humility

Humbly Feed His Sheep– 1 Peter 5:1-6

/ Bob

After His resurrection, Jesus met and ate with His disciples on the shore of Lake Galilee. He had already appeared to them more than once, but this time was a little different. The disciples were on the lake fishing largely because Peter had told the group, “I’m going fishing” whereupon the others decided to join him. Jesus called to them from the shore and, true to form for the Master, gave them a lesson in fishing. When they realized it was Jesus, Peter leapt from the boat so that he could get to shore faster.

They had a fish fry right there on the spot. Jesus took some bread and shared it with the disciples and then he gave them all some fish. (Note the similarity to the meal they had the night before He was crucified.) This was the 3rd time Jesus had met with them. Then Jesus spoke with Peter directly. Peter no doubt remembered on this 3rd visit with his Lord the 3 times he had denied knowing Him. Then Jesus proceeds to ask Him 3 questions which were sort of the same question each time. 3 times Peter answered and 3 times Jesus told Him to shepherd His flock.

When we arrive at 1 Peter 5 we find Peter telling the elders of the church to shepherd the flock of Jesus. Coincidence? I think not. Nor do I think it a coincidence that Peter told them to clothe themselves with humility in doing so. Peter had learned true humility when confronted with the true grace of God. Hopefully, they would listen to him since his instructions were not only given to him by the Holy Spirit, but they were also borne out in his personal experience.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, April 6, 2025. 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 Hunger for Holiness: Living Pure in an impure World. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/hunger-for-holiness-1-peter-digital-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 – 04.06.2025 – Humbly Feed His Sheep – 1 Peter 5.1-6Download

Who Do You Think You Are? – Job 38 &40

/ Bob

In the story of Job it is time for God to speak and He speaks with a stormy voice – both figuratively and literally. He spoke from a whirlwind and basically challenged Job with the question, “Just who do you think you are?” He followed with questions such as “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” and “Who kept the sea inside its boundaries?” and “Have you ever commanded the morning to appear?”

Job was left speechless. In fact he says (and I would imagine with a very quiet and subdued demeanor) something like “I’m going to shut up now.” Wise move on his part.

When we are confronted with the Holiness of God, the Majesty of God, the Power of God, and the Eternally Transcendent and All-Knowing Presence of God, we can respond by bowing down in worship or standing up, shaking our fist at God in outrageous defiance. Tragically, the latter choice is akin to standing on the rim of a volcano in mid-eruption and telling it to simmer down.

In James 4:6-10 we read, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.”

Our Declaration of Independence speaks of “the pursuit of happiness,” and indeed we have pursued happiness in every way possible. The thought of lamenting and mourning over our arrogant and sinful ways does not fit into our plans. We want to do things our way. “I have to be me.” “It’s my way or the highway.” We even have an anthem – “I Did It My Way.” If we could simply submit to the One Who created us – humbling ourselves before Him in heartfelt confession of our sin and disobedience – and allow Him to lift us up, we could truly be the best version of ourselves because we could become all He created us to be. At that point we could know true joy which would far surpass any “happiness” we could pursue on our own.

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 – 08.18.2024 – Job 38 & 40 – Just Who Do You Think You AreDownload

A Tale of Two Worshippers – Luke 18:9-14

/ Bob

Do you believe in God? Do you believe in the God of the Bible? Do you trust God? We, as Americans, tend to rely on ourselves for just about everything in life. We trust in ourselves before we trust in God. We trust in our abilities to the exclusion of trusting in God. It may not be a conscious act of willful disobedience, but it is at its heart, arrogance.

Jesus, in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, points out the arrogance of the Pharisee who proudly proclaimed how wonderful he was in God’s eyes and contrasted that arrogance with the contrition of the tax collector who fell on his face before a Holy God in true humility and repentance.

We must come to the Holy God as unrighteous, undeserving sinners. We must come in humility on our knees. And when we humble ourselves before God Almighty, He will lift us up. This promise is made in Luke 18:14 as well as in James 4:10 and 1 Peter 5:6. However, God cannot lift us up unless we first humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, April 7, 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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RSVP for a Seat at the Table – Luke 14:1-24

/ Bob
In Luke 14 Jesus is invited to the home of a prominent Pharisee . . . on a Sabbath . . . . to be observed, scrutinized, and hopefully trapped in some error of Sabbath practice. As He always did, Jesus turned the tables (no pun intended, or maybe it was) on those who meant Him harm.

First, he healed a man who was there. The man was obviously a plant – a set up – for Jesus because they knew that He would not miss the opportunity to heal a man even if it was the Sabbath. Still, they were speechless when He did just that and they remained speechless as He questioned them about what the proper etiquette was for Sabbath healings. He went on to talk about Banquet etiquette.

He addressed the entire group gathered concerning humility as he cautioned them about grabbing the best seat for themselves at a banquet. Then he addressed the host by asking him if maybe he couldn’t have invited some less-than-desirable guests instead of just his friends. And then he told the Parable of the Great Banquet to share what was coming in the Great Banquet of the Lord.

He made clear this point – that there are some in this world who consider themselves to be a part of the chosen few, the elite. The Jews at that time quite often saw themselves as such and many Christians do so today. They figure that they’re in God’s camp and that they are God’s kind of people – always doing the right thing unlike the reprobates around them. He also made it clear the Kingdom of God was open to everyone who believes – to everyone who answers the call of God in faith.

He concludes the parable with a commandment for us as His servants. We must go out and find those who need Him most and “compel” them to come to the Kingdom of God – the Banquet of God – and sit down at the table that He has prepared for them in the presence of their enemies.



