Psalm 36 – The Warehouse staff has just begun to have weekly accountability meetings. Each pastor on staff has a different week in which they will be asked to evaluate where they are seeing fruit and where …
The Bible Blog
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Psalm 35 – Years ago, while working for Youth for Christ, my wife and I become close friends with a young teenage girl. She was a paradox of sorts because her appearance was “tough as nails” but …
Psalm 34 – Many people do not realize that the Psalms were written with a specific poetic order and structure. That evidence is lost in our modern translation. Going back to the Hebrew, we are able to …
Psalm 33 – Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. 22 Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be …
Psalm 32 – 8 years ago, I was headed back from work driving north. My windshield wipers were frantically trying to keep pace with the torrential downpour of a typical Midwestern summer thunderstorm. As I turned to …
Psalm 31 – How do we move from anguish and sorrow to trust and assurance? People have smeared your name. They have campaigned among others and built their case with lies and deceit. Others reject you. They …
Psalm 30 – One of the most difficult theological principles to reconcile in our hearts and minds is the idea that the same God who delivers us is also the God who allows for our destruction. Many …
Psalm 28 – What does it mean to trust in the Rock of our Salvation? David uses the phrase “My Rock” in verse 1. The term can also mean ‘strong tower’ or ‘refuge.’ So, what does it …
Psalm 27 – Rolf Jacobson writes in the New International Commentary about a personal story relating to this Psalm. “When I was fifteen years old, I was diagnosed with bone cancer. The cancer led to the amputation …
Psalm 26 – The key to Psalm 26, as Hank has written, is the second verse. If you read through the Psalm again and remove verse 2, it sounds completely vain and self-centered. This is an important …
Psalm 25 – Have you ever wondered why David prayed so regularly for his enemies to be routed? So far, he has appealed to God on this matter in Psalm 3, 6, 9, 17, 18, 21, 23, …
Psalm 24 – Psalm 24 was written to be chanted/recited and comes with two choruses. It would have been sung during Jewish worship on the first day of the week (Sunday). It was followed by Psalm 48 …
Psalm 23 – Psalm 23 is known as the shepherd’s psalm. Composed by David as a youth, he was keeping sheep when Samuel came to his father’s house to find the king which God had chosen to …
Psalm 22 – “I know not whether any Psalm throughout the whole book contains matter more weighty, or from which the hearts of the godly can so truly perceive those sighs and groans, inexpressible by man, which …
Psalm 21 – There is a theme of kingship within this psalm. It’s likely it was originally composed for recital during the ceremony of enthronement for a king. In his commentary titled “Psalms,” James Luther Mays writes, …
Psalm 20 – Already, but not yet. What a difficult attitude to have. How do you move from crying out in prayer to trusting in God? Does that even happen in your life? It’s an interesting question. …
Psalm 19 – One of the issues addressed in this psalm is hidden sin. I’m not talking about sins you know about, but sin that you are ignorant of. The psalmist calls them “hidden faults.” None of …
Psalm 18 – There are some things which can only be learned over time. God’s faithfulness is one particular characteristic that cannot be understood outside of the ups and downs of life. The psalm here in chapter …
Psalm 17 – We face critical situations all the time. These trials batter our hearts and our minds. They trample our senses and destroy our hope. The psalmist describes such trials by repeatedly referencing the physical attributes …
Psalm 16 – Inheritance is something that’s found extensively in Scripture. David writes of this inheritance in verse 5. The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. Psalm 16:5 The …
Psalm 15 – The term “Christian” can mean many different things. Some people immediately think of a moral person who obeys rules. Others may picture someone who is filled with love. Still, others may associate the word …
Psalm 14 – When the psalmist refers to the unbeliever as a fool, he isn’t insulting his intelligence. It’s a moral charge. Sye Ten Bruggengate, a Christian apologist, relates this thought to a personal story. “My father …
Psalm 13 – This psalm is general enough to speak to anyone going through a crisis but specific enough to contain the primary elements of a prayer for help. It is a solid illustration of how we …
Psalm 12 – Lies. Deception. Delusion. We all do it. We use coping mechanisms to help us deal with reality. In many ways, it’s a strategy to deny reality. The problem with this is that we begin …
