By David Taft Minister, First Baptist Church, Hermitage Editor’s Note: The last lesson in this series is written by David Taft, minister, First Baptist Church, Hermitage. Focal Passage: II Corinthians 1:2-7 Society acknowledges illness and pain as “real” and needing attention. Doctors identify illness and pain in legitimate terms. Yet one illness still bears the stigma, fear, and ignorance by many in the public, and within the family alike —

By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Baptist Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Genesis 50:15-21 Lynn pulled on her red fire suit, grabbed a black helmet, and slid through the window of the iconic number 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet race car. This wasn’t a mere photo op – this was her opportunity to harness several hundred horsepower and go tearing around the Nashville Superspeedway at 130 miles per hour. As a woman with

By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Baptist Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Genesis 45:3-11 Countless dollars and hours are invested as medical professionals investigate the cause of our most ravaging diseases. Find the cause, find the cure. While there is currently a well-deserved focus on the dangers of Ebola, no one is searching for the cause of a disease that is much older than Ebola, as deadly as Ebola, and affects

Focal Passage: Genesis 41:28-36, 46-49 By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Hard times come in many forms. Some of what we might call hard times are actually nuisances rather than extreme challenges. A dear lady had a husband who was an airline pilot, and he often had difficulty locating items around the house. One day he asked his wife where the salt was. Annoyed, she responded, “How on

By Van Richmond Pastor, New Life Church, Nashville Focal Passage: Genesis 39:3-12 The Temptations were a hit Motown vocal group in the 1960s and 1970s. “The Temptations” could also describe the difficult battles every believer faces daily. Sunday School teacher Clara Noll had just finished a lesson on Christian behavior. “Now, Billy,” she asked, “Tell me what we must do before we can expect to be forgiven for our sins.”