Acts 19 – Paul in Ephesus is a great reminder for our churches today. From his investment, we know that Ephesus was just the start of Christianity in Asia Minor. The churches in Revelation were all born …
fruit
119 posts
Acts 15 – The first question we want to know is, who was right and who was wrong between Paul and Barnabas? I feel that when we approach it from that angle we really miss Luke’s point. …
Acts 6 – We really have two storylines going on here. We have a great leadership move and a great Holy Spirit move both packed into one chapter. The beginning of Stephen is a great story, and …
Leviticus 18 – We see consistency in the NT with all of these laws found in Leviticus 18. Incest, idolatry, adultery, and homosexuality are addressed. Jesus actually raises the bar on many of these laws from the …
Leviticus 2 – The grain or cereal offering of the OT symbolized man’s work for God. The offering would be brought to the priest and would symbolize man’s willingness to keep the law. But, the grain offering …
Revelation 22 – Tree of Life The final chapter of the Bible bookends the story that God started in the Garden of Eden. There, we saw a glimpse of the plan He had for mankind which was …
Revelation 9 – The 5th Trumpet The 5th trumpet releases a key to open the abyss. Many scholars believe this is the same abyss that the demons begged Jesus not to throw them in. It may be …
Revelation 3 – Lukewarm I remember several years ago going to a music festival in Kentucky called Ichthus. It was basically a camping trip with live Christian music playing at all times across multiple stages. Now, I’m …
Revelation 2 – Although these letters are addressed to specific congregations in the first century, I believe they are representative of all churches that will exist throughout history. No matter what church you attend, it is likely …
Jeremiah 45 – This is a flashback to the 4th year of Jehoiakim so it’s not happening here alongside the destruction of Jerusalem. However, it was placed here, probably to be a timely reminder that God is …
Jeremiah 39 – After 2 ½ years of the people watching and wondering when the Babylonian army would penetrate their city, it finally happened. Jerusalem was taken captive. King Zedekiah, who had been told by Jeremiah to surrender, did the opposite …
Jeremiah 37 – If you have been following along in Jeremiah you may be confused at how the chapters skip around. I know I am…
Jeremiah 23 – In this chapter, we see God really target the people in positions of leadership among the Jews. As you look back at the history of Israel, when a good and righteous king was on …
Jeremiah 17 – Does the Bible encourage us to “follow our heart?” What we find in chapter 17 of Jeremiah is such a sharp contrast between the destiny of a man who follows his heart and the …
2 Chronicles 35 – Armchair Quarterback (noun) a person who offers advice or an opinion on something in which they have no expertise or involvement How many people do you know who have lots of great ideas …
2 Chronicles 24 – But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 2 Chronicles 24:17 NASB In other words, after Jehoiada died, …
Ruth 4 – You may remember a few chapters back when Ruth worked hard pacing the fields and following the reaper’s footsteps. Now, as she has become one with the owner, that land becomes her inheritance. As …
Isaiah 36 – The goal of the enemy is to render us hopeless in the face of our circumstances. The world, Satan, and even our own hearts influence our minds to these dark places. Even though the …
Isaiah 35 – The promise at the end of the chapter is beautiful. There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed …
Isaiah 33 – The book of Isaiah is very clear. Trust in nations; destruction. Trust in God alone; deliverance. The irony is that God would use nations to humble His people, but He would command them not …
Isaiah 32 – Isaiah’s description of a true king is exactly what we all desire. He is righteous, just, and a source of protection and support. This king would contrast many other kings that ruled in ancient …
Isaiah 25 – Following a chapter on the destruction and judgment of God, we read a deeply personal appeal to His faithfulness. It almost reads like a prayer, and this is significant. When we face trials, struggles, …
Isaiah 5 – Six woes are given to the nation of Israel starting in verse 8. The woes include greed, debauchery, unbelief, perversion, arrogance, and injustice. “To these sins are added prophecies of judgment: desolation, captivity or …
Isaiah 4 – Isaiah 4:2 describes the Branch of the Lord. The time is coming when the LORD will make every plant and tree in the land grow large and beautiful. All the people of Israel who …
Philippians 4 – As I introduced in my commentary on Philippians 1, we read in Chapter 4 that this church was the only one to form a contractual friendship with Paul. There was an active relationship of …
Philippians 3 – Have you ever met someone who always tries to one-up you? No matter how the story goes, they always pull the trump card with some experience or credential that’s bigger and better. It’s not …
Galatians 5 – The fruit of keeping the law is exposed here in Galatians 5. According to Paul, the devotion to the law was leading to a cold, empty legalism. They were “biting and devouring one another.” …
1 John 5 – At the time of this writing, John was battling the incredible deception that had come against the church. There were false teachers parading around true believers and teaching that when Jesus died, He …