Psalm 11 – Many scholars believe this Psalm was written while David was still in King Saul’s court. The hatred of David by Saul had just begun but had not manifested into open persecution quite yet. People …
Psalm 10 – You get the impression that the psalmist does not have a shallow relationship with God. As we read the words, we get a picture of practical faith being lived out among daily choices. To …
Psalm 9 – According to Spurgeon, the title of this Psalm is, “A Psalm on the death of the son,” or “on the death of the champion.” Many have speculated that this could have been written following …
Psalm 8 – “Have you never read…” The words pierced like a dagger. It was a direct challenge to the authority and comprehension of these so-called representatives of God. The Pharisees hated Jesus. They made it their …
Psalm 7 – As I read Psalm 7, I found myself asking if God was not righteous, would I pray to Him? In other words, what logical reason do we have for pleading our case before the …
Psalm 6 – This is the first of the Penitential Psalms. Most believe this piece would have begun with a wail and finished as a song. Speaking of… have you ever wailed before God? Can you relate …
Psalm 5 – In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalms 5:3 NASB It’s easy to tell God what we want, …
Psalm 4 – A major NT theme for believers is the concept of perseverance. This is something David articulated well. If we look closely at this Psalm, we can see that David seems troubled. He is calling …
Psalm 3 – When studying the Psalms, you can generally classify them into three different categories of petition, thanksgiving, and praise. This approach to the Psalms is validated in 1 Chronicles. Then he appointed some of the …
Psalm 2 – This royal psalm was a familiar one, as it was recited often by God’s followers. We read of two instances in the book of Acts where this Psalm is quoted. The one I want …
Mark 16 – The Great Commission is important. So important, in fact, that we find it 5 times in the NT. It’s found here in Mark 16, as well as Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20 and …
Mark 15 – More than 1/3 of Mark’s narrative is focused on passion week. He includes many details that other Gospel accounts do not. For instance, Matthew’s Gospel reveals that Barabbas is a “notorious” criminal but Mark …
Mark 14 – In Mark 14, Jesus sat down with his disciples during the Last Supper and broke the bread saying “This is my body.” He poured the wine saying “This is my blood.” Essentially, He was …
Mark 13 – No one knows the day or hour. This is a familiar passage, yet, there is one question that I’ve always wondered. If Jesus was both God and man, then why didn’t He know the …
Mark 12 – Total sacrifice. Do we understand it? Do we live it? Jesus pulls his disciples aside to highlight the faith of the poor widow. In this story, the NASB translation reads… A poor widow came …
Mark 11 – The Pharisees were reeling. Jesus had just cleansed the Temple and done it with supreme authority. Aside from that one event, however, they were most likely trying to figure out who this man really …
Mark 10 – Bartimaeus called Jesus the “son of David” which was a prophetic title. It revealed a spiritual depth of both trust and faith. He believed in the sovereign power of the Messiah. What’s interesting about …
Mark 9 – We all know the greatest commandment according to Jesus. Here’s a refresher… “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. …
Mark 8 – A fascinating quality of Jesus’ teaching style was the way in which the geographic location often added to the depth of the teaching. At the end of Mark 8, Jesus takes his disciples to …
Mark 6 – Have you ever sat down and read Scripture and thought, “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to live like that? Or how about, “Did Jesus really mean what I think He meant?” …
Mark 5 – I want to make a few quick points about the demon-possessed man and then move to the woman who touched Jesus. We read several striking characteristics about this demon-possessed man. This man had been …
Mark 4 – The Purpose of the Parables By utilizing parables as His primary vehicle for delivering “the secrets of the kingdom,” Jesus was assured more time to invest in those who were seeking. There’s no doubt …
Mark 3 – The healings of Jesus are well-documented and factual. Interestingly, the Jews did not dispute the healing power of Jesus, but rather, the source of that power. The Greeks did not dispute the healings either, …
Mark 2 – At the end of this chapter, we see a common problem that Jesus faced with the Pharisees. These law-abiding men had taken a command and turned it into a burden. The Sabbath was established …
Mark 1 – It’s fascinating to identify the different writing styles of the Gospel authors. Matthew began with genealogy. His mission was to write to the Jews and prove that Jesus was the heir to David’s throne. …
