Proverbs 26 – I’m going to analyze verse 4 in comparison to verse 5. Here are both of the verses in context …
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Proverbs 25 – “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22 for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will …
Proverbs 24 – The empty U-Haul is parked out front. Your belongings are packed away in boxes. The move has begun. “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the …
Proverbs 23 – “Don’t let your heart envy sinners; instead, always fear the LORD. 18 For then you will have a future, and your hope will never fade.” Proverbs 23:17-18 HCSB I’m guilty. I know there have …
Proverbs 22 – “The rich and the poor have this in common: the LORD made them both.” Proverbs 22:2 HCSB The truth of the matter is that our world has rich, poor and everyone in between. If …
Proverbs 21 – A very intriguing verse in this chapter of Proverbs includes a reference back to the days of King Saul. “Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” Proverbs …
Proverbs 20 – This chapter really addresses a diverse range of topics. Excessive drinking, gossip, pride, and disobedience, just to name a few. Here is what stuck out to me… “The one who lives with integrity is …
Proverbs 19 – If you are like me then you might have read this chapter and become uncomfortable with a few of the verses. For instance, this one… “Wealth attracts many friends, but a poor man is …
Proverbs 18 – Communication is essential for life, and it’s a big part of how we reach the world as Christians. A lot of times you hear the phrase, “It’s not what you say, but how you …
Proverbs 17 – As I read this chapter, I see a theme of relational conflict. “Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife.” Proverbs 17:1 HCSB “Whoever conceals an offense promotes …
Proverbs 16 – “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 HCSB This passage hit me so hard. The heart of man is always up to something. We like things our …
Proverbs 15 – “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good.” Proverbs 15:3 HCSB This is a soothing reminder to all of us who are surprised by what happens in the world …
Proverbs 14 – As we journey through Proverbs, you can really pick out any phrase and focus on its content and meaning. I want to zoom in specifically to 14:3. “By the mouth of a fool comes …
Proverbs 13 – “Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”” 1 Corinthians 15:33 HCSB Through God’s pursuit of sinners, we are empowered through the Holy Spirit to live according to His commands. We are empowered. …
Proverbs 12 – Discipline is hard. Accepting instruction is difficult. They both require us to delay our satisfaction. When we are in the middle of being corrected, it can feel threatening. Our flesh wants to resist becoming …
Proverbs 11 – God provides many illustrations in Scripture explaining that He deals with people based on how they deal with others. “One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become …
Proverbs 10 – Up until this point in Proverbs, we have studied the difference between the foolishness of men and the wisdom of God. Here in chapter 10, the reader is introduced to the Proverbs of Solomon. …
Proverbs 9 – Proverbs 9: Only a fool would deny God. How do you know if you are acting foolishly? First, we see that a wise person accepts correction. This goes back to the humility/teachability traits that …
Proverbs 8 – When I was in college, I reluctantly took a poetry class. It was difficult for me, but I actually managed to learn a few things. The Bible is chock-full of literary masterpieces. The artistic …
Proverbs 7 – Verse 7 reads… “Once I was looking out the window of my house, 7 and I saw many inexperienced young men, but noticed one foolish fellow in particular.” Proverbs 7:6-7 GNB The type of …
Proverbs 6 – Satisfaction comes when we do what we ought to do. Taking care of our responsibilities and prioritizing those responsibilities in light of God’s Word brings purpose. Proverbs 6 encourages us to take our cues …
Proverbs 5 – Upon an initial read of this chapter, it seems as if Solomon is painting a negative picture of women in general. But when we consider the instruction within the context of Solomon’s life, we …
Proverbs 4 – As a kid, I remember going down to the beaches of Florida for our family vacations. One particular trip, we were vacationing along with extended family. My cousin and I decided right when we …
Proverbs 3 – It doesn’t matter if you are talking about running a business, a ministry, or a family; there is one trait that will often separate the successful from the unsuccessful. Teachability. How many of us …
Proverbs 2 – In Proverbs 1, we learned that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Here in Proverbs 2, Solomon begins to expand on that concept. Seek A healthy fear of the Lord …
