church

276 posts

1 Chronicles 9

1 Chronicles 9

1 Chronicles 9 – Let’s say you have an important meeting. It’s one you’ve anticipated with another about a project or even a heartfelt conversation. You’ve set…

1 Chronicles 6

1 Chronicles 6

1 Chronicles 6 – The list reads of heavy hitters in the work of God. The tribe of Levi was initially set a part to serve God…

Isaiah 62

Isaiah 62

Isaiah 62 – “Holy people. Redeemed. Sought out. Not forsaken. A relational God uses relational language for His…

Isaiah 61

Isaiah 61

Isaiah 61 – It is such an interesting chapter. In Luke 4, Jesus reads the first two verses of Isaiah 61 in the synagogue…

Isaiah 52

Isaiah 52

Isaiah 52 – Awake from your slumber and believe!  Awake from the sleepiness that has taken over your ways and thoughts and live in victory. Within this profound and…

Isaiah 47

Isaiah 47

Isaiah 47 – We have heard and have spoken even that God is the God of the past, the present and the future.  It’s a tremendous statement that can…

Isaiah 34

Isaiah 34

Isaiah 34 – The stage is set. The return of Jesus has been spoken of by Himself, the prophets of Old that there would be great hardship and absolutely…

Isaiah 33

Isaiah 33

Isaiah 33 – The sting of betrayal burns deep.  We’ve all experienced this on some level.  Betrayal shatters trust.  It brings extreme caution…

Isaiah 20

Isaiah 20

Isaiah 20 – Many years ago while in Cyprus a friend of mine told a story how God asked him to do something which seemed illogical. He was back…

Isaiah 3

Isaiah 3

Isaiah 3 – On many fronts, Isaiah 3 is a parade of sin.  The people proud of their choices and personal behavior, they were no longer ashamed but put…

Colossians 4

Colossians 4

Colossians 4 – “Devote yourselves in prayer, being watchful and thankful.” “Epaphras… he is always wrestling in prayer for you…” Prayer is an essential aspect of our spiritual life….

Colossians 3

Colossians 3

Colossians 3 – We are walking miracles. God has taken the dead and raised them to life. Through Jesus Christ, the grave clothes that wrapped us so tightly are…

Colossians 2

Colossians 2

Colossians 2 – Paul is struggling. His struggle not personal but for the people of Colossae as well as those in Laodicea. His concern goes far deeper than just…

Colossians 1

Colossians 1

Colossians 1 – There is reason to believe Paul never visited the church in Colossi. It was a church more than likely founded by his friend Epaphras and other…

Philippians 4

Philippians 4

Philippians 4 – He sits in a cell. His freedom is gone and his future uncertain. His dreams possibly smashed as he considers what he could be doing at…

Philippians 3

Philippians 3

Philippians 3 – I had a friend who used to say, “If you’re green, you’ll grow. If you’re ripe, you’ll rot.” I am sometimes baffled by a lack of…

Philippians 1

Philippians 1

Philippians 1 – It’s known as Paul’s letter of joy. It speaks personally to the people but also of his own circumstances. Circumstances he has not…

Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5 – There is a subtle downward slope that can happen to any Believer who is not standing firm and working on their relationship with Jesus daily. It…

Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4 – There is a deep calling on each of our lives. We who are representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ have a mission. This mission does not…

Ephesians 3

Ephesians 3

Ephesians 3 – What do you long for? What are the prayers ever on your mind and whispered from your lips? Where do the burdens of your heart take…

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2 – Identity. The dictionary defines identity as the sameness of essential or generic character in different instances; a distinguishing character or personality…

Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1 – Paul wrote a letter. It was not to confront the church on issues, but to encourage. The church was born the day of Pentecost when the…

Galatians 6

Galatians 6

Galatians 6 – As Paul winds down his letter he makes tremendous statements that could be dissected and applied very easily.  He is incredibly practical and encouraging while writes…

Galatians 5

Galatians 5

Galatians 5 – Sometimes inventories are good.  This is particularly true in those quiet moments when we take the time to think about our spiritual life.  These can be…

