1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians

The church in Corinth is riddled with problems, and the apostle Paul writes to give them God’s instructions on how to deal with various issues, including sin and division in the church, marriage, idolatry, spiritual gifts, the future resurrection, and the conduct of public worship.

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Chris Sigall

Pr. Mark S. McDowell

Abington Baptist Church

Rev. Mark S. McDowell is a Philadelphia native who currently serves Abington Baptist Church. He was officially ordained and installed as the Pastor in 2015 after serving as the Associate Pastor since 2012. Mark has worked in professional ministry for more than 20 years and received his Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. Mark is privileged to serve on the boards of: The Philadelphia Bible Society; the Central Union Association, ABCUSA; the Coalition for Christian Outreach, Penn State Abington; and the Saint Andrew’s Society of Philadelphia, where he also serves as one of the society chaplains. Mark, along with his wife and daughter and two collies, is proud to call Abington his home.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

The problems in the church in Corinth have for the most part been worked through, and Paul writes this letter to encourage them, to explain the love gift he is collecting for Judean Christians, and to defend his apostleship against critics who are speaking out against him.

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Chris Sigall

Mary Cantell

www.marycantell.com

When Mary Cantell's third-grade teacher told her parents their child would never become a mathematician, the eight-year-old adopted the self-fulfilling prophecy and began to pursue a natural love of language. With a desire to follow in the footsteps of journalist Barbara Walters, Mary eventually achieved a radio/TV career spanning over fifteen years as a broadcast reporter of traffic and news in the Delaware Valley. This led to voiceover work, including corporate video narration, online e-learning tutorials, medical/educational training tapes, and commercials. She's the author of four inspirational novels of contemporary fiction. Her latest, Hope Another Way, is due to release in June 2022. Mary and her husband attend Grace Bible in Phoenixville, PA. 

Galatians

Galatians

False teachers have infiltrated the churches in Galatia, falsely suggesting that works of the law (specifically circumcision) must be added to faith in Christ in order for salvation to be real. In no uncertain terms, Paul condemns the mixture of law and grace, showing that salvation and sanctification are all of grace. Christ’s salvation has set us free. We rely on the Spirit’s work, not our own.

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Chris Sigall

Rev. Dr. Lee B. Spitzer

Lee B. Spitzer is a Historian for the Baptist World Alliance and an Affiliate Professor of Church History at Northern Seminary in Chicago. He is the retired General Secretary of the American Baptist Churches USA —the first person of Jewish descent to hold that office. He pastored three ABC churches and served as the Executive Minister and Senior Regional Pastor of ABC New Jersey for 14 years. His Ph.D. is from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, in association with the International Baptist Theological Study Centre (IBTS). He serves on the Committee on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and as an IBTS Research Fellow. He is the author of several books, including Baptists, Jews, and the Holocaust: The Hand of Sincere Friendship (Judson Press, 2017) and Making Friends, Making Disciples: Growing Your Church Through Authentic Relationships (Judson Press 2010).

Ephesians

Ephesians

Salvation comes by grace through faith in Christ, and not by our own works. The life Jesus gives, to Jew and Gentile alike, results in a new heart and a new walk in this world. The church is the Body of Christ, and marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. God has provided spiritual armor to wage spiritual battle.

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Chris Sigall

Dr. John L. Payne

Reverend Dr. John L. Payne is the Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Prior to coming to Ebenezer he was an active member of McKinley Memorial Baptist Church. In Willow Grove, PA.  He served as the Associate Minister where he assisted the pastor with the Missions Ministry, Community Outreach Ministry, and an advisor to the Youth Ministry, Bible Study and Prayer Band and was a member of the Board of Christian Education. Reverend Payne was a member of the First Baptist church of Crestmont his home church for over 30 years.  He served as the Associate Minister for three years, a Deacon for many years where he was elevated to serve as the Vice-Chair and ultimately served as Chair of the Board, and  served on various committees for church projects. He is married to Patricia Simmons Payne and they have three children, John, Jr, Eric and Melany and are blessed with seven grandchildren.

Colossians

The Book of Colossians 

Despite what false teachers might claim, Jesus Christ is the Savior, Lord, and Creator of all things. In Him, all believers are made alive and complete; they need not submit themselves to manmade regulations or the mandates of the Old Testament law. The new life we have in Christ will affect our relationships with spouses, parents, children, masters, and servants.

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Chris Sigall

Pr. Matthew Raley

Matthew Raley is the lead pastor at Towamencin Mennonite Church and an adjunct professor at Cairn University. He received his Ph.D. (Christianity and the Arts) from Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY in 2017. In addition to studying the Bible, he enjoys writing and playing the violin. Originally from northern California, Matt has led churches, founded non-profit ministries, and performed in orchestras over the last twenty-five years. He has written a novel, Fallen (2008), and a book on evangelism, The Diversity Culture (2009), both available from Kregel. He has been married to Bridget for 30 years. They live with their two sons in Tylersport, north of Philadelphia.