Proverbs 1 – A blunt tagline to the book of Proverbs could very easily be “Proverbs: Don’t live in stupidity.” When we encounter Jesus, we discover two very profound realities. We discover the truth of who God …
2 Peter 3 – Peter was writing, at the time, against the theory of uniformitarianism. It states that the processes affecting Earth today are the same ones that affected it in the past. Looking forward, Peter writes …
2 Peter 2 – 2 Peter 2 opens by describing two different kinds of false people within the church. Maybe we have never taken the time to consider the difference between false prophets and false teachers? Maybe …
2 Peter 1 – Peter was a bond-servant and apostle. This is a unique combination, being subject to all others in service and humility as well as being called by Jesus to follow and see firsthand the …
1 Peter 5 – Peter is following up on his previous chapter on suffering. It’s no surprise that in order to withstand suffering and encourage others through it, you need to have strong leadership. Peter is writing …
1 Peter 3 – It’s in this chapter that Peter makes a strange statement about Jesus going to hell after his death and preaching to the evil spirits there. “For Christ also suffered for sins once for …
1 Peter 2 – Peter opens with the process of transformation. The true progression of spiritual growth is measured by a craving to immerse yourself in God’s Word. The Psalms are filled with verses illustrating this. Peter, …
Philemon 1 – Paul offers us a lesson in diplomacy and peacemaking. At the time, Paul was a prisoner in Rome and his friend Philemon was stationed in Colossae. We don’t know all the details but it …
Titus 3 – Have you ever been involved in a foolish conversation? How about an endless quarrel about a technicality? Most likely, all of us have been …
Titus 2 – Years ago, I remember a conversation I was having with a group of teenagers when suddenly the topic veered into spiritual territory. A few of them were asking questions about the Bible and before …
Titus 1 – Parenting is not an easy task. It involves incredible commitment, unyielding problem-solving, and loads of diapers. Parenting exposes so many of your own flaws as you begin to see the quality level of your …
2 Samuel 24 – This account of a census is a puzzling chapter. We wonder today, what could be wrong with taking a census? It seems pretty harmless to us. In the ancient world, a man had …
2 Samuel 23 – David was never ashamed of who he was and where he came from. In a culture that was all about notoriety and popularity, David was still the youngest son of Jesse, the peasant …
2 Samuel 22 – My rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. These were the words David penned about God after he looked over the history of his relationship. There’s no doubt that the words of Scripture speak …
2 Samuel 21 – King David was seemingly indestructible. He was a beast on the battlefield and a musician at heart. Although his sins are well-documented, it is a fact that David was blessed with many gifts …
2 Samuel 20 – Concubines, intestines, and a severed head being thrown over a wall! This chapter is not for the faint of heart. Coming off the heels of a civil war, David is drawn back in. …
2 Samuel 19 – It’s an awkward moment when the rebels realize their rebellion has failed and the king they opposed is still in authority. Some of those who supported Absalom double down on their opinion that …
2 Samuel 18 – This is a difficult chapter to absorb. On one hand, justice was served and the rightful king of Israel was restored. On the other hand, a loving father grieves the loss of his …
2 Samuel 17 – Ahithophel had gone all in. He was firmly in Absalon’s camp after abruptly turning on David. How could this man have been a counselor for David for so long? According to Rabbinical literature, …
2 Samuel 16 – The reason why we read several chapters back about the grace David extended to Saul’s family is because here in 2 Samuel 16, we read of how Saul’s family wants to kick David …
2 Samuel 15 – Absalom was good looking, charismatic, and a cutthroat politician. Modern-day politicians would do well to study the strategy of Absalom. First, he didn’t run a smear campaign against David. In fact, he doesn’t …
2 Samuel 14 – David’s go-to plan of action always centered around waiting on the Lord. I’m speculating, but it’s possible this was the state of mind that was natural to him. In other words, he was …
2 Samuel 13 – What a mess here in 2 Samuel 13! It’s hard to know where to begin. Amnon was obsessed. The thought of sinning consumed him. He seemingly had no relief from these lustful thoughts …
2 Samuel 12 – Sin often causes innocent people to perish. This is because sin cannot be overlooked. Though David was forgiven for his sin, there was still a cost to pay. In this case, the consequences …
