Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
September 13, 2021
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Philippians 2:1-15 We’re studying Philippians, a wonderful ‘joy-book’ of the Bible. Written by the Apostle Paul while imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, this letter expresses how Paul found joy in the midst of adversity. A summary of chapter one might be ‘the difference between […]
September 13, 2021
By Kenny Bruce Pastor Emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Memphis Focal Passage: I John 2:18-29 John is contrasting truth with falsehood by distinguishing a believer from an unbeliever. A believer is anchored in the truth that Jesus resides in Him and is coming again. An unbeliever denies the truth of Jesus and, therefore, is a […]
September 6, 2021
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Philippians 1:12-26 Nashville publisher Bob Benson was a great story teller. I remember him telling about a friend who was recovering from heart surgery. Bob asked him, “Brother, how’d you enjoy your heart attack?” His friend replied, “Enjoy it? What do you mean, man? It […]
September 6, 2021
By Kenny Bruce Pastor Emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Memphis Focal Passage: 1 John 2:3-11, 15-17 A Christian is a person who has a relationship with Jesus Christ. In 1 John 2, John gives us three tests so we can know for certain we have that relationship. (1) The test of obedience (vv. 3-6). […]
August 30, 2021
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Philippians 1:1-11 I grew up singing hymns and ‘choruses’ like “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy — down in my heart.” We kids belted out those words with exuberance. I think the Apostle Paul would have joined us in singing exuberantly as he […]
August 30, 2021
By Kenny Bruce Pastor Emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Memphis Focal Passage: I John 1:5-2:2 God’s desire is to fellowship with us and to fill us with His joy. To experience this a person must be saved. John wrote I John so that every Christian could know for certain that he has been forgiven, saved, […]
August 23, 2021
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 Robert Wolgemuth recently authored a book entitled Gun Lap. I’d never heard of the gun lap, even during the Olympics. Yet in a long-distance race, whenever the leading runner starts his final lap, the starting gun is fired a second time. That […]
August 23, 2021
By Michael Julian Pastor, Macedonia Baptist Church, Kenton Focal Passage: I Kings 19:19-21; II Kings 2:6-14 Our journey has come to an end, a most hopeful end. Living outside the comfort zone should be feeling a lot more comfortable. What we find in life is that the end of one thing marks the beginning of […]
August 16, 2021
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 In 1789 Benjamin Franklin quoted: “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain except DEATH and TAXES.” In the aftermath of the COVID epidemic, someone added a third certainty: JOB INSECURITY. We could all give a collective amen/moan to that! […]
August 16, 2021
By Michael Julian Pastor, Macedonia Baptist Church, Kenton Focal Passage: 1 Kings 19:1-5a,11-18 There is no need to hide from the stigma of discouragement. I say stigma because it is usually the one discouraged who places the stigma upon himself or herself. If you have ever faced a period of great discouragement, who was harder […]
August 9, 2021
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Ecclesiastes 7:11-22 Remember learning to ride a bicycle? It was about balance: being balanced getting up on (and off) the bike, staying balanced while riding, and remaining balanced when braking. Leaning heavily to one side or the other meant falling over — resulting in […]
August 9, 2021
By Michael Julian Pastor, Macedonia Baptist Church, Kenton Focal Passage: 1 Kings 18:20-26, 31-39 If this were the Old West, we should expect to be hearing faint whistling in the background, followed by ominous music, and topped off with tumbleweeds rolling across a dusty street in what resembles a ghost town. Our focus would be […]