By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 20: 22-35 Since “retirement” I’ve given away many of my books, but I’ve retained some that are especially precious to me. One I’ve kept is Parting Shots, written by the late Landrum Leavell II, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary president, 1975-1994, and the father of current TBC President David Leavell. Parting Shots is a compilation of
By Joshua Franks Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton Focal Passage: II Corinthians 3:4-12 If you’re going to be an infantryman in the Army, then you’re headed to Fort Benning, near Columbus, Ga. There are other places that offer basic combat training, but only Fort Benning transforms soldiers into infantrymen. There, the soldiers go through rigorous training that lasts 14 weeks. At the end, they have a final rite of passage.
By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 18:24-28; 19:1-7 In 1653, an Englishman named Isaak Walton wrote The Compleat Angler. A contemplative fisherman’s guide, it went on to become the second-most republished book in the English language, next after the Bible. Walton’s old English spelling of ‘compleat’ has spawned many modern book titles. It seems to describe something stronger than complete: if someone
By Joshua Franks Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton Focal Passage: Galatians 4:1-7 In 2000, I had the opportunity to hear Billy Graham preach in Nashville. I don’t remember what the sermon was about. I don’t remember how many people were saved. What I do remember is how brief it seemed. In my young life I had heard thousands of sermons but I had never heard one like that. He preached for
By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 16:16-19; Psalm 139:13-16 Two mischievous boys hid away in a large department store at closing time. They didn’t steal anything during the night; they just changed the price tags on hundreds of items. When the store opened, customers were surprised to see an item that had been $5.99 now had a price tag of $49.99; something that
By Joshua Franks Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton Focal Passage: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 One of my favorite memories growing up was getting to watch Saturday morning cartoons. Very few things brought joy into my little heart like waking up and running to the living room to see what kind of hijinks Bugs Bunny and his friends were up to. Every now and then they would have a storyline that featured “The
By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 17:22-34 Many years ago, shoe shops advertised “Shoes Repaired — While You Wait.” Customers could hang around in their ‘sock feet’ while their shoes were being repaired. Few shops of any kind offer such services today; people in our culture don’t wait for anything. In Acts 17:16-21, prior to today’s study passage, we see how to
By Joshua Franks Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton Focal Passage: Mark 7:5-15 Over the years many different people have come to my office door and said, “Do you have a second? I need to talk about something.” I’ve noticed a pattern in many of the conversations that follow. After loitering in the door for a moment, they’ll settle down into a comfortable seat on my couch and say, “What does
By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 16:22-34 I remember hearing a college Bible professor tell of a vision that came to him while very ill in the hospital. Alone in his room at night, he saw a glorious image of Jesus. But there were some shocking features of His appearance. The robed figure was short — because it had no feet. The face
By Joshua Franks Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton Focal Passage: Mark 6:34-44 One of the great things about having boys is that I get to relive my childhood through them. They love many of the same things I loved growing up. They love sports. They love fishing. And they especially love super heroes.
By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 20: 22-35 Since “retirement” I’ve given away many of my books,
By Joshua Franks Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton Focal Passage: II Corinthians 3:4-12 If you’re going to be an infantryman in the Army, then you’re
By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 18:24-28; 19:1-7 In 1653, an Englishman named Isaak Walton wrote The
By Joshua Franks Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton Focal Passage: Galatians 4:1-7 In 2000, I had the opportunity to hear Billy Graham preach in Nashville. I
By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 16:16-19; Psalm 139:13-16 Two mischievous boys hid away in a large department
By Joshua Franks Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton Focal Passage: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 One of my favorite memories growing up was getting to watch Saturday morning
By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 17:22-34 Many years ago, shoe shops advertised “Shoes Repaired — While
By Joshua Franks Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton Focal Passage: Mark 7:5-15 Over the years many different people have come to my office door and
By Mike Dawson Interim Pastor, Santa Fe Baptist Church, Santa Fe Focal Passage: Acts 16:22-34 I remember hearing a college Bible professor tell of a vision
By Joshua Franks Pastor, First Baptist Church, Bruceton Focal Passage: Mark 6:34-44 One of the great things about having boys is that I get to relive
