By Charles D. Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage: Matthew 21:1-11 Our text for this fourth lesson in a series of 13 is the first 11 verses of Matthew 21, and the subject is “More than a Prophet?”  As we study the world’s religions we find that many of them acknowledge Christ as a great prophet. Judaism, Islam, and several others admit that Christ

By Charles D. Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage: Matthew 19:16-26 Our lesson title does not tell us what the “what” is talking about.  That is, what is required for what?  However, as we begin studying the text we soon discover that the “what” is discussing what is required to be saved. Verse 16 tells us that a man approaches Jesus and asks Him

By Charles D. Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage: Matthew 17:1-13 Our text in Matthew 17 begins with the words that introduce to us one of the most wonderful and most inspirational events in the whole New Testament. This event in the life of Jesus happens after He has had many, many opportunities of teaching. He uses in these teaching periods probably His most

By Charles Earl Former Director of Missions, Holston Valley Baptist Assoc., Rogersville Focal Passage: Matthew 16:13-28 Since all of our lessons are taken from the Gospel of Matthew we need to look briefly at this man who wrote the book. The name Matthew means “gift from God.” Matthew, of course, was a Jew, and he identifies himself in Matthew 10:3 as “Matthew the tax collector.” On first blush it seems

By Mark Proctor Pastor, Highland Park Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Ruth 3:8-13; 4:13-17 I love the story of the traveler who pulled his car into a gas station in Kentucky and asked the attendant how far it was to Glasgow.  “28,465 miles,” was the reply.  “I didn’t mean Glasgow, Scotland.  I meant Glasgow, Kentucky!”  “So did I” said the attendant.  “In the direction you’re headed, it’s 28,465 miles.  If 

By Mark Proctor Pastor, Highland Park Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage:  Ruth 1:6-18 In seminary we learned to think in terms of “doctrines.”  When we studied a passage, we were asked, “what doctrine is being taught here?  Is the doctrine of God?  Perhaps of atonement?” It’s a helpful approach when studying Ruth 1. We often zero in on verses 16 and 17 with their forceful commitments and conclude that “God

By Mark Proctor Pastor, Highland Park Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage:  Judges 16:4-6,13-20 Cornelius Plantinga wrote a delightful little book called Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be (Eerdmans, 1995) that every one of us should read. It’s about sin and sin’s opposite, shalom with God.  There, he states, “… shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight — a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and

By Mark Proctor Pastor, Highland Park Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage:  Judges 6:11-16, 25-32 My wife Cynthia once was arranging a table decoration in the house and asked me, “Is this okay?”  It seemed a silly question because no one on the planet is less qualified to approve table decorations than me and she knows it. I’ve had a full decorating bypass. So how do we respond when asked to

By Mark Proctor Pastor, Highland Park Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passages: Judges 4:4-10, 12-16 Even a cursory examination of Israel’s history in the book of Judges will reveal a glaring theme:  Israel had been given the land, every inch of it, and “no man shall be able to stand …” (Joshua 1:5 ESV). This was God’s plan. And as is too often the case, mankind had a better plan. The

By Mark Proctor Pastor, Highland Park Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Proverbs 24:10-12; Mark 10:46-49 The day comes for us all, the day we have to take a stand. Scrawny little Ted Newton had to take a stand against school bus bullies in the 1992 classic movie Beethoven. When enough finally became enough, Ted stepped off the bus, turned to face his rivals, and raised his little miniature fists only