By Justin Randolph
Pastor of Zion Hill Baptist Church, Sevierville

Focal Passage: Acts 1:4-8, 12-14

“Go into all the world and make disciples everywhere …” — this is your mission if you choose to accept it.  This message was not delivered to Mr. Phelps and it did not self destruct in five seconds, but it was nonetheless “mission impossible.”

As the disciples considered the great task ahead of them, they must have felt inferior to the task at hand.  How would they accomplish their Lord’s will?  The answer is given in these verses of Acts 1.  They would not accomplish it at all, but it would be completed through them as they yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist had first announced the future baptism of the Holy Spirit and here Jesus affirms that it will shortly be fulfilled in their presence.  [Read more…]

By Justin Randolph
Pastor of Zion Hill Baptist Church, Sevierville

Focal Passage: II Timothy 2:1-10

The other day my son brought home a science test with a score of 85 and a note that he could retake the exam with no penalty.  However, his response was measured.  He said, “I think I did good enough.”  People often respond in this way to tasks in their life from the important to the mundane.  Instead of making things the best they can, they often settle for making them merely good enough.   Believing in excellence and seeing no downside, I encouraged my son to study and retake the exam.  He did and made a perfect score. [Read more…]

By Justin Randolph
Pastor of Zion Hill Baptist Church, Sevierville

Focal Passage: Romans 10:1-3, 8b-13

I was in the Walmart checkout line recently, impatiently waiting my turn (don’t judge me), when I glanced at the shirt of the man in front of me. It made the observation that “only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you; Jesus Christ and the American soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.”

While I had seen this quote before, it took on new meaning as I prepared for this Sunday School lesson. Most religions in the world, including the Jews of Paul’s day, are very zealous for their beliefs. At the core of these beliefs is the idea good works can earn one favor with God.  [Read more…]

By Justin Randolph
Pastor of Zion Hill Baptist Church, Sevierville

Focal Passage: Romans 5:6-11

I recently watched a team from Goodlettsville compete in the Little League World Series. They came up just short, but congratulations to them on a great season. One of the interesting things of note during the competition was the pitch count. This count restricted the young stars from pitching unnecessarily long games and perhaps injuring themselves in the process. This required a bit of strategy on the part of the coaches, because after 85 pitches, the player had to stop pitching no matter what the situation was in the game at the time.  [Read more…]

By Hoyt Wilson
Pastor, Flatwoods Baptist Church, Holladay

Focal Passage: I Peter 2:1-10

Charlie Brown said to Lucy: “Lucy, wouldn’t it be great, knowing what we know now, to get to live our lives over?” Lucy responded: “Charlie Brown, what do we know now?” Not even Christians get to live their lives over, but persons who receive Jesus as their Savior, do get to live a new life.

“Therefore” in I Peter 2:1 refers back to I Peter 1:23: “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” The implication is that the new life will be a different kind of life because the Christian is born of imperishable seed. This should remind one of what Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6 NIV).  Peter speaks to the change that believers experience when he says: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (I Peter 2:3, NIV).  [Read more…]