Deuteronomy 34 – So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, …
Deuteronomy 33 – Moses gives his final blessings to the tribes of Israel. I was drawn to the guidance given to the Levites. About the tribe of Levi he said: “You, LORD, reveal your will by the …
Deuteronomy 32 – Look at all the names Moses ascribed to God in one song! the Rock: Deu 31:4; Deu 31:15; Deu 31:18; Deu 31:30Jehovah: Deu 31:6Father: Deu 31:6the Most High: Deu 31:8God: Deu 31:3Lord: Deu 31:3 …
Deuteronomy 31 – “But was his momentary failure not far too severely punished?” Alexander MacLaren We tend to look at old man Moses and feel sorry for him. The fiery temper that ended the life of an …
Deuteronomy 30 – I was drawn specifically to verse 6 of this chapter because it relates closely to the process a believer undergoes within the New Covenant. “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and …
Deuteronomy 29 – When I was younger, I used to think it was enough to “keep my oath” with God. If I tried to live as a good person, prayed once in a while, and asked for …
Deuteronomy 25 – “Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain.” Deuteronomy 25:4 GNB On the surface, this seems like a straightforward passage. In that time, an ox would break the grain …
Deuteronomy 24 – Just as God showed compassion on you, now you are to show compassion to others. The last half of Deuteronomy 24 is a “put you in your place” kind of chapter. It is a …
Deuteronomy 23 – As we’ve written many times in Deuteronomy, these laws can seem foreign to us. In some ways, they prescribe almost an ascetic type of lifestyle. Asceticism is defined as a lifestyle characterized by abstinence …
Deuteronomy 22 – Many of these laws seem outdated or inapplicable to our modern culture. Furthermore, one might say that since we are under the New Covenant we are no longer under the Old Testament law. Though …
Deuteronomy 21 – How many today take responsibility for their errors? It seems everywhere we turn, we see people playing the blame game. When people are determined to be right and have things their way at all …
Deuteronomy 20 – A lot of us have never thought about what it means to go to war vastly outnumbered. When the facts of the situation do not look to be in our favor, where do we …
Deuteronomy 19 – We find the familiar “eye for an eye” passage in Deuteronomy 19. In such cases show no mercy; the punishment is to be a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a …
Deuteronomy 18 – “God said…” It’s a phrase that has permeated our Christian culture. It’s a statement that flies out of people’s mouths easily and routinely. Reading it in Christian books and magazines and hearing it in …
Deuteronomy 17 – There are many times that the Old Testament rituals and rules can seem odd and misplaced under our New Covenant relationship with Jesus. It is imperative that when we go back through the Old …
Deuteronomy 16 – Favoritism. Bribes. Bias. Corruption. Does this not describe our current political climate? God gave specific laws regarding the judges that He Himself would appoint for Israel. First, there would be impartiality. Everyone would be …
Deuteronomy 15 – A few years ago my wife and I had the opportunity to provide respite care to three little boys. Respite care is when current foster parents need to go away for a short time …
Deuteronomy 14 – Holiness and practicality are two thoughts that are sometimes difficult to reconcile. Why did God not allow certain animals to be eaten? Why did the people have to tithe from their agriculture? The laws …
Deuteronomy 13 – When did self-appointed titles become a “thing” in the church? When did “a word” become more important than action? When did the thoughts inside people’s heads become full-blown prophecies directly from the mouth of …
Deuteronomy 12 – What separated the people of God from the pagans around them was their total allegiance to the One True God. He gave them commands to follow which centered around every facet of life. They …
Deuteronomy 11 – Remember. Teach. Obey. This is the instruction given to those who were responsible for raising the next generation. Remember today what you have learned about the LORD through your experiences with him. It was …
Deuteronomy 10 – “Now, people of Israel, listen to what the LORD your God demands of you: Worship the LORD and do all that he commands. Love him, serve him with all your heart, 13 and obey …
Deuteronomy 9 – Today know this: GOD, your God, is crossing the river ahead of you—he’s a consuming fire. He will destroy the nations, he will put them under your power. You will dispossess them and very …
Deuteronomy 8 – Remember that the LORD your God corrects and punishes you just as parents discipline their children. 6 So then, do as the LORD has commanded you: live according to his laws and obey him. …
