By David Taft
Minister, First Baptist Church, Hermitage

Editor’s Note: The last lesson in this series is written by David Taft, minister, First Baptist Church, Hermitage.

Focal Passage: II Corinthians 1:2-7

Society acknowledges illness and pain as “real” and needing attention. Doctors identify illness and pain in legitimate terms. Yet one illness still bears the stigma, fear, and ignorance by many in the public, and within the family alike — mental illness. My grandfather suffered for years with depression and others I have known, loved, and served suffered with temporary or long-term bouts of mental illness. [Read more…]

By Van Richmond
Pastor, New Life Baptist Church, Nashville

Focal Passage: Genesis 50:15-21

Lynn pulled on her red fire suit, grabbed a black helmet, and slid through the window of the iconic number 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet race car. This wasn’t a mere photo op – this was her opportunity to harness several hundred horsepower and go tearing around the Nashville Superspeedway at 130 miles per hour. As a woman with a burning need for speed, my wife had dreamed of this kind of adventure, and it finally came true. Back on pit row after barreling around the 1.3 miles of concrete for a few laps, one of her first comments was very revealing about her experience behind the wheel: “The opening in the helmet is so small, you can see just what is right in front of you. But you have the spotter on the radio telling you where to go.” [Read more…]

By Van Richmond
Pastor, New Life Baptist Church, Nashville

Focal Passage: Genesis 45:3-11

Countless dollars and hours are invested as medical professionals investigate the cause of our most ravaging diseases. Find the cause, find the cure. While there is currently a well-deserved focus on the dangers of Ebola, no one is searching for the cause of a disease that is much older than Ebola, as deadly as Ebola, and affects far more people than Ebola. Of all the diseases being researched, “bitterness” is not on their list. Bitterness is an ugly illness that is rooted deep within a person but whose symptoms are displayed on the outside, most often through acrimonious words. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Genesis 41:28-36, 46-49

By Van Richmond
Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville

Hard times come in many forms. Some of what we might call hard times are actually nuisances rather than extreme challenges. A dear lady had a husband who was an airline pilot, and he often had difficulty locating items around the house. One day he asked his wife where the salt was. Annoyed, she responded, “How on earth can you find Detroit at night in a blizzard, but you can’t find the salt in your own kitchen?” “Well, darling,” he replied, “they don’t move Detroit.”

Perhaps you are attempting to find relief or reassurance right now in the middle of your own trials. Charles Stanley described hard times in this fashion: “We all know what it means to be broken — to feel shattered or blown apart, as if our entire world has fallen apart. We all have had times when we didn’t want to raise our head off the pillow and when we felt certain that the tears would never stop flowing.” [Read more…]

By Van Richmond
Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville

Focal Passage: Genesis 39:3-12

The Temptations were a hit Motown vocal group in the 1960s and 1970s. “The Temptations” could also describe the difficult battles every believer faces daily. Sunday School teacher Clara Noll had just finished a lesson on Christian behavior. “Now, Billy,” she asked, “Tell me what we must do before we can expect to be forgiven for our sins.” Without hesitation, Billy replied, “First we gotta sin!”

The temptation to sin is exactly where our troubles begin. It has been said that the trouble with trouble is that it usually starts out as a whole lot of fun. James 1:14 (HCSB) describes the process well in saying, “But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires.” When Potiphar’s wife repeatedly attempted to seduce him, Joseph ran headlong into an enticement that would have been both flattering and appealing for a young man. [Read more…]

By Van Richmond
Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville

Focal Passage: Genesis 37:19-27; 39:1-2

You have walked across the razor-sharp pieces of broken trust, just trying to understand why you were betrayed. The act of betrayal creates a tormenting pain that tears at every emotional fiber of your being while simultaneously wrapping you in a dulling numbness. Disbelief, shock, and denial become constant companions because of someone’s treachery or violation of a personal confidence. Thankfully, we are not trapped in that state. God can and does bring us to a point of deciding how to overcome the betrayal.

Most people find betrayal triggers a mental tug-of-war between a Christian response and a carnal response: what we should do versus what we would like to do. Satan is really, really hoping you get dragged across the dividing line and lose that battle. To ensure Christ gets the victory, let’s look at God’s directives as well as Jesus’ example on how we should conduct ourselves in situations like these. [Read more…]

By Van Richmond
Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville

Focal Passage: Ephesians 6:18-22

E.T., the abandoned alien in the 1982 movie, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” learned enough English to express his deepest desire: “Phone home.” Today E.T. would probably say something like, “Skype Saturn.” Incredible technological advances allow us to use high-definition sight and sound to easily connect with someone in Memphis, Madagascar, or on the moon.

Thankfully Christians have prayer as our instant link to the most important person in our lives — and prayer never needs recharging, software updates, or tech support! [Read more…]

By Van Richmond
Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville

Focal Passage: Ephesians 5:15-21

Most people probably would not own a computer today if it was a stand-alone device. Whether used for e-mail, shopping for virtually anything imaginable, or keeping track of family and friends through Facebook or Instagram, the computer’s value to users is exponentially multiplied because of one thing: servers. An earth-spanning network of data-processing gee whiz boxes called servers makes it possible to earn a college degree from home, work from home, and even buy or sell a home.

Modeling Christian faith works best when we have a network of servers — not the digital doodads, but people who love God and love serving others. In this passage, Paul uses the words “unwise” and “wise” to refer to unbelievers and believers as he instructs followers of God in how they should operate (walk) within an obedient network. Tennessee Southern Baptists very frequently make the most of the time, just as the apostle directed. Giving through the Cooperative Program, traveling across the state and the nation to serve as part of a disaster relief team, conducting ESL classes, volunteering at a Crisis Pregnancy Center — these are just a few of the many ways we serve through a network of dedicated believers. [Read more…]

By Van Richmond
Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville

Focal Passage: Ephesians 4:25-32

In 1987 President Ronald Reagan spoke in front of the Brandenburg Gate beside the Berlin Wall, the heavily-guarded symbol of the Iron Curtain. West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt called this divider of freedom and people the “Wall of Shame.” Reagan’s speech, which Time ranked as number 10 among the world’s all-time greatest speeches, is remembered for four words: “Tear down this wall!” The seed planted by the President’s words took root and produced fruit just 29 months later when East Germany opened the Berlin Wall.

The East Germans were not the only ones involved in erecting barriers that kept families apart. History demonstrates Christians have built many of the walls that keep people from developing a relationship with their heavenly Father. Even the esteemed theologian John Wesley declared that the world would be Christian were it not for the Christians! What words, then, would be required to tear down those walls, to free those who face an eternity of imprisonment? [Read more…]

Van Richmond
Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville

Focal Passage: Ephesians 4:11-16

Some people fondly recall the days of their childhood, reminiscing with great appreciation the slower pace of that bygone time. A glance in your rearview mirror would reveal different recollections than anyone else’s, but you would discover one link that connected all children. Whether urban or country, rich or poor, easy life or one filled with struggle, all kids shared a common goal: we wanted to grow up.

Age and height put kids at a severe disadvantage, but growing up would remove the barriers to an entire world that was off limits to children — the more thrilling rides at the carnival, going to school, staying up later, getting a driver’s license, dating, college, a job with lots of money, etc. All of these things, and more, would be magically within our reach. We just had to grow. [Read more…]