By Glenn Metts
Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church, Seymour

Focal Passage: Isaiah 1:10-20 

In our focal passage this week, Isaiah had the unpleasant responsibility of confronting God’s people with the condition of their hearts and their worship.  As we begin to study today’s passage, it immediately becomes clear that this message is just as relevant for God’s people today.  

Indeed, we must take the time to allow God’s Word to permeate our own hearts and examine ourselves in His presence.  Let me encourage us all to consider the condition of our own hearts and our worship.  There are three things we don’t want to miss in today’s passage.

First, Isaiah confronts God’s people with an honest evaluation of where they are.  Consider with me what he says in verse 10.  “Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah.”

To shed further light on where they were and the condition of their hearts let’s go back to verse 6.  Isaiah writes, “From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, But wounds and putrefying sores…”. That’s hard to read isn’t it?  Another verse that caught my attention was verse 7.  It reads, “Your country is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire…”. I can’t help but think of our nation and the things we are witnessing in these days.  Isaiah confronted God’s people with the Word of the Lord and the truth of  the condition of their hearts.   [Read more…]

By Travis Biller
Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Elizabethton

Focal Passage: Song of Solomon 5:6-16 

In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon writes that God “… has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

I believe the eternity he speaks of refers to the place that God is meant to fill in our lives. Notice, eternity is placed in the heart. Just like each cell has a nucleus with a DNA molecule, so each heart has eternity placed within it. It is a place only God can fill. And it is a place He longs to fill. [Read more…]

By Travis Biller
Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Elizabethton

Focal Passage: Song of Solomon 2:15-3:5 

The greatest force that exists in the universe is not the strong nuclear force (the force that holds atoms together), but the love that binds two hearts together.

The term “lovesick” has been used to describe people desperately in love but who are prevented from being together. It is expressed by Juliet, longing for her lover Romeo, when she says, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” and “Parting is such sweet sorrow” and other famous lines.

Solomon was known not only for his great wisdom, but for his keen insight into the human heart. In our text, Solomon pens an ode to the heart as moving as anything from Shakespeare’s pen. But unlike Shakespeare, Solomon’s writing is guided by the Holy Spirit of God (II Timothy 3:16). [Read more…]

By Travis Biller
Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Elizabethton

Focal Passage: Proverbs 31:10-16, 23-31 

One of the most important decisions a person will make in life is the choice of their spouse. According to the One who designed marriage, marriage is to be a lifelong commitment. The Bible is clear, God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). Therefore, choosing a spouse is not a matter to be taken lightly.

Unfortunately, we live during a time when the idea of marriage has fallen on hard times. Marriage has been redefined by our culture. Almost any combination of people can now be considered a legitimate marriage. [Read more…]

By Travis Biller
Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Elizabethton

Focal Passage: Proverbs 29:1-3, 12-20 

It is an unfortunate reality that evil exists in the world. It is an even more unfortunate reality that much of the evil found in the world is found in the human heart. When we are confronted with the gospel, we are confronted with our own sin. It is often the case, however, that while we recognize we are sinners, we fail to call our sin evil.

However, when Jesus was speaking to the crowds He said such things as, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” and, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matthew 7:11; 16:4). Jesus referred to His generation as evil and wicked! I suspect not too many pastors refer to their congregations that way! [Read more…]

By Travis Biller
Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Elizabethton

Focal Passage: Proverbs 23:17-21, 29-35 

In his letter to the Corinthians Paul wrote, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (I Corinthians 15:32b). He was writing to the church to help them understand the importance of the resurrection of Christ.

Without the resurrection of the dead, there is no forgiveness of sins and there is no motivation to suffer in service to God. Why suffer if this is the only life we know? The whole verse says, “If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’ ” Paul was not encouraging sinful living, only helping the church see the consequences of their faulty doctrine. [Read more…]

By Travis Biller
Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Elizabethton

Focal Passage: Proverbs 15:33-16:11 

I want to suggest that the title to our lesson is more challenging than we might think.

We are accustomed to hearing that when one believes in Jesus as their Savior, all is well. Such a person is said to be “saved.” Indeed, the call of the gospel is to believe: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved …” (Acts 16:31). However, those who believe are given the equally important command to, “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19). When we follow the Lord, we do so on His terms. [Read more…]

By Travis Biller
Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Elizabethton

Focal Passage: Proverbs 14:8-15 

When Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate asked the question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). He asked this in response to Jesus’ claim, “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). Pilate demonstrated an unwise heart.

As a result, he was unable to hear the voice of God. He was looking truth in the face and denied Him. Jesus was trying to open his eyes with His statement. We serve such an amazing God. Even while a prisoner, Jesus was seeking to give His captor the grace needed to be saved. [Read more…]

By Travis Biller
Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Elizabethton

Focal Passage: Proverbs 8:6-21 

We love rags to riches stories. It cheers our heart to see a person born into adversity only to make it big. Our text reveals just such a situation.

In Proverbs 8:1-21 we see wisdom calling simple ones, and to those who answer we see their station in life elevated.

In the opening verses of chapter eight, wisdom is standing in the public square calling out with all her might. We read, “Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice?” (Prov. 8:1). [Read more…]

By Travis Biller
Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Elizabethton

Focal Passage: Proverbs 5:3-11, 15-18 

We live in a very permissive society. Sexual immorality has swept across the land. The porn industry is a multi-billion dollar a year business. That’s billion with a “B.” Both men and women have been swept up into the spirit of the age concerning sexuality. Unfortunately, very few have not felt its effects. In such an environment, it is easy to forget that in God’s eyes, sexual sin is a serious matter. [Read more…]