By Chris Chambers Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek Focal Passage: Mark 15:27-39 When I see the word “saves” I think of the ninth inning of a baseball game. If the game is close by one or two runs, the team in the lead will typically bring in their closer to try and get the “save.” The closer is in the game to save, or preserve the lead. Jesus

By Chris Chambers Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek  Focal Passage: Mark 9:14-27 In Mark 9:14-18, we see the obedience of a demon commanded by Jesus to come out of a man’s son who had sought Jesus but, initially found only his disciples. The disciples could do nothing with the demon. Jesus, however, commanded the demon to come out and it did.  This is always the result when Jesus

By Chris Chambers Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek Focal Passage: Mark 7:25-37 In the episode recorded in Mark 7:24-30, Jesus encounters a Gentile woman who asks Jesus to cast out a demon from her daughter. Jesus seems to hesitate. His initial response to her seems to indicate the Jews were to take precedence over, and may even be better than, other peoples. She asks for the “crumbs” from

By Chris Chambers Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek Focal Passage: Mark 6:7-13; 30-32 “Sends” is a verb. It implies action. This is something Jesus did with the 12 disciples in order for them to grow. This was a way to disciple the disciples. When Jesus sent His disciples to the villages in Israel, He sent them with a mission. They were to take His message with them and

By Chris Chambers Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek Focal Passage: Mark 5:21-24, 35-43  The Random House College Dictionary defines “restore” as: “to bring back into existence, use, or the like; to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition.” As Brush Creek Baptist begins the process of remodeling our sanctuary, we are hoping to restore our pews that date back to 1902. Some are cracked and many

By Chris Chambers Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek Focal Passage: Mark 3:23-35 Jesus says in Mark 3:24-25, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” What divides us today?  Politics, social agendas and religion are all issues that cause a massive divide in our homes, our nation and our world. 

By Scott Brown Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek Focal Passage: Mark 2:1-12 “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). For a brief moment, was that a disappointment to the man on the mat? He was a paralytic who had been carried to the house and let down through a hole in the roof where Jesus was because he was looking for healing. He wanted to walk. And the

By Chris Chambers Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek Focal Passage: Mark 1:9-20 Urgency. That is the word that comes to mind as I read the first chapter of Mark. Mark begins his gospel with John the Baptist preparing “the way for the Lord” (Mark 1:3).  Mark gives us a brief summary of John’s ministry but, he seems anxious to get to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry with his

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Genesis 45:1-15 On more than one occasion I’ve experienced a fractured friendship or a broken family relationship. Countless more times I’ve seen it in church or counseling sessions with others. There are few things as bitterly painful as a broken relationship that is seemingly beyond repair. Likewise, there are few things as joyfully wonderful as a relationship restored, loved ones

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Genesis 41:15-21, 33-40 God is faithful to give His followers abilities and opportunities to serve Him. I have a friend who began to seek these opportunities. He began to pray fervently every morning that God would allow him the opportunity to share with someone the gospel. He would then begin to look for those opportunities and committed that he would