Bret Legg

Looking for Buried Treasure

by

One day, I was out walking and noticed a man with a metal detector methodically covering a patch of ground. Slowly and diligently, he combed first one patch of ground and then another, occasionally stooping to dig up a coin or small trinket. After an hour, he finally packed up his gear and left.

As I walked, I found myself wondering, “Why would someone put so much time, effort, and resources into looking for what seems to be such a small pay off?” Still, he seemed content and generally happy…as if the act of looking for treasure produced its own value.

Read more

Exodus 5 – When God Doesn’t Make Sense

by
God doesn’t always make sense. Sometimes, it’s because He sees so much further down the road than we do. Sometimes, it’s because He’s teaching us to trust Him. But whatever the reason, God doesn’t always make sense, and this is why faith is such a critical element to both our salvation and our day-to-day walk.
Can you imagine what Moses must have been thinking in Exodus chapter 5?…
“God, You went out of Your way to get my attention by using a burning bush. Then You were explicitly clear that You wanted me to go back to Egypt to set Your people free from bondage. You even gave me my brother Aaron to help me speak to Pharaoh and miracles to do in Pharaoh’s presence. And now that I’ve done what you wanted me to do, the people have been put under even more bondage! God, you said you saw the bondage of the people and wanted to bring it to an end, not increase it! Did I miss something here?!”
Ever felt this way? Ever felt like God is not making sense in your current circumstance?
When God doesn’t seem to be making sense in your current circumstance, you need to place your faith and focus on God more than your circumstance. Remember…
  • God is faithful and can be no other way. (Duet. 32:4)
  • God’s ways are very different than our ways. (Isa. 55:8)
  • God has promised to never leave or forsake you, even when things get difficult. (Isa. 43;2) (Matt. 28:20)
To sum it up…It’s not what you know about your circumstances. It’s Who you know in your circumstances.

 

Bret Legg is the Teaching and Counseling Pastor at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, GA.

Exodus 4 – Ability vs Availability

by
So many people feel too common, too plain, or too ordinary to do anything great. Others believe they could do something great, but they don’t want to go through the difficulties it would require.
Both were probably true of Moses. In Exodus chapter 4, Moses didn’t feel worthy or able to do what God was asking him to do. He was also aware of the great hardship and risk he would would have to face if he went back to do what God wanted him to do. This is probably why God assured Moses that those who once wanted to kill him were now dead. (Ex. 4:19)
What God had to get through to Moses (and to us) is that He is able, if we are available. God is able to supply anything we need to accomplish great things for him, but to do that, we must make available to Him all that we have (Ex. 4:2) and all we are (Ex. 4:6). If we want God to use us to do big things, we must offer up to Him both our possessions and our person.
God wants to do great things through us, and He’s willing and able to do so, but the question we have to answer is: Have we made ourselves and all we have completely available to Him, or are we holding on to things tightly, hoping He will use someone else. (Ex. 4:13)
God is completely able, but am I completely available? This is what makes the difference between a life of fulfillment and a life of regret.

 

Bret Legg is the Teaching and Counseling Pastor at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, GA.

Exodus 3 – What’s In A Name?

by
What’s in a name? Quite a lot, actually. From the moment your parents decided on your name, it has been your main identifier and descriptor.
In Exodus chapter 3, God reveals His name to Moses when He says, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” In Hebrew, “I AM” means, “I was, am, and will be who I am.” It’s kind of an odd name, but what it says about God is that He does not change. He is the eternally existent God, who always was and always will be. He is the only true constant in all of time and existence. (Malachi 3:6) (John 1:1-3) (James 1:17)
This is important, because it tells us that God wants to be as intimately involved in things now as He was then.
This is good news, right? But look how God got involved then…
After God told Moses He was going to get involved in freeing the Israelite slaves, He said, “So now, go. I am sending you…” Moses planned on being a spectator to God’s involvement. He didn’t intend to get involved himself. But God intended to get involved by getting Moses involved.
The “I Am” has not changed. He still gets involved in what’s going on by getting us involved in what’s going on. We are to be partners, not spectators. It is our involvement that channels God’s involvement, and what He does in us and through us is the bigger miracle.
So look at where you want God’s involvement and ask yourself, “How does he want me to get involved?” This could be your burning bush!
Bret Legg is the Teaching and Counseling Pastor at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, GA.

Is Your Spouse Hurtful?

by

How would you complete the following sentence: “I never thought my spouse would be so ____________.” ?