2 Samuel 11 – Most of us know the story of 2 Samuel 11. David’s sin and repentance are well-documented. The story is familiar to us because it’s real. The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat the sex, scandal, and …
2 Samuel 10 – After David’s men were humiliated by the Ammonites, a war was sure to break out. The Ammonites hired the Syrians to help fight because they knew David would be boiling. Upon hearing this, …
2 Samuel 9 – David had made a promise to Jonathan, and David was a man of his word. So as he was reflecting back on Saul’s family, David remembered his oath of friendship to Jonathan and …
2 Samuel 8 – In many ways, David is presented as the “anti-Saul” even though at times, their behavior does not seem all that different. Thus far in Samuel, we’ve witnessed several questionable decisions by David. Here …
2 Samuel 7 – We live in a society of bare minimums. What’s the least I can pay and still buy that? What’s the least I can spend and still earn rewards? What’s the least I can …
2 Samuel 6 – Familiarity can often produce deadly results. It was Jesus who proclaimed he could do no miracles in his hometown because of their familiarity. It was familiarity that caused Jesus’ brothers to initially discard …
2 Samuel 5 – Every sports fan knows the term “bulletin board material.” It occurs days or weeks before a big game when your opponent makes some kind of degrading or insulting comment against you. It’s basically …
2 Samuel 4 – In 2 Samuel 4, we see the collision of two different kingdoms. Humanity’s kingdom operates within an attitude of power and opportunity. The leaders in our world grab life by the horns and …
2 Samuel 3 – In 2 Samuel 3, we find two men making a deal in order to see their enemy defeated. Abner, being personally offended by Ishbosheth, makes a deal to join David. David, wanting to …
2 Samuel 2 – There is an interesting backstory on the relationships that take place in this chapter. Abner crowns Saul’s son Ishbosheth to be king over all Israel, Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin. Ishbosheth …
2 Samuel 1 – There are three versions of Saul’s death mentioned in Scripture and one of them is found here in 2 Samuel 1. Death Reference #1 1 Samuel 31:4 GNB He said to the young …
1 Samuel 31 – Let’s do a quick recap. In desperation, Saul traveled to see a witch who brought back Samuel from the dead and predicted Saul’s death the next day. Today is the next day. Also …
1 Samuel 30 – David returns to Zikleg, where he had fled from Saul only to find that while he and his men were gone, the Amalekites had come and raided their city. They burned the place …
1 Samuel 29 – Can you imagine David fighting against his friends and family? Can you imagine him going to war with his best friend, Jonathan? Jesus speaks in Revelation to the church at Laodicea with strong, …
1 Samuel 28 – I’ve always had lots of questions about 1 Samuel 28. Was David actually going to fight with the Philistines? Why did Saul think that he could contact Samuel through a witch? Was it …
1 Samuel 27 – The life of David is not all sunshine and rainbows. Though he was a man after God’s own heart, he was still human. Here in 1 Samuel 27, he makes a controversial decision. …
1 Samuel 26 – If there was ever a justifiable moment for David to end Saul’s life, this was it. Saul had repented of his wrongdoing back when David had his first opportunity to kill Saul in …
1 Samuel 25 – As well as David reacted to having a moment with Saul to himself, he backtracks with his emotions when it comes to dealing with Nabal. Yes, it’s true, Nabal was an arrogant and …
1 Samuel 24 – David retreats with his men to the caves of the Wilderness of En Gedi. This was a strategic move and a very good one on David’s part. The canyon of En Gedi is …
1 Samuel 23 – All Saul cares about is killing David. He doesn’t care about worshiping God. He doesn’t care about hearing from God. He doesn’t want to follow God. Yet, he justifies his actions by using …
1 Samuel 22 – There’s no doubt that David felt completely isolated. Living in a cave, he was completely humiliated. It’s hard to imagine how he managed to get through this time. But God was at work. …
1 Samuel 21 – David has lost so much. He has gone from the beloved and admired son-in-law of King Saul to the forsaken fugitive, alone and rejected. We don’t know exactly why he would choose to …
1 Samuel 20 – Saul has become a volcanic madman. David is struggling with trust and discernment. Jonathan is caught in the middle. The first day of the month was the New Moon festival which was celebrated …
1 Samuel 19 – Saul has tried everything by this point. He will not be satisfied until David is dead. Saul plotted. God protected. David escaped. Through all of this, Saul never changed. He believed he was …
1 Samuel 18 – “Saul has slain his thousands,And David his ten thousands.” The wording here says that “all cities in Israel” had women who danced and sang to this tune. It was literally a Billboard Top …
