By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage:  Acts 15:36-41; 16:1-5 One of the most important ‘words’ in the Bible never actually appears in the Bible! The word is relationships. The Bible is all about relationships; yet the word itself has come into our vocabulary since Scripture was written. Terms like ‘one another,’ and ‘households,’ and ‘friends,’ and ‘neighbors’ are found again and again in

By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage:  Luke 2:25-38 During the turbulent 1960’s a silver-haired lady named Iva observed the hippie movement. As young people in faded jeans invaded her church, she didn’t complain; instead she prayed for them — and those noisy teens began making commitments to Christ. Then Iva had a stroke and died suddenly.

By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 15:6-11, 24-31 We might add two words to the title of this week’s lesson: “Available to All: Amazing Grace.” This lesson shows how the gospel was spreading more and more beyond the Jews to the ends of the earth. Paul and Barnabas had been sent out as missionaries from the church in Antioch (Acts 13). Being

By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 14:8-20 We call Matthew 28:19-20 “The Great Commission,” as well we should. There Jesus told the church to “go into all the world and make disciples of every nation.” I believe we could call Acts 1:8 “The Great Commissioning,” because there Jesus gave the specific strategy and locations for carrying out His commission: “You shall be

By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 13:26-39 Coaches often say that games are won or lost in the opening minutes of the second half. Our new unit focuses on the ‘second half’ of the book of Acts, and this first lesson sets the pace for the rest of the book. Jesus had told His followers to be His witnesses “in Jerusalem, and

By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Leviticus 26:3-16, 40-45 The primary goal of the Old Testament (and really, all the Bible) is not to give us moral examples or heroes, but to confront us with the holiness, grace, and the majesty of God. Leviticus 26 records a covenant agreement that the Lord made with the Israelites when He brought them out of slavery in

By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Leviticus 16:3-10, 29-30 The great day has arrived! Ever since the blowing of the trumpets 10 days earlier, Israel has been in a state of preparation and anticipation. They wake up on this morning knowing that it is the most holy day in their calendar. The high priest probably had trouble sleeping the night before. As thousands of Israelites

By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Leviticus 9:15-24; 10:1-3 The book of Leviticus presents us with a vision of the holiness of God that we so desperately need in our day. To see God for who He is will sustain us in suffering, transform us in holiness, and ignite our hearts in worship. After a seven-day ordination ceremony of the priesthood, Leviticus 9 records the

By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Leviticus 1:3-9; 2:1-3; 3:1-5 How do unholy people approach a holy God? The book of Leviticus is God’s answer to that question. In Exodus, He revealed Himself as both personal and fearsome, a God who tolerates no rivals (Exodus 3:1-12; 19:21-25; 20:18-21; Exodus 12:12). Now that the tabernacle is finished and filled with “the glory of the Lord” (Exodus

By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Exodus 39:42-43; 40:1-4, 34-38 Toddlers are completely dependent on their parents to supply all that they need. But if you want a lesson in futility, try to convince them of that. They will squirm and push away from your grip only to fall flat on their faces and cry for you to pick them back up. Every parent knows