In 1 Samuel 5, the Philistines took the ark of the covenant from Ebenezer to Ashdod and placed it in…
In Judges 17, Micah, a man from the hill country of Ephraim, returns 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother…
In Judges 15, Samson visited his wife (from Judges 14) but found that her father had given her to another…
In Judges 13, the Israelites did evil in God's sight yet again. God allowed the Philistines to oppress them for…
In Judges 6, the Israelites once again sinned against the Lord and were oppressed by the Midianites for seven years.…
Deuteronomy 33 - Moses gives his final blessings to the tribes of Israel. I was drawn to the guidance given…
Deuteronomy 26 - Once again we enter into an Old Testament story which has significant implications for how we understand…
Ezekiel 6 - "However, I will leave a remnant, for you will have those who escaped the sword among the…
Acts 24 - Paul now finds himself in limbo and at the mercy of the political system. He continues to…
Acts 21 - This was a tough chapter for me. We read that the voice of the Holy Spirit is…
Acts 19 - Paul in Ephesus is a great reminder for our churches today. From his investment, we know that…
Acts 14 - When Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra speaking to the people, they saw a lame man who…
Acts 11 - Unfortunately, the attitude that Peter experiences here in Acts 11 is all too common in our church…
Acts 4 - As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and…
Acts 2 - At the end of Acts 2, we read the three essentials that contributed to a fruitful body.…
Lamentations 3 - The first 20 verses of Lamentations 3 recall the conditions that God has allowed to take place…
Leviticus 22 - As do many of the chapters in Leviticus, there is a background painted in order to better…
Revelation 20 - If someone comes up and asks you, "How do you interpret Revelation?" most likely, they are referring…
Revelation 15 - The divine judgment which was revealed by the seals and proclaimed by the trumpets will now be…
Revelation 6 - I grew up in Berne, Indiana which sits directly on top of the continental divide. If you…
Revelation 3 - Lukewarm I remember several years ago going to a music festival in Kentucky called Ichthus. It was…
Revelation 2 - Although these letters are addressed to specific congregations in the first century, I believe they are representative…
Jeremiah 35 - What excuses are we giving for our lack of faithfulness to Jesus? Where are we settling for…
Jeremiah 23 - In this chapter, we see God really target the people in positions of leadership among the Jews.…
Isaiah 32 - Isaiah's description of a true king is exactly what we all desire. He is righteous, just, and…
Isaiah 25 - Following a chapter on the destruction and judgment of God, we read a deeply personal appeal to…
Galatians 1 - Just like we see today in the political sphere, Paul was battling against two extreme views within…
1 Thessalonians 3 - Dear Thessalonica, I'm burdened for you. Love, Paul In this chapter, we get a glimpse into…
Jude 1 - Jude was one of four half-brothers of Jesus. In the Greek, the name Jude was synonymous with…
1 John 1 - In this first chapter, John does not identify himself as the author, nor does the writing…
Job 27 - Have you ever just unloaded your heart out of both sides of your mouth? On one hand,…
Job 19 - The most magnificent phrase in this chapter shines in verses 25-26. It is so surprising and unexpected.…
Job 11 - I think Zophar is right on one thing; he understands the wisdom of God. It actually feels…
Job 4 - There is a difference between theology and common sense. I know that the word 'theology' sounds like…
Job 1 - The entire book of Job explores tough themes and deep theological questions. Namely, it seeks to answer…
Matthew 28 - The appearances of the resurrected Christ are astonishing! Many people will concede that Jesus was a real…
Matthew 26 - Judas Iscariot is an interesting person to study. There are so many questions that center around his…
Matthew 24 - There is a break between verses 2 and 3 that separate the thoughts of Jesus. He starts…
Matthew 20 - Our plans and God's plans never really pan out the same. He gives us the main idea,…
Matthew 19 - The topic of divorce was a hot-button issue back in Jesus' time, and it remains the same…
Matthew 17 - The half-shekel tax was equivalent to about 2 days of wages. It was collected annually from every…
Matthew 16 - The Pharisees and Sadducees (who demanded signs in this chapter) were two of the five major political…
Matthew 15 - It's the worst feeling that any human can experience in this life. It's the realization that I…
Matthew 14 - The miraculous feeding of the 5000 is recorded in all 4 Gospels. Matthew 14:21 specifies 5,000 males,…
Matthew 13 - Here in Matthew 13, there are so many great parables it is hard to just reflect on…
Matthew 11 - Yet another piece of evidence that confirms Jesus was indeed the Messiah is the presence of John…
Matthew 10 - Jesus' selections were complete. Among his disciples were some strange picks by human standards. Among those chosen…
Matthew 9 - Interestingly, as Matthew writes his account of his own selection as a disciple, he chooses to use…
Matthew 8 - Jesus marveled. It's a strong phrase. What was it like for Jesus to marvel? What did it…