1 Samuel 17 – Malcolm Gladwell recently delivered a TED talk titled, “The Unheard Story of David and Goliath.” In this talk, Gladwell poses the idea that Goliath suffered from poor eyesight due to acromegaly, a disease …
1 Samuel 16 – Samuel loved Saul. He wanted so badly to see him live a fruitful life. But there are moments when God asks us to move on. The time for mourning is over. God had …
1 Samuel 15 – Do what you want, and ask for forgiveness later. If God is full of love, and He always forgives, then I can just follow my heart and apologize on the way. Do you …
1 Samuel 14 – Those who are dialed into the Spirit are sensitive to the timing of the Lord. In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan demonstrated that kind of dialed-in mindset. Unfortunately, Saul operated on his own timing. …
1 Samuel 13 – Here in 1 Samuel 13, we see the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites begin when Jonathan decides to attack a Philistine garrison. Up until this point, the Israelites were at peace …
1 Samuel 12 – When our vision is blinded to reality, sometimes the most effective reminder comes from God flexing His muscles. It would be the power found in a storm that would shake the people’s selfish …
1 Samuel 11 – Nahash meant business. He threatened to humiliate and poke out the right eye of every man in Jabesh. The point of this strange act was intimidation, and eventually, to bring reproach to all …
1 Samuel 10 – Once again, I want to point out the detail that many miss when Saul is anointed king. The terminology described a leader or commander and not a king. Verse 1 opens with this …
1 Samuel 9 – Saul had everything going for him. He came from a family of prominence and wealth. His father was most likely a feudal lord – a landowner and a leader in times of war. …
1 Samuel 8 – Samuel’s reputation as a judge was top-notch. He followed in a long line of judges who would call God’s people back to repentance, but only for a specific period of time. Because Samuel’s …
1 Samuel 7 – Coming off the heels of their defeat to the Philistines, Samuel would bring forth a challenge. Often in our weakest moments is when God’s voice will speak the loudest. God had stirred their …
1 Samuel 6 – 7 months. 7 months of terror, suffering, and death. The Philistines experienced the white-hot flame of God’s fiery judgment. This was their encounter with the Living God because He will not share His …
1 Samuel 5 – There are times when God uses circumstances to demolish the false gods that we all cling to. Initially, we tend to make excuses and stick with the status quo. This is especially true …
1 Samuel 4 – Israel goes to war with the Philistines. “Never did time seem more hopeless than when Samuel arose. The Philistines, strengthened not merely by a constant influx of immigrants, but by the importation of …
1 Samuel 3 – What I love about this chapter is that Samuel had not yet experienced the voice or guidance of the Lord. His mind had not yet been renewed to spiritual things. However, when the …
1 Samuel 2 – The book of 1 Samuel is interesting because it transitions from a time of judges into a political and religious monarchy. We get a picture of the time period …
1 Samuel 1 – Historically, Israel was on the ropes. The Philistines were growing and becoming stronger because of their modern Greek military technology. They were the first in the region to discover and use iron, and …
2 Timothy 4 – I have never really noticed this before, but I am struck by Paul’s confidence in 2 Timothy 4. He writes that he is being poured out as a drink offering. Drawing from the …
2 Timothy 3 – We have already seen it mentioned times over the last several chapters, but Paul once again is warning Timothy of the godlessness which will take place in the future. The identifying characteristic for …
2 Timothy 2 – There’s only one Gospel. There’s only one Gospel. There’s. Only. ONE. Gospel. The Gospel = Suffering Paul continues to reiterate the fact that the Gospel requires sacrifice, suffering, and even imprisonment. Suffer. Hardworking. …
2 Timothy 1 – The personal nature of 2 Timothy 1 really shines! Paul was such a gifted communicator and encourager. As he reflects back fondly on Timothy’s faith and initial calling, he reminds him that God …
1 Timothy 6 – Paul bookends this letter by circling back to his thoughts from 1 Timothy 1. In that chapter, he introduced the problem Timothy was facing at Ephesus which was the deceptive doctrine of false …
1 Timothy 5 – Through Jesus’ sacrifice and forgiveness, we enter into a new relationship with God. As our father, He loves us unconditionally and leads us into truth and light. The point is, it is Jesus …
1 Timothy 4 – Expect turmoil. Expect opposition. Expect deception. These are the difficult expectations Paul lays out to Timothy and the church. His choice of language is certain. He doesn’t write that some might depart, but …