sin

Secret Sin to Devastating Downfall

/ Bob

After the resounding victory at Jericho the City of Ai seemed like an easy win. Joshua sent out his reconnaissance team and they came back with a report of easy pickings so Joshua sent a much smaller force to take Ai. However, Joshua was unaware that Israel had violated God’s command of total destruction of Jericho. It was only one soldier who did the deed, but the entire camp suffered the consequences.

God demands total destruction when it comes to the sin in our lives. We tend to play fast and loose with the sin in our lives. With a wink and a nudge we excuse those little insignificant sins that we think are basically harmless. But God ain’t playing that game. We must address the sin that separates from our Lord. We must address it and exterminate it. Only total destruction is acceptable.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, October 26, 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 How Great Is Our God: Passing the Faith Along. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/how-great-is-our-god-old-testament-digital-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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Overcoming Temptation

/ Bob

Overcoming Temptation – James 1:13-18

We know what is right and we know what is wrong. We want to do what is right but we are constantly tempted to do what is wrong. Paul describes this dilemma in Romans 7 and it is all too familiar a struggle in our daily lives. James begins his letter by emphasizing our response to the trials we face. In verse 13 James pivots to explore the nature of temptation.

God tests us, but He does not tempt us. We need to have a clear concept of how we are tempted so that we don’t fall into the traps set by Satan and so that we don’t lightly pass over our sin as just part of the human experience. Satan may set the trap, but we are too easily fooled because we fail to see how he is using our own desires to bait the trap.

On the other hand, God – the Creator of all that is and the One Who created us as His prized possession – offers us truth and light to counteract Satan’s darkness and lies. And so we pray as Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”


This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, August 13, 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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Breaking Down Barriers

/ Bob

Breaking Down Barriers

The Main Problem and the Thing that Unites Us – Our Sin (Ephesians 2:1-3)

All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

There is no one who is righteous. (Romans 3:9-18)

When it comes to our human nature we are totally depraved – not one of us has measured up to the perfect standard of God. We’re all in the same boat and that boat is sinking and it is sinking in the middle of shark-infested waters.

The Hope We have in Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-10)

“But God” – sweet words when your boat is sinking and all seems lost. We were sinking as individuals and as the human race, but God sent Jesus to pay the price for our sin and bring us from death to life – from shipwreck to safety. Jesus did not come to make bad people good but rather to make dead people live.

It is fait accompli. It’s a done deal – Jesus paid the cost with His perfect life and subsequent perfect sacrifice on the cross and then sealed the deal with His resurrection providing us not only eternal life now but also eternal hope for the future.

The Unity We Know In Jesus (Ephesians 2:11-22)

Verses 11-13 highlight the problem Paul was addressing – that the uncircumcised Gentiles were on the outside looking in. They weren’t even in the boat. And so are all who have yet to accept Christ as Savior.

Verses 14-22 highlight the solution for the problem – that in Jesus all are made one. Those who believe in and put their trust in Jesus become fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s family and a temple in the Lord, a dwelling place for the Spirit of God.

Because of the saving grace of Jesus, the barriers of the Jewish law and today, our American moralistic code, have been broken down. We are free to live in the grace of our Lord and enjoy fellowship with all who believe – all in the same boat. Hallelujah!

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, October 16, 2022. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions from The Gospel Project – a Bible study curriculum developed by Lifeway Christian Resources. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@texassongweaver

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The Amazing Grace of the Righteous God

/ Bob

God is righteous. He is perfect in every way and His justice is perfect. He does not need to submit to the laws of man, because He alone is the law-giver.

People are sinful – unrighteous. While God is the perfect law-giver, humans are the imperfect law-breakers. Every one has sinned and fallen short of the perfection of the perfect law-givver.

Just as in physics, no two objects can occupy the same space at the same time, neither can righteousness and unrighteousness occupy the same space. Therefore we, the imperfect, are separated from the perfect God.

God loves us. Even in our deplorable condition as sinful law-breakers God loved us and offered us a way to return to Him – to live with Him and occupy the same space as Him for all eternity.

As a just judge, He had no choice to pronounce judgment on the sinful actions of humans. However, Jesus lived a sinless life and offered Himself up in our place to take our judgment. The precious gift of salvation was purchased with the blood of Christ Himself on our behalf.

The righteous God pronounced judgment on sinful man and gave him the death penalty.

The penalty of death was paid by Jesus on the Cross.

The gift of salvation from God’s wrath and the penalty of sin is offered to all.

And now the gift must be accepted by trusting the One Who paid the price and offers the gift.

May we accept the gift and lead others to know the truth of this gift, so that they, too, may be saved by God’s Amazing Grace.

Next week we will look at the beginning of the book of James to see the proof in pudding.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, May 8, 2022. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions from The Gospel Project – a Bible study curriculum developed by Lifeway Christian Resources. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

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