By Rick Elsey
Pastor, West End Baptist Church, Columbia

Focal Passage: Jeremiah 33:3-8, 14-16

 “Why can’t you be more like your brother?” Has anyone ever said something like that to you? Maybe you were compared to another coworker rather than a sibling. [Read more…]

By Rick Elsey Pastor
West End Baptist Church, Columbia

Focal Passage: Psalm 23:1-6

According to Wikipedia: “sheep are frequently thought of as unintelligent animals. Their flocking behavior and quickness to flee and panic can make shepherding a difficult endeavor for the [untrained].” Sheep need a good shepherd. As a shepherd himself, David would know this to be true. [Read more…]

By Rick Elsey
Pastor, West End Baptist Church, Columbia

Focal Passage: Luke 24:1-12

How many times have you been let down in your life? Someone made a promise or a commitment, and they did not follow through. How did that make you feel? Did it leave you angry, hurt or even disillusioned? You wonder if you can trust people to be faithful to their word. That is never an issue with the Lord. He is always faithful!  Scripture is filled with evidence of this truth. The empty tomb remains one of the most vivid examples of God’s faithfulness.

Faithful despite our expectations, Luke 24:1-3. Everyone has experienced grief and sorrow over the loss of a loved one. I can only imagine what the followers of Jesus were experiencing as they watched the Messiah die a horrible death on the cross. They had such great expectations for the future and for God’s kingdom. How could a great celebration the previous Sunday go so wrong so fast? Now what would they do?

For several of the women who followed Jesus, the only thing left to do was honor Him by preparing the body with spices. As they went out that morning, they expected to find a tomb along with his body. They found the tomb but no body. At that point resurrection was not on their mind. They were emotionally overwhelmed by their circumstances and could not see beyond their grief. We rejoice in the fact that God’s faithfulness is not dependent upon our expectations. The tomb was empty because of God’s promise to us. He always keeps His promises.

Faithful despite our confusion, vv. 24:4-8. The Scriptures describe the women as perplexed in regard to the empty tomb. Perplexed conveys the idea of being at a loss, not knowing what to do or how to respond to a situation. In the midst of their confusion, they are confronted by two angels. The announcements of the angels are twofold: first they announce the great news that Christ has risen. The women would not find Him among the dead. Secondly, they reminded the women that Jesus had told them He would suffer, die and rise again on the third day. At the words of the angels the light bulb went off, and they remembered the words of Jesus.

Have you ever been accused of selective hearing? It is that disease of either not listening or only hearing what you want to hear. I believe many of Jesus’ followers suffered with this condition. Peter is a perfect example. When Jesus spoke of His coming death, Peter did not want to hear about Jesus dying. That was not a part of Peter’s plan. The death of Jesus left many confused, but the resurrection proves a valuable point. God always does what He says He will do despite our response or understanding.

Faithful despite our doubt vv. 9-12. After their encounter with the angels, the women went straight to the apostles to share with them all they had experienced at the tomb. The response of the apostles was less than overwhelming. They not only doubted the women’s words but dismissed them as nonsense. How could the closest followers of Jesus respond with so much doubt? Peter, however, rushed to the tomb and found it empty just as they had told him. He returned home, amazed yet unsure of what had taken place.

To this day, many doubt in the resurrection. The empty tomb reminds us that God is not bound by the unbelief of others. Jesus died, was buried and rose again. Salvation comes when doubt turns to faith in the one who is faithful. He is Risen! B&R — Elsey is pastor of West End Baptist Church, Columbia.

By Rick Elsey
Pastor, West End Baptist Church, Columbia

Focal Passage: Judges 6:11-16, 22-24

In the movie Field of Dreams, James Earl Jones’ character sums up our culture when he says, “They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom … They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won’t mind if you look around, you’ll say. It’s only $20 per person. They’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack.” People crave peace. We work hard to find peace of mind only to discover a fleeting peace. A worldly peace can never satisfy or compare to the ultimate peace that comes from God. [Read more…]

By Rick Elsey
Pastor, West End Baptist Church, Columbia

Focal Passage: Exodus 17:8-16

As a high school football official, I love spending Friday nights in stadiums across the state. Before the game begins I stand side by side with other officials as “The Star-Spangled Banner” is played. Sometimes it is a recording; sometimes the local band plays. No matter how it is played I always think of the same things. I am so grateful for the freedom we have and especially grateful to those who selflessly protect us by serving at home and abroad. In our lesson this week we are reminded that God is Jehovah-Nissi which means “The Lord is my banner.” In every situation we can count on God’s protection. [Read more…]

By Rick Elsey
Pastor, West End Baptist Church, Columbia

Focal Passage: Genesis 22:1-14

Do names matter? Ask the Hatfields and the McCoys. Throughout Scripture names play an important role. They reflect the character or nature of an individual or serve as a reminder to a promise. This is especially true when it comes to God. The names of God not only reveal His character but they encourage and challenge us as we grow in our relationship with Him. This week we focus on God as our Provider. Consider this question as we go through this lesson: do I have the faith to trust God to meet my needs?

(1)   A strong faith is a tested faith (Genesis 22:1-2). If we are honest, most of us do not enjoy facing tests in our lives. We are reminded in James 1:3 that faith produces perseverance and perseverance maturity. Still the road to mature faith can be difficult. In Genesis 22 we find Abraham facing one of the most difficult tests in all of his life. After years of waiting, God had blessed him with a son, an heir to the promise. God has now commanded him to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. [Read more…]

By Joshua Franks
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton

Focal Passage: Ephesians 5:8-14

Every four years we come to one of my favorite sporting spectacles. I love the Winter Olympics. I’m not really sure why, but for two weeks in February sports like figure skating and alpine skiing suddenly matter in my life. But the Olympics have become a ritual in my home. Every cycle we gather around the TV at the beginning of the games and watch the opening ceremony, a ceremony that culminates with the lighting of the Olympic Flame.

As we watched this year, my mind was drawn to Jesus’ words in Matthew chapter 5. He said that we are the light of the world and we are to let our light shine so that others would see and give glory to our Father. And as I watched I wondered how many of our churches were actually accomplishing that mission in their community or how many had let their light become compromised by the things of this world. [Read more…]

By Joshua Franks
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton

Focal Passage: 1 Peter 2:11-17

I was shopping in Walmart a few days ago and I struck up a conversation with an acquaintance. Our talk started cordially enough but I soon asked why I never saw him on Sundays. His demeanor changed quickly and he replied, “You’ll never see me in church. There’s too many hypocrites!” Having been in ministry long enough to have heard that excuse multiple times, I replied with my standard answer, “Don’t worry about that. One more won’t hurt anything.”

It’s a funny conversation but I believe if I were to take an informal poll “hypocrites” would be the number one excuse most people claim as to why they don’t attend church. No one wants to be around people who pretend to be something they’re not. But is there any merit to that claim? [Read more…]

By Joshua Franks
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton

Focal Passage: I Peter 2:4-10

On April 2, 2005, Pope John Paul II passed away. At the time, I knew very little about the Catholic church but I remember being fascinated by all of the pomp and circumstance surrounding the selection of the next Pope. I watched the news as thousands of people crowded into St. Peter’s square and waited for the white smoke to billow out of the chimney perched on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. It all seemed so strange and it forced me to ask some questions, namely, what exactly does a priest do? [Read more…]