Author: Bob

Learning to Endure Pain – James 1:1-12

/ Bob

Pain management is big business around the world. In America we spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year on pain management. The book of James addresses the issue of pain, but the pain he focuses on is found in the trials and tribulations of life – the stuff that settles deep in the dark corners of the human psyche and, at times, immobilizes us with fear, dread, discomfort, and anxiety.

Right from the start he gives us a perspective of trials that seem counter-intuitive and counter-cultural at the same time. Be happy about it! He goes on to explain that only by seeing our lives with the wisdom of God can we hope to be joyful in our present condition and thereby endure the pain of living in this fallen world.

We must learn to run the race of life fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Who, for the joy set before Him, endured the pain of the world even to the point of dying on the cross. We spend our lives avoiding pain, but our Example – Jesus – joyfully chose pain because He knew the outcome of His pain. May we see with the eyes and wisdom of Christ in every situation that brings the specter of pain into our world. And may we respond joyfully, counting ourselves worthy to suffer pain in His name.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, August 6, 2023. 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 is The Making of Authentic Faith. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at: gc2press.org/the-making-of-authentic-faith-james-study-guide/ .

Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

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Back to the Future: From 30 AD to 2023 AD and Beyond – Part 2

/ Bob

The history of the church began on the Day of Pentecost when the church was born and continues on up until today. God has been at work through His church and He has used His servants to proclaim His Gospel message and preserve His Word. Last week we began with the first 400 years of the church and moved through the Great Schism in 1054 to the Reformation of the 1500’s.

Beginning in the early 1600’s the Baptists took their place in the development of the church. Even though they were often shunned, cast out, and persecuted they persevered with the Truth of God’s Word as their guiding light. In today’s lesson we will meet heroes of the faith such as John Smyth, Roger Williams, and Obadiah Holmes. We will see how Baptists were not only breaking new theological ground with adult baptism, but we will also see Baptists at work in the Colonies and in the early years of our nation.

Bold is a word which describes Baptists from the early 1600’s as they sought to proclaim the Bible as the Word of God and as the only source for our faith. They were bold when they promoted religious liberty. They were bold when they stood up against established religions. They were bold bold when they were mocked for “re-baptizing” adults. And next week we will see how the boldness of Baptists has spread around the world.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, July 16, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

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Back to the Future: From 30 AD to 2023 AD and Beyond

/ Bob

It is incumbent on Christians to know where they are, from whence they have come, and where they are going. To do so we must know our history. It seems that history is important in the mind of God since 22 of the 66 books in the Bible are historical in nature. Furthermore, historical cues are found throughout all of the Bible. The work of God in the world is described in the stories of His servants. While the Biblical canon is set, God is not finished in His work through those who choose to honor Him. In other words, the history of the church did not end with the resurrection of Jesus nor does it end with the book of Revelation.

From the Day of Pentecost when the church was born up until today, God has been at work through His church. He has used His servants to proclaim His Gospel message and preserve His Word. In this study we are going to look at some of those who have faithfully kept the faith down through the ages. We will also explore some key moments in the life of the church and how they affect us today.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, July 9, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

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Fit for Life: Spiritual Disciplines for Committed Christians – Fasting, Silence/Solitude, Journaling, and Redeeming the Time

/ Bob

In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 we read that we are to train, that is discipline, ourselves for Godliness. Furthermore, we are told in Philippians 2:12-13 that we are to work out our own salvation knowing that it is God Who is at work in us for our sanctification and for His will. Committed Christians must discipline themselves for the spiritual warfare that we will face daily. While Bible Study, Bible Reading, Bible Memorization, Bible Meditation, Bible Listening, and Prayer are absolutely the minimum requirements for those who choose to live as committed Christians, there are other spiritual disciplines which can help us draw closer to God.

The final four disciplines which we will address in the this study are fasting, silence/solitude, journaling, and redeeming the time. Like any spiritual discipline – and there are others that we haven’t studied – these activities are intended for one purpose – to draw closer to God. In fasting, we don’t eat and during that time we pray – i.e. we draw closer to God. In practicing silence and solitude we find a time and place where we can be alone with God and sit with Him in silence – i.e. we draw closer to God. As we write down the scriptures, lyrics, quotes and spiritual thoughts we remember the things that God has shown us and taught us – i.e. we draw closer to God. In redeeming the time, especially by observing our quiet time with God and by intentionally focusing on Him at different times of the day, we remember Who God is and who we are in Him – i.e. we draw closer to God.