Deuteronomy 7 – What is your motivation for obedience? Do this because you belong to the LORD your God. From all the peoples on earth he chose you to be his own special people. 7 “The LORD …
Deuteronomy 6 – Here in Deuteronomy 6, we find the “shema.” The word itself means “hear” or “listen” and begins in verse 4. “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5 “You …
Deuteronomy 5 – False teachers love to cherry-pick verses and twist the context to their liking. A perfect example of this is found in Deuteronomy 5:9. ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness …
Deuteronomy 4 – “No other nation, no matter how great, has a god who is so near when they need him as the LORD our God is to us. He answers us whenever we call for help. …
Deuteronomy 3 – They told Moses, “We explored the land and found it to be rich and fertile; and here is some of its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and their cities …
Deuteronomy 2 – It is a unique time in Israel’s history. Moses continues to lead and teach the people even though *spoiler alert* he will die before making it to the Promised Land. This time of transition …
Deuteronomy 1 – What should have taken 11 days took 40 years. If you have read the book of Numbers, you already have a good understanding of these events. Deuteronomy opens by …
Ecclesiastes 12 – The final chapter of Ecclesiastes calls for people to remember God. The tone is depressing, however, Solomon is commended at the end as the narrator breaks into the scene. We first heard from this …
Ecclesiastes 11 – This is the shortest chapter in the book. The theme here is dealing with risk as we consider the uncertainty of the future. Verse 4 really spoke to me. One who watches the wind …
Ecclesiastes 10 – Ecclesiastes 10 reminds us of Proverbs. It’s difficult to analyze because it seems disjointed from the previous chapters. I want to focus on a verse that is probably controversial and also a target for …
Ecclesiastes 9 – My wife and I were out to eat with another couple. We were enjoying the food and conversation when suddenly my wife interrupts. “I need to get out.” She elbows me mid-sentence frantic to …
Ecclesiastes 8 – For the king’s word is authoritative, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?” Ecclesiastes 8:4 HCSB How many today question God? How many today say to Him, “What are you doing?” …
Ecclesiastes 7 – Even the day of one’s birth is ominous, despite all the hopes and potential in a baby’s birth. Children come into the world uttering the human sound – a scream. “Before ever a child …
Ecclesiastes 6 – Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he. 6 And if he lives a thousand years twice, but does not experience happiness, do …
Ecclesiastes 5 – Fear God. Not exactly a popular message these days. You don’t hear many sermons on the fear of God or what that even means. So, what does it actually mean to fear God? Solomon …
Ecclesiastes 4 – This chapter continues with the theme of finding meaning in a very broken world. It begins by analyzing how the strong take advantage of the weak. It’s an issue and question that people still …
Ecclesiastes 3 – The universe is made well and finds its rhythm through structure and order. There most definitely is a time for everything and only our Lord and Savior knows of those times. There is a …
Ecclesiastes 2 – Wow. As I studied this chapter, I began to picture how relevant these statements are for our world today. Many people today try and navigate through life by focusing on themselves. We are told …
Ecclesiastes 1 – The Bible quite often emphasizes its main point by using a common Hebrew superlative. We see this in Song of Songs which literally means “the loveliest of songs.” We see it with the description …
Numbers 36 – Unfortunately, the evangelical church today has become a place where people feel they cannot seek truth through difficult questions. Many churches discourage seekers from “questioning God,” and while questioning Him without faith can be …
Numbers 35 – When we take a deeper look into the cities which were selected as places of refuge and we utilize the Hebrew text, we see obvious parallels to the refuge Jesus provides for His church. …
Numbers 34 – When analyzing this chapter, F.B. Meyer wrote, “God’s ideal for His people far exceeded their realization of it.” What a true statement that is! Numbers 34 outlines the land boundaries for the tribes of …
Numbers 33 – At the end of this chapter, there are six verses that give the Israelites specific instructions on how to take the land. Cross the Jordan into Canaan and drive out all the inhabitants. Destroy …
Numbers 32 – The LORD became angry with the people and made them wander in the wilderness forty years until that whole generation that had displeased him was dead. Numbers 32:13 GNB I found myself wondering why …