By Gene Price Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason Focal Passage: Matthew 6:1-8, 16-18 In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of the importance of three spiritual disciplines: giving, praying, and fasting.  Some spiritual leaders in Jesus’ day were using these spiritual disciplines to draw attention to themselves rather than using them as an act of worship. These important acts of worship can be used for

By Gene Price Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason Focal Passage: Acts 8:26-35 God always puts people, places, and events together to serve His purposes. We see this in the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip was involved in a revival at Samaria that God tremendously blessed. Many people were coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Suddenly God decides to lead Philip out into the desert

By Ken R. Speakman Member, Tulip Grove Baptist Church, Old Hickory Focal Passage: Acts 10:9-15, 43-48 Chapter 10 records the salvation of the Gentiles. God has used Peter to open the door of faith for the Jews and Samaritans, and here he would be used to bring the Gentiles into the church (see Galatians 3:27-28; Ephesians 2:11-22).  Chapter 10 must be seen as an entire unit. The drama that unfolds

By Gene Price Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason Focal Passage: Acts 26:9-20 Throughout the book of Acts, we are introduced and exposed to the workings of the Holy Spirit. The focus of Acts is primarily on two individuals, Peter and Paul. For the study of this lesson, our focus will be on Paul. Paul was converted in Acts 9 and God’s purpose for Paul was mainly to take the

By Gene Price Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason Focal Passage: Luke 22:54-62; Acts 4:8-13 At the Olympic Games every four years, 90 percent of the best athletes in the world do not win a medal. They try but they fail. Likewise, the Bible records many people who failed. Oftentimes we fail at the point of our greatest strength. The Bible says that Moses was a meek man, yet he

By Gene Price Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason Focal Passage: Luke 1:11-20, 63-65 Years ago I stood before the church and announced that my wife was expecting. The church members asked, “Do you want a boy or a girl?” After pausing for a moment, I said, “I would gladly take one of each.” Little did I know that nine months later I would become a father to twins —

By Gene Price Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason Focal Passage: Numbers 12:1-11, 13-15 Do you remember the words to the old western ballad, “Home on the Range?” The range was a place “where never is heard a discouraging word, and the skies are not cloudy all day.” Words are how we communicate. Words can build up or words can tear down. Today people will say things on social media

By Gene Price Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason Focal Passage: Genesis 27:41, 33:1-11 Conflict is part of life. It is never a pleasant experience. Conflict can and does occur even among believers. We see conflict in marriage, in churches, and in the work place. In our text, we find conflict between two brothers who happen to be twins — Jacob and Esau. It was customary for the oldest brother

By Gene Price Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason Focal Passage: Genesis 15:1-6, 16:1-5, 17:18-19 People often will make promises. However when it comes time to fulfill that promise, they neglect to follow through on their word. Who has not been hurt by having a promise made and then broken? For instance, “I promise I will not tell another person. I promise to be on time. I promise I will

By Gene Price Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason Focal Passage: John 15:1-8 Jesus and His disciples had left the Upper Room. They had partaken of the Lord’s Supper and now they were on their way to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus would pray and later be arrested. Along the way, Jesus used an object lesson from the garden. By looking at the grape arbor, the signs of a