Trust God

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

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 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

You Are Not Alone – Job 19:13-19

/ Bob

Loneliness is a regular occurrence in the human condition. Job expressed his loneliness in Job 19:13-19 and, in doing so, described the way many of have felt at one time or another. There are times in life when we feel deserted, abandoned, alone, and friendless.

As a believer we have access to the community of faith. The fellowship of believers provides a unique relationship opportunity that can ease the pain of loneliness. In Romans 8:9-21, Paul gives the church as framework of actions that can be taken within the church to make this happen – love each other, help each other, rejoice and weep with each other, and live in harmony and humility with each other. When we function as the church was intended to function, loneliness will have a hard time gaining a foothold.

As believers we also have access to God through His Holy Spirit within us. We have promise after promise in the scriptures reminding us that we are not alone because of the presence of our Lord in our lives. We are further reminded in scripture that as we receive and enjoy the presence of the Lord in our lives, we must reach out and touch those around us and, in so doing, be the presence of Jesus in the world.

On a final note, being alone is not synonymous with loneliness. We must learn to embrace our alone time and use that distraction-free time to spend quality time with the Lord. Bering alone can be a blessing because only then can we be still and know that He is God.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, July 29, 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 – 07.28.2024 – Job 19.13-19 – You Are Not AloneDownload

Hope Against Hope – Light at the End of the Tunnel?

/ Bob

Hope is found throughout the scripture. The Greek and Hebrew words which are often translated as hope involve the concept of waiting – specifically waiting on God. In Romans 8 we read that hope which is seen is not hope. We hope for what is not seen. Hope lives in the future in spite of our present struggles.

Is Hope the Light at the end of the Tunnel? No

The light at the end of the tunnel is something we can see that tells us that end of the tunnel is just ahead. But Romans 8 says that hope which is seen is not hope. When there is no light we still have hope because the invisible God is at the end of the tunnel. In fact, the light within us is Jesus Christ and He’s all the light we need in every tunnel.

But those who wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.

Because those are the people who have real hope – those who don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel but know personally the God Who waits for them at the end of the tunnel and Who, in fact, occupies the entire tunnel. We wait upon Him. We hope in Him. We find our light in Him. In our present sufferings He is our hope of future glory. Furthermore, He is with us always even to the end of the age – or in this case – to the end of the tunnel.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, July 21, 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 – 07.21.2024 – Job 9.13 & 14 – Hope Against HopeDownload

The 7 Last Words of Christ

/ Bob
As Jesus hung on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for all mankind, he spoke 7 times. Those 7 statements form the “7 Last Words of Christ.” As the dying declaration of Jesus it is important that we know the significance of these statements. As we look at each statement we will see how Jesus spoke scripture in these last hours of His human life. We will also see how he demonstrated his teachings and completed the primary purpose of His life – the redemption of fallen sinners.


Obviously, these seven statements are not the last words Jesus spoke on this earth, nor are they the last words He will ever speak since he continues to speak to us today through His Spirit. However, the statements He made on the Cross are followed by the ultimate “Last Word” as seen in the Resurrection. When Jesus, in His last moments on the cross, said “It Is Finished,” He gave the last word on Atonement as He was the final blood sacrifice required by God. When God raised Him from the dead He put the final nail in Satan’s coffin as He proclaimed the last word concerning life and death now and always.




This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, March 24, 2024. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Ars Longa – Vita Brevis – Deus Eternus – Luke 16:1-13

/ Bob
The aphorism “Ars longa, vita brevis” literally translated is “Art long, life short.” It comes from a quote by Hypocrites and it means that our art and/or what we create and build will outlive us because life is short. In the Parable of the Shrewd Manager, Jesus deals with the same issue, but He has a solution. First, recognize the brevity of your life and it’s relationship to eternity. Second, prioritize accordingly.

The ways of the world are not the ways of God. The thoughts of humans are not the thoughts of God. It is foolish for us to think that we can shrewdly manipulate our way through this life without considering what follows that shrewdly manipulated life. It is the well-lived life that subjects itself to the Eternal God of the Universe and lives to please Him rather than satisfy our temporary desires.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21




This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, March 17, 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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What Is God Really Like? – Luke 15:11-32

/ Bob

One of the best known parables of Jesus is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. However, a more appropriate title might be the Parable of the Compassionate Father. As is the case with all of the parables of Jesus, the story is about the Kingdom of God and, in this case, specifically about God Himself. In the compassion of the father for his prodigal son we see the compassion of our Father, God.

Often we see God as an angry and vengeful disciplinarian who actually takes a certain amount of delight in punishing His wayward children when, in reality, He is a kind, loving, and compassionate father who wants to live in close relationship with His kids and loves them even when they wander away from home. That’s what God is really like. He loves His children when they wander far from home and He loves His children when they don’t wander far from home, but get confused about their relationship with Him. God is love. (1 John 4:8) No matter where we are or what we are doing, God’s love for us never changes. It never wavers and it certainly doesn’t leave us – even when we leave Him.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, March 10, 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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It Ain’t Nothin’ Until He Calls It – Luke 13:1-9

/ Bob

Bill Klem was a legendary baseball umpire who set the pattern for umpires to follow right up until today. He was the first to use hand gestures for calls. He was the first to use a chest protector. He was the pioneer of the slot position. He proved his value by calling more World Series games than any other umpire in history. Once, when asked by a batter if a pitch was a ball or a strike, he replied, “It ain’t nothin’ until I call it.”

Who is in control of the world? Who is in control of our country? Who is in control of your life? If the answer isn’t God, then we’re all in a world of trouble. God makes the final call on literally everything that happens in this world, in our country, and in our personal lives – it ain’t nothin’ until He calls it.

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree illustrates God’s Sovereignty and God’s Providence. In this study we answer the question “Why am I not dead yet?” and we find that God’s wisdom rules in the answer. It also gives us reason to respond to God’s delay in “calling us home.”

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, February 18, 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-02.18.2024-luke-13.1-9-it-aint-nothin-until-he-calls-itDownload