Isaiah 32 – The Spirit of God is what makes a difference in our lives. Through the tough times, the hardship, the questioning even, it is the…
disciples
116 posts
Isaiah 25 – Following a chapter on the destruction and judgment of God, we read a deeply personal appeal to His faithfulness. It almost…
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…
Judges 6 – The pattern continues. “Again Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord…” Once again they would need to hit rock bottom before they would cry…
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…
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 27 – In an interesting discourse, Jobmaintains his innocence while pleading with God. Throughout his responses back to these men and his thoughts made known, he has stated…
Job 19 – In ancient Israel, one who was called a redeemer was family member who bought and paid for a slaves freedom. As read in the book of…
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…
Job 4 – Its easy to weigh in on a matter from a distance. We look at the circumstances, the facts presented through word and observation and make decisions…
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 – “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 24 – It began as a random observation by the disciples which turned into quite a teaching of end times and Jesus’ return in all His…
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 19 – Let’s face it, childlike trust in God is hard. Many times circumstances bombard our thoughts to the point of giving up. Our bank account…
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 – 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 – 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 14 – Need is everywhere. We stand in the sea of human hurt, unbelievable pain others have. Their hardship slaps against us like waves of the…
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 11 – The prison walls felt like they were closing in on him. The cold dampness they held seemingly, somehow began to creep into his mind…
Matthew 10 – In the choosing of the disciples, it is obvious he didn’t decide who ‘qualified’ for the job based on pedigree or social standing. They…
Matthew 9 – Human need is all around us. The question is do we see it completely with the heart of compassion or with a heart of…
Matthew 8 – Life’s storms can take on different meanings and venues for each of us. They can come on unexpectedly, bring a devastation to our person…
Matthew 5 – The United States has the Declaration of Independence. The Communist regime operated under Karl Marx’s thoughts of the Communist Manifesto.
Matthew 4 – After Jesus’ 40 days in the desert with the temptations of Satan playing on every aspect of His calling and life; mocking who He…
Proverbs 27 – We need people in our lives who speak truth to us. We need others who are friends enough that they can talk freely about decisions we’ve…
Proverbs 15 – “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil…
Proverbs 10 – For the next 14 chapters of Proverbs we read short snappy statements with depth of wisdom written. These couplets are what we…
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 – 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 Samuel 5 – Dagon was the chief god of many in the ancient world of whom the Philistines worshiped. He was responsible for the rain and the harvest or so they believed…
Romans 13 – Nothing is worse than a short night’s sleep. It feels as though the moment your head hit the pillow, the alarm went off. Throughout…
Romans 11 – “It’s you, the outsiders that I’m concerned with now. Because my personal assignment is focused on the so-called outsiders…
Genesis 8 – The storms of life blow in sometimes most unexpectedly. Sometimes the storms come by our own doing. And there are other…
John 21 – Peter had denied his friend and Lord. He had acted in his flesh and in fear. He had disappointed Jesus. Yet, Jesus met Peter…
John 19 – “It is finished.” –John 19:30 It happened. The betrayal, the arrest, the denial, the disciples scattering like sheep had all taken place…
John 17 – There’s a beautiful prayer Jesus prayed that last night of His earthly life. It was a prayer for his disciples. He prayed over them…
John 15 – We can’t do it on our own. Oh, we’ve tried countless times. We attempt to make things work in our own strength. We go down…
John 13 – It was the last night of his life. As John opens up this chapter he states Jesus “showed the full extent of His love.” (John13:1) In…
John 11 – Jesus delayed. He knew of the situation with Lazarus and purposely waited to go help. The reactions were expected…
John 9 – He had never seen the sunrise, witnessed a smile; never in his life had he been able to see the flowers of which he smelled…
John 8 – They set a trap. The teachers and Pharisees thought they had Jesus cornered as they first baited the woman to commit…
John 7 – There is a thirst within every human. There’s a drive and longing that is there beyond what we ourselves are capable of finding…
John 6 – It’s way too easy to get focused on the tangible things before us rather than the spiritual that God is doing in the middle of it…
John 4 – The Gospel is for all people. No matter what their race, title, social position, identity, past sins may be – the redemptive work…
John 3 – I love, love, love this chapter. It is completely packed with unreal truths and conversations. We’re first introduced to Nicodemus…
John 2 – In ancient times, weddings were week-long events. Imagine. Now a day’s people put months and months into such planning…
Hebrews 8 – Jesus became the New Covenant between man and God. His sacrifice took away our sin. He is a better mediator between us than…
Malachi 1 – Malachi is the last of the prophets in the Old Testament. In fact, when his voice ceased, over 400 years passed before God spoke…
Zechariah 9 – We call it Palm Sunday. It’s the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to much celebration. Within this prophecy, we have…
