By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Matthew 7:1-12

In this passage Jesus speaks first of our relationship with other people (ch. 7:1-6). A Christian is to be a brother who loves rather than a judge who judges. Then Jesus deals with our relationship with God. A Christian is to be a child of God who asks for good things and receives His providential blessings.

Perhaps the favorite verse of a lost person is verse 1, “Judge not that you be not judged.” Lost people use that verse but they do not understand the context. Every day a person has to make judgments about both actions and people. This evaluation is necessary. In John 7:24 Jesus said “Judge not according to the appearances, but judge correctly.” Those who are called to serve on a jury are an example. As Christians we are called to correctly discern what is right and wrong according to God’s Word. Jesus is forbidding a critical, judgmental spirit that looks down on other people. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Matthew 6:25-34

We often hear people say, “Don’t worry about it.” We have all heard those words. They are easy words to say, but hard to put into practice. It is amazing that we worry about the same things that people worried about 2,000 years ago.  People worried about their finances (Matthew 6:19), about food (Matthew 6:25a), fitness or body (v. 25), fashion (v. 28), and their future (v. 34).

Jesus reminds us that worry is sinful. Many do not think of worry as a sin but sin is disobeying any commandment of God. Three times in this passage, Jesus said, “Do not worry” (v. 25, 31, and 34). The word “worry” means to have a divided mind which causes a person to be pulled in two different directions. Worry is often seen as an acceptable sin by many Christians, but no sin is respectable in the eyes of God. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Matthew 6:19-24

This section of the Sermon on the Mount deals with wealth and possessions. Possessions are important to all people of all ages. Jesus warns to invest in things that will last. Life is too short and eternity too long for us to seek fool’s gold and imitation pearls.

In vv. 19-21, we are told to be careful where we store wealth. We are not to treasure our treasures. It is not wrong to have money (I Timothy 6:17). Whatever God has given us, He wants us to enjoy. So there is nothing wrong with having possessions. The “wrong” comes into play when possessions possess the person. In biblical times, much wealth was found in clothing, food, and money. Much clothing was made with wool and it could be eaten by moths. Clothing didn’t last very long. Grain, another source of wealth, could rot. Some people had their wealth in gold or perhaps silver. With no banks in that day, a thief could easily and very quickly steal your money. Jesus warns us not to put our treasures in anything that can be ruined, rotted, or robbed. Knowing that, a person should invest their money in eternal things. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Matthew 6:9-15

Jesus reminds us of the importance of prayer. He warned not to pray as the hypocrites do, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Now Jesus shows us the proper way to pray and this prayer is often called, “The Model Prayer” or “The Lord’s Prayer.” The first part of prayer deals with God and the second part deals with mankind.  The ingredients of the type of prayer that God answers are found in this prayer. This prayer reminds us what our real needs are in this life. When real needs are determined, then we do not waste God’s time and ours in praying meaningless prayers. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Matthew 6:1-8, 16-18

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of the importance of three spiritual disciplines: giving, praying, and fasting.  Some spiritual leaders in Jesus’ day were using these spiritual disciplines to draw attention to themselves rather than using them as an act of worship. These important acts of worship can be used for the wrong reasons so Jesus warns those performing these disciplines to always have the proper motivation. Whether they are done publicly or privately, the desire behind them should be to bring glory to God and not to draw attention to ourselves. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Acts 8:26-35

God always puts people, places, and events together to serve His purposes. We see this in the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip was involved in a revival at Samaria that God tremendously blessed. Many people were coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Suddenly God decides to lead Philip out into the desert to witness to the Ethiopian eunuch.

In Acts 8:26-27a, Philip is submissive to the will of God. An angel spoke to Philip and told him to go down from Jerusalem to Gaza and Philip arose and went. Philip was obedient to God and did not question God. Philip was so committed to God that he does exactly what God tells him to do. Many interpret “towards the south” as meaning that it was high noon when Philip was supposed to go to the desert. No one would be on a desert road at noon. Philip does not question God’s timing or the direction that God sent him. He simply obeyed God. God did not tell Philip what his next step would be, but to simply go to the desert. [Read more…]

By Ken R. Speakman
Member, Tulip Grove Baptist Church, Old Hickory

Focal Passage: Acts 10:9-15, 43-48

Chapter 10 records the salvation of the Gentiles. God has used Peter to open the door of faith for the Jews and Samaritans, and here he would be used to bring the Gentiles into the church (see Galatians 3:27-28; Ephesians 2:11-22).  Chapter 10 must be seen as an entire unit. The drama that unfolds in this chapter can be divided into four scenes: (1) home of a Gentile seeker, (2) rooftop with Peter, (3) living room of Simon the Tanner, and (4) estate of the Roman centurion. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Acts 26:9-20

Throughout the book of Acts, we are introduced and exposed to the workings of the Holy Spirit. The focus of Acts is primarily on two individuals, Peter and Paul. For the study of this lesson, our focus will be on Paul. Paul was converted in Acts 9 and God’s purpose for Paul was mainly to take the gospel message to the Gentiles. In our text, Paul finds himself before King Agrippa and Paul shares his conversion experience with one of the most powerful men in the world.  [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Luke 22:54-62; Acts 4:8-13

At the Olympic Games every four years, 90 percent of the best athletes in the world do not win a medal. They try but they fail. Likewise, the Bible records many people who failed. Oftentimes we fail at the point of our greatest strength. The Bible says that Moses was a meek man, yet he lost his temper and struck the rock. Abraham was called the father of faith, but he lied twice, stating that Sarah was not his wife. David was called a man after God’s own heart, yet he commited adultery. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Luke 1:11-20, 63-65

Years ago I stood before the church and announced that my wife was expecting. The church members asked, “Do you want a boy or a girl?” After pausing for a moment, I said, “I would gladly take one of each.” Little did I know that nine months later I would become a father to twins — a boy and a girl. [Read more…]