From Revelry to Rapaciousness to Reason to Revival

/ Bob / Leave a comment

“Religion brought forth Prosperity, and the daughter destroyed the mother.” (Cotton Mather – 1702) The Colonies were prospering. They saw it as the blessings of God and well they should have. However, the more prosperous they became, the more they wanted more. Their rapacious desires – their uncontrollable materialistic greed – caused the colonists to push their faith aside in the pursuit of wealth. Mather was right. And he’s still right.

The Jeremiad preachers addressed the sinful ways of the colonists. They spoke of God’s coming judgment in the face of their sinful ways. They highlighted specific sins in their sermons. They called our revelers and drunkards and lambasted families for not maintaining Godly discipline. In short, they gave their congregants a heavy dose of the seriousness of sin.

The Age of Reason was in fine form and offered the colonists a “reasonable” solution. The Age of Enlightenment brought on a shift from the revelation of God to the reasoning of man. There arose a focus on the natural rights of mankind with little regard for the God Who gave them those rights. Science became the answer to life’s problems.

Once again, Satan’s game plan for the destruction of mankind had worked – the lust of the flesh – revelry; the lust of the eyes – rapaciousness; and the pride of life – reason. (1 John 2:16)

Jonathan Edwards addressed these issues in the Northampton Church. He was a Jeremiad Preacher who could bring forth the fear of God and the fires of hell. However, with the seriousness of sin he also brought forth the supply of grace offered freely through the love and blood of Jesus. Furthermore, as one who had read John Locke and understood the Age of Reason, he led people to see the true Reason found in the Gospel message and the reasonableness of the Christian faith.

Revival came to Northampton. Edwards wrote about the revival that swept through the community and surrounding areas in a book entitled “A Faithful Narrative of the Surprizing Work of God.” This book became the blueprint for revival used by George Whitefield and Charles Wesly and countless others who ushered in The Great Awakening.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, June 7, 2026. It is part of a series called From Reverence to Revival to Revolution: The Influence of Christianity and the Great Awakening on the Founding of The United States of America. Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – From Revelry & Rapaciousness & Reason to Revival – 06.07.2026Download

The Slow Fade of Faith

/ Bob

The Puritans, and especially the separatist Pilgrims, came to the New World to establish a home where they could fully live out their faith in God. Through struggles of every sort they did just that. Alas, their children – the next generation – did not share in their zeal for Holiness. Thus began a slow fade of faith that would lead the colonies into a period of materialism and moral decay.

It’s not unlike our culture today. We face threats to our very existence as the Pilgrims did – remember September 11, 2001? The Pilgrims bound themselves together in a bond of shared faith in God. So did we. But as time passed and the threat faded, so did our commitment to the God Who brought us through that time.

There are many similarities to the moral decadence of late 17th and early 18th Centuries and our 21st Century moral depravity. It was a very self-centered environment much like our own and the leaders of the church spoke out about the sins being committed, and then turned around and offered what today could be called a watered-down faith – a cheap grace if you will. If ever there was a time ripe for a revival of God’s people it was in the early 1700’s. If ever there was a time ripe for a revival of God’s people it IS in the early 2000’s.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, May 24, 2026. It is part of a series called From Reverence to Revival to Revolution: The Influence of Christianity and the Great Awakening on the Founding of The United States of America. Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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From Reverence to Revival to Revolution – 1. Coming to America

/ Bob

Coming to America

For God, Gold, and Glory! God’s first directive to mankind was to “be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28a)  Those who came to the New World had a variety of reasons for doing so, but those whose hearts were turned toward God also came to honor that first directive as well as the Great Commission of our Lord to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”  (Matthew 28:19-20a)

Columbus – The Pilgrims – The Puritans – These all came to the New World with the belief that they were doing the Will of God. However, even those who came for other reasons – gold, land, glory, conquests, future profits, and future military strongholds – unwittingly were doing what God wanted them to do. “For dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.” (Psalm 22:28) “He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.” (Job 12:23)

Even as Pope Nicholas V sought out new territory after loosing land to the Islamic forces in the Middle Ages, he and later popes issued Papal Bulls to encourage the conquest of foreign lands in the name of the church. However, what the Pope meant for the good of the church God meant for the good of His Kingdom. And His Kingdom spread all across what we now call North and South America.

