Community, Compassion, Service
By Tony Tench Struggle! Oh, how the people of Israel struggled! The books of 1 and 2 Kings in the Hebrew Scripture are all about the struggles the Israelites had to face largely because the kings who led them struggled to be obedient to God and chart a godly course for the nation. So, yes, struggle was their way of life BUT not because God’s power had left them hanging! In fact, the day came […]
We had a great week of VBS at Home during the week of June 14-18. However, if you missed it, you still have a chance to participate in the lessons and encourage the children in your life to engage in the study of God’s Word. Below you will find the memory verse for the week along with the daily lessons. Simply round up the supplies mentioned and follow the directions here to enjoy these Bible […]
By Dr. Sophia Steibel About two Sundays ago our lesson text, Acts 2:37-47, led us to consider how First Baptist Church Shelby could be a true community of God. The reading underscored the celebration of Pentecost in which persons from all over received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter then preached an eye-opening sermon, a “cut to the heart” type of sermon, which led the audience to ask Peter and others, “Brothers, what should we do” […]
By Tony Tench Community Vacation Bible School has been a great time of learning for children, as well as a timely reminder for all of us as we have served together. This year’s theme has brought us to an African game preserve where being in the presence of “wild life” has taught us to “roar” with joy because though “Life is Wild, God is Good!” And he is. His presence is grace for the journey […]
Session 1: I Will: 9 Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian Introduction “Here is the church…here is the steeple…open the door and see all the people!” That little hand gesture describes WHAT WE DO in the church, viz. what we do, we do TOGETHER and this study, entitled “I Will,” is going to help us remember HOW to go about doing church together! But too, the other way to do the hand gesture is also important: “Here […]
Day 19: Young Adults God is calling! “Come. Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters…” (Isaiah 55:1 ESV). The call to “come” in Isaiah happened 45 years after the Babylonians took the Israelites into exile. At the outset, it seems clear that this verse is describing the importance of coming into a relationship with God as primary over the physical needs and nourishment of a person. However, the physical/material and spiritual dimensions of the Jewish […]
Day 18: Adults Washing our hearts “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7 NIV). While shopping recently I, for some unknown reason, paid close attention to all the various varieties of laundry detergents and stain removers. Then, I moved on to the body soaps in different shapes, some round, others rectangular. Next were all kinds of liquid body cleansers in various colors […]
Day 17: Adults Abound in Optimism “Submit it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse” (Philippians 4:8 MSG). One day a schoolboy brought home his report card. It was heavy with poor grades. “What have you to say about this?” asked his father. “One […]
Day 16: Adults Keeping It Joyful “God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy” (Romans 14:17-18 MSG). A question that we often ask is, “How do we maintain our joy – particularly in a world that is challenging and brimming with problems?” That question can lead to an […]
Day 15: Adults Return to God “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart” (Jeremiah 24:7 NIV). A favorite book of the Bible for many believers is the book of Jeremiah. Within its pages we frequent (counting carefully, 112) admonitions to return to God. The representation of God […]
