By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Galatians 4:8-20 I met a young man a few years ago who was involved on the front lines of the battle against human trafficking. He was a part of a group that would go in to areas that were suspected brothels and, working with the local authorities, would build the case to bust the traffickers and set the women free

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal passage: Galatians 3:23-29; 4:1-7 In our church, we have a noticeably large number of adoptive and foster families. It is always so amazing hearing the stories of how God brought them together and the challenges they’ve had to overcome. Some of them are single parents, some are much older and others are different races than their children but none of these things

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal passage: Galatians 3:23-29; 4:1-7 In our church, we have a noticeably large number of adoptive and foster families. It is always so amazing hearing the stories of how God brought them together and the challenges they’ve had to overcome. Some of them are single parents, some are much older and others are different races than their children but none of these

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal passage: Galatians 2:11-21 My first pastorate was in a small church in a very rural area in north Florida. We saw God do many incredible things but one will always stand out. Joe was fresh out of prison when he came to us and received Christ. When he got saved he got serious about following Jesus. He wanted to be baptized,

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal passage: Galatians 1:1-10 “Who do you think you are?! Do you really think that there is anything you can do that is so good that it is better than the righteousness of Jesus? Do you really think there is anything you can do that is so terrible that it is more horrible in the eyes of God than seeing His Son

By Sam Greer Senior Pastor, Red Bank Baptist Church, Chattanooga Focal Passage: II Samuel 24:10-25 According to the author of Hebrews, if one is left without discipline, then he or she is liken to an illegitimate child (Hebrews 12:7-10). Parents love their children; therefore, a mom or dad disciplines their children when they are disobedient. In a similar way, God disciplines His children because He loves them. We may not

By Sam Greer Senior Pastor, Red Bank Baptist Church, Chattanooga Focal Passage: 2 Samuel 22:26-36, 50-51 One year ago this month, my wife Tonya underwent a 12-hour HIPEC surgery to treat her peritoneal carcinoma. Her surgery went well, but recovery was brutal. Months later, she underwent an additional surgery due to an intestinal blockage. Tonya’s suffering was difficult to watch; however, we are so thankful. Being brought through such a

By Sam Greer Senior Pastor, Red Bank Baptist Church, Chattanooga Focal Passage: 2 Samuel 21:1-6, 10-14 Commentator on the narrative of I and II Samuel, David G. Firth wrote, “Sin takes us farther than we want to go, and its reach is far greater than we ever could have imagined.” Heath Thomas and J.D. Greear surmised:

By Sam Greer Senior Pastor, Red Bank Baptist Church, Chattanooga Focal Passage: II Samuel 20:1-2, 14-21 On June 14, 2000, J.P. Morgan & Company, a bank worth $21 billion at the time, could have averted a one-day internet shutdown by simply paying a $35 bill. The venerable Wall Street firm found itself without a website or an e-mail connection to the outside world because it had failed to renew the

By Sam Greer Senior Pastor, Red Bank Baptist Church, Chattanooga Focal Passage: 2 Samuel 19:1-15 Emotional intelligence in leadership is critical. Daniel Goleman, in his book, Working With Emotional Intelligence, defined emotional intelligence as “the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing our emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.” In The Emotional Intelligence of Jesus: Relational Smarts for Religious Leaders,