They came to America!

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on 2 consecutive Sundays, May 10 &17, 2026. It is part of a series called From Reverence to Revival to Revolution: The Influence of Christianity and the Great Awakening on the Founding of The United States of America. Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – Coming to America – 05.10.2026 & 05.17.2026Download

The Household of Faith

/ Bob

The Book of Galatians is all about the Church being the Church the way that Jesus wanted the Church to be. He begins the book by outlining his position in the church and his authority to address the ways in which the churches in Galatia were veering off from the church Jesus wanted. He then nails down the central doctrine of the church – justification through Jesus, our Savior.

Finally, he presents the church as a blessing to the world as they walk in step with the Spirit and allow the Spirit’s fruit to be seen in their lives. That fruit is evident to all and it is especially useful in building up the fellowship of believers – the church – so that the love of Christ can be spread from the congregation to the community. It’s all about love – the love of God Who loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son to die in our place so that we might have everlasting life.

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples – if you love one another.” – John 13:35 –

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, April 26, 2026. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons, which covers the Book of Galatians, is A Cry for Freedom: Grace that Is Still Amazing. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/a-cry-for-freedom-galatians-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 04.26.2026 – Lesson 12 – The Household of FaithDownload

Dancing with the Spirit

/ Bob

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free.” (Galatians 5:1) In Chapters 5 & 6 of Galatians Paul is giving instructions in how to live by faith and how to grow in that faith as you live it out daily. In Galatians 5:16 he instructs his readers, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” As humans we have a problem – a sin problem – and it’s rooted in the human bodies which we rely on to literally live on this planet.

The term translated “flesh” refers to the physical body. Unfortunately, we can become much too attached and fond of the things that make our bodies feel good that we allow those desires to dictate our actions. The ultimate result of this problem is addiction, but there are plenty of wants and desires that exceed our needs and we have a tendency to indulge those emotional drives while ignoring the Spirit Who is trying to keep us from being ensnared by those desires.

Paul’s answer is found in Galatians 5:25 – Dance with the Spirit. Spend your time in the Word, in prayer, in worship, in fellowship with other believers – in other words – dance with Spirit. Then the ways of the Spirit, which Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit, will not only develop in you – those ways will become your ways. You’ll be dancing with the Spirit. But remember, when you dance with someone, only one person can lead. Let the Spirit lead and enjoy the dance – the Dance of your lifetime.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, April 19, 2026. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons, which covers the Book of Galatians, is A Cry for Freedom: Grace that Is Still Amazing. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/a-cry-for-freedom-galatians-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 04.19.2026 – Lesson 11 – Dancing with the SpiritDownload

The Slow Fade of Faith

/ Bob

In Galatians 4:12-20 we get a glimpse into the personal life of Paul. We see him in his vulnerability, in his discouragement, and in his relationships with those he once knew as close friends. Paul taught them well, but now his Gentile converts were following the misguided teachings of a group known as the Judaizers – those who believed that to be a good Christian you must first be a good Jew. Paul had left them on solid ground spiritually, but now they were fading from faith to a works-based belief system that was actually a trap. This was not the first time Christians had wandered from the faith of the Gospel and it won’t be the last.

Jesus dealt with the slow fade of faith within hours of dying on the cross. In Mark 14 Jesus says that all of the disciples will deny Him whereupon we find Peter saying, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.” What we sometimes overlook is that in verse 31 we read that all of the others said the same thing. These were the same disciples who in Mark 14:50 all deserted Jesus and ran away.

The slow fade of the church is clearly seen in two of the seven letters to the churches in the book of Revelation. The Church at Ephesus was said to have left their first love. The Church at Laodicea was declared by Jesus to be neither hot nor cold but rather just lukewarm. So disgusting that He said He would vomit them out of his mouth.

