Explore the Bible Archives - Page 2 of 23

NOV. 18: WITH SUBMISSION

November 12, 2018

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: James 4:6-17

Submission is central to Christianity. Jesus submitted Himself to the Father by going to the cross. We come to Christ by submitting ourselves to His judgment, mercy, and lordship. We now submit ourselves daily to the authority of the Word and the control of the Spirit.

Believers also submit to one another and, together, to governing authorities.

The Christian life is a life of daily, deliberate submission to God. A Christian’s maturity might best be measured by how well they can submit when God ruins their plans or things don’t go as they plan or desire. [Read more…]

NOV. 18: A PRAYER OF CONFESSION

November 12, 2018

By Michael Koontz
Pastor, Pine Ridge Baptist Church, Harriman

Focal Passage: Matthew 6:12–13; Psalm 51:1–7; Psalm 51:10–12

This week we focus in on confession and forgiveness. I must constantly admit my sins and ask for forgiveness. The word ‘debts’ (Matthew 6:12) is a New Testament Greek term for sin. We have all fallen short of God’s righteousness.

Our sin is what causes separation between us and God. My sin problem was eternally solved at the age of 13 when I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord.

As a Christian these past 31 years, I have continued to sin and must go back to the Father and ask for forgiveness. I’m forever saved, but if I sin today, that is causing an issue between me and God. [Read more…]

NOV. 11: WITH CONTROL

November 5, 2018

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: James 3:1-12

On more than one occasion I’ve been ashamed of, and had to apologize for, my words spoken in haste or hurt. This is among the most persistent and problematic struggles I face in my daily walk.

A few years ago I became painfully aware of how I had lost control of my tongue. Traffic is the worst and I was already running late for a meeting when it seemed everyone else on the road was plotting to keep me from getting there. Of course, I started to voice my opinion angrily and boldly (it’s amazing how brave I can become in my car with the windows up). While I was giving full vent to my anger at the standstill traffic I heard the small voice of my daughter from the backseat loudly join in yelling, “get out of the way you jerks!” [Read more…]

NOV. 4: WITH WORKS

October 29, 2018

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: James 2:14-26

Martin Luther said, “It is as impossible to separate works from faith as it is to separate burning and shining from fire.” Works and faith are inseparable, not because works can ever bring faith but because faith always brings works. [Read more…]

OCT. 28: WITH OBEDIENCE

October 22, 2018

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: James 1:19-27; 2:1-4

James gives his readers a quick trinity of rules in verse 19 to follow while experiencing trials: don’t get angry, listen hard and speak sparingly only after very careful consideration.

If only I could live up to even this single verse, what trouble I would be spared! I remind myself quite often that God has given me two ears and only one mouth so I should listen twice as much as I speak. The rest of the text unpacks what that might look like. [Read more…]

OCT. 21: WITH PERSEVERANCE

October 15, 2018

By Scott Brown
Pastor of First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal passage: James 1:2-15

Recently, on a long flight, I watched the movie “42” based on the life of Jackie Robinson. There is a line that is repeated either by him or about him many times that really gripped me. [Read more…]

OCT. 14: TRUE COMPASSION

October 9, 2018

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Galatians 6:1-10, 14-15

When I think of compassion I think of Jesus first, but then I think of Job 2:11-13. Job’s friends spend most of the story trying to understand and explain God but, before they spoke foolishly they acted very wisely. They heard about Job’s misfortune and planned to come to him together.

When they got to Job they sat down in the ashes with him and silently wept with him for seven days. Job’s friends couldn’t change his situation and they couldn’t take away his sorrow but they could sit and silently hurt with him for awhile. [Read more…]

OCT. 7: TRUE FRUIT

October 1, 2018

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal passage: Galatians 5:13-26

In Galatians 5:13, Paul confronts the misunderstanding many face regarding God’s grace and our freedom in Him. Freedom is not an excuse to continue living in sin, nor is it merely a freedom from the punishment of sin, but our Christian freedom is a freedom from the power of sin over our lives. [Read more…]

SEP. 30: TRUE FREEDOM

September 25, 2018

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Galatians 4:8-20

I met a young man a few years ago who was involved on the front lines of the battle against human trafficking. He was a part of a group that would go in to areas that were suspected brothels and, working with the local authorities, would build the case to bust the traffickers and set the women free who had been kidnapped and exploited as sex slaves.

Women and children are being kidnapped and sold all across the world into this vile, evil practice where they are forced to serve their perverse masters to purchase a freedom they can never afford. [Read more…]

SEPT. 23: TRUE HEIRS

September 17, 2018

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal passage: Galatians 3:23-29; 4:1-7

In our church, we have a noticeably large number of adoptive and foster families. It is always so amazing hearing the stories of how God brought them together and the challenges they’ve had to overcome. Some of them are single parents, some are much older and others are different races than their children but none of these things make them any less a family. [Read more…]

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