Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
November 18, 2014
By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Baptist Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Genesis 50:15-21 Lynn pulled on her red fire suit, grabbed a black helmet, and slid through the window of the iconic number 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet race car. This wasn’t a mere photo op – this was her opportunity to harness several hundred horsepower and […]
November 10, 2014
By Chuck Williams Pastor, First Baptist Church, Covington Focal Passage: Hebrews 12:1-7 I have never been much of a runner. Everyone seems to talk about the benefits of “doing their cardios.” The main benefit I derive from “cardios” is wanting to take a nap. Maybe my suffering index isn’t too high. Hopefully it’s better in […]
November 10, 2014
By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Baptist Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Genesis 45:3-11 Countless dollars and hours are invested as medical professionals investigate the cause of our most ravaging diseases. Find the cause, find the cure. While there is currently a well-deserved focus on the dangers of Ebola, no one is searching for the cause […]
November 4, 2014
By Chuck Williams Pastor, First Baptist Church, Covington Focal Passage: Hebrews 11:1-7 I have five children; therefore I have lots of stories! One of my kids went through a romance break-up. I asked what problem caused this. The answer quickly came, “I could never do enough to please them plus I never felt like I […]
November 4, 2014
Focal Passage: Genesis 41:28-36, 46-49 By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Hard times come in many forms. Some of what we might call hard times are actually nuisances rather than extreme challenges. A dear lady had a husband who was an airline pilot, and he often had difficulty locating items around the house. […]
October 21, 2014
By Chuck Williams Pastor, First Baptist Church, Covington Focal Passage: Hebrews 8:1-13 Nothing lasts forever. When is the last time you shopped at Woolworths, bought gasoline at a Sinclair station, or tried explaining an 8-track player to someone under 30? Contracts, covenants, and sure things come and go. In today’s world is there a place […]
October 21, 2014
By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Genesis 39:3-12 The Temptations were a hit Motown vocal group in the 1960s and 1970s. “The Temptations” could also describe the difficult battles every believer faces daily. Sunday School teacher Clara Noll had just finished a lesson on Christian behavior. “Now, Billy,” she asked, “Tell […]
October 14, 2014
By Chuck Williams Pastor, First Baptist Church, Covington Focal Passage: Hebrews 7:23-28 One time a preacher in the middle of his sermon asked the rhetorical question, “Do you know of anyone who has lived a perfect life?” Surprisingly an older man raised his hand. The pastor asked, “Well, who is this perfect person?” The man […]
October 14, 2014
By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Genesis 37:19-27; 39:1-2 You have walked across the razor-sharp pieces of broken trust, just trying to understand why you were betrayed. The act of betrayal creates a tormenting pain that tears at every emotional fiber of your being while simultaneously wrapping you in a dulling […]
October 7, 2014
By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Ephesians 6:18-22 E.T., the abandoned alien in the 1982 movie, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” learned enough English to express his deepest desire: “Phone home.” Today E.T. would probably say something like, “Skype Saturn.” Incredible technological advances allow us to use high-definition sight and sound to easily […]
October 7, 2014
By Chuck Williams Pastor, First Baptist Church, Covington Focal Passage: Hebrews 6:1-8 A family who moved to a new neighborhood got a late start one morning. As a result, their 6-year-old girl missed her school bus. Though it would make him late, the father agreed to take her to school if she could give him […]
October 1, 2014
By Chuck Williams Pastor, First Baptist Church, Covington Focal Passage: Hebrews 4:14-5:6 This passage is one of the great monuments in this letter. In chapters 1 and 2 the writer discusses the superiority of Christ as King of the angels. In chapter 3 He is shown to be superior to Moses. In this the last […]