• Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for September 3, 2023

    Let’s Start at the Very Beginning
    Mark 1:1-13
    1. Background
    • “action” gospel, most compact, “moving picture” gospel
    • answering the question: Who is Jesus?
    2. Preparation 1-8
    • gospel: good news about a person
    • pivotal role of John the Baptist (Mal. 3:1, Isa. 40:3, 2 Kings 1:8)
    • preaching repentance and pointing to Jesus
    3. Verification 9-11
    • inauguration of public ministry
    • visual and verbal validation
    4. Indication 12-13
    • driven into the wilderness
    • onslaught of temptation
    • reversing the curse
    5. So What?
    • In light of Scripture’s clear indication of Jesus’ identity, rely on His provision and recognize your place.
    • “Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word, tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard…Tell of the cross where they nailed Him, dying in anguish and pain; tell of the grave where they laid Him; tell how He liveth again.” (F. Crosby, “Tell Me the Story of Jesus”)
    • “I love to tell the story, for those who know it best seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest. And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song, ‘twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.” (Hankey/Fischer “I Love to Tell the Story”)

  • Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for August 27, 2023

    A Case for Bible Saturation
    Psalms 119:1-8
    1. Background
    • longest Psalm (176 verses), acrostic, 22 stanzas of 8 verses
    • “alphabet of reflection” with 8 repeated synonyms
    2. Description Emphasized 1-3
    • repeated concept of blessedness (Psa. 1)
    • walk in the law…keep His testimonies
    • impact of ongoing pursuit and complete preoccupation
    3. Determination Indicated 4-6
    • Your precepts kept diligently
    • steadfast keeping of Your statutes
    • impact of fixation on Your commandments
    4. Dependence Expressed 7-8
    • anticipation of praise that results from learning Your rules
    • anticipation of divine intervention
    5. So What?
    • Because Love for God is refreshed by revelation, soak up every syllable of Scripture.
    • connection to Christ: Matt. 4:4 (Deut. 8:3), Luke 11:28, James 1:22-25
    • “’One boat goes east, one boat goes west, by the self-same winds that blow. And it’s the set of the sails, and not the gales, that determines which way they go.’ And the Word of God sets our sails.” (A. Begg quoting Ella W. Wilcox, “Tis the Set of the Sail”)
    • “How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?” (J. Rippon, “How Firm a Foundation”)
    Short Sentence Prayers on Psalm 119:1-8
    1. Lord, the Word is Your Word. Thank you for giving us Your Word.
    2. Lord, teach us that the way of happiness is the way of obedience, and make obedience sweet to us.
    3. Lord, grant that our religion would not be empty talk but Gospel life, that our love for you will show not only in our lips but in our lives, that we would practice what we preach.
    4. Lord, by Your Holy Spirit, give us a right aspiration for holiness, a grace-wrought desire for godliness.
    5. Lord, give us a love for Your whole Word and all Your commands, even in our blind spots.
    6. Lord, grant that our lives would be built on the basis of Your Word.
    7. Lord, give us Gospel resolve and grace dependence in our lives. (L. Duncan, LigonDuncan.com)

  • Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for August 20, 2023

    When the Lord Is Your Portion
    Lamentations 3:21-24
    1. Background
    • after the destruction/desolation of Jerusalem (25:8-11)
    • from a context of darkness
    2. Unexpected Shift 21
    • a mind-altering reality
    • the essence of hope
    3. Unfailing Compassion Rooted in Unchanging Character 22-23
    • not consumed (Psa. 103:10-14)…
    • because of steadfast love
    • because of the duration and depth of mercies
    • because of the daily distribution of mercies
    4. Expression of Satisfaction 24
    • understanding the concept of “portion” (Num. 18:20, Psa. 73:25-26)
    • a sure foundation for the soul’s hope
    5. So What?
    • When the LORD is your portion, you can have a hope that transcends your darkest moments.
    • connection to Christ: Lam. 1:12, Rom. 15:13, 1 Pet. 1:3-9
    • “…Morning by morning new mercies I see…Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth…” (T. Chisholm, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”)
    • “Broken cisterns, broken cisterns all around; but the fountain remains full.” (A. Bonar)
    • Meditate this week on the magnitude of the mercies you’ve received.

  • Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for August 13, 2023

    So, You Want to Go Back to Egypt?
    Jeremiah 42:1-43:7
    1. Background
    • events after the fall of Jerusalem (Jer. 40-45)
    • Jeremiah imprisoned and then released (40:1-6)
    2. A Request from the People 1-6
    • people in Jerusalem after the exile
    • their plan to “escape” to Egypt
    • Jeremiah’s agreement to pray
    • pious display of sincerity
    3. Jeremiah’s Response to the People 7-22
    • waiting to discern the LORD’S message
    • if they stay in the land…compassion
    • if they go to Egypt…catastrophe
    • exposure of a fatal flaw
    4. Rejection of Jeremiah’s Message 1-7
    • arrogant accusation against a true prophet
    • a disobedient entrance into Egypt
    5. So What?
    • In light of His promised presence and clear communication, obey the Lord eagerly.
    • connection to Christ: John 14:6, 15; Col. 3:15-17
    • “Those who reject what they know to be the will of God always invite disaster.” (Huey)
    • “They regarded God as a power to enlist, not a Lord to obey.” (Kidner)
    • “Here I raise my ebenezer…” (Robinson, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”)
    • “May the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom to capture your hearts for Christ, to comfort your hearts in Christ and to humble your hearts before Christ. Amen.” (Davis)

  • Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for August 6, 2023

    But They Would Not Hear
    Jeremiah 36:1-32
    1. Background
    • impending Babylonian conquest, 4th year of King Jehoiakim, 20+ years of Jeremiah’s ministry
    2. Scroll Read to the Public 1-10
    • take a scroll and write and Baruch the scribe
    • scroll read on a fast day: repetition of motivation
    3. Scroll Read to the Officials 11-19
    • cabinet officials of the king
    • Baruch reads and the officials tremble
    • expression of concern for safety
    4. Scroll Read to the King 20-26
    • the scroll cut and thrown into the fire: absence of fear and expression of defiance
    • contrast to his father, Josiah (2 Kings 22:11)
    • concern justified
    5. A Second Edition Scroll 27-32
    • a second scroll with additional information
    • a prophet unharmed, a king judged, the word confirmed
    6. So What?
    • Because God’s word endures forever, let its warnings lead you to Jesus.
    • connection to Christ: Matt. 23:37-39, Col. 2:13-14
    • “No one ever spoke more plainly of the penalties of sin than did Christ. The authoritative revelation of the consequences of wrongdoing is an integral part of the gospel.” (Maclaren)
    • “Your word says I’m forgiven. Your covenant says You will always be with me. Though some may scoff and write me off, Your word will be the last word.” (T. Walker, “Your Word Will Be the Last Word”)
    • The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isa. 40:8)

  • Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for July 30, 2023

    A Lesson to Learn
    Jeremiah 35:1-19
    1. Background
    • events/messages from the siege to the fall of Jerusalem
    • object lesson of the Rechabites: “symbolic action”
    2. Assessment of Loyalty 1-5
    • instructions concerning the Rechabites (2 Kings 10:15-27)
    • intensity of the assessment
    3. Explanation of Refusal 6-11
    • commandment of Jonadab
    • careful obedience to a long-dead ancestor
    4. Application for Judah 12-17
    • instructions concerning Judah and Jerusalem
    • argument from lesser to greater
    • painfully apparent contrast
    5. Commendation of Rechabites 18-19
    • obedience acknowledged
    • blessing pronounced (Neh. 3:14)
    • searing rebuke
    6. So What?
    • Because He is the living God and means what He says, obey the LORD’S commands.
    • connections to Christ: Phil. 2:8, John 14:15, 1 John 5:3
    • “Sometimes secular loyalties to some cause or person put to shame the loyalty of God’s people to Him and His commands.” (Huey)
    • The depth of your declaration of dependence is displayed through your obedience.
    • “Jesus, too late I Thee have sought; how can I love Thee as I ought? And how extol Thy matchless fame, the glorious beauty of Thy name? Jesus, my Lord, I Thee adore; O make me love Thee more and more.” (Collins, “Jesus, My Lord, My Life, My All”)

  • Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for July 23, 2023

    When the Lord Does a New Thing
    Jeremiah 31:23-34
    1. Background
    • the people “get it” (31:15-22)
    • a more explicit commentary on 29:11
    2. Description of Future Blessing 23-30
    • reassurance of restoration
    • revelation through a dream
    • repudiation of a well-known saying
    3. Declaration of a New Covenant 31-32
    • noteworthy repetition
    • not like the previous covenant
    • notice the LORD’S initiative
    4. Distinctives of the New Covenant 33-34
    • internalized word (Matt. 5-7)
    • personal God
    • personal instruction
    • permanent forgiveness
    5. So What?
    • Because the LORD can restore fully what was devastated completely, trust Him to do a new thing in your life.
    • connection to Christ: Heb. 8:6-12; 1 Pet. 2:9-10
    • “But the faith, needed by Israel to believe in what would come, is the faith I need to believe in what has already come.” (S. Smith)
    • “God of the covenant, Lord God Almighty, marvels of mercy adoring we see: calling from sin and from darkness a people bonded to Christ by a timeless decree.” (J. Webb, “God of the Covenant, Lord God Almighty”)

  • Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for July 16, 2023

    Fueled by Your Future
    Jeremiah 29:1-14
    1. Background
    • yoke of servitude to Babylon and the folly of false prophets (28)
    • Jeremiah’s letter to Jewish exiles in Babylon (29:1-32) and the immediate context (29:1-3)
    2. Continuation 4-7
    • emphasis on the LORD’s sovereignty/providence: displaced but not misplaced
    • addressed to exiles
    • settle down and thrive personally
    • pursue peace and pray
    3. Clarification 8-9
    • note the repetition
    • untrue prophecies from unsent prophets (28:3, 11; 25:11-12)
    4. Motivation 10-14
    • revelatory accuracy
    • emphatic assurance: not to hurt but to help
    • personal access and inexhaustible promise (Deut. 4:29; 30:1-5)
    5. So What?
    • Because of the promise of deliverance in the future, thrive by God’s grace in the present.
    • NT connections: Luke 4:18, Heb. 6:19-20; 11:8-10, 1 Pet. 1:3-9
    • Aim to align your life with the reality of biblical hope.
    • “There is a hope that lifts my weary head, a consolation strong against despair, that when the world has plunged me in its deepest pit, I find the Savior there! Through present sufferings, future’s fear, He whispers ‘courage’ in my ear. For I am safe in everlasting arms, and they will lead me home.” (S. Townend, “There Is a Hope”)

  • Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for July 9, 2023

    Good News for Scattered Sheep
    Jeremiah 23:1-8
    1. Background
    • “leaves” from the last years of Judah (21-26): a misruled and mistaught people
    • contrast: scattering and gathering shepherds (Ezek. 34:31, John 10:11)
    2. The Problem of Unattended Sheep 1-4
    • the LORD’s attention to the inattentive
    • identification of “shepherds”
    • gathering of the remnant
    3. The Promise of the Ultimate Shepherd 5-6
    • messianic prophecy: raise up for David a Righteous Branch (33:14-16)
    • salvation and security as a result of His administration (Isa. 52:13)
    • His identity: The LORD is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30-31, Phil. 3:8-11)
    4. The Perspective of an Updated Status 7-8
    • significance of “As the LORD lives…”
    • parting the Red Sea of political tape
    • pointing to a greater exodus
    5. So What?
    • Assured that He gets all of His sheep safely home, rely on the LORD’S provision of the ultimate Shepherd.
    • Consider the connection to Christ: Matt. 9:36, 1 Pet. 5:4, Heb. 13:20-21, Lk. 15:3-7
    • “Scripture is composed with a specific purpose: to show the glory of God through the exaltation of Christ as He reconciles man to God.” (Smith)
    • “Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, but yet in love He sought me, and on His shoulder gently laid, and home, rejoicing, brought me…And so through all the length of days Thy goodness faileth never; Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise within Thy house forever.” (Baker, “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”)

  • Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for July 2, 2023

    A Visit to the Potter’s House
    Jeremiah 18:1-12
    1. Background
    • sin of Judah (17), Judah fit to be smashed (19), Jeremiah persecuted (20)
    • vessel still in the making and appeal for repentance (18)
    2. A Picture Supplied 1-4
    • prophetic formula followed by a command
    • ceramics and sovereignty (Gen. 2:7)
    • as it seemed good to the potter…
    3. A Principle Applied 5-10
    • recognizing the limitations of analogy
    • the LORD’S freedom to act with judgment and mercy without compromising His character
    • when the LORD relents (Isa. 29:16; 64:8)
    4. A Plan Devised and a Plea Denied 11-12
    • warning of disaster preparation
    • appeal to turn from evil
    • blunt refusal: forsaking that which never fails
    5. So What?
    • Because the LORD is both sovereign and merciful, trust Him to bring wholeness out of your brokenness.
    • “Have Thine own way, Lord. Have Thine own way. Thou art the potter. I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.” (G. Stebbins, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord”)
    • “This text is all about remaking-for better or worse…He is a craftsman and no plodding amateur; His touch has the boldness and resource of the true artist.” (D. Kidner)
    • Repent and persevere!