There are probably as many different answers to this question as there are couples. Some of the possible answers would be, “I never thought my spouse would be so…

Read more

Exodus 2 – Feeling Like You Don’t Belong

by
Sometime you can just tell when something’s not right. You can just tell when you don’t belong where you are. Whether it’s a discontent or a difficulty fitting in, there’s a dissonance in your spirit. You just know it.
This was the case for Moses in chapter 2 of Exodus. Perhaps it was all that time bonding with his birth mother, as she nursed him for Pharaoh’s daughter, that led him to feel like he didn’t belong in Pharaoh’s family. Maybe it was the lack of acceptance and approval from his own people that made him feel like he didn’t belong with them. Even after he had a wife and a family of his own, the thoughts and connections of the past kept him feeling like an alien.
Feeling like you don’t fit in or don’t belong can be very frustrating and even painful. But the discomfort of feeling like an alien can be turned toward a powerful and positive outcome.
  • It can be a sign that God is transitioning you to a new phase in your life and service.
  • The discontent and discouragement can move you to work on yourself and engage with others more.
  • Or, it can be a simple reminder that this world can never be your home, because you are an alien in this world until you are home with Jesus.
Despite the reason, feeling like you don’t fit in or don’t belong can be a powerful turning point in your life…if you let it open you up to God’s purpose and plan for your life.
Moses had no idea where his discontentment would lead him, and neither do we!

 

Bret Legg is the Teaching and Counseling Pastor at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, GA.

Exodus 1 – No Such Thing As A Small Part to Play

by
Ever feel insignificant? Ever feel like you’re just a common, everyday person with no chance of making a major impact on the world?
In the book of Exodus, we have:
  • A book containing the mightiest miracles God has ever done, aside from the resurrection of Jesus.
  • A book tellimg of the marvelous beginnings of the nation of Israel and their worship of God.
  • A book recounting the giving of the 10 Commandments.
  • A book telling of the mighty exploits of Moses.
  • A book revealing the actual personal name of God!
Isn’t it interesting that a book containing such amazing things does not begin with any thing that amazing. Instead, chapter 1 of Exodus begins with the story of two simple, down-to-earth, behind-the-scenes midwives.
Little did these midwives know that their simple faithfulness to God and to their everyday tasks would in fact rock the existing Egyptian government. Their faithfulness would make possible the entrance of a deliverer and the formation of a brand new nation of Israel.
Psalm 139:16, speaking of God, tells us…”Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, everyone of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (ESV)
Who you are, and where you are was all foreseen and engineered by God before He formed anything in creation. You are a part of his eternal, creative plan. So never underestimate your place in life or the impact that your faithfulness can have on the arc of history. There is no such thing as a small part to play in the service of God.

 

Bret Legg is the Teaching and Counseling Pastor at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, GA.

This is Not What I Expected

by

 

Expectations. We all have expectations before we get married. We have expectations about what marriage will be like. We have expectations about how our spouse will act. We have expectations that tend to become the standard by which we measure and evaluate the quality of our marriage. We expect things like…

Read more

Genesis 50 – A Happy Ending to a Long Journey

by
Genesis chapter 50 is the close of a long journey for Joseph and his brothers. By the time Joseph’s brothers find him in Egypt, they have come a long way, not just geographically, but emotionally and spiritually also.
Joseph’s brothers started off by denying his right to rule over them. (Gen. 37:8) Next, they wanted Joseph out-of-sight-out-of-mind. (Gen. 37:28) Then Joseph’s brothers lived their lives as if he didn’t exist. But eventually, something brought them to the point of needing and depending on him.
They discovered that the one they shunned and mistreated, was the ruler and possessor of all they needed. (Gen. 45:3) They had great reason to fear him in light of how selfish and callous they had been, but the one who had every reason and resource to inflict a just and horrific punishment opened his arms to welcome them instead.
Joseph assured his brothers that the pain they had cause him had been turned around for their salvation, and he invited them to a banquet, rather than a dungeon.
Jesus is our Joseph. We start off denying His rule over us and wanting Him to be out-of-sight and out-of-mind. We live like He doesn’t really exist, until something happens in our life to bring us to the realization of our need and dependence on Him.
We come to realize that the One we have shunned and mistreated is actually the Ruler and Possessor of all we need. Jesus turns the pain we caused him toward our salvation rather than our sentence (Isa. 53:5) and He invites us to a banquet, rather than a dungeon. (Isa. 55:1-2) Like Joseph, Jesus offers forgiveness in the face of our faults…and we are amazed! (Luke 23:34)

 

Bret Legg is the Teaching and Counseling Pastor at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, GA.

Genesis 48-49 – He knows us

by

In Genesis chapters 48-49, Jacob is nearing the end of his life and he gives a series of blessings/predictions about each of his children. Though some of these blessings and predictions may seem a little vague to us, I’m sure they made perfect sense to his children at the time. These blessings and predictions proved themselves to be true throughout the course of history, because Jacob knew his children.
Parents know their children. After birthing them, raising them, and watching them, it’s as if a parent knows their children better than the children know themselves…much to the frustration of their children. So, apart from direct intervention by God of by the child, a parent’s forecast about their child is usually pretty accurate.
It’s the same with our Heavenly Father. He know us better than we know ourselves…much to our frustration at times. (See Ps. 139:13-18.) His evaluation of us is true, and it is to our great benefit to listen to Him, heed His warnings, and change as He would have us to change. He desires to bless us, but we must listen to Him. Why? Because He knows us.

 

Bret Legg is the Teaching and Counseling Pastor at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, GA.