By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Gen 1:27, 9:1-7; Matt.5:21-22 The sanctity of life is a beautiful, biblical belief that informs our convictions every life is precious because every life was wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of God. It’s simple to bang the pulpit one Sunday in January for the sanctity of life but how does it look in our churches every other day?
By Greg Steele Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper Focal Passage: Exodus 1:16-17, 22-2:9 I love to hear babies and kids in our worship services. Several weeks ago, we had one getting a little loud. When the mom got up to take him out he was telling everybody around them bye. The reason I love to hear the sound of children is because that indicates to me a growing and alive
By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Genesis 33:1-15 It had been 20 years since Jacob and Esau had seen each other, since Jacob tricked their Father and stole Esau’s blessing for himself. There is a saying, “Time heals all wounds.” I can tell you that’s not always true. I’ve seen people so full of hurt and hate toward someone else for so long they don’t even
By Greg Steele Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper Focal Passage: Ephesians 2:11-22 The Great Wall of China was built approximately 200 years before Jesus was born. It took almost a century to build. It was originally 3,000 miles long. Today there are only about 1,500 miles remaining. It varies in height from 15 to 50 feet high. The average width is about 12 feet. I have been told that The
By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Genesis 32:24-32 Jacob, fresh from the encounter with Laban and about to see his brother for the first time in 20 years, spends the night alone. Perhaps he wanted to pray, maybe he wanted to gather his thoughts, or he could’ve been convinced Esau was still furious with him and things would get violent. Either way, Jacob plans to spend
By Greg Steele Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper Focal Passage: Matthew 2:1-11 There are some popular misconceptions about these magi. Most of us get our idea about these individuals from songs, cards and poems rather than from theologians. First, most people assume there were three because of the song, “We Three Kings,” and because they gave three gifts. But we’re never told how many there were. There could have been
By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Genesis 31:2-16 For 20 years Jacob had served Laban far from his own home. God had blessed all of Jacob’s work and shown him great favor. As Jacob prospered, Laban and his sons took notice and their attitudes began to change toward Jacob.
By Greg Steele Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper Focal Passage: Luke 2:25-35 No one likes to wait. But we wait in traffic, in car lines, in grocery stores, in drive-thru’s, for the doctor, for a spouse, for a baby, for retirement, for sermons to get over and for Jesus to return. To set the story, Jesus has been sent from heaven and entered human history. The Promised Messiah is now
By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Luke 1:26-38 Just as God had promised to Jacob that all the earth would be blessed through his offspring in our previous lesson, we now see God keeping that promise. Jesus is a promise kept. At a time when it looked like God’s people had been utterly forsaken and His promise totally forgotten, God sent His Son and kept His
By Greg Steele Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper Focal Passage: Luke 2:1-14 Most people in America are familiar with this passage because every December we watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and hear Linus tell us about the true meaning of Christmas. Let’s set the scene. An angel rocks the routine of some guys who are just out doing their job, Luke 2:8. In the early pages of the Bible, shepherding
By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Gen 1:27, 9:1-7; Matt.5:21-22 The sanctity of life is a beautiful, biblical belief that informs
By Greg Steele Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper Focal Passage: Exodus 1:16-17, 22-2:9 I love to hear babies and kids in our worship services. Several
By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Genesis 33:1-15 It had been 20 years since Jacob and Esau had seen each other,
By Greg Steele Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper Focal Passage: Ephesians 2:11-22 The Great Wall of China was built approximately 200 years before Jesus was
By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Genesis 32:24-32 Jacob, fresh from the encounter with Laban and about to see his brother
By Greg Steele Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper Focal Passage: Matthew 2:1-11 There are some popular misconceptions about these magi. Most of us get our
By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Genesis 31:2-16 For 20 years Jacob had served Laban far from his own home. God
By Greg Steele Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper Focal Passage: Luke 2:25-35 No one likes to wait. But we wait in traffic, in car lines,
By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Luke 1:26-38 Just as God had promised to Jacob that all the earth would be
By Greg Steele Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jasper Focal Passage: Luke 2:1-14 Most people in America are familiar with this passage because every December we
