By Ray Luck
Pastor, Oak Grove Baptist Church, Athens

Focal Passage: Matthew 1:18-25

If you watch television any at all you most likely have seen the commercial advertising ancestry.com. The company specializes in helping people trace their ancestors in order to discover their roots. The gospel according to Matthew leaves no doubt as to the earthly lineage of Jesus Christ. He begins in chapter 1, verse 1 with these words, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Then beginning with Abraham he begins to trace Jesus’ lineage all the way to Joseph the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus. There was a total of 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus.

Following the genealogy listing in verses 1-17 Matthew then proceeds to tell how Jesus’ birth was announced to Mary and Joseph followed by a brief word about His birth in verse 25. Luke is the gospel writer who goes into the most detail about Jesus’ birth and the events surrounding it. Luke 1:26 reads, “Now the sixth month the Angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” [Read more…]

By Ray Luck
Pastor, Oak Grove Baptist Church, Athens

Focal Passage: Matthew 3:1-12

Years ago I was serving a church in another state as associate pastor. One Wednesday I was in charge of the service and before the service someone came in and said there was a man sitting on the steps in front of the Fellowship Hall. I went out greeted the man and discovered he was from another country and had enrolled at Pensacola Christian College.

Before arriving at the school he decided to travel through the Southeast by hitching rides and attending different churches. I invited him to attend the service and then, as being led by the Lord, I invited him to stay the night at our home. Once arriving at the house we served him food and then proceeded to talk about spiritual things well into the evening. The next morning after breakfast I took him to the Interstate where he caught a ride to his next destination. I have never seen or heard from him again. I sometimes wonder if he was perhaps an angel who came to my wife and me at a time in our life when we needed a special Word from the Lord. [Read more…]

By Derek Westmoreland
Senior Pastor, Hopewell Baptist Church, Savannah

Focal Passage:  Genesis 24:1-17

God had provided the son of promise (Isaac) that was to make Abraham the father of multitudes. However, when we arrive at chapter 24, Sarah, Abraham’s wife is now deceased and Isaac his son is 40 years old with no wife and no children.

The expectation of Abraham. Abraham, now in his old age and with a great amount of accumulated wealth (v. 1), determines that it is time to find Isaac a wife. Abraham makes his oldest servant take an oath that he will not allow Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman (vv. 2-3). No doubt, there were beautiful Canaanite women that would have been willing to marry Isaac and enjoy his wealth; but Abraham would not have it for Canaanites worshiped false gods rather than the one true God. The wife of Isaac must come from God’s people! [Read more…]

By Derek Westmoreland
Senior Pastor, Hopewell Baptist Church, Savannah

Focal Passage: Genesis 22:1-14

The test. Verse 1 reveals that God tested Abraham. Tests are good for they reveal your faith or lack of faith. In verse 2 He (God) said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Isaac was the son of promise. In Genesis 17:19 God had promised Abraham that the descendants of His everlasting covenant would come through Isaac. Now in verse 2, Abraham is told to sacrifice Isaac. This test defied logic. It was unreasonable from a human perspective and would therefore reveal whether or not Abraham would cling to his son or would cling to his Lord? [Read more…]

By Derek Westmoreland
Senior Pastor, Hopewell Baptist Church, Savannah

Focal Passage:  Genesis 21:1-8

God’s promise is fulfilled.  It had been two years since the Lord promised a son to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-4, 21:5). After 13 years the Lord reminded Abraham that He had not forgotten His promise. Then 24 years after originally revealing to Abraham that he would have numerous descendants, God revealed that Sarah would give birth. In verse 1 we read that God’s promise came to pass just as He said it would 25 years before.

The birth of Isaac provides proof that we can trust God; we can take Him at His Word. Our God, the one true living God, is different from the false gods of other religions. Our God speaks and our God keeps His Word. He fulfills His promises. [Read more…]