By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Exodus 12:1-13 Many people are desperate for a new beginning, but not desperate enough. Prolonged suffering tempts some to bury the pain or self-medicate with drugs, alcohol, sex, or whatever has worked in the past. Others are enslaved to habitual sins, despite reading all the books and trying every possible human solution to break free. It’s only when
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Deuteronomy 18:9-18 It matters which voices we listen to. We are shaped, both in our thinking and in our feeling, in large part by the information we take in through our ears. This is why Jesus said, “Take care what you listen to” (Mark 4:24). It’s why He repeated often when He taught, “He who has ears to hear, let
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Exodus 7:1-13 As parents, we tell our kids not to play in the street. There are laws of the road we must follow, such as speed limits and seat belt laws. Construction workers have safety protocol they must heed. Refusing to heed instructions in any of these situations could lead to serious injury or even death. While hearing and
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Mark 9:17-29 Demons believe in God. They are not atheists (who claim there is no God), and they are not agnostics (who claim that we can’t know whether there’s a God). No, demons are monotheists — they know and believe there is one God — and they even fear him. “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Exodus 3:4-14; 4:13-16 “God will never give you more than you can handle.” These words are often spoken to suffering believers, but they are misguided at best, and at worst, just plain wrong. If we could speak with Moses about the events in Exodus, I believe he would agree that on many occasions, God gave both he and
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Revelation 12:7-12 Satan is not the little devilish cartoon perched upon our shoulder whispering in our ears to do the “wrong” thing. He is the leader of an all-out assault on God and His kingdom. He sought to be equal with God and was denied. He sought to overcome Christ and was denied. He now seeks to disarm, discourage, and defeat
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 42:1-11 In II Corinthians 1:4, Paul writes that God “comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort” others. Long before this was written, the psalmist used a painful time of discouragement to instruct us in how we should hope in God when it feels like we have lost Him. He was
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Mark 5:1-2, 8-15, 18-20 Sometimes following Jesus means not following Jesus. This was the case in Mark 5, when Jesus healed a man with a demon in remarkable fashion. The man then implored Jesus that he might go with Him, but Jesus urged him to stay and tell his family and friends how much He had done for him (Mark
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 141:1-10 Apart from the occasional, “Father, please give us safe travel,” how often do you pray for God’s protection? While it is entirely appropriate to ask God to watch over us physically, I fear that we do not ask for His spiritual protection nearly enough. Jesus taught us to pray this way: “Lead us not into temptation,
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: II Corinthians 5:11, 14-21 Passion drives action. We can try to do things we know we should, and we can try to avoid the things we know we shouldn’t do, but eventually, if nothing changes in our heart, we will fail to change our ways. If we want to truly see a change in our actions, we have to reignite
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Exodus 12:1-13 Many people are desperate for a new beginning, but not desperate
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Deuteronomy 18:9-18 It matters which voices we listen to. We are shaped, both in our
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Exodus 7:1-13 As parents, we tell our kids not to play in the street.
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Mark 9:17-29 Demons believe in God. They are not atheists (who claim there is no God),
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Exodus 3:4-14; 4:13-16 “God will never give you more than you can handle.”
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Revelation 12:7-12 Satan is not the little devilish cartoon perched upon our shoulder whispering in our
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 42:1-11 In II Corinthians 1:4, Paul writes that God “comforts us in
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Mark 5:1-2, 8-15, 18-20 Sometimes following Jesus means not following Jesus. This was the case
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 141:1-10 Apart from the occasional, “Father, please give us safe travel,” how
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: II Corinthians 5:11, 14-21 Passion drives action. We can try to do things we know