1 John 4 – When I worked in the computer software industry, I became familiar with the latest viruses and malware that would infect our client’s computers. It seemed like every few months or so, there was …
Job 37 – We experience and come to know God through Scripture. Another place we come to know Him is through His creation. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and …
Job 36 – God is the most patient, relentless, and loving Father we will ever encounter. Unfortunately, many people of our day have turned to the false teaching that says if everything isn’t “good” in your life …
Job 26 – I remember a story one time where I was in a counseling session with a pastor. We were discussing a personal issue that I was struggling with so much. I was kind of at …
Job 25 – Well, there is not much here that we haven’t already heard. Bildad sums up with “God is holy” and “man is sinful.” Job has heard all of this already but it seems his friends …
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 …
Matthew 13 – Here in Matthew 13, there are so many great parables it is hard to just reflect on one aspect of this chapter! You could do an in-depth study of each story. I want to …
Matthew 12 – This chapter contains the controversial “unpardonable sin” which involves blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. The first question we must ask is, what is blasphemy of the Spirit and how is it different from blasphemy …
Matthew 7 – Judge not so you will not be judged. What was Jesus getting at here? This is a quote that is so often misrepresented, in my opinion. Was Jesus saying we should lower our standard …
Proverbs 27 – “As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person. 20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and people’s eyes are never satisfied.” Proverbs 27:19-20 HCSB A modern phrase similar to this is, …
Proverbs 26 – I’m going to analyze verse 4 in comparison to verse 5. Here are both of the verses in context …
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 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 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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 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 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 …
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 …
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 7 – What is the purpose of the law? In Romans 6 we saw the law cannot make us righteous. In Romans 7, we read that the main concern of God is if we are bearing …
Romans 6 – Grigori Rasputin was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed “holy man” who claimed to speak on behalf of God. He gained considerable influence in Russian during the early 1900s. Controversy surrounds Rasputin as he claimed …
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 …
1 Kings 21 – When Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes, took them off, and put on sackcloth. He refused food, slept in the sackcloth, and went about gloomy and depressed. 1 Kings 21:27 The tearing …
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 …
Genesis 4 – I’ll be honest, this story has always confused me. Why was Abel’s offering acceptable to God but Cain’s was not? All we know from the story here in Genesis is that Abel offered the …
Genesis 3 – Blatant evil is not our greatest threat as believers; it is deceptive evil wrapped in a package of truth. But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may …
John 15 – “It makes no sense to me!” the woman proclaimed. “I can’t comprehend the concept of one way to God for only one simple reason. There are still people in this world who will never …
John 10 – The entire book of John has drawn us into the reality that Jesus is His own person, yet, is one with God. We have also witnessed the Jewish leaders trying to catch Jesus in …
John 8 – It would not be a stretch to call this the “chapter of traps.” After trying to get Jesus to condemn a woman caught in adultery, the Pharisees continue their verbal trickery. I Am The …
Nehemiah 6 – Nehemiah is determined to fulfill the Lord’s work and rebuild the walls despite facing every obstacle imaginable thus far. He has persevered during the mockery from his enemies and the turmoil from his own …
Hebrews 12 – Dear Weary Christ-Follower, Read Hebrews 12:3-17 Which is worse, the weight of sin or the discipline of Jesus? It’s an interesting question to ponder considering we often complain about our lot in life. The …
Hebrews 4 – The Law demanded perfection. This was the standard accomplished by Jesus. Despite our best efforts, we don’t even come close. However, we continue to live in a society built upon works. Nearly everything we …
Hebrews 3 – At one point in the ’90s, Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, and Andre Agassi all had an Official Fan Club, and I was a proud card-carrying member. I loved watching Andre Agassi when I was …
Zechariah 14 – In Philippians, Paul urges the church to “hold onto the truth we have attained.” This means as truth is revealed to us, we must continue to move forward and not lose ground with regard …
Zechariah 8 – Oh my! There are few verses more worthy of our desperate pursuit than Zechariah 8:6. The verse illustrates a life of faith, trust, and perseverance. The LORD of Hosts says this: “Though it may …
Zechariah 7 – What kind of motives do we have for the rituals and traditions we hold onto? by asking the priests who were at the house of the LORD of Hosts as well as the prophets, …
Zechariah 5 – Even though the Jewish people were brought back to their land, were forgiven of their sins, and were inspired by the Holy Spirit to complete the temple, God still had standards for them. What …
