Christian

Pray On & Pray Through

/ Bob

In Luke 11 and Luke 18 we find two parables which Jesus told in order to encourage his followers to pray – to seek the Father in all things. We prepare for every eventuality and yet so many times our plans fail. God is there waiting for us to turn to him. When we have wasted our resources, God is there waiting for us to turn to him. Even in those times when you declare with the defiant fortitude of a two year old, “I Got This,” He is still there ready to help you pick up the pieces when you realize you got nuthin’.

God is way more gracious than the grumpy neighbor of Luke 11 and way more kind than the unjust judge of Luke 18. If we would learn to ask, seek, and knock as He tells us to do in Luke 11:9-10 and keep on going to Him – not as a last resort when everything has blown up in our face – but always. We should go to Him first to find grace and help in our time of need. He knows what we need before we even ask Him. He just wants us to ask. If you’ve been a parent you know how you long for your kids to come to you when they need help. That’s what our Father wants us to do – go to Him in prayer.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, October 13, 2024. 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 Prayer the Moves Heaven: Power with Purpose. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/prayer-that-moves-heaven-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 10.13.2024 – Pray On and Pray Through – Luke 11.5-13Download

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (And What to Do with Them When You Do)

/ Bob

In the final chapters of the book of Job we find God once again speaking to Job and his “friends.” He is reminding them that He is God and that they are not. He has been giving examples of His creative power as seen in nature but in today’s lesson he speaks of two exotic beasts that are under His control and are perfect examples of His creative power and also His sovereignty in ruling His creation. The beasts are Behemoth and Leviathan. Behemoth fits the description of a brontosaurus and Leviathan fits the description of a dragon. These are fantastic beasts indeed.

We all face beasts in every stage of our lives. We laugh at the things that used to scare us, but we get a little weak, our hearts beat a little faster when we consider the beasts that attack us now. Some alcoholics refer to alcohol as the beast. Some psychologists refer to depression as the beast. Even the sweet, darling, innocent children in Lord of the Flies had a beast. which started out as a snake but ended up being the evil within them.

In Job, God declares his supremacy over the entire creation including Behemoth and Leviathan. Throughout the entire Bible, God declares His supremacy over evil and over everything Satan can throw in our path.

In Revelation 19:19-20 we find the ultimate destruction of the ultimate beast:

“And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.”

It may be a beast that causes us to pedal faster so we won’t get eaten up by it. It may be a beast that has climbed onto our backs and won’t let go. It may be a beast that lurks in the shadows and fills us with dread and anxiety. You know who or what your beast is. But you also need to know who your God is. God is supreme over any and all beasts.

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. Psalm 34:17

God is the Dragon Slayer in every sense of the word.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, August 25, 2024. 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 Praise Him in the Storm: When Life Falls Apart – A Study of Job. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/praise-him-in-the-storm-job-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 08.25.2024 – Job 40-42 -Fantastic Beaswts and Where to Find Them in the EndDownload

A Young Man Speaks Truth to Conventional Wisdom – Job 32-37

/ Bob

People love to share their opinions online. And they can comment on any given post just as fast as their chubby little fingers or thumbs can type out the words. They don’t even have to think – and quite often don’t think – just open up their minds and vomit out the wisdom. And Why? Because what we have to say is important, or at least we think so. We think we know the score; we think we have it all sorted out; but God says you don’t know squat.

It’s easy to be the grumpy old man with life experience who doesn’t want to bother with the young Know-It-All – all the time yelling “Get off my Biblical lawn.”

It’s also easy to be the young Know-It-All who feels the need to speak on any and every topic available. All the time yelling “I’ve read the same thing in a dozen different posts. It must be true.”

But whether young or old, wise or foolish, knowledgeable or ignorant, none of us have arms long enough to box with God. We don’t know nuthin’.

So, we must listen to and trust the voice of God – even when God chooses to speak through an unlikely source such as a loud obnoxious young whippersnapper or a loud obnoxious old curmudgeon (remember God spoke through a donkey once – and He was just warming up) we must listen to His Voice and trust His Voice, His Wisdom, His Understanding; and NOT listen to the voice of human wisdom – above all not our own human wisdom.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, August 11, 2024. 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 Praise Him in the Storm: When Life Falls Apart – A Study of Job. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/praise-him-in-the-storm-job-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 08.11.2024 – Job 32-37 – The Wisdom of YouthDownload

Light for a Dark World – Ambassadorship 101

/ Bob
In 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 we read that we, as Christians, are ambassadors for Christ and that we are to be engaged in the ministry of reconciliation between God and mankind. The world is groaning under the weight of sin and decay. Antisemitic protests, the fight over abortion, economic fears and terroristic threats are on our minds and are reinforced by the 24 hour news cycle. We have the solution. We know the One in Whom is found our hope – our salvation. To keep this glorious truth to ourselves is simply wrong.