Galatians 4

Galatians 4

Galatians 4 – I admit that sometimes I get so caught up in my own wants and needs that I miss the bigger picture. We all tend to gravitate…

Galatians 2

Galatians 2

Galatians 2 – The tension was high.  I was a missionary attending an English speaking congregation and was actively involved in some ministries.  An all church meeting was called…

Galatians 1

Galatians 1

Galatians 1 – Freedom.  Across this globe, there is a longing for freedom from tyranny.  There is a desire to be free from the underbelly of sex trafficking.  There…

Exodus 38

Exodus 38

Exodus 38 – We are people who try to do it alone.  Delegation over some tasks for some is difficult. This is an area God has been working…

Exodus 35

Exodus 35

Exodus 35 – There are specifics I pray daily.  Right before I close out my time with God, I pray directly for myself and go through the…

Exodus 29

Exodus 29

Exodus 29 – From the beginning we get a glimpse of God’s design for sacrifice. Consecration. This word was translated ‘hallow’ and meant distinct, holy, and set…

Exodus 27

Exodus 27

Exodus 27 – Most fascinating.  The Hebrew word for altar is killing place. Just this fact alone struck me.  Most churches have some form of an altar….

Exodus 17

Exodus 17

Exodus 17 – It is possible to be in the will of God and yet be riddled with problems. Israel was on track exactly where they needed…

Exodus 4

Exodus 4

Exodus 4 – Sometimes God calls us back to the very places we have fled or even were delivered from.  Now, hear me out on this.  We…

Judges 18

Judges 18

Judges 18 – During the taking of the land under Joshua, the Danites were given land to meet their needs.  However, this tribe failed to follow God’s direction and…

Judges 7

Judges 7

Judges 7 – “‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” – Zechariah 4:6 Size matters.  We tend to look at numbers…

Judges 5

Judges 5

Judges 5 – Leadership is a gift.  Wise leadership can be rare.  The role of leadership within any sphere of life is important.  When leadership is undertaking the work…

2 Thessalonians 3

2 Thessalonians 3

2 Thessalonians 3 – There is a battle raging against each of us that is unseen. Beneath our daily life a spiritual attack goes on. The spiritual…

2 Thessalonians 2

2 Thessalonians 2

2 Thessalonians 2 – Lawlessness – contrary or without regard for the law; unruly, unrestrained. The word is found in both the Old and New Testament but…

1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thessalonians 4 – The alarm went off earlier than usual. It was a new day even though pitch black out. I was meeting a friend to…

2 Thessalonians 1

2 Thessalonians 1

2 Thessalonians 1 – Tone and text are sometimes hard to differentiate. We receive a text or email that comes across saying one thing and we read…

1 Thessalonians 3

1 Thessalonians 3

1 Thessalonians 3 – When Paul left Thessalonica there was a mid stop in Berea until trouble broke out. He ended up going to Athens leaving Silas…

Thessalonians 1

1 Thessalonians 1

1 Thessalonians 1 – It was the capital city of Macedonia. Thessalonica was one of the largest and most important thoroughfares on the Roman highway. From Rome…

Jude 1

Jude 1

Jude 1 – He grew up in the household of Jesus. He knew him through and through. His brother James would eventually become the leader of the early church….

3 John 1

3 John 1

3 John 1 – Paul calls it a gift. Hospitality is right up there as one of the giftsthe Spirit gives out to Believer’s. EveryFollower has at…

1 John 5

1 John 5

1 John 5 – “You guys teach too much on obedience.” The words hung in the air. “It’s all I hear week after week, ‘We must be obedient…

1 John 2

1 John 2

1 John 2 – Sin is inevitable. It afflicts us over and over again. Yet this is not a license to simply let it have its way. We…

1 John 1

1 John 1

1 John 1 – He had walked with Him. He was known as the ‘one Jesus loved’. A part of the inner circle of 3, John was…

Job 11

Job 11

Job 11 – The third friend of Job finally responds and boy – its a doozy. Although Zophar only has a few places hes found talking to Job, he…

Ezra 8

Ezra 8

Ezra 8 – Ezra and the people traveled over 900 miles on foot.  Seriously, just consider that statement alone!  This journey took them through many types of climate and…