Matthew 5 - I love the depth and practicality of Jesus' message here. Many of his critics thought he was…
Matthew 4 - "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."…
Proverbs 27 - "As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person. 20 Sheol and Abaddon are never…
Proverbs 15 - "The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good." Proverbs 15:3 HCSB This…
Proverbs 10 - Up until this point in Proverbs, we have studied the difference between the foolishness of men and…
2 Peter 1 - Peter was a bond-servant and apostle. This is a unique combination, being subject to all others…
1 Peter 5 - Peter is following up on his previous chapter on suffering. It's no surprise that in order…
1 Peter 1 - It is beneficial to explore the interesting background on the book of Peter. First, many scholars…
Romans 13 - In Chapter 13, Paul's focus is the authority of the government, and how the Christian should respond…
Romans 11 - To me, the most interesting part of Romans 11 starts in verse 25. After outlining the difference…
Genesis 8 - Mount Ararat and the Araratian plain, seen early morning from near the city of Artashat in Armenia.…
John 21 - Even after His resurrection, Jesus was still teaching His disciples. Jesus said to them, "Children, do you…
John 19 - One of the unique aspects of John's Gospel is the theme of Jesus as the Lamb of…
John 17 - I cannot think of a more powerful prayer in all of Scripture. Through Jesus' words, much is…
John 15 - "It makes no sense to me!" the woman proclaimed. "I can't comprehend the concept of one way…
John 13 - John would have known the story well. He (the disciple whom Jesus loved) was reclining against Jesus…
John 11 - So much irony! The reasoning of the religious leaders is astounding. "Let's kill the man who is…
John 9 - Jesus and the disciples are out for a stroll when suddenly they encounter a blind man. In…
John 8 - It would not be a stretch to call this the "chapter of traps." After trying to get…
John 7 - Have you experienced frustration or grief because a close friend or family member has rejected the Gospel?…
John 6 - Jesus was not going to be defined by the people’s interpretation of who He should be. He…
John 4 - Jesus told him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe." John 4:48 HCSB…
John 3 - If we take a bird's eye view of chapter 3, we find that John is intentional about…
John 2 - Jesus cleansed the temple twice. The first, recorded here in John 2, was early in His ministry.…
Hebrews 8 - Hebrews 8 is an important chapter because it proves Jesus was the Messiah and His covenant was…
Malachi 1 - Malachi's ministry would have overlapped with Nehemiah. The temple had been rebuilt (v. 13), and there was…
Zechariah 9 - Before Jesus was Savior, He was King. But He was not a king as you or I…
Zephaniah 1 - The twelve minor prophets are divided into two categories based on the time period of their ministry.…
Daniel 10 - Today, prayer is endorsed as a personal remedy. Although this is true to an extent, it doesn't…
Daniel 9 - All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for…
Daniel 8 - This chapter is one of the most controversial and heavily debated chapters in all the Bible. However,…
2 Corinthians 9 - Paul sarcastically (playfully) urges the Corinthians toward giving in verses 1-5. He mentions that they will…
2 Corinthians 6 - "Such persons cannot say this petition of the Lord’s prayer, 'Lead us not into temptation.' They…
1 Corinthians 15 - 1 Corinthians 15 is a critical chapter that supports the evidence of Jesus Christ as well…
1 Corinthians 5 - Paul once again comes out swinging against the Corinthians for their immorality and tolerance. Interestingly, his…
1 Corinthians 2 - Imagine what it would have been like to be Paul. After conversion, he compared his Gospel…
Psalm 129 - The enemies of God will not prevail. Even though it seems like they are winning, God promises…
Psalm 116 - "How can I repay the LORD for all the good He has done for me? 13 I…
Psalm 106 - What is risk? It is a decision to act in a way that opens us to danger,…
Psalm 98 - Do we actually praise and worship God for His judgment? Let the sea and all that fills…
Psalm 96 - "Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing to…
Psalm 92 - The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.…
Psalm 88 - Psalm 88 will most likely not be made into a children's song one day. It's too raw.…
Psalm 69 - Unto You be all the glory, Lord. Have we ever stopped to consider what this really means?…
Psalm 65 - "How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You To dwell in Your…
Psalm 29 - In Canaanite poetry, it was believed that Baal was the god of the storm who controlled the…
Mark 16 - The Great Commission is important. So important, in fact, that we find it 5 times in the…
Mark 14 - In Mark 14, Jesus sat down with his disciples during the Last Supper and broke the bread…
Mark 13 - No one knows the day or hour. This is a familiar passage, yet, there is one question…
Mark 12 - Total sacrifice. Do we understand it? Do we live it? Jesus pulls his disciples aside to highlight…
Mark 11 - The Pharisees were reeling. Jesus had just cleansed the Temple and done it with supreme authority. Aside…