Second Thoughts with Austin Gentry

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | The end of the book of Genesis recounts the end of Joseph's life, documenting his many years as second-in-command in Egypt, and giving us a window into how he's processed the pain, path, and purpose God had for him. As he looks back, God has crystallized three main things in his heart: an ability to forgive fully, an ability to perceive rightly, and...

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | God's path, plan, and preparation for Joseph has been a series of long-winding roads, twists and turns, diversions and demotions - yet, from glory to glory in God's providential purposes. Joseph is around 27 years old, and God has ordained his path and his preparation - now, we see God's patience and providential actions beyond what Joseph can s...

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Joseph arrives at the doorstep of Potiphar, the captain of the guard for Pharaoh, and spends approximately 10 years there. During this particular decade, God prepares his character and competency - orchestrating every detail on his way to second-in-command.

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | God's path for Joseph was one of silent sovereignty. God orchestrated each interaction, each diversion, and each detail - all leading him to be exactly where God wanted him to be. And so He does with our own lives, too.

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Genesis 35 recalls the final leg of Jacob's tumultuous journey, an uneasy but providential climb to Bethel. In the process, God protects and provides providentially, and reassures him who he is in Him, and His promises to him - the same thing God does for us as we navigate the unknowns, from a desperate place to our designated destination. 

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | The most defining moments in Jacob's life happen in his two  transition: from Canaan to Haran; and again, from Haran to Canaan. Both journeys are riddled by tumult and trial, but also tenacity: namely, his tenacity for what he wants for himself, but also God's tenacity for what He wants for Jacob. Again, on the road of transition, Jacob wrestles with...

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Jacob nears the end of his agreement with Laban, and he's anxiously awaiting a transition into a new chapter of life. As he begins the transition from Haran and back to Canaan, we see alot of messiness and manipulation, but also God's sovereignty, and principles that we can apply to our own life as we make transitions as well. 

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Genesis 24 marks a significant transition - the end of Abraham's life and legacy and his 'passing of the torch' to his only son, Isaac. But before he passes, he sets out to find a wife for his son. Here in this chapter, we can find 25 principles that can be applied to searching for a spouse today. 

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | The life of Abraham can be seen as a series of tests of faith, which each one getting more and more severe. In faith, he left his homeland; in faith, he left his family; in faith, he left Lot; in faith, he trusted God with Ishmael; and now, in faith, he trusts God by offering up Isaac - the climactic moment of his life and legacy.

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Genesis 14 establishes the 'tithe' between God and God's people, a primary way we respond God, trust Him, and also receive His honor and blessing.

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Genesis 1-11 spans nearly 2000 years of human history, and the world keeps rebelling against God's will and ways. What's the hope? The offspring who's come to save and reverse the curse. Genesis 11 ends with what looks like little hope: the line of Shem has become pagan, and is now barren. Where will the promise come? Genesis 12 starts with the...

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Genesis 7-8 recount Noah's ~370 day ride through the greatest storm in human history. And the promises, principles, and practices God shows Noah, are just as relevant for us today for the storms we will go into - and through. 

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Genesis 4 features the story of Cain and Abel, the first children and siblings in human history. Their story is one of tragedy and grace, pointing forward to the truer and better older brother we all need.

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Genesis 2 expands on and elaborates upon God's pinnacle creation, humankind. In it, we can see humanity's place in the world, their purpose, uniqueness, and capacity.

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Genesis 1 gives us the reality behind the creation, the creation itself, and our place in it. It introduces the story of God, the story of the world, and our story in it, too. 

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Chapter 15 records the 'pinnacle moment' of the Mark's main theme, which has been building like a crescendo over the past 14 chapters: Jesus is God's Suffering Servant and Man's Redeemer. Chapter 15 shows us why Jesus, and only Jesus, is the only One who can save.

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | In Mark 13, Jesus provides 7 signs of what happens at the end of the world, and even more importantly, how we can live in light of the end in our day-to-day lives. 

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Throughout his gospel, Mark increasingly builds the crescendo of what Jesus' life and ministry as God's suffering servant. But in chapter 10, the climactic moment of this developing theme happens: the clearest picture of his glory, reign, and rule. "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (10:...

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | All through his gospel, Mark uses paradigms that non-Jews would be familiar with as a way of showing who Jesus is: i.e, King-and-kingdom, sight-and-blindness, natural-and-supernatural, reaping-and-sowing. In chapter 9, he uses another paradigm to show who Jesus - the mountaintop, the valley, and the middle. In doing so, we see who Jesus is to us in all of our...

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | In chapter 8, Mark draws a connection between increasing clarity of physical sight with increasing clarity of spiritual sight, i.e., seeing Jesus for who He really is. Mark 8 shows us that we all bring presuppositions, biases, expectations, brokenness, pride and sin into our seeing of Jesus - and how Jesus challenges them so that we may see Him for who He is,...

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | In chapter 3, Mark convincingly shows the extent and expansiveness of Jesus' authority: on the earth, over the earth, and in heaven: specifically, over the Sabbath, Synagogue, & Sanhedrin; over the Spirits and Satan; and over Sin and Salvation. 

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | In the first 15 verses, Mark writes about how Jesus will bring the Kingdom of God into the earth; but starting in verse 16 and onward, Mark shows Jesus bringing that Kingdom of God to earth. In essence, the second half of Mark 1 serves as a microcosm of how Jesus overall brings the Kingdom of God to earth, and what He will continue to do throughout the entire...

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Mark opens his gospel in a dramatic fashion, introducing the hero we've all wanted. However, Mark explains that God sends us a hero who doesn't arrive or arise to power through the systems of the world; instead, He would do so in a counter-cultural way, challenging and convicting our concept of a king and a kingdom, and bringing His own through repen...

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | The book of Jeremiah closes, not-officially, with the book of Lamentations - Jeremiah's 'epilogue' of sorts, his closing thoughts and feelings about everything he's experienced as a prophet and what he's had to endure. Chapter 3 spotlights the 'hinge' of his entire lament, i.e., what his hopes and his heart hangs on to in the...

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | After decades of rejecting Jeremiah's words, the people finally come to Jeremiah asking his advice and guidance. They're in pain and have no plan. Jeremiah gives them 2 options, except tragically, they choose what makes sense to them instead of following God's clear decrees.