Ezra 7

Ezra 7

Ezra 7 – There is a gap of 60 some years between chapter 6 and 7.  It was during these 60 that the wonderful story of Esther took place…

Ezra 2

Ezra 2

Ezra 2 – Genealogies were very important to the Jewish people.  For them, if they could prove they had descended from Abraham, they were considered true Jews and could…

Joshua 19

Joshua 19

Joshua 19 – The final division of the land is done. All tribes have been given land to make their home. On some levels, the reading of the division…

Matthew 28

Matthew 28

Matthew 28 – “He is risen!”  These are 3 words that have changed the very outlook and trajectory of all humankind. These 3 words are the key…

Matthew 26

Matthew 26

Matthew 26 – “Why the waste?”  We use such a question when we consider something that was of value is recklessly used up.  Obviously this concerns physical…

Matthew 25

Matthew 25

Matthew 25 – David Wilkerson was the founding pastor of Times Square Church in New York. His humble beginnings were in Indiana where in time he would…

Matthew 22

Matthew 22

Matthew 22 – I remember after The Warehouse had been established for about 3 years I was struggling with a few things concerning the church. Although not…

Matthew 20

Matthew 20

Matthew 20 – We often live in the mindset – people get what they deserve.  We think about this when it comes to the laws of the…

Matthew 18

Matthew 18

Matthew 18 – It is almost ironic that Jesus looks to little children in making a point to his own men about greatness.  It’s hard not to…

Matthew 17

Matthew 17

Matthew 17 – It’s known as the Transfiguration.  Jesus took his closest friends with Him to the mountain and what took place was more than astounding.  The…

Matthew 16

Matthew 16

Matthew 16 – One of the deadliest enemies of the church is cheap grace. We cheapen the grace of Jesus that has been given so freely to…

Matthew 15

Matthew 15

Matthew 15 – We spend a lot of time and money investing in making ourselves look good, feel better about ourselves.  From the makeup industry to fashion lines…

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

Matthew 13 – Jesus taught in parables and this chapter is chock of several tremendous truths.  Truths that to the hearers either they ‘got’ or they didn’t. …

Matthew 12

Matthew 12

Matthew 12 – There is no neutral ground with Jesus. We either believe who He is and act accordingly or we don’t. We either live in that…

Matthew 1

Matthew 1

Matthew 1 – There is reason Matthew is placed as the first of the 4 Gospels. First, among the early church, it was known as the most…

Proverbs 31

Proverbs 31

Proverbs 31 – The readings of Proverbs come to a close. These have spoken of most practical and inspirational advice to walk uprightly before God. They have shown the…

Proverbs 17

Proverbs 17

Proverbs 17 – “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts.”– Proverbs 17:3 To purify gold and silver it takes an…

Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13 – Relationships have profound effects on who we are and what we become. Those who we bring into our inner circle of friendships often are like minded…

Proverbs 6

Proverbs 6

Proverbs 6 – In chapter 6 Solomon pens 4 verses stating there are 6 things God hates, and 7 that are detestable to Him. Although they aren’t the only…

2 Peter 3

2 Peter 3

2 Peter 3 – “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18 Peter ends his letter the same way he opened…

2 Peter 2

2 Peter 2

2 Peter 2 – Jesus had warned they would come. He said they would rise up among them. Hearing these thoughts, Peter now was living it. False…

2 Peter 1

2 Peter 1

2 Peter 1 – A few times a month (maybe it’s more) at noon the air is pierced with sirens. They reverberate throughout the town almost sinking…

1 Peter 5

1 Peter 5

1 Peter 5 – Leadership. It’s always been interesting to me how there are some who long for leadership within the church but are not willing to…

1 Peter 4

1 Peter 4

1 Peter 4 – Suffering is never easy. We avoid it at all costs. Pain is something we would rather scoot around than have to wrestle with. Peter…

1 Peter 3

1 Peter 3

1 Peter 3 – We hate the word – submission. It really goes against everything within our human nature as we want to be independent, don’t want…

