By Kenny Bruce Pastor emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Cordova Focal Passage: Genesis 16:1-5; 17:1-9 In Genesis 15 Abram was the man of faith. In chapter 16 he is the man of unbelief. I. UNDESERVED PAIN (16:1-5) The Bible records the first biblical instance of domestic strife. The story involves Abram, Sarai, and Hagar who were real people, like we are, and succumbed to the temptation to solve their situation
By Kenny Bruce Pastor emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Cordova Focal Passage: Genesis 15:1-6, 13-16 Abram is dealing with fear, doubt, confusion and uncertainty. God brings him confidence, security and peace with His promises. I. GOD’S PROMISES PROVIDE A FOUNDATION IN THE FACE OF FEAR (Genesis 15:1-5) In the previous chapter, Lot was captured by four invading armies from distant lands, and Abram led 318 of his men to
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Colossians 2:16-23 I heard a pastor speak about the importance of preaching Biblical, doctrinal truth. He described a little mountain church where one lady came to the visiting minister after service and said, “That was a sweet sermon, preacher — there weren’t no doctrine in it, nor nothin’! ” Well, I pity the congregation where that could truthfully be
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Colossians 2:4-15 During my university years in Greenville, S.C., I went to the city jail almost every week to share Christ with the prisoners. I’ve also had many times of ministry in jails and prisons as a pastor. The prisoners often talked with me personally about their main focus: “getting out.” Almost every one of them wanted to
By Kenny Bruce Pastor emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Cordova Focal Passage: Genesis 13:5-11, 14-18 The herds and flocks of Abram and Lot had increased to the point that the land on which they were grazing could no longer support them. Quarreling began between their herdsmen. I. RELIEVED BY GOD (Ch. 13:5-9) Abram, in the flesh, could have said, “Lot, this land belongs to me because God has promised it
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Colossians 1:24-2:3 If I were choosing titles for these lessons from the book of Colossians, today’s lesson might be called “The Gospel’s Secret.” Our focal Scripture is about the Gospel’s GOAL, for sure; but it also reveals the SECRET to living the Christian life. Growing up as a boy, I loved “secret” things. A secret pocket, a secret formula, a secret plan, a secret
By Kenny Bruce Pastor Emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Memphis Focal Passage: Genesis 12:10-13, 17-13:4 Abram is in the land of promise, following God, and there is a famine. Should he remain, or flee to Egypt where there is food? I. FAITH TRIED (12:10-13) Abram was afraid that he would starve. He took his eyes off the promise that God would make him into a great nation and fixed them
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Colossians 1: 9-23 We’ve recently been on “The Alps of the New Testament” as we studied Paul’s mountain-peak letter to the Philippians. From a Roman prison, Paul presented some of the most glorious word pictures of our Lord Jesus Christ ever written. Now we take a step that sounds impossible: We ascend even higher; we open another prison
By Kenny Bruce Pastor Emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Memphis Focal Passage: Genesis 12:1-8 Confidence in God means that we focus on God’s plans and promises, not on our plans and circumstances. We see Abraham’s confidence in God expressed through faith and worship. I. GOD CALLS US TO FOLLOW HIM (Ch. 12:1-3) God invited Abraham to join Him in a journey to a land God would show Him. Abraham did
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Philippians 4:10-20 A pastor friend told me he had preached a very long series of sermons from the book of Hebrews. One Sunday he announced “the final message” in that series, and the congregation stood and applauded! But he told them he was now beginning a new series called “Things I Missed the First Time through Hebrews.” We might
By Kenny Bruce Pastor emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Cordova Focal Passage: Genesis 16:1-5; 17:1-9 In Genesis 15 Abram was the man of faith. In
By Kenny Bruce Pastor emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Cordova Focal Passage: Genesis 15:1-6, 13-16 Abram is dealing with fear, doubt, confusion and uncertainty.
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Colossians 2:16-23 I heard a pastor speak about the importance of preaching Biblical, doctrinal
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Colossians 2:4-15 During my university years in Greenville, S.C., I went to the
By Kenny Bruce Pastor emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Cordova Focal Passage: Genesis 13:5-11, 14-18 The herds and flocks of Abram and Lot had increased
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Colossians 1:24-2:3 If I were choosing titles for these lessons from the book of
By Kenny Bruce Pastor Emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Memphis Focal Passage: Genesis 12:10-13, 17-13:4 Abram is in the land of promise, following God, and
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Colossians 1: 9-23 We’ve recently been on “The Alps of the New Testament”
By Kenny Bruce Pastor Emeritus, Leawood East Baptist Church, Memphis Focal Passage: Genesis 12:1-8 Confidence in God means that we focus on God’s plans and
By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia Focal Passage: Philippians 4:10-20 A pastor friend told me he had preached a very long series