We must discipline ourselves for Godliness. (1 Timothy 4:7-8)

We must work out our salvation knowing that it is God Who is at work in us for our sanctification. (Philippians 2:12-13)

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, June 25, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

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Fit for Life: Spiritual Disciplines for Committed Christians – Prayer and Personal Worship

/ Bob

We love to talk about the power of prayer and yet we fail consistently to tap into the power of prayer. The power of prayer IS the power of the Almighty Creator of the Universe, but we choose to use that power, which is readily available to us, on a limited, need-based, self-serving, wishy-washy basis as if it is a last ditch effort to bring about a result we desire – a situational “Hail Mary” if you will – as we play the game of life. The announcer of the football game says that all the quarterback can do is throw a 50 yard pass in the last seconds of a game – a “Hail Mary” – knowing that it probably won’t accomplish anything. That same announcer could be giving the play by play call of our personal lives and see our prayers as just as ineffectual as the “Hail Mary Pass.”

We must be disciplined in our prayer life. We must be consistent and we must establish the pattern of being constant in prayer. In this lesson we likened a Quiet Time to a military Mission Briefing. Our Supreme Commander, God, wants to meet with us in a Mission Briefing before we go out into the world to deal with the spiritual warfare that we will face. We CANNOT seriously think about going out on our daily mission without hearing from our Commanding Officer, and yet we do it on a daily basis. And at the end of the day we wonder what went wrong.

Spending time with God in the morning before you begin your day is not an option. True, consistent prayer doesn’t happen accidentally – it requires discipline and that discipline begins first thing in the morning.

Just do it!

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, June 18, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

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Fit for Life: Spiritual Disciplines for Committed Christians – Prayer – Part 2

/ Bob

In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 we read that we are to train, that is discipline, ourselves for Godliness. Furthermore, we are told in Philippians 2:12-13 that we are to work out our own salvation knowing that it is God Who is at work in us for our sanctification and for His will. Committed Christians must discipline themselves for the spiritual warfare that we will face daily. Prayer, especially prayer that is part of a consistent quiet time discipline, is where we receive our mission orders for the day.

Too often prayer is what we resort to in time of need. We turn to God when the crisis overwhelms us – when we seem to be losing control of our well-ordered world. However, we must discipline ourselves to live in constant, two-way communication with the Father. Then and only then can we face life’s challenges with the peace that only He can provide.

In Sunday’s class, we looked at both the teachings of Jesus about prayer and the practices of Jesus in prayer. By fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, we can learn to walk in daily victory no matter what fiery darts Satan hurls our way. It’s time for us once again to find a time, find a place, and meet with God on a daily basis. Not doing so is akin to a soldier waking up and going straight into battle without checking in with the commanding officer to see what the plan is for the battle.

God stands ready to help us through literally EVERYTHING we might face during the day.  We need to start each day in communication with Him and remain in communication with Him throughout the day.  Coms (communication devices) are critical in a military mission because communication with the commander and other team members is critical. And so it is in our spiritual battles – we must have our coms in place and working as we head out into hostile territory.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, June 4, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

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Fit for Life: Spiritual Disciplines for Committed Christians – Prayer

/ Bob

In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 we read that we are to train, that is discipline, ourselves for Godliness. Physical training we are familiar with in our body-image culture, but while bodily training is of some value, Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Furthermore, we are told in Philippians 2:12-13 that we are to work out our own salvation knowing that it is God Who is at work in us for our sanctification and for His will.

Too often prayer is what we resort to in time of need. We turn to God when the crisis overwhelms us – when we seem to be losing control of our well-ordered world. However, we must discipline ourselves to live in constant, two-way communication with the Father. Then and only then can we face life’s challenges with the peace that only He can provide.

In Sunday’s class, we looked at what prayer is and then we went into a closer look at The Model Prayer of Christ, more often referred to as The Lord’s Prayer. In doing so we dove into the world of 1st Century Jewish thought and practice concerning prayer. The Model Prayer has become so familiar that we fail to see the significance of each phrase and the meaning behind every word. And in failing to see the significance we have become those who Jesus described in the verses just before The Model Prayer – heathen who speak vain repetitions because they think that they will be heard for their many words.  (Matthew 6:7)

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, June 4, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

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Fit for Life: Spiritual Disciplines for Committed Christians – Part 4 – Bible Study, Memorization, and Meditation

/ Bob

In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 we read that we are to train, that is discipline, ourselves for Godliness. Physical training we are familiar with in our body-image culture, but while bodily training is of some value, Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Furthermore, we are told in Philippians 2:12-13 that we are to work out our own salvation knowing that it is God Who is at work in us for our sanctification and for His will.

Our first area of spiritual discipline is Bible Assimilation. We must spend time reading the Bible; listening to the Bible; studying the Bible; memorizing the Bible; and meditating on the Bible. In today’s lesson we dealt with Bible study, memorization, and meditation.


