

Focal Passage: Psalm 42:1-3,6-8; 43:3-5

There is a question that we like to ask when the trials and storms of life gather. “Why do bad things happen to good people.” Has this question ever plagued your mind? Of course, it has! One day, a woman asked R.C. Sproul that particular question and his answer to her was a classic. Dr. Sproul said this, “I don’t know, I haven’t met any good people.” His answer accomplished two purposes. First, it was designed to remind the lady that we are all sinners. None of us are really good people! Secondly, he wanted her to understand that no one is immune from trouble. This second truth is what we are looking at in the Psalm.

It would seem that the author of this Psalm is going through a time of stress, personal attack and inner struggle. His life has brought him face to face with circumstances that are out of his control and they have brought pain and confusion to his heart. [Read more…]

JAN. 20: PROTECT AND SERVE

January 14, 2019

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Gen 1:27, 9:1-7; Matt.5:21-22

The sanctity of life is a beautiful, biblical belief that informs our convictions every life is precious because every life was wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of God.

It’s simple to bang the pulpit one Sunday in January for the sanctity of life but how does it look in our churches every other day?

Sanctity of life demands that we love people more than our grudges and feuds. [Read more…]

JAN. 20: WHEN LIFE IS EXPENDABLE

January 14, 2019

By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper

Focal Passage: Exodus 1:16-17, 22-2:9

I love to hear babies and kids in our worship services. Several weeks ago, we had one getting a little loud. When the mom got up to take him out he was telling everybody around them bye.

The reason I love to hear the sound of children is because that indicates to me a growing and alive church. Dead churches don’t have young babies in the sanctuary. [Read more…]

JAN. 13: RECONCILED

January 7, 2019

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Genesis 33:1-15

It had been 20 years since Jacob and Esau had seen each other, since Jacob tricked their Father and stole Esau’s blessing for himself. There is a saying, “Time heals all wounds.” I can tell you that’s not always true.

I’ve seen people so full of hurt and hate toward someone else for so long they don’t even really know why anymore. It seems that over time the pain or the fear of what the other person might think keeps us from taking that first step. [Read more…]

JAN. 13: WHEN RACES COLLIDE

January 7, 2019

By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper

Focal Passage: Ephesians 2:11-22

The Great Wall of China was built approximately 200 years before Jesus was born. It took almost a century to build. It was originally 3,000 miles long. Today there are only about 1,500 miles remaining.

It varies in height from 15 to 50 feet high. The average width is about 12 feet.

I have been told that The Great Wall of China can be seen with the naked eye from space. That’s interesting to me, the only thing visible to the eye is a wall man built because that’s what man loves to do is build walls, because walls are built to separate. [Read more…]

JAN. 6: TRANSFORMED

December 31, 2018

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Genesis 32:24-32

Jacob, fresh from the encounter with Laban and about to see his brother for the first time in 20 years, spends the night alone. Perhaps he wanted to pray, maybe he wanted to gather his thoughts, or he could’ve been convinced Esau was still furious with him and things would get violent.

Either way, Jacob plans to spend the night alone. God had other plans. Jacob would have been exhausted, anxious, fearful, and in no mood to be interrupted by a wrestling match. [Read more…]

JAN. 6: THE WISE MEN’S WORSHIP

December 31, 2018

By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper

Focal Passage: Matthew 2:1-11

There are some popular misconceptions about these magi. Most of us get our idea about these individuals from songs, cards and poems rather than from theologians. First, most people assume there were three because of the song, “We Three Kings,” and because they gave three gifts. But we’re never told how many there were.

There could have been two, three, or 23. They were said to be kings, though the text doesn’t say that either. They were said to be representatives of three families of Shem, Ham and Japeth and therefore one of them is pictured as an Ethiopian. Their names are given as Caspar, Balthazar and Melchior. [Read more…]

DEC. 30: HOME!

December 24, 2018

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Genesis 31:2-16

For 20 years Jacob had served Laban far from his own home. God had blessed all of Jacob’s work and shown him great favor. As Jacob prospered, Laban and his sons took notice and their attitudes began to change toward Jacob. [Read more…]

DEC. 30: SIMEON’S PROCLAMATION

December 24, 2018

By Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper

Focal Passage: Luke 2:25-35

No one likes to wait. But we wait in traffic, in car lines, in grocery stores, in drive-thru’s, for the doctor, for a spouse, for a baby, for retirement, for sermons to get over and for Jesus to return.

To set the story, Jesus has been sent from heaven and entered human history. The Promised Messiah is now here. Our text takes us to Jerusalem for an event that occurred 40 days after the very first Christmas. [Read more…]

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