Ezra 10
Ezra 10 - A powerful victory is found here in Chapter 10 with humility and repentance. In fact, the whole event takes place after Ezra's intense act of grief. Notice that what spoke to the people in ...
Ezra 8
Ezra 8 - This trek consisted of over 900 miles on foot. But also consider that there would have been 1754 men that Ezra had to lead, and with women and ...
Ezra 6
Ezra 6 - The people trusted God they were delivered from the threat to their temple. God knew exactly where the scroll was, and He allowed Darius to endorse it. But that's not all. God went above ...
Ezra 4
Ezra 4 - "It is what it is." We hear this phrase spoken all the time. In some cases, it's definitely true. In others, however, it almost seems like a rationalization. We all do it. Most times ...
Ezra 3
Ezra 3 - Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid ...
Ezra 2
Ezra 2 - Why was genealogy so important to the Jews? We see this many times in Scripture and often it's hard to make it through the list because we don't know or understand the history. To ...
Ezra 1
Ezra 1 - It is fascinating to consider the faith of Cyrus, King of Persia. Was he a believer in the one true God? The passage here mentions that "the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus ...
Matthew 28
Matthew 28 - The appearances of the resurrected Christ are astonishing! Many people will concede that Jesus was a real man who died, but few will place their faith in His divinity. Naturally, more people take issue ...
Matthew 27
Matthew 27 - Although we are typically hard on the Pharisees in Scripture, there were a few who sincerely had a heart change through Jesus' ministry. Joseph of Arimathea was one of these men. Mark and Luke ...
Matthew 26
Matthew 26 - Judas Iscariot is an interesting person to study. There are so many questions that center around his existence and ministry alongside Jesus. First, we must realize that even before Satan entered him, Judas had ...
Matthew 25
Matthew 25 - Leonard Kevin Bias was born on November 17, 1963, in Landover, Maryland. He was a tall, quiet young boy who was nicknamed “Frosty” by his pastor at church because of his cold, relaxed attitude. ...
Matthew 23
Matthew 23 - Jesus uses a lot of phrases of that time period to describe what the Pharisees were like. In this scathing rebuke, it's important to understand what He was talking about so we can relate ...
Matthew 22
Matthew 22 - The Sadducees and Pharisees were always playing games with Jesus. They, like some today, thought they could outsmart God. Here in Matthew 22, we find some intense back-and-forth debating from the teachers of the ...
Matthew 20
Matthew 20 - Our plans and God's plans never really pan out the same. He gives us the main idea, but the details are usually mysterious and unexpected. God is not predictable. You can't put Him in ...
Matthew 18
Matthew 18 - How do you approach confrontation and accountability in the church? The worldview of Jesus was not simply focused on "winning your brother" for the sake of a good deed, but because each person has ...
Matthew 17
Matthew 17 - The half-shekel tax was equivalent to about 2 days of wages. It was collected annually from every male Jew above the age of 20. This was required for the upkeep of the temple. It ...
Matthew 16
Matthew 16 - The Pharisees and Sadducees (who demanded signs in this chapter) were two of the five major political parties during the time of Jesus. There were also the Herodians, the Zealots, and the Essenes. The ...
Matthew 15
Matthew 15 - It's the worst feeling that any human can experience in this life. It's the realization that I wasted my life. I can't imagine a more horrifying reaction than those who thought they were living ...
Matthew 11
Matthew 11 - Yet another piece of evidence that confirms Jesus was indeed the Messiah is the presence of John the Baptist. As prophecy foretold, in Malachi, there would be a forerunner. "Behold, I am going to ...
Matthew 8
Matthew 8 - Jesus marveled. It's a strong phrase. What was it like for Jesus to marvel? What did it take? It was definitely a rare event. The only other time we read that Jesus marveled is ...
Matthew 5
Matthew 5 - I love the depth and practicality of Jesus' message here. Many of his critics thought he was abolishing the law. In his teaching, Jesus was verifying that the law is both temporary and eternal. ...
Matthew 4
Matthew 4 - "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." Matthew 4:1 NASB Wow! What a chapter! Let's read and re-read this opening verse. Satan didn't just ...
Proverbs 31
Proverbs 31 - Proverbs 31 is a famous chapter describing a virtuous woman of God. Many of us have heard the phrase "Proverbs 31 woman." As this chapter has become more popular within Christian circles, I have ...
