Bible: Acts Archives - Baptist & Reflector

MAY 3: ENCOURAGE

April 27, 2020

By Tim Frank
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Carthage

Focal Passage: Acts 9:26-28; 11:21-26

Have you ever had a nickname? In my high school, one of the boys was nicknamed “Wrong Way” because he chose to run the wrong way with the ball in a football game. Sometimes a nickname lasts for years. For my friend, 40 years later, people cannot remember his given name but still refer to him as “Wrong Way.”

In the passage for today, we meet a man in the early church whose name was Joses. We commonly know him by his nickname Barnabas (Acts 4:36-37). Barnabas means “son of encouragement,” and that is exactly what this man was, an encourager to all. Borrowing from The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman, let us consider five ways that Barnabas was an encouragement to others. [Read more…]

JAN. 5: WHAT PROOF DOES MY TESTIMONY OFFER?

December 30, 2019

By Tim Frank
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Carthage

Focal Passage: Acts 26:2-5, 12-18, 24-26

Everyone loves a good story. There is something about a personal story that draws you into the life of another. It may be the struggle and hardship of a particular time in life. It may be the drama and change that made all the difference in a situation. It may be the lessons learned and the transformation that has occurred. In the Christian’s life, we call that type of personal story a testimony. [Read more…]

JUL. 1: WHAT SHOULD WE DO NOW?

June 25, 2018

By Kevin Ivy
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tullahoma

Focal Passage: Acts 2:37-47

As those who have been redeemed from our sin by the finished work of Christ upon the cross, we are compelled to ask, “what should we do now?” An obvious example is the early church. If we make the Acts 2 church our pattern, we will not live for ourselves, but rather will serve God by serving others. We will be motivated to lead others to faith and growth in Christ. We will want to support and help fellow believers. We will long to live lives that honor God and point to Christ. [Read more…]

FEB. 25: ALWAYS ON MISSION

February 20, 2018

By Mike Dawson
Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe

Focal Passage: Acts 28:17-28

Years ago I was a part of the “Appalachian Preaching Mission,” where churches in the tri-cities of East Tennessee came together once a year to highlight gospel preaching. You’ll know it was many years ago when I tell you my role was to be the “school” preacher. I actually preached in assemblies at the various public schools every day. The main preacher for the evening gatherings that particular year was Manuel Scott. He was an African-American, very small in stature, with an unforgettable style of gestures and body movement. One of his sermons stays with me to this day: “The Save Some Strategy of the Church.” Using Paul’s phrase in I Corinthians 9:22 “that I might by all means save some,” Scott reminded us that our churches won’t reach everybody, but we’re to reach all we can. [Read more…]

FEB. 18: ANSWERING CRITICS

February 12, 2018

By Mike Dawson
Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe

Focal Passage: Acts 26:19-29

The Apostle Paul’s final days of ministry clearly fulfilled a promise God had given him. In Acts 23:11, Jesus had appeared to Paul in a night vision, telling him to ‘cheer up’ because he would “bear witness at Rome.” In the next three chapters of Acts, even before arriving as promised in Rome, Paul witnessed to Roman citizens, soldiers, and public officials. He spoke to three of Rome’s high-ranking officers in chapters 23-26: Felix, Festus, and Agrippa. I like to call those three ‘Felix the cat’ (because he walked the fence, putting Paul’s appeal off to a more convenient time), ‘Festering’ Festus (because of his angry outburst during Paul’s testimony), and “Agrip’pa,” (because he wouldn’t get “a grip” on the gospel). Today’s focal passage, Acts 26:19-29, portrays the encounter with Agrippa and Festus. [Read more…]

FEB. 11: THE TESTIMONY

February 6, 2018

By Mike Dawson
Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe

Focal Passage: Acts 22:3-8; 15-22

I first heard Chester Swor early in my ministry while attending a Southern Baptist Convention meeting. I knew Dr. Swor from his many books, but I was a bit surprised when I saw this celebrated author and conference speaker was severely crippled, bent, and had a rather thin speaking voice. Yet his gripping stories and powerful words commanded the attention of the thousands of us! So, with the Apostle Paul; I imagine him — now on his final missionary journey — rather bent, bald, and bothered with perhaps weak eyes and voice. Yet he could silence a riotous mob with his testimony! [Read more…]

FEB. 4: DELIVERED

January 29, 2018

By Mike Dawson
Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe

Focal Passage: Acts 20: 22-35

Since “retirement” I’ve given away many of my books, but I’ve retained some that are especially precious to me. One I’ve kept is Parting Shots, written by the late Landrum Leavell II, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary president, 1975-1994, and the father of current TBC President David Leavell. Parting Shots is a compilation of Dr. Leavell’s messages challenging seminary students at graduation. I love the brief, pointed, practical Bible messages and the title! “Parting shots” could also describe our focal passage, Acts 20:22-35, the final exhortations of the Apostle Paul to leaders of the Ephesian church during his third and last missionary journey. Read verse 28 carefully. Five words from that verse summarize the entire passage: [Read more…]

JAN. 28: INCOMPLETE PICTURE

January 23, 2018

By Mike Dawson
Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe

Focal Passage: Acts 18:24-28; 19:1-7

In 1653, an Englishman named Isaak Walton wrote The Compleat Angler. A contemplative fisherman’s guide, it went on to become the second-most republished book in the English language, next after the Bible. Walton’s old English spelling of ‘compleat’ has spawned many modern book titles. It seems to describe something stronger than complete: if someone is “the compleat (whatever),” he or she is the quintessential, the perfect example for practicing his or her craft. Today’s focal passage, Acts 18:24-28; 19:1-7 describes an individual — and a church group — that eventually became “compleat.” [Read more…]

JAN. 21: VALUE ALL

January 15, 2018

By Mike Dawson
Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe

Focal Passage: Acts 16:16-19; Psalm 139:13-16

Two mischievous boys hid away in a large department store at closing time. They didn’t steal anything during the night; they just changed the price tags on hundreds of items. When the store opened, customers were surprised to see an item that had been $5.99 now had a price tag of $49.99; something that was $150 now had a sticker price of two dollars! That is exactly what Satan has done in our culture: he has cunningly changed the “price tag” — the value — on just about everything. Things that once were considered valuable are now “sold” cheap, and items of no real lasting value are held in high regard. Human life, for example, was once sacred and precious; today’s world has greatly underestimated it. Purity, modesty, and courtesy are things that once were treasured, but now are often disregarded and even mocked. [Read more…]

JAN. 14: THE UNKNOWN KNOWN

January 8, 2018

By Mike Dawson
Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe

Focal Passage: Acts 17:22-34

Many years ago, shoe shops advertised “Shoes Repaired — While You Wait.” Customers could hang around in their ‘sock feet’ while their shoes were being repaired. Few shops of any kind offer such services today; people in our culture don’t wait for anything. In Acts 17:16-21, prior to today’s study passage, we see how to wait.

The Apostle Paul had arrived in Athens, having left Silas and Timothy in Berea and sending word for them to join him immediately. “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw the city given over to idols” (Acts 17:16). Paul couldn’t just hang around and wait. Never simply a tourist — even in such a dazzling city as Athens — he “saw … observed … found … proclaimed!” Here among the idol-worshiping, knowledge-seeking philosophers of Athens, Paul used every object in view to share Christ. [Read more…]