Daily Lesson for December 7, 2021

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Psalm 28 verses 1 and 2:

1 O Lord, I call to you;

my Rock, do not be deaf to my cry; *

lest, if you do not hear me,

I become like those who go down to the Pit.

2 Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, *

when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.

Today is the Feast Day St. Ambrose, 4th century Bishop of Milan, and one of the most influential figures in early medieval Christianity.

It was Bishop Ambrose to whom Monica, the mother of a young, and very wayward son, and not yet at all "saint", Augustine came in distress and tears. She was worried to a point of anguish over Augustine's life and choices.

Ambrose, in beautiful words have shared often with worried parents over the years, told Monica that God could "not turn his back upon the son of these tears."

For all who worry and anguish over children, may you receive this word this morning.

God will not turn God's back from the children of your tears.

God bless you, and God bless and keep your beloved.

Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

Daily Lesson for December 6, 2021

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Revelation chapter 1 verses 4 through 6:

"Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

Last night Broadway hosted it's annual Messiah Sing Concert. How wonderful to hear the beauty of Handel's music sung in our church's sanctuary -- even if through masks.

Of course, everyone was waiting for the Hallelujah Chorus. And when it came there was joy and elation. The hallelujah which had been silenced and missing was heard and together the last words were sung:

"He shall reign for ever and ever . . .

Amen."

The words come from this morning's Lesson in Revelation. They were originally written as a kind of apocalyptic protest. The kings of the world were corrupt and cruel. Some were mad. They persecuted and killed the saints and terrorized the earth.

But there is another kind of King.

"King of Kings, and Lord of Lords."

And He shall reign forever and ever . . . Amen.

Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

Daily Lesson for December 3, 2021

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Jude 8-10:

8 Yet in the same way these dreamers also defile the flesh, reject authority, and slander the glorious ones. 9But when the archangel Michael contended with the devil and disputed about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a condemnation of slander against him, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ 10But these people slander whatever they do not understand, and they are destroyed by those things that, like irrational animals, they know by instinct.

We're contending with the devil today.

We're in those final days of the liturgical year and the Daily Office gives us Scriptures about the devil, and angels, and spirits of another realm. Next week we will begin Revelation.

There are various translations to this selection I have chosen this morning, some of which change the meaning entirely. The King James Version is close to the one above saying that in his fight with the devil Moses "durst not bring against him a railing accusation."

Moses didn't rail. He didn't blaspheme. He didn't resort to lies and slander and maliciousness. He let the truth speak for itself.

We are in an age where what is said this morning is true. People "slander whatever they do not understand". Think about the science of masks and vaccinations. They are slandered; and as the Scripture goes on to say, the people who slander them end up being destroyed, "like irrational animals" who act only according to instinct.

We have animal instincts. But we also have rational minds. Let's use them.

And, let's continue to use rationality and not slander, malicious lies, rumors, and innuendo to speak our truth.

We are indeed contending with the devil. So let us be wise as serpents, gentle as doves, and as true to the honest truth as our Lord, on whose side we contend and whose name, we must remember, we represent -- even in the dirtiest of fights.

Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

Daily Lesson for December 2, 2021

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 21 verses 42 through 44:

42 Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:

“The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord’s doing,

and it is amazing in our eyes”?

43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.’

Listen to your life. Watch it and see it. See what is happening.

See what is happening to you and through you.

It may be that the very thing for which you are now being rejected will become the very reason for the digging and the setting of a whole new foundation upon which you will make your life.

The poor, rejected stone may end up being the stone of salvation for yourself and many, many others just like you.

It may be that today's rejected stone will be the stone of happiness tomorrow.

It is strong enough to happen.

You are strong enough to see it happen.

Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

Daily Lesson for December 1, 2021

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from 2 Peter chapter 3 verses 8 through 10:

8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

Advent is the season of preparation. We get ready for the coming of the Lord. This is the reason why we Scriptures in early Advent speak of end times -- for the times in which we are living will eventually end, and we need to be ready.

The bottom will fall out. The stock market will turn. The materials will no longer have the appetite of the consumer. Death will come like a thief in the night -- and even 100, it's still sudden.

For now, we have time. We have today. We have whatever time is left in order to get ready.

The seasons will change. The tides will turn. Maybe the sky will fall in. It could be a hell of a thing. It will be a hell of a thing.

Heaven and earth will pass away; but the word of God will not pass away.

So let's clear our consciences, repent of mistakes, make amends, and re-devote ourselves to the simple things -- loving God and loving neighbor.

There's still time. Let's make the most of it . . .

Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

Daily Lesson for November 30, 2021

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Amos chapter 3 verses 4 through 6:

4 Does a lion roar in the forest,

when it has no prey?

Does a young lion cry out from its den,

if it has caught nothing?

5 Does a bird fall into a snare on the earth,

when there is no trap for it?

Does a snare spring up from the ground,

when it has taken nothing?

6 Is a trumpet blown in a city,

and the people are not afraid?

Denial ain't a river in Egypt.

It's right here, right near, anywhere anyone isn't ready to face reality.

But reality can be hard to accept, so a lot of parents pretended their adult children's long stints alone in the bathroom over Thanksgiving weren't that abnormal.

Or, they tell themselves that lump they feel is nothing.

Or, they whistle in the dark, acting like a still ongoing "Stop the Steal" movement isn't an ongoing threat to our democracy.

And I remember Desmond Tutu said, "The hardest person in the world to wake up is the person who's only pretending to be asleep."

Advent is a time for waking up. It's a time for opening the eyes and facing reality.

As the prophet Amos says this morning, "There's lions out there."

Don't act like the sound of their roar isn't saying something.

Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

Daily Lesson for November 29, 2021

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 5 through 9:

5For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, 7and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. 8For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For anyone who lacks these things is short-sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins.

Peter is giving counsel about how we are to live and treat one another as a community of faith.

Unto faith is added the habit of study, the practice of decency, the discipline of self control, and the commitment of patient endurance in love.

We deepen and we grow. As we do, our patience with and toleration of others should grow also. We mature and become long suffering, thankful that others were once long suffering with us.

The life of faith is a long journey. We don't get there overnight. It takes work. It also takes patience if we're going to get there together.

And that's the whole point.

Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.