Proverbs 24
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
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 21
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 18
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
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 14
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 11
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
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 - 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 7
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 ...
2 Peter 3
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 1
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 2
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, ...
1 Peter 1
1 Peter 1 - It is beneficial to explore the interesting background on the book of Peter. First, many scholars have debated if this was actually was written by Peter. The main criticism is that a fisherman ...
Titus 1
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
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 22
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
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 13
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 5
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 3
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 ...
1 Samuel 24
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 21
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 18
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
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 13
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 11
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 3
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 ...
2 Timothy 4
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 ...
1 Timothy 2
1 Timothy 2 - As a child, I would sometimes hear my parents say, "As long as you are under this roof, you will live by our guidelines." Every parent must choose how they will govern their ...
1 Timothy 1
1 Timothy 1 - The Same Old False Doctrine Paul comes out swinging against false teachers. We find out in 2 Timothy that they were teaching a Gospel contrary to the early apostles. Specifically, they were teaching ...
Romans 15
Romans 15 - This week, I learned a very relevant historical fact that alters the way I read and understand the book of Romans. The very first house churches in Rome would have been comprised of mostly ...
Romans 14
Romans 14 - Years ago, I hosted a Bible study with some college guys who were looking to grow in their faith. One particular afternoon, we were studying the New Testament when the discussion turned to some ...
Romans 13
Romans 13 - In Chapter 13, Paul's focus is the authority of the government, and how the Christian should respond to such authority. In Paul's time, there were overzealous Jews who claimed that they would honor no ...
Romans 12
Romans 12 - Starting in verse 9 of Romans 12, Paul rattles off a disjointed list of Christian principles. On the surface, it may seem haphazard. In reality, Paul is most likely using a style known as ...
Romans 11
Romans 11 - To me, the most interesting part of Romans 11 starts in verse 25. After outlining the difference again between works and grace, and the stumbling that Israel has had over the years, Paul writes ...
Romans 10
Romans 10 - A lot of times we talk about people having knowledge about God, but no zeal for him. Here, Paul is attacking just the opposite. He is accusing the Jews of having much zeal for ...
Romans 9
Romans 9 - Paul now shifts his focus to the Israelites specifically. His heart is so heavy for his brothers and sisters. Although they had knowledge of God, they had not truly humbled themselves to him. He ...
Romans 5
Romans 5 - Romans 5 marks a transition. Paul has been formulating his theological argument around sin and justification which continues throughout the first half of this chapter. He then moves into a new theme that centers ...
Romans 4
Romans 4 - In Romans 4, Paul contrasts the ideas of "works = righteousness" with "faith = righteousness." Abraham was counted as righteous in the sight of God because of his faith, not because of his works. ...
Romans 3
Romans 3 - When we study Scripture, it is important we don't sweep through it with a predetermined mindset. There are always deeper truths to be found but sometimes we can miss it. This is especially true ...
Romans 1
Romans 1 - John Calvin said of Romans, "When anyone understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scripture." Martin Luther praised the Book of Romans: "It is the ...
2 Kings 24
2 Kings 24 - This is such a tough time for Judah. Jeremiah had been prophesying about Babylonian captivity for quite some time. This was the voice of God. Josiah, in the previous chapter, had found God's ...
2 Kings 18
2 Kings 18 - A major theme the past several chapters has begged the question - who will step up and wholeheartedly trust the Lord to defend them? We've seen some kings who have trusted for a ...
2 Kings 19
2 Kings 19 - For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 1 ...
2 Kings 13
2 Kings 13 - What’s the context here? Well, as we have read, 2 Kings is a terrible time for Israel. The nation is continually at war because God is using their enemies as a means of ...
2 Kings 12
2 Kings 12 - He is another leader in Scripture who started off so well but failed to finish. Joash had simply stopped trusting God. He did well when he was being mentored, but he never came ...
2 Kings 7
2 Kings 7 - What I love most about this story is the creativity of God's faithfulness. Of course, we know that God is a God of miracles. Rarely those miracles take place exactly the way we ...
2 Kings 6
2 Kings 6 - When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, "Oh, my master, what ...
2 Kings 5
2 Kings 5 - Remember when King Ahab was shot by a "random arrow" in 1 Kings 22? Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of ...
