By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Genesis 33:1-15

It had been 20 years since Jacob and Esau had seen each other, since Jacob tricked their Father and stole Esau’s blessing for himself. There is a saying, “Time heals all wounds.” I can tell you that’s not always true.

I’ve seen people so full of hurt and hate toward someone else for so long they don’t even really know why anymore. It seems that over time the pain or the fear of what the other person might think keeps us from taking that first step. [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Genesis 31:2-16

For 20 years Jacob had served Laban far from his own home. God had blessed all of Jacob’s work and shown him great favor. As Jacob prospered, Laban and his sons took notice and their attitudes began to change toward Jacob. [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Luke 1:26-38

Just as God had promised to Jacob that all the earth would be blessed through his offspring in our previous lesson, we now see God keeping that promise. Jesus is a promise kept.

At a time when it looked like God’s people had been utterly forsaken and His promise totally forgotten, God sent His Son and kept His promise. [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Genesis 29:16-30

So often we believe the lie that God can only use great people from great backgrounds for great things but that’s not true. 

God is pleased to use crooked sticks to draw straight lines. God chose to bless the nations through a broken, corrupted family. [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Genesis 28:10-22

Having successfully stolen the birthright for himself, Jacob now leaves his family. He is sent by his father to go find a wife but sent by his mother to run far away from Esau’s wrath.

At this time when he would feel utterly alone, despairing, and confused God reveals Himself to Him in an incredible way that would change something in Jacob. [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: Genesis 27:18-29

Jacob’s very name denotes that he was a deceiver, a liar, and a “heel grabber.”

The text today demonstrates him living up to that name. The deception begins, not with Jacob, but with Rebekah. Jacob and Esau’s own mother overheard Isaac’s desire to bless Esau as his firstborn and favorite son and she began to devise a plan to steal that for Jacob. [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly

Focal Passage: James 5:7-9, 13-20

It’s a particular peeve of mine when I see people going eschatologically crazy over every odd colored moon or some unique date.

There’s always inevitably somebody screaming that they’ve figured it out somehow and they know that Jesus is coming back on this specific day. They’ve always been wrong, no one knows the day or hour of His return. [Read more…]

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…]

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…]