And yet, we struggle to share the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ because we find it too personal and would like to confine our spiritual discussions to our close friends and immediate family. We don’t share the Gospel because we don’t want to be seen as holier-than-thou and we sure don’t want people confronting us concerning what we believe. That kind of attention is not something we seek.

The world is crying out for hope, for peace, for love, for joy – for light in the darkness. Jesus said that we as believers are the light of the world – a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. We cannot hide our light but rather share our light for all to see so that they can see and hear what we do and say and, in so doing, glorify our heavenly Father. We are Ambassadors for Christ!


This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, May 5, 2024. It is Part 3 of a series of Bible study lessons entitled “Ambassadorship 101: A Practicum for Ambassadors for Christ.” Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

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Kingdom Business – Luke 19:11-17

/ Bob
This is the final lesson containing one of Jesus’ parables as recorded in Luke. We have previously established that the parables Jesus shared offered insight into the Kingdom of God and how it compares with the Earthly Kingdom. In this parable – The Parable of the 10 Minas – Jesus gives us a story about an earthly kingdom with an earthly king and earthly kingdom subjects to instruct us as to how things work and will work in the Heavenly Kingdom.

The parable seems to follow the historical account of Archelaus, son of Herod the Great, and his seeking the kingship of the area we now know as the Holy Land. This happened between 4 B.C. and 6 A.D. It was a piece of history that would have been well known by the people listening to the parable. So Jesus uses this story of this earthly “king” to speak of His Kingship and His Kingdom and to exhort His Kingdom Subjects.

Just as Archelaus left his territory to secure his kingship in Rome, so Jesus left His earthly territory and returned the Father where He was enthroned as King. He will return in glory and in victory and at that time there will be a day of reckoning in which everyone will have to give an account of what they have done to advance the Kingdom. Those who rejected Christ on earth will face the same fate as those who opposed Archelaus – death. Those who have accepted his Kingship will be judged and rewarded according to how they engaged in Kingdom Business while here on earth. As we read in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior will be saved, but their Kingdom transactions will be tested by fire. Salvation is not in question, but there will be great joy for those whose work is proven to be true as there will be regret for those whose work is found wanting.

Therefore, our response to Jesus in light of this parable is be engaged in Kingdom Business until He comes again. This engagement in Kingdom business is what we were made for according to Ephesians 2:10. Furthermore, our engagement in Kingdom Business is the gauge of our love for Jesus. Jesus said in John 14:15 that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments? Do you love Him? Are you keeping His commandments? Are you engaged in Kingdom Business? As a subject of the King, take an inventory of what He has given you and see what you’re doing with His resources to advance His Kingdom.


This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, April 14, 2024. 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 Jesus Storyteller: Timeless Truths from His Parables. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at: https://gc2press.org/jesus-storyteller-luke-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

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class-notes-04.14.2024-luke-19.11-27-kingdom-businessDownload

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 .

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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 .

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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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One Solitary Life

/ Bob / 2 Comments

As we enter into the Advent Season – joyfully celebrating the coming of our Messiah – we should never forget what Jesus has done for us in His coming. Even from infancy He was destined to die for our sins. Even from infancy He was destined to change the way mere mortals could gain access to God. Even from infancy He was destined to change the world.

He was born in an obscure village

The son of a simple peasant woman.

He grew up in another small town

And worked with his father in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.

And then for three years he was what we might call a traveling preacher.

He never owned a home – never married and never had a family.

He never wrote a book. He never held political office.

He never went to college and never set foot inside a big city.

He walked wherever He went

And He never traveled more than 200 miles from the place he was born.

He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness.

While still a young man the tide of public opinion turned against Him.

Most of His friends deserted Him; one denied even knowing Him

And One betrayed Him and turned Him over to His enemies.

He went through the mockery of a trial

And was nailed to a cross between two thieves.

While He was dying His executioners gambled for His only possession – His robe.

When He was dead he was taken from the cross

And laid in a borrowed grave.

Almost twenty centuries have since come and gone

And today this man is the centerpiece of the human race.

I think I am well with in the mark when I say

That all the armies that ever marched –

All the navies that ever sailed –

All the parliaments that have ever sat and

All the kings that have ever reigned –

All put together have not affected the life of man here upon this earth

As powerfully as has that one solitary life.

And I can definitely add that no one has affected my life as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life.

I developed this version of the essay “One Solitary Life” by Dr James Allan Francis by using his words and other phrases that I have heard and used in stating the significance of Jesus Christ. It is a powerful statement that is true in its content and will strike true in the heart of anyone who considers it with an open mind and searching soul.

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