By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 95:1-11 Psalm 95 is a call for believers to joyfully and reverently worship God in a world characterized by unbelief. Psalm 95:1-7 contains a three-fold invitation for us to “come” to him (vv. 1, 2, 6). It’s not primarily a call to individual believers, but to the collective assembly (note the use of “us,” “our,” and “we”).
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Acts 11:19-26 We are often easily discouraged. This might be because the basis for our courage is usually a fragile mix of life circumstances and perceived control. With just the right amount of wind blowing from the wrong direction our foundation can be weakened or even crumble. Any courage we did have collapses in and discouragement besets us.
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 84:1-12 At the center of your being, what do you long for? Once you have seen the dwelling place of the Lord of Hosts, you have no desire to be any place else (Psalm 84:1-2). As the Sons of Korah strolled through the temple courtyard and reflected on the glory of the Lord, something caught their attention:
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: John 1:35-49 The earthly ministry of Jesus was a unique time in history as the Son of God walked the streets and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Those who knew about Him had the opportunity to bring others to Him (Andrew and Peter — John 1:40-42, Philip and Nathanael — 43-45). They then could hear His message for themselves, see Him
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 138:1-8 “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me” (Psalm 138:8). I believe this truth now more than ever, because I have a history with God. When our son was 2 years old, he was misdiagnosed with a virus. After several days of a persistently high fever, and many tests and consultations, he was diagnosed with a
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: II Samuel 11:1-9, 14-17 The story of David and Bathsheba is well known because of its seemingly stark contrast to the rest of David’s life. It seems so wrong for something so scandalous to unravel the character of such a good king. One moment he’s leading and ruling well, the next he’s bloated with pride and slacking on the job
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 23:1-6 Psalm 23 is undoubtedly the most beloved psalm, and maybe even the most well-known chapter in the entire Bible. Even irreligious people are familiar with these words and drawn to them in times of crisis: “The LORD is my shepherd.” There are many names for God in the Bible, but Yahweh is the most sacred. Often
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: 1 Samuel 24:3-12 “Respect is earned, not given” is the oft-quoted mantra when speaking of people in authority. The idea is that those in authority are to lead well before they will be respected by those who are under them. It’s easy to see why it’s used — no one wants incompetent leaders with mindless followers. When we read Scripture,
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 78:5-8, 32-39 Recently, I watched a video in which people were asked important questions about American history. These videos have likely been edited (we hope) to include only the most outrageous answers. When asked about World War II, one individual suggested it was fought in 1970! The warning is clear: When a people forget their history, they
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:4-7; 20:10-13 From the beginning of creation, we know that God made us to be in relationship with others. After God had created everything else, He created man, but Adam was alone, and it was “not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). This was the first thing that was not good. Light — good.
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 95:1-11 Psalm 95 is a call for believers to joyfully and reverently
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: Acts 11:19-26 We are often easily discouraged. This might be because the basis for our
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 84:1-12 At the center of your being, what do you long for?
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: John 1:35-49 The earthly ministry of Jesus was a unique time in history as the Son
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 138:1-8 “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me” (Psalm 138:8). I
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: II Samuel 11:1-9, 14-17 The story of David and Bathsheba is well known because of
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 23:1-6 Psalm 23 is undoubtedly the most beloved psalm, and maybe even
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: 1 Samuel 24:3-12 “Respect is earned, not given” is the oft-quoted mantra when speaking of
By Ben W. Curtis Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City Focal Passage: Psalm 78:5-8, 32-39 Recently, I watched a video in which people were asked
By Nathan Washburn Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier Focal Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:4-7; 20:10-13 From the beginning of creation, we know that God made