However, the warning that we must heed today concerning hearts turning cold comes in Jesus’ discourse in which he describes the end of the age. Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. Many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.

~Matthew 24:9-12~

Guard your heart – even the most zealous can grow cold.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, March 15, 2026. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons, which covers the Book of Galatians, is A Cry for Freedom: Grace that Is Still Amazing. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/a-cry-for-freedom-galatians-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 03.15.2026 – Lesson 8 – The Slow Fade of FaithDownload

Slavery or Freedom; It’s Your Choice

/ Bob

When an only child in a wealthy family looses both parents that child naturally inherits the entire estate. That is if the child is “of age.” If the child is not an adult he or she becomes the ward of the estate and a guardian is appointed to oversee the child’s affairs, including the child’s finances. Paul point out that such a child has no say in his life and has no money unless it is given to him by the estate trustee. Paul then correctly points out that the child is no better off than a slave within the estate as, like the slave, he has no personal rights and no access to any of the wealth of the estate.

He goes on to point out that the Jews who claimed Abraham as their father allowed themselves to be enslaved by the law of Moses and were thus missing out on their inheritance – the blessings of Abraham. He goes on to point out the stupidity of going back to the slavery of the past when you have know the freedom of Christ.

God sent His Son to buy our freedom from slavery and adopt us into His family.

He then gave us His Spirit within us so that we would know Him as Daddy. We became God’s child and His heir all because of Jesus. Why would we ever want to go back into a life of slavery or worse, back into an orphan’s existence under a guardian with the rights and privileges of a slave? Paul was baffled by that question and we should be as well, because, even though we are children of the King, too often we live under the oppression of our own devices

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, March 8, 2026. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons, which covers the Book of Galatians, is A Cry for Freedom: Grace that Is Still Amazing. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/a-cry-for-freedom-galatians-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 03.08.2026 – Lesson 7 – Slavery or Freedom; It’s Your ChoiceDownload

Christians, Covenants, and Laws

/ Bob

It all began with a man named Abraham. God established a covenant with Abraham. In the covenant God promised Abraham land, a descendant, and a blessing. He outlined the territory that He wanted Abraham and his family to live in and He said that Abraham would have a son that would be a blessing to all peoples on earth. Today we call this the Abrahamic Covenant.

430 years later God established a covenant with Moses and the Nation of Israel – Abraham’s descendants. In this covenant, which we call the Mosaic Covenant, God gave the Jewish People the laws, instructions, and guidelines that they were to follow in the building of their nation in the Promised Land. This covenant did not replace the Abrahamic Covenant, but rather it gave the people a clear understanding of what God wanted from them and how God wanted them to live their lives.

Jesus came not to abolish the Law, but that the Law might be fulfilled in Him. (Matthew 5:17) This was the message Paul gave to the Galatians and the Judaizers who were trying to pervert the freedom that Christ brought. The Law served as a good nanny teaching the Children of Israel right from wrong and teaching Who and What God is. But when Jesus came the whole dynamics of the relationship with God changed. After the resurrection the Spirit of God came to live within those who accepted Jesus as their Savior. It’s the Holy Spirit within us Who has taken on the roll of nanny so that we no longer need an outside force keeping us in line, the Holy Spirit will do that. . . . if we let Him.

The blessings of Abraham are now ours thought the blood of Jesus by which we are justified in the eyes of the Law and are adopted into the Family of Faith. And the result? We don’t have to work at keeping the Law – we just focus all of our attention on Jesus through His Word (Old Testament and New Testament), through prayer, through worship, and through fellowship with other believers. When we do, we automatically want to keep His commands. The closer we draw to Jesus, the more we want to be like Him and do the things He deems important.

As He said to the prophet Ezekiel, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” – Ezekiel 36:26–27

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, March 1, 2026. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons, which covers the Book of Galatians, is A Cry for Freedom: Grace that Is Still Amazing. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/a-cry-for-freedom-galatians-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 03.01.2026 – Lesson 6 – Christians, Covenants, and LawsDownload