This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, February 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 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-02.25.2024-luke-14.12-24-rsvp-for-a-seat-at-the-tableDownload

How Do We Live Godly Lives in an Ungodly World ~ Part 5

/ Bob

In this, the final lesson in this series, we look at the foundation of what it means to truly live Godly lives in an ungodly world. We look at what it means to subject yourself to the authorities that control the affairs of this world – what it means to live holy (separated) lives. We see what it means to live in a way which is obviously different from the world around us.

It’s counter-culture. It’s counter-intuitive. It’s abnormal in an abnormal world – a world in which up is down, wrong is right, and what seems logical defies all logic. In short, we as followers of Christ, must follow his example of how to live in this world which He created but which has wandered far from the design plan of the Creator.

No matter what happens in the world around us, we must not let the world shape us into its mold, but we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds – transformed by thinking with the mind of Christ. How do we live Godly lives in an ungodly world? We do it by living Godly lives no matter what happens in the ungodly world around us.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, April 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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To Face Injustice We Must Begin With Prayer

/ Bob
When faced with a situation that caused great concern to the Colonists, the first thing our Founding Fathers did was to pray. Their prayer was met with anger by the political powers. This led to the establishment of the Continental Congress which ultimately led to the Declaration of Independence. And it all began with fasting, humiliation, and prayer.

After the Boston Tea Party, King George punished the city by instituting the Boston Port Act, March 7, 1774, effectively closing the harbor to all commerce. Upon hearing of the Boston Port Act, Thomas Jefferson drafted a Day of Fasting, Humiliation & Prayer resolution, to be observed the same day the blockade was to commence. It was introduced in the Virginia House of Burgesses by Robert Carter Nicholas, May 24, 1774 and was supported by Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee and George Mason. It passed unanimously. It was to be “a Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, devoutly to implore the Divine interposition, for averting the heavy calamity which threatens destruction to our civil rights.”

The King’s appointed Royal Governor, Lord Dunmore, was so angered by this Day of Fasting, Humiliation & Prayer resolution that two days later he dissolved Virginia’s House of Burgesses. Virginia’s colonial leaders went down the street and gathered in Raleigh Tavern, where they decided to form a Continental Congress which met in Philadelphia a little over three months later. Less than two years after that, the Continental Congress voted for Independence.

Many today are concerned with the existing and potential loss of freedoms in our nation. Many today are angry over the injustices which seem to abound in our nation. While there are actions which can be taken to stand against such wrongs, those actions are pointless unless we begin with prayer. And not just any prayer. It must be the prayer of a contrite, humble, and yes – humiliated – people who acknowledge that God and God alone is their source of help. By fasting and praying we place ourselves in the proper attitude of submission that will lead to actions which can and will produce results.

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ~1 Peter 5:6~

Fast and Pray for America!

/ Bob

Tomorrow. the first Thursday of May, is the National Day of Prayer.

In 1952, Congress passed a bill stating that every president would proclaim a Day of National Prayer on a date of his/her choosing. The first Thursday of May was set as the National Day of Prayer in 1988, but days of fasting, humiliation, and prayer have been practiced since before our nation’s founding. John Adams, on March 23, 1798, issued the following proclamation.

“As the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and the blessing of Almighty God, and the national acknowledgment of this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him, but a duty whose natural influence is favorable to the promotion of that morality and piety without which social happiness can not exist nor the blessings of a free government be enjoyed. . .

I have therefore thought fit to recommend, and I do hereby recommend, that Wednesday, the 9th day of May next, be observed throughout the United States as a day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer.”

Fast and Pray for America!

Jesus, Teach Us to Pray

/ Bob

It’s almost mind-boggling that Jesus prayed. Jesus knew the Father more intimately than any other man who walked on this earth, because He and the Father are One. And still He prayed. If was so important for Jesus to pray it is even more so for us. We will be looking at the teachings of Jesus concerning prayer from Luke 11 & 18. At the beginning of Luke 11, one of the disciples came to Jesus with a profound request – teach us to pray. That should be our request as well. And so we say, “Jesus, Teach Us to Pray.” This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, September 5, 2021. Handouts with slide content can be requested at fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

Jesus, Teach Us to Pray – Agape Life Bible Study – 09.05.2021

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Respond to Injustice with Prayer

/ Bob

Thursday is the National Day of Prayer. Perhaps we should take a page from our founding fathers and humbly seek God’s face in the face of injustice.

After the Boston Tea Party, King George punished the city by instituting the Boston Port Act, March 7, 1774, effectively closing the harbor to all commerce.

Upon hearing of the Boston Port Act, Thomas Jefferson drafted a Day of Fasting, Humiliation & Prayer resolution, to be observed the same day the blockade was to commence.  It was introduced in the Virginia House of Burgesses by Robert Carter Nicholas, May 24, 1774 and was supported by   Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee and George Mason. It passed unanimously.  It was to be “a Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, devoutly to implore the Divine interposition, for averting the heavy calamity which threatens destruction to our civil rights.” 

The King’s appointed Royal Governor, Lord Dunmore, was so angered by this Day of Fasting, Humiliation & Prayer resolution that two days later he dissolved Virginia’s House of Burgesses. Virginia’s colonial  leaders went down the street and gathered in Raleigh Tavern, where they decided to form the Continental Congress which met in Philadelphia a little over three months later. About a year later they reconvened as the Second Continental Congress and one year later voted for Independence.