By Russ Wilkins
Dir. of Missions, Shiloh Baptist Assoc., Adamsville

Focal Passage: Luke 6:27-38 

This Scripture is too hard to live out so come back next week for a new set of Scriptures to talk about.

Are you still here? Okay, let’s talk about it then. Today’s Scriptures are so challenging and to make matters worse, Jesus is the one who spoke them. They are “red letter” Scriptures. When I think of my faith, I sometimes like the easy faith.

You know, the believe and receive type of faith but Jesus is clear about the “take up your cross daily,” “follow Me” and “no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom” type of faith too. [Read more…]

By Russ Wilkins
Dir. of Missions, Shiloh Baptist Assoc., Adamsville

Focal Passage: Luke 3:7-18 

Occasionally I’ll try to build or repair something around the house. Inevitably, it will always be harder and take longer than I imagined. Why? Because I am not skilled in this area so I am not as prepared as I should be. I believe this is often true spiritually. We rush into God’s presence to “ask a favor”, we call on Him only when we are desperate, or we pray to mark it off of our to do list for the day. [Read more…]

By Russ Wilkins
Dir. of Missions, Shiloh Baptist Assoc., Adamsville

Focal Passage: Luke 2:41-52 

On Passover, the Jewish people would recite Psalm 113-118. In one of those we read “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Jesus, Joseph and Mary would have recited this during the Passover time in today’s reading.

Jesus knew He would be rejected by the very men that were teaching Him and yet He was still mature enough to listen to them as we read in today’s Scripture. [Read more…]

By Russ Wilkins
Dir. of Missions, Shiloh Baptist Assoc., Adamsville

Focal Passage: Luke 2:25-38 

In 2020 there have been some things that we thought were necessities and we thought were so important but then we realized that they were just things we wanted or enjoyed or looked forward to.

Maybe for you it was March Madness. Every year you get excited, fill out your brackets and compete with your friends to see whose bracket did best. It is something you look forward to every year. In 2020, March Madness was canceled. How disappointed were you? [Read more…]

By Russ Wilkins
Dir. of Missions, Shiloh Baptist Assoc., Adamsville

Focal Passage: Luke 2:4-19 

Today’s title is “PROCLAIMED” and the first thing I thought about when I saw that word was the old Fanny Crosby hymn, “Redeemed how I love to PROCLAIM it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; redeemed through His infinite mercy-His child, and forever, I am.”

We think of Luke 2 as “The Christmas Story” as we read about the birth of our Savior; the promised Messiah, but is this where it begins? Why did the angels PROCLAIM Jesus? Why did the shepherds PROCLAIM, “about this Child?” Because that child was and is the redemption of all mankind. [Read more…]

By Russ Wilkins
Dir. of Missions, Shiloh Baptist Assoc., Adamsville

Focal Passage: Luke 1:26-38 

A synonym for conceive is imagine or visualize. When I was a small child, I had a pretty good imagination and could envision myself playing professional baseball or driving a race car but not in my wildest dreams would I imagine doing the things God has called me to do. It definitely was not any type of professional sport! [Read more…]

By Russ Wilkins
Dir. of Missions, Shiloh Baptist Assoc., Adamsville

Focal Passage: Luke 1:13-25 

In the Old Testament God often spoke through prophets to share His plan with the Israelites and ultimately the world. Throughout Scriptures we see that there are no accidents but rather, God has a plan.

Isaiah 14:27 tells us, “For the Lord of armies has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?” This year, my wife and I made plans to go to the beach, but they had to be canceled because of the hurricanes. Our plans often change. God’s plans are not like our plans, they are promises that God will keep. [Read more…]