Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
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 Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper
Focal Passage: Luke 2:1-14
Most people in America are familiar with this passage because every December we watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and hear Linus tell us about the true meaning of Christmas.
Let’s set the scene. An angel rocks the routine of some guys who are just out doing their job, Luke 2:8. In the early pages of the Bible, shepherding was considered a noble profession but in the first century shepherding had gone to the sheep. Shepherds made up the lowest class of people, coming in just ahead of the lepers. Living out in the fields away from society made them outcasts. [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 Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper
Focal Passage: Luke 1:26-38
When most people think about Mary, the mother of Jesus, they think of a peaceful, serene and virtuous woman. Now all of those are probably true characteristics, but I think she also was a very real person.
In our passage, Luke paints a portrait of Mary with real doubt, questions and faith. Where I think we see this the best is in v. 38, “I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her. [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 Greg Steele
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper
Focal Passage: Matthew 1:18-25
In my younger days, I was part of several plays/musicals. It was always the main roles that people desired. It wasn’t too often that you found a small role that had a great impact. However, that is not the case in the story of Joseph.
There is not a lot about Joseph contained in Scripture. He is only mentioned in regard to the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. But what we discover is that Joseph was a man worth imitating. [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 Michael Koontz
Pastor, Pine Ridge Baptist Church, Harriman
Focal Passage: Isaiah 7:10-14; 9:6-7; 11:1-5
One of my favorite Christmas hymns is “What Child Is This?” The tune is called “Greensleeves” and was written in England about the 16th century. But it was not until 1865 while America was in the Civil War that an English poet named William Chatterton Dix, wrote a poem called, “Manger’s Throne.”
This is where we get the words for this famous hymn. Part of the poem, which we do not use, speaks of the truth of the cross. Let me encourage you to go look it up. [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 Michael Koontz
Pastor, Pine Ridge Baptist Church, Harriman
Focal Passage: Psalm 138:1–8
As we study Psalm 138, King David is teaching us about praise. We are to praise the one true God. David said he did this with his whole heart. That place in us where our true self is seated. Our emotions, devotion, love, intellect, all that we are is to be focused towards Him and giving thanks and praise to Him alone. [Read more…]