1 Peter 2

1 Peter 2

1 Peter 2 – I remember a specific conversation with some college friends after we had graduated. I was still student teaching at the time but looking…

1 Peter 1

1 Peter 1

1 Peter 1 – Peter knew suffering firsthand. He’d been beaten, jailed and threats were upon him continually. He had watched his friends and other disciples be…

Philemon 1

Philemon 1

Philemon 1 – Paul uses diplomacy to advise on managing Onesimus, a runaway slave, promoting Christ-like forgiveness and redefining identity beyond secular roles…

Titus 3

Titus 3

Titus 3 – Now isn’t this an interesting way to end a letter? Reading and rereading this final chapter of Paul’s letter to Titus it seems to be fitting though.

Titus 1

Titus 1

Titus 1 – Titus was a Greek Believer. Originally a listener to Paul’s message, he embraced it and was taken under Paul’s wing. In time he stood before the…

2 Samuel 22

2 Samuel 22

2 Samuel 22 – It’s good and right to look back at God’s faithfulness. We forget that too often. It seems that for many of us, when…

2 Samuel 9

2 Samuel 9

2 Samuel 9 – He lived in fear. Hidden from the public, he attempted to be a forgotten prince. A remaining son of Jonathan, his life would…

2 Samuel 7

2 Samuel 7

2 Samuel 7 – It was a moment of reprieve. The enemies of Israel had gone silent, for now. Rest was given, for now. And in these…

2 Samuel 6

2 Samuel 6

2 Samuel 6 – Sometimes we become too familiar with God or Jesus. Meaning sometimes we forget how He is the Creator of the World. He is…

1 Samuel 29

1 Samuel 29

1 Samuel 29 – In a most fascinating history according to Wikipedia, the gesture of crossing your fingers traces all the way back to the early church….

1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 23 – Drunk on the fresh blood of priests murder, Saul is out to destroy David. Ruthless in his attempts he leads his army in…

1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel 16 – Sometimes the moving on from a saddened heavy burden is one of the toughest things to get beyond. The opening sentence states how…

2 Timothy 2

2 Timothy 2

2 Timothy 2 – Paul sat in chains writing to Timothy whom he loved deeply as a son. From behind bars, he continued to encourage and call…

2 Timothy 1

2 Timothy 1

2 Timothy 1 – This second letter to Timothy was written 2 years after the first about 66 or 67 AD. Paul had been released from prison…

1 Timothy 6

1 Timothy 6

1 Timothy 6 – Sometimes we get it backward. We forget that everything we accumulate, everything we strive to have, we can’t take with us in the…

1 Timothy 5

1 Timothy 5

1 Timothy 5 – The domino effect is something we all have experienced from time to time. This is when a chain reaction is produced by one…

1 Timothy 4

1 Timothy 4

1 Timothy 4 – Since Eden Satan has been speaking his doctrines of lies. His creed consists of the idea we all can be gods and operate…

1 Timothy 3

1 Timothy 3

1 Timothy 3 – Paul becomes very specific for those who would be in leadership within the church. Leadership is a heavy responsibility because the church itself…

1 Timothy 2

1 Timothy 2

1 Timothy 2 – When we think of prayer – often it revolves around the things that affect us directly. I mean, this is how it often…

1 Timothy 1

1 Timothy 1

1 Timothy 1 – Timothy became as a son to Paul.  His mother and grandmother were Jewish believers who shaped his life as a young man…

Romans 16

Romans 16

Romans 16 – As the letter of Romans closes, Paul turns personal. From the beginning of this remarkable and outstanding work inspired by the Holy Spirit concerning solid truth,…

Romans 15

Romans 15

Romans 15 – Gosh, selfishness drives us. Choices we make are usually based on our wants. Decisions to follow through usually come with the question of ‘What will it…

Romans 14

Romans 14

Romans 14 – “Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say…

Romans 11

Romans 11

Romans 11 – “It’s you, the outsiders that I’m concerned with now. Because my personal assignment is focused on the so-called outsiders…

Romans 9

Romans 9

Romans 9 – They missed the boat. The Israelites, those who knew the Scripture, awaited the promise of the coming Messiah had waited for generations…