By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 1:1-6 Almost a year ago, a group from our church trained for a 5K. Due to some miscommunication among the volunteers, most of us took a path that extended our run by six-tenths of a mile. As three miles came and went and the realization set in that we were still a great distance from the finish

By Charles D. Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage: Matthew 28:16-20 We have arrived at our final session of this quarter from the gospel of Matthew having to do with the life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of God’s only begotten Son, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our lesson for today is taken from Matthew 28:16-20, and is, of course, what we

By Charles D. Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage:  Matthew 27:41-52 We come today to the 12th of 13 lessons that Matthew gives us in the life of our Lord. We have tried to look at many experiences in the life of Jesus, and we come now to that central prophetic event for which He came and toward which He has been marching since

By Charles D. Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage: Matthew 26:63-75 I fear loyalty is a characteristic we find in short supply as we look across the mainstream of Christianity today. The question stares each of us in the face: Just how loyal am I? We should ask that question of ourselves often.  Well, let us give an answer. Really now, just how loyal

By Charles D. Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage: Matthew 26:36-46 Lesson 10 of this quarter has to do with the last hours Jesus spends with His disciples before His crucifixion. The place is known as the Garden of Gethsemane, a place that seemed to be a very, very special place for Jesus’ prayertime. But this short text, covering only 11 verses, has a

By Charles D. Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage: Matthew 26:17-30 The subject of the lesson asks the disciples then, as well as those of us living now, “How Do We Remember?” The extended version of that question, of course, is “how do we remember” this man Christ who will soon be crucified, risen, and ascended? The story begins with Matthew telling us the

By Charles D. Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage: Matthew 24:36-51 Ah, the future! That’s the great known and unknown. I had a conversation with a man recently who had celebrated his 94th birthday the day before. His eyes twinkled as he told me about what he had planned to do in the future. That’s what I call positive thinking! I don’t know if

By Charles D. Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage: Matthew 28:1-15 Well, this is certainly an interesting subject. We have discussed several things about Jesus in our study this quarter, but I’ll have to admit that I had no idea we would be looking at the present residence of Jesus!  However, on further study, I believe it will be quite interesting! Of course we

By Charles D. Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage: Matthew 22:1-14 In lesson six from Matthew 22 Jesus tells a parable about a king who is preparing a wedding feast for his son. The preparation goes well until we get to the invitations. The father of the groom is the king, and we would think when the invitations went out those who were invited

By Charles D. Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage: Matthew 21:33-45 Today’s lesson from Matthew 21:33-45 has the very important subject, “If I Reject Jesus?” The parable in modern language proceeds to tell the story about a man (God) who owned a vineyard, of which he was very proud. He prepared, fertilized the ground, and planted the seeds. Then he was called away on