There is no excuse for a Christian in this digital age to not be able to find the tools necessary to study the Bible. Online sites and apps like YouVersion, Bible Hub, Blue Letter Bible, and BibleGateway provide digital resources that would outgun the libraries of many if not most pastors of the pre-digital age. You can look up any passage of scripture, read it in one of scores of English translations, check out the Greek or Hebrew meanings of words, find other passages that related to your initial passage, read commentaries by countless theologians giving you their interpretation of the passage, and that’s all on the first page of a Bible Hub search. If you own a computer, tablet, smart phone, or have access to one of these from a friend or public library you can study the Bible with all of these resources and so many more. Study the Bible!

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. – Psalm 119:11

When you memorize scripture you store it up in your heart so that the Holy Spirit can bring it to the forefront of your mind when you need direction in the midst of a moral dilemma; or when you need confirmation that what you’re doing is right; or when you need encouragement in the midst of a struggle. The Word of God is powerful, but it’s useless sitting on a shelf in the heat of the moment – it must be in your mind and in your heart. Memorize scripture!

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. – Psalm 1:1-2

Meditation is pausing to think deeply about a particular passage of scripture, guided by the Holy Spirit, looking to God for understanding of the meaning

and the application of the passage. We must learn to stop all of the activity in our day to day lives and, in silence, simply think about what the Bible is saying. It’s nothing mystical. It’s nothing new-agey. It’s taking the time to ponder the incredible Word of God – verse by verse and passage by passage. Meditate on God’s Word!

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, May 28, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

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Fit for Life: Spiritual Disciplines for Committed Christians – Part 3 ~ Bible Listening and Bible Studying

/ Bob

In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 we read that we are to train, that is discipline, ourselves for Godliness. Physical training we are familiar with in our body-image culture, but while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Furthermore, we are told in Philippians 2:12-13 that we are to work out our own salvation knowing that it is God Who is at work in us for our sanctification and for His will.

Our first area of spiritual discipline is Bible Assimilation. We must spend time reading the Bible; listening to the Bible; studying the Bible; memorizing the Bible; and meditating on the Bible. In today’s lesson we only dealt with our listening to of Bible, but we also began to look at how to study the Bible.

Listening to the Bible being read is a wonderful way to take in God’s Word.  We listen each week as we come together for worship and Bible study and we can listen throughout the week to audio Bibles, podcasts, Christian radio, and wide range of digital sources via our smartphones, computers, and tablets.  We can listen as we drive, as we work, and during any activity where we normally listen to the radio or a podcast.  

We also began a look at print and digital resources for studying the Bible.  We only scratched the surface, but I would strongly suggest that you get a good study Bible.  I shared a link in today’s class to the Lifeway list of Study Bibles.  Because Lifeway is the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention you can feel safe in knowing that a Study Bible you purchase from them will be doctrinally sound.  That link is lifeway.com/en/shop/bibles/study-bibles .  

Other digital resources are at your fingertips.  You know what I mean.  Begin exploring the Word by exploring your devices for ways to read, listen, study, memorize, and mediate with the Bible.  Those devices are used daily for darkness.  Let’s use them for light. 

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, May 21, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

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Fit for Life: Spiritual Disciplines for Committed Christians – Part 2 – Reading the Bible

/ Bob

In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 we read that we are to train, that is discipline, ourselves for Godliness. Physical training we are familiar with in our body-image culture, but while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Furthermore, we are told in Philippians 2:12-13 that we are to work out our own salvation knowing that it is God Who is at work in us for our sanctification and for His will.

Our first area of spiritual discipline is Bible Assimilation. We must spend time reading the Bible; listening to the Bible; studying the Bible; memorizing the Bible; and meditating on the Bible. In today’s lesson we only dealt with our reading of the Bible.

Bible reading is just that – reading. It’s not a time to spend studying or laboring over the text. It’s a time of refreshing reading of God’s story as found in the Bible. The story is all about Jesus and if we will relax and read the Bible thinking about where Jesus fits in, the Biblical narrative becomes a story of the ages – literally.

So reading is an enjoyable activity, but it is also part of the discipline of Bible Assimilation. It is one of the ways that we bring the Bible into our lives. And if it is a discipline, there must be a disciplined approach to reading God’s holy word.

You need to find a time and place to meet with God for your time of reading. It’s a daily appointment that you have to schedule into your life and, like any appointment with a doctor or the boss, you need to keep it. You need a reading plan. We discussed some in this session, but you need to choose a plan that works for you. You need a readable Bible. For some that might mean the King James version and for others The Message or The Living Bible, etc. Remember, you’re reading – not doing deep study.

The main thing is to start reading. It is a dangerous thing to call yourself a Christian without knowing what the Bible says. We hire lawyers to read contracts because we don’t want to sign our name on that contract without knowing what it says. And yet, we declare ourselves to be Christian – bearing the name of Christ – without knowing what the Bible actually says. We need to start reading.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, May 14, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content are included below and can also be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

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Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com