Zephaniah 1 – The prophet Zephaniah was most unusual as he was from the lineage of royalty, specifically King Hezekiah. His name means…
2 Corinthians 9 – 2 people were dead. This husband and wife had sold a piece of property, laid the money at the apostle’s feet. The problem…
2 Corinthians 6 – King Hezekiah was one of the good rulers of Israel. Working in tandem with the prophet Isaiah he reformed the land and cleaned…
1 Corinthians 15 – Truly, Paul writes of some of the deepest foundations and hopes of Christ and belief. Jesus died for our sins, He rose again,…
1 Corinthians 5 – It is by far some of the toughest statements Paul makes to the church. He’s not only calling these out for allowing something…
1 Corinthians 2 – When we think of Paul consider the fact he was a brilliant scholar and teacher. He had been trained in the Scriptures, learned…
Psalm 129 – “Upon this rock I will be build my church and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” – Matthew 16:18 For Israel, they had been…
Psalm 116 – “Real trouble produces real prayer.” – Charles Spurgeon It’s a short and to the point prayer given. God who answers prayers will answer these current being…
Psalm 106 – “They exchanged their Glory…” Let’s talk a moment about the Glory of God. It is impossible to define. John Piper puts it this way: “The glory…
Psalm 98 – What would a new song to our eternal great God sound like? This question rambles in my thoughts as I consider my own prayers and what…
Psalm 96 – Let’s take a stroll down our past. Consider your journey and where you’ve come from. Think of your family and upbringing. Look toward those events in…
Psalm 92 – Faith knows no sunsets. Once a year Americans gather together for Thanksgiving. It is a time to give thanks for the many blessings God has given…
Psalm 88 – Darkness presses in. The pit of which we have fallen drives our sight above to see a flicker of light. So far away, we cannot even…
Psalm 69 – The favor of God is something we all should seek. One of the best definitions of this is a demonstrated delight. Simply consider what that means. …
Psalm 65 – The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has published an interesting fact of nature. The average hurricane will release the equivalent to 6 x 10 to…
Mark 16 – “The resurrection means that the cross was the payment, and the empty tomb is the receipt, the proof that though it may have looked like He…
Mark 14 – He had walked with Jesus for 3 years. He had witnessed countless miracles and seen what real love was firsthand. He had heard truth spoken…
Mark 13 – After the exile, the temple was rebuilt by Ezra and Zerubbabel. King Herod would expand it around 19 BC. It had been the center of Jewish…
Mark 12 – If Christ is rejected, so is hope. In ancient days it was common for a person to rent a plot of land. It was expected that…
Mark 11 – False advertising. At one point or another, we’ve all been ‘had’ by it. We’re promised something, looks like it will do exactly what we were…
Mark 10 – Jesus is concerned about our relationships. As we are tied to relationships in this life, Jesus wants our relationships to reflect Him…
Mark 9 – It was a moment of complete transparency and revelation. Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the mountain where right before their…
Mark 8 – We’ve all experienced it. We get behind someone who is driving 20 mph on a 35 mph road. Aggravated, it can be the birth of road…
Mark 6 – Has Jesus become too familiar to us? Familiar: one who is seen or well known from close association. We all have people in our lives we…
Mark 5 – A Roman legion consisted of up to 6000 men. The man brought fear to the town. More than likely they avoided the tomb area for more…
Mark 4 – The purpose was to cause people to think. Jesus often set the table by telling a parable which would intrigue deeper thought. It was an invite…
Mark 3 – As the quote goes, “Politics makes strange bedfellows.” But this is not only the case in such an arena. The meaning goes toward unlikely companions who…
Numbers 19 – On the last night of His life, Jesus went around to His disciples and washed their feet. It was an outrageous moment of their Master taking…
Luke 24 – “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen” – Luke 24:5-6 “But we were hoping that…
Luke 22 – The Passover was a commemoration of Israel’s escape from Egypt after being held in bondage for 400 years. Through specific instructions, the Jewish people were told…
Luke 21 – It began with an observation of the rich putting their money into the treasury in comparison to a poor widow putting only 2 copper coins in…
Luke 19 – Turncoat – “The phrase comes from the ancient practice of wearing a badge or pin on one’s coat signifying the party or leader you supported. By…
Luke 18 – Jesus teaches on prayer, humility and the true following of Him through discipleship. Opening up his thoughts through a parable He reveals how we should always…
Luke 17 – Directly on the heels of Jesus speaking of the rich man in hell and the poor beggar in heaven chapter 17 continues his conversation to the…
Luke 12 – If you stepped back and assessed your prayers, what do you find you pray about the most? Where is the focus of your prayers at these…
Luke 11 – The man was desperate. An unexpected friend had stopped on his journey for a place to sleep. In ancient times hospitality was a given. Being after…
Luke 9 – It’s called the comfort zone. We all have one and if we’re honest live within its confines as much as possible. It’s the place where we…
Luke 8 – The ministry of Jesus continues to grow and expand. It’s noteworthy that as he went from one town and village to another the 12 were right…
Luke 7 – How many tears do you have to shed to wash someone’s feet? Luke 7 records several stories of Jesus from a remarkable Roman Centurion demonstrating faith…
Luke 5 – Here begins a turning point in Luke as we read of his many miracles, the calling of who would be his disciples and his ministry to…
Ezekiel 6 – “I will stretch out my hand upon them… Then they will know that I am the Lord.” This is that moment. A moment almost like a…