Haggai 2 – The main event of Haggai is the rebuilding of the temple, however, there are other several other storylines that run alongside this narrative. One such example is verse 13 where Haggai offers two opposing …
Habakkuk 3 – O LORD, I have heard of what you have done, and I am filled with awe. Now do again in our times the great deeds you used to do. Be merciful, even when you …
Micah 7 – Consider the similarities of Micah’s world and our world today… There is undesirable fruit all around Everyone is scheming, waiting for a chance to do evil People in authority take bribes as money trumps …
Amos 9 – Within the judgment of Amos, there is hope to be found. There is always hope with God because He is full of both grace and truth. “The days are coming,” says the LORD, “when …
Amos 8 – What can be more susceptible to rot and disease than ripened fruit? There is a short window of time for the beautiful and refreshing sweetness of ripe fruit to be tasted. But after that …
Amos 4 – My most interesting takeaway from this passage is simply the accountability to which God claims full responsibility for. Many times, we are quick to try and cover up the characteristics of God that don’t …
Hosea 14 – Many people today worship their own abilities and accomplishments. For others, it is their intellect. Still others worship their spouse or their children or their jobs. Whatever it is that separates us from our …
Hosea 10 – Their hearts were faithless, devious, and deceitful. The KJV and Jewish Bible translate verse 2 using a different word. Their heart is divided; now they will bear their guilt. He will break down their …
Hosea 7 – “Two-faced and double-tongued,they steal you blind, pick you clean.It never crosses their mindthat I keep account of their every crime” Hosea 7:2 God exposes Israel’s two-sided nature in this chapter. He compares them to …
2 Corinthians 13 – When Paul first visited Corinth and established the church, he stayed a year and six months. Most scholars believe his second visit was between the two letters of 1 and 2 Corinthians and …
2 Corinthians 7 – “If one gives up easily, they can never walk in repentance, though they may perform acts of repentance.” David Guzik On the surface, this may sound like a works-based mentality. But consider that …
2 Corinthians 3 – The Corinthians, like many today, wanted written proof of Paul’s legitimacy as an apostle. Like a certification or degree, letters of commendation would have authenticated the status of a leader of God. They …
1 Corinthians 5 – Paul once again comes out swinging against the Corinthians for their immorality and tolerance. Interestingly, his clarification toward the end of this chapter contains a lot of insight. Paul, just like Jesus, had …
Psalm 146 – Psalms 146:3 NASB Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. Dr. A.C. Gaebelein describes his conversation with an Orthodox Jew who interpreted this passage incorrectly. “He stated …
Psalm 140 – When we go to God in our afflictions, we can rest knowing that He hears us. We can find peace with the fact that we are exactly where we need to be in such …
Psalm 139 – Consider the fruit of knowing God and acknowledging that He knows us. Before pursuing God, we pursued our own ways. Selfish ambition forms a mirage as we fool ourselves into thinking God is not …
Psalm 128 – “I’m so blessed.” We hear this phrase often in our culture. It’s not that I don’t believe that it’s a genuine feeling. I do. However, sometimes I wonder what exactly it means to be …
Psalm 127 – According to J. Vernon McGee, this psalm has been used on several important occasions. It was used at the inauguration of President Eisenhower. Two Bibles were used. One of them was George Washington’s Bible, …
Psalm 124 – The storms that God allows only further serves to reveal His power and glory within. When we are faced with opposition, we clench tightly to the anchor that we know and trust. In those …
Psalm 120 – “The Meshechites were presumably descended from Meshech, a grandson of Noah through Japheth (Gen 10:2; 1Ch 1:5). They were said to trade in slaves and copper (Eze 27:13), and may have invaded the Near …
Psalm 118 – Many scholars believe that Psalm 118 was written during Moses’ day in the Exodus. If you compare this psalm to Exodus 15, there are remarkable similarities. Psalms 118:14 NASB The LORD is my strength …
Psalm 115 – Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield. 10 House of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield. 11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the …
Psalm 92 – The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the LORD, They will flourish in the courts of our God. …
Psalm 67 – Many forget God’s original intent when He chose Israel as His people. “I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them …
Psalm 50 – What does our praise look like when we face trouble and adversity? Or, do we praise at all? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, 15 …
Psalm 36 – The Warehouse staff has just begun to have weekly accountability meetings. Each pastor on staff has a different week in which they will be asked to evaluate where they are seeing fruit and where …
Psalm 31 – How do we move from anguish and sorrow to trust and assurance? People have smeared your name. They have campaigned among others and built their case with lies and deceit. Others reject you. They …
Psalm 24 – Psalm 24 was written to be chanted/recited and comes with two choruses. It would have been sung during Jewish worship on the first day of the week (Sunday). It was followed by Psalm 48 …