By Dustin Allman Pastor, The Fort Church, Kingsport Focal Passage: 1 Kings 19:9-18     A story is told of a pastor who was well known to express thanksgiving in his pastoral prayers. One day, he stood to pray on a bleak, nasty, snowy and icy Sunday morning. One of the church members whispered to another, “Surely, he will find nothing to be thankful for on such a dreadful day

By Dustin Allman Pastor, The Fort Church, Kingsport Focal Passage: 1 Kings 15:9-22     A multi-millionaire onced asked a builder to construct a house. He showed him the blueprints and gave him a large sum of money. The millionaire mentioned, “You probably won’t need all this money, but I want you to have plenty to build a solid house. When you’re finished, you can keep whatever is left over.”

By Dustin Allman Pastor, The Fort Church, Kingsport Focal Passage: 1 Kings 12:6-19     My grandparents were teenagers in the 50s, so I grew up hearing about Elvis, Gunsmoke, RC Colas, the 1954 Ford Custom and all-night gospel singings.   They affectionately called this decade – “the glory days.” Most people have a favorite sports team and when their team is bad, they often reminisce a bit more on

By Dustin Allman Pastor, The Fort Church, Kingsport Focal Passage: 1 Kings 11:1-13     We will all worship something or someone. The question is who or what is the object of our worship?  1 Kings 11 describes the drift of Solomon’s compromising heart. Solomon’s heart was given to other lovers and he fell hard. James 1:15 reminds us, “… after desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin, and

By Dustin Allman Pastor, The Fort Church, Kingsport Focal Passage: 1 Kings 8:46-60     A man was praying with his pastor at the altar. He prayed a prayer the pastor had heard often. “Lord, take the cobwebs out of my life.” Just as he said this the pastor interrupted, “Kill the spider, Lord.” We can offer God our sincere apologies, but actually fail to repent. We may show remorse,

By Dustin Allman Pastor, The Fort Church, Kingsport. Focal Passage: I Kings 3:4-15     A father and son went fishing one day. After a couple hours in the boat, the boy asked his father, “Dad, how does this boat float?” The father thought for a moment, then replied, “Don’t rightly know, son.” A few minutes later the son asked, “How do fish breathe underwater?” The father replied, “Don’t rightly

By Kevin Shrum Pastor, Inglewood Baptist Church, Nashville Focal Passage: II Thessalonians 3:6-15     We are not good at waiting. We ought to be. We spend most of our lives waiting. Waiting requires patience, endurance, wisdom and commitment. We are to live obediently as we wait for the return of Christ.  But how do we wait? Why do we wait? How is it possible to wait for the return

By Kevin Shrum Pastor, Inglewood Baptist Church, Nashville Focal Passage: II Thessalonians 2:13-3:5     Prayer is an interesting, yet dynamic and essential Christian discipline. We pour our hearts out to God in prayer. He promises to hear us, to speak to us, and to answer our prayers according to His will. But too many times we feel as if we’re speaking in mid-air to no one who is listening.

By Kevin Shrum Pastor, Inglewood Baptist Church, Nashville Focal Passage: I Thessalonians 2:1-12     It is a tragedy to lose any one of our five senses: sight, sound, taste, smell, feel. I once asked a person, “Which of the five senses would be most difficult to lose?” Answer: Sight. We all know beautiful people who cannot see for a variety of medical reasons. Physical blindness is a sad condition.