Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

June 7: Accept Your Leadership Role

ss-lifeBy Randy Harmon
Pastor, Rock Springs Baptist Church, Greenbrier

Focal Passage: Joshua 1:1-9

Oswald Sanders said, “Simply stated, leadership is the ability to move and influence people.”

You may question your role as a leader, but followers of Christ, are called to be used by Him to move and influence people. The Lord calls us salt and light. The Apostle Paul, Peter, and John remind us of our important role as priests, a chosen people, and the dwelling place of God (I Peter 2:5, 9; Ephesians 2:20-22; Revelation 1:6, 3:10). [Read more…]

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May 31: A Pure People

ss-exploreBy Brent Moore
Pastor to Adults, First Baptist Church, Clarksville

Focal Passage: Malachi 3:1-7, 16-18; 4:1-2

God always has a plan. That is a good thing because I have a hard time trying to figure the plan out. It seems like the unrighteous prosper, the shady characters in this world get away with things that are not right, the oppressed are even more oppressed. The truths in Malachi speak to this predicament. The ultimate purpose in hard times and heartache for the people of God is refinement. God is working towards a pure bride. He will then bring the covenant people to Himself to marry the Lamb in the Last Day.

Being a messenger of God to “clear the way” is never a fun or easy thing. The task will have a fair share of critics. The third chapter of Malachi opens with preparation for the messenger God is sending. Ultimately we know from the New Testament the messenger is John the Baptist. John the Baptist had a specific task with some direct words. He called the Pharisees and Sadducees a “brood of vipers (Matthew 3:7).” He spoke against the adultery of Herod and lost his head for it (Matthew 14:4). [Read more…]

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May 31: Stick With Acceptance

ss-lifeBy Jay McCluskey
Pastor, North Cleveland Baptist Church, Cleveland

Focal Passage: Romans 14:1-4, 13-19

My father tells a sermon illustration about a man who did not know the meaning of the word “ancestor.” When someone told this man that he had “ancestors” he thought it was some disease or parasite. Consequently, he would swear that he DID NOT have “ancestors” (though certainly he did).

The topic of Romans 14 is another word which may cause an initial aversion: “scruples.” You initially might think that you do not have “scruples.” But like we all have “ancestors,” we also all have “scruples.”

The dictionary defines scruples as “a feeling of doubt or hesitation with regard to the propriety of a course of action.” In other words, a scruple is a sense of conviction or preference about how things should be done. Everyone possesses persuasions about the better way to cook, clean, do construction, drive a stick shift, and countless other items.

One of the places scruples show up is in church. Of course there are items upon which it is essential all Christians be “on the same page.” These include the sovereignty of God, the sufficiency of grace, the inspiration of Scripture, and the divinity of Jesus. [Read more…]

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May 24: Faithful

ss-exploreBy Brent Moore
Pastor to Adults, First Baptist Church, Clarksville

Focal Passage: Malachi 2:10-17

I am not part of a generation where one can count on another to keep their word. In fact, I do not think the previous generation was much better. I have heard stories about a former age relying on handshakes and a good look in the eye to get business done, but it seems like a long time ago. Today, we use our signature for phones, user agreements, and just about every store transaction. Even with contracts being signed every day, we do not seem like a more faithful people. Our problem is the same as the people of old, we have a heart problem.

Malachi opens this section in chapter two with rhetorical questions. “Don’t all of us have one Father? Didn’t one God create us?” The implication is the people are acting as if they do not. The individuals in Malachi are exhibiting unfaithful actions towards their fellow brothers and sisters. They are “acting treacherously” with one another. Malachi calls it, “profaning the covenant of our fathers.” [Read more…]

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May 24: Stick With Humility

ss-lifeBy Jay McCluskey
Pastor, North Cleveland Baptist Church, Cleveland

Focal Passage: Philippians 2:1-5, 13-15

The essentials to maintaining a healthy physical body are familiar. Doctors, physical trainers, and nutritionists agree with the basic components: Eat a balanced diet covering all the needed vitamins and minerals, exercise, drink plenty of fluids, and get a good night’s sleep. But what is essential to maintain good health as the body of Christ? Paul tells us in Philippians 2:3:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3, NIV).

The key to congregational health is “humility.” Regrettably, “humility” can be associated with “weakness.” This is an unfortunate misconception. Biblical humility is not a poor self-image that denies our talent or accomplishments. Instead, it is a wholesome self-understanding that is strong enough to make a deliberate commitment to others’ welfare. [Read more…]

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May 17: Stick With Service

ss-exploreBy Jay McCluskey
Pastor, North Cleveland Baptist Church, Cleveland

Focal Passage: Galatians 5:13-15, 6:1-5, 10

“Liberty is being free from the things we do not like, in order to be slaves to the things we do like.” — Ernest Bean

In Galatians, Paul calls on believers to celebrate their freedom from the legalistic path prescribed by the Old Testament laws. In this passage he describes a high and noble use of this freedom:

“For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love” (Galatians 5:13 HCSB).

While we often proclaim freedom as our entitlement to pursue a path for our own gain, Paul writes of a more holy use of freedom for these Christians: service to one another. As the passage continues, Paul describes the characteristics of this service. [Read more…]

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May 17: True Hope

ss-lifeBy Brent Moore
 Pastor, First Baptist Church, Clarksville

Focal Passage: Malachi 1:1-11

Have you ever been in a relationship with someone who knows exactly what you are thinking? The intimacy is so close they ask questions even when they already know the answers. This friend uses questions to extract the truth of your peril so that you may see the point. When your soul is laid bare, these “wounds of a friend” have a greater purpose. The intent is to be a friend pointing to the true hope.

God is like a true friend in the book of Malachi. He asks rhetorical questions for the purpose of rebuke or instruction, ultimately revealing the hope found in the Lord of Hosts. [Read more…]

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May 10: Seek Him First

ss-exploreBy Brent Moore
Pastor to Adults, First Baptist Church, Clarksville

Focal Passage: Haggai 1:1-11; 2:5-9

It is so hard to do what you are told when you want something else. Kids have a hard time obeying their parents when they really want the new toy. Husbands have a hard time fixing the leaky faucet when their truck needs to be washed. All of us tend to believe our own excuses for not doing what we know we need to do. The people listening to Haggai the prophet are no different. They want acceptable things before doing what God called them to do; build a new temple. [Read more…]

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May 10: Stick With Forgiveness

ss-lifeBy Jay McCluskey
Pastor, North Cleveland Baptist Church, Cleveland

Focal Passage: Matthew 18:21-28, 32-33

Today’s Bible Study applies to everybody. It does not matter if you are 4 years old or 104. Everyone knows the experience of being hurt by someone else. Often it is just your feelings that are wounded. But we also can experience damage financially and physically at the hands of another person. As a young preacher I was counseled to remember that there was a broken heart in every pew and that much of this pain is inflicted by others. Therefore, the topic of forgiveness is universally relevant. [Read more…]

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May 3: Awestruck

ss-exploreBy Brent Moore
Pastor to Adults, First Baptist Church, Clarksville

Focal Passage: Habakkuk 3:1-6, 11-13, 16-19

Habakkuk comes to terms with God doing what He wants to do in the world. At one level Habakkuk’s problem is a human problem. We want to be God and we want to be in control. However, God is His own interpreter and orchestrator of His work. God has creator rights and that includes judgment of His creation. Habakkuk submits to the plan of God which leads to awe of the Lord and His deeds. [Read more…]

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