Sunday School Lessons Archives - Baptist & Reflector

JAN. 26: HONORED

January 20, 2020

By Glenn Metts
Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church, Carthage

Focal Passage: Deuteronomy 4:1-9

I am so thankful that as a child and young man I was taught the importance of the Word of God. I have always had a high view of Scripture and value it as the one source of absolute truth. I was raised in the Lutheran tradition and later joined a great Southern Baptist church when I was 16 years old.

When I joined the First Calvary Baptist Church, I had the joy of attending a youth Bible study on Monday evenings led by our pastor. He instilled in us a love for the Word of God and helped us apply it to our own lives. It’s true that the Word of God is living and active! I began to grow in my faith and that has made all the difference in my life. As our lesson this week points out, God is honored when His people listen to, follow, and teach His Word. [Read more…]

JAN. 26: WHY AM I SUFFERING?

January 20, 2020

By Tim Frank
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Carthage

Focal Passage: Job 11:13-16; 23:8-12; John 9:1-3

Two lessons ago, we established that pain and suffering can ultimately be traced back to sin, specifically the original sin in the Garden of Eden. It is easy, then, to assume all pain and suffering comes from specific sin in a person’s life. This is the driving force behind the questions, “Why am I suffering? What have I done to deserve this?”

The Bible is filled with numerous examples of persons who endured suffering without a specific cause or result of sin. Sometimes suffering has a direct cause in sin; however it is wrong to assume that a person’s suffering is the result of something sinful he has done. The poster child for this is a man named Job. An entire book of the Bible is written to establish that not all suffering is a direct result of sin. [Read more…]

JAN. 19: VALUED

January 13, 2020

By Glenn Metts
Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church, Seymour

Focal Passage: Deuteronomy 5:17; 19:4-13

God is our Creator and highly values all life. Indeed, our value as human beings is evident in the Word of God. A beautiful Scripture that reminds us of the value of human life is Genesis 1:26. God’s Word says, “Let us make man in our image … .” Could there be a more beautiful statement regarding human life?

The triune God head determined together to create human life. Each human being is created in the image of God. How can it be that we have drifted so far in our society from valuing each individual from the baby in the womb to the oldest adult? God values life regardless of ethnicity, economic status, age or disabilities. Indeed, God values human life and expects His people to value it as well. [Read more…]

JAN. 19: HOW CAN GOD USE ME WHEN OTHERS SUFFER?

January 13, 2020

By Tim Frank
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Carthage

Focal Passage: Isaiah 58:3-11

The life of Jesus gives the perfect example of One who was used to help others in their suffering. He is our model in all things, especially in care and concern for the hurting. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus explains that He did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be concerned and give our lives in serving others, especially those in need.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah shares God’s direct word to a religious yet disobedient nation. There was no lack of sacrifices, rituals, and religious acts among the people. In the minds of the people, one of the most valued of the righteous acts was the discipline of fasting. There was a sense of pride in their denial of food to the body and an anticipation of the applause and blessing of God for their devotion. [Read more…]

JAN. 12: GOD EXPECTS

January 7, 2020

By Glenn Metts
Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church, Seymour

Focal Passage: Numbers 32:20-32

It’s hard to believe that we have entered 2020! A new year brings a pause as we remember the year we are leaving behind. It brings anticipation as we look forward to a new year. Twenty years ago we entered a new millennium. Now, here we are 20 years later. It’s true what they say, “Time stands still for no one.”

The beginning of a new year is a good time to stop and reflect on God’s faithfulness to us over the past year. It is also a good time to reflect on our faithfulness to Him and to renew our commitment to the Lord as we move forward into a new year. Our lesson this week in Numbers 32:20-32 reminds us that God expects His people to keep their promises and commitments. [Read more…]

JAN. 12: WHY DOES SUFFERING EXIST?

January 7, 2020

By Tim Frank
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Carthage

Focal Passage: Genesis 3:16-19; Romans 8:18-25

In this life, there are few things that are universally experienced by every person. Among those universal experiences are pain and suffering. Whether sickness or disease, by unintentional or purposeful actions, life is filled with pain and suffering. Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have tribulation.”

A second universal experience connected to pain and suffering is the obvious question, “Why?” This question haunts the cancer patient, the couple who recently lost their teenage son in a car accident, and the community devastated by a tornado. Why pain? Why suffering? Why death? Often, the greatest challenge is felt by the believer who trusts in Jesus, prays for healing and deliverance, and yet sees his loved one succumb to disease and slip away in death. [Read more…]

JAN. 5: GOD COMMISSIONS

December 30, 2019

By Glenn Metts
Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church, Carthage

Focal Passage: Numbers 27:12-23

God calls and commissions believers in every generation to carry the message of the gospel to the world. One of the most special days of my life occurred on Aug. 18, 1991, when I was ordained to the ministry. As I knelt before the members of First Calvary Baptist Church in Leesville, S.C., the ordained men of the church laid their hands on me, prayed over me, and charged me to preach the gospel of Jesus. [Read more…]

JAN. 5: WHAT PROOF DOES MY TESTIMONY OFFER?

December 30, 2019

By Tim Frank
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Carthage

Focal Passage: Acts 26:2-5, 12-18, 24-26

Everyone loves a good story. There is something about a personal story that draws you into the life of another. It may be the struggle and hardship of a particular time in life. It may be the drama and change that made all the difference in a situation. It may be the lessons learned and the transformation that has occurred. In the Christian’s life, we call that type of personal story a testimony. [Read more…]

DEC. 29: GOD CALLS

December 23, 2019

By Glenn Metts
Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church, Carthage

Focal Passage: Numbers 22:22-35

God calls individuals and uses whatever He chooses to accomplish His purposes in the world. Today’s passage is somewhat humorous in that God can even use a donkey! God used a donkey to speak in order to get the attention of Balaam, a well-known Mesopotamian diviner. If God will speak to and use a man like Balaam, God certainly calls His followers to represent Him and His purposes in this world. As followers of Christ, we need to be ready to respond obediently when God calls. [Read more…]

DEC. 29: AREN’T ALL RELIGIONS THE SAME?

December 23, 2019

By Tim Frank
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Carthage

Focal Passage: Isaiah 44:6-11; John 14:5-7

A common expression says, “All rivers flow into the sea.” The meaning is clear. There are many streams, but, ultimately, they all end the same place. This thinking has been applied in the world to all religions being roads to the same destination — heaven. In fact, it is popular in today’s tolerant, all-inclusive culture to affirm coexistence and the belief that all religions are basically the same. [Read more…]

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