2 Kings 4
2 Kings 4 - Open containers. What a metaphor. A widow comes to Elisha in a panic. Her husband has died and her creditor is breathing down her neck. In ancient times, this was a greater predicament ...
2 Kings 3
2 Kings 3 - The verses here in 2 Kings 3 really put into perspective just how evil Ahab and Jezebel really were. Their son, Jehoram (aka Joram), is now king over Israel. We read that he ...
2 Kings 1
2 Kings 1 - Same story, different chapter. After reading about all of Ahab's disastrous choices, we now move into the reign of Ahaziah. The gist of the story is that Ahaziah has experienced a severe fall ...
1 Kings 19
1 Kings 19 - The events in 1 Kings 19 could be known as "The Pastor's Chapter." After the triumphant, cataclysmic fire-from-the-sky victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah found himself defeated. The smoldering flames of God ...
1 Kings 15
1 Kings 15 - If you are like me, you've read the last few chapters and been a little confused by all the names. We have two different Abijah's and also the prophet Ahijah in chapter 14. ...
1 Kings 11
1 Kings 11 - When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. He was not completely devoted to Yahweh his God, as his father David had been. 1 Kings 11:4 HCSB How many ...
1 Kings 10
1 Kings 10 - What was the point of the Queen of Sheba coming to visit Solomon? Jesus actually makes a reference to her in the New Testament. The queen of the south will rise up at ...
Genesis 49
Genesis 49 - What did Jacob's prophecies mean long-term for these sons of Israel? Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength and the firstfruits of my virility, excelling in prominence, excelling in power. 4 Turbulent as water, ...
Genesis 47
Genesis 47 - The famine was severe. There was no food. Our lives feel like this sometimes don't they? All of us have some kind of built-in measurement for how much stress and suffering we can experience. ...
Genesis 45
Genesis 45 - Finally! After several chapters of agony, Joseph is finally reunited with his brothers. There is much we could discuss but I want to focus on the response of Israel/Jacob. In Genesis 42:36, Jacob said, ...
Genesis 44
Genesis 44 - Judah goes from schemer to savior. He goes from loving himself to understanding pure, unconditional love. He was the first to suggest selling Joseph years before but now he is the first to offer ...
Genesis 43
Genesis 43 - There are several tests going on in Genesis 43. Jacob's faith is being tested. Will he trust God and allow his son Benjamin (the only other son of Rachel) to cross over to Egypt ...
Genesis 41
Genesis 41 - Joseph began as a shepherd of animals and become a shepherd of men. He, like Jesus, was loved by his father but despised by his brothers. He, like Jesus, was prophesied to receive authority ...
Genesis 40
Genesis 40 - We now learn that Potiphar did not really believe the accusations brought against Joseph. In Genesis 39, we read that Potiphar was "an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard." Here in ...
Genesis 37
Genesis 37 - "Enoch shows the walk of faith, Noah shows the perseverance of faith, Abraham shows the obedience of faith, Isaac shows the power of faith, and Jacob shows the discipline of faith. Along these lines ...
Genesis 28
Genesis 28 - Promises, promises. Jacob was a slick wheeler and dealer as we will find out later. He certainly didn't deserve Isaac's blessing or a divine dream, but God was faithful despite. This fact alone is ...
Genesis 27
Genesis 27 - What a story! As a Chicago fan, this is kind of like watching the Green Bay Packers play the Minnesota Vikings. There is no one to root for! First, we have Isaac. Though ...
Genesis 26
Genesis 26 - In Genesis 26, God reiterates His promise made long ago to Abraham. Being a descendant, Isaac was still under this covenant relationship of God. Let's look at exactly how God describes His relationship with ...
Genesis 25
Genesis 25 - In the music industry, most fans hate sellouts. According to Wikipedia, "selling out" is a common expression for the compromising of a person's integrity, morality, authenticity, or principles in exchange for personal gain, such ...
Genesis 24
Genesis 24 - Consider the picture we get of Christ's relationship with the church from Isaac and Rebekah... Just like Rebekah was chosen before marriage, believers in the body are part of God's chosen people. Just like ...
Genesis 22
Genesis 22 - God was faithful to Abraham and through this relationship, obedience was continually being renewed. God's faithfulness was a catalyst for Abraham's faith. But like James writes, faith must be proven. It is not found ...