Ruth 4 – “God’s hand is all over history. God works out His purpose, generation after generation. Limited as we are to one lifetime, each of us sees so…
fruit
119 posts
Isaiah 36 – Deception. The enemy of our souls has used this tactic with God’s creation since the beginning of time. His deception takes that of half truths or…
Isaiah 35 – Restoration. After the barrage of judgment over evil against nations and wayward people, God speaks in beautiful terms of restoring His own. Although this prophetically speaks…
Isaiah 33 – The sting of betrayal burns deep. We’ve all experienced this on some level. Betrayal shatters trust. It brings extreme caution…
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…
Isaiah 27 – “Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with me.” – Isaiah 27:5 This King James translation is awesome! Chapter 27 speaks…
Isaiah 25 – Following a chapter on the destruction and judgment of God, we read a deeply personal appeal to His faithfulness. It almost…
Isaiah 5 – They say tending to a vineyard is tedious and time-consuming.That stressful work is a top priority of vineyard owners. God uses this springboard of…
Isaiah 4 – “Sin is the excrement of the soul, the superfluity or garbage of naughtiness, the devil’s vomit. From this abominable filth Christ has ‘loved and washed His…
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 – 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…
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…
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 4 – I remember the meeting well. Almost 20 years ago a woman whom I did not know called and said she had a word…
Job 37 – For 37 chapters God allowed the storm to rage against Job. From the opening, as the curtains beyond our world into the heavenlies were cracked to…
Job 36 – Commentators point out there is a shift in Elihus words toward the end of this chapter. Yes, its possible hes running out of steam but there…
Job 26 – From the moment Jobs 3 friends opened their mouths, it was like a broken record. They said the same thing over and over. Its either they…
Job 25 – Sometimes theres nothing left to say. Sometimes conversations come to an impasse, a screaming halt. It seems the 3 friends of Job have done just that….
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…
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 – 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 7 – As Jesus finishes His sermon, He has done a remarkable thing. He’s taken the Law and made it practical or deeply personal. Often in…
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 26 – It’s hard to hold our tongue sometimes. We enter into a conversation where another may have an opposing view. We are dragged into a discussion where…
Proverbs 25 – It’s one of the Fruit of the Spirit. Self-Control is something all wrestle with and without it we can find ourselves in mess after mess, standing…
Proverbs 22 – Who are the people that speak into your life? Who are the ones whom you entrust yourself completely to in relationship? We often become like the…
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…
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…
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 2 – Life is hard. Relationships are difficult. This is particularly true when we feel attacked or under the gun of some situation…
2 Samuel 11 – There has been much written about the failure of David’s act of adultery with Bathsheba, his botched cover up leading to the murder…
1 Samuel 25 – Sometimes it seems that if it’s not one thing, it’s another. This is the case for David. During a reprieve of Saul’s antics…
1 Samuel 19 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I…
1 Samuel 12 – Take a moment to consider the goodness of God. Yes, even if at this point of whatever is going on, your heart has…
2 Timothy 3 – End Times thoughts are pretty much on people’s hearts a lot it seems. It is a topic that even those who are not…
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 7 – The ways of God hold many paradoxes. If you want to be great, you must become a servant. Stories throughout show God called people to lead…
Romans 6 – Veto: A decision by a person in authority to not allow or approve something. Paul lays out the power of sin and death it brings in…
2 Kings 13 – “Then the Lord gave Israel a deliverer…” 2 Kings 13:5 It’s an obscure statement of a nameless individual whom God rose up from…
1 Kings 21 – Her name is synonymous with the most evil woman in all of Scripture. In fact, her name is mentioned in Revelation as an…
1 Kings 19 – “Elijah failed in the very point at which he was strongest, and that is where most men fail. In Scripture, it is the…
Genesis 4 – Confrontation is never easy especially when we’re on the receiving end. Usually, it’s due to an area we’ve overreacted or acted…
Genesis 3 – In the cool of the day, late afternoon, the Lord was walking in the garden. I’ve always looked upon this as a normal thing for Adam and Eve…
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 10 – A shepherd’s job is quite a task. They have the responsibility of making sure their sheep are safe; must know how many they have…
John 8 – They set a trap. The teachers and Pharisees thought they had Jesus cornered as they first baited the woman to commit…
Nehemiah 6 – Nehemiah is determined to fulfill the Lord’s work and rebuild the walls despite facing every obstacle imaginable thus far…
Hebrews 12 – The word ‘therefore’ is an adverb used to introduce a new line of thought as a conclusion to something previously stated…
Hebrews 4 – The Bible is a dangerous book. It exposes our hearts, reveals our motives and calls us continually to be transformed. Like a…
Hebrews 3 – Consider… Jesus is our high priest. Through this remarkable title and act only He is worthy of He has taken in us in as his own…
Zechariah 14 – “And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.”…
Zechariah 8 – Small beginnings – we often tend to overlook things that are so small yet critical steps toward something being fulfilled…
Zechariah 7 – But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. They made their…
Zechariah 5 – A flying scroll and woman in a basket – what does this mean? Given a strange vision, Zechariah knew this spoke of things to…
Haggai 2 – It was a dramatic moment; A dramatic change for God’s people. The sin from the people’s past had hindered them but now…
Habakkuk 3 – Questions are answered. Habakkuk’s choice and action are critical. His prayer simple: Revive us. Revive Your work in the midst of…
Micah 7 – “My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more…
Amos 9 – In the final chapter of Amos and from the 5th vision of Amos, destruction, and ruin for Israel is foretold. There will be nowhere to hide…
Amos 8 – I used to have a friend who said, “If you’re green – you’ll grow. If you’re ripe – you’ll rot.” This statement has stuck with me…
Amos 4 – “…But you didn’t notice me. You continued to ignore me.” – Amos 4:10 The Message It’s almost as though God is saying in this chapter, “What’s…
Hosea 14 – As the book of Hosea comes to a close, it is a powerful reminder of the relentless love and forgiveness God offers to all. Hosea had…
Hosea 10 – Scripture has a lot to say about vines and bearing fruit. From the Old to the New Testaments, it is a sign usually of what is…
Hosea 7 – “Israel will not recognize her failures or confess their compromised half-baked spiritual life that is marked by pride.” -The Bible Panorama When something is half-baked, it…
2 Corinthians 13 – I’m a terrible test taker. Growing up I would study for a class topic and when the exam was handed out, the timer…
2 Corinthians 7 – 2 words. 2 words that mean nothing unless they are followed by action. “I’m sorry” all too often slips from our lips when…
2 Corinthians 3 – “You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ,…
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…
Psalm 146 – Psalm 146 – James Boice writes: “In the earlier psalms, we have studied the writers’ griefs, shames, sins, doubts, and fears. We have…
Psalm 140 – Psalm 140 – “The ‘wicked’ may arrogantly desire, plan, and execute; but the Master of the universe cannot tolerate anarchy for long. To this end the plea changes into…
Psalm 139 – Psalm 139 – “It’s not just that God knows everything, He knows me. It’s not just hat God is everywhere, He is everywhere with me. It’s not just that…
Psalm 128 – “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15 There are many thoughts about leadership out there. When a leader leads…
Psalm 127 – Solomon knew that man’s work must be blessed by God for success. If one was left out of the equation, he labored in vain. In particular,…
Psalm 124 – There is truth to the statement: God is either for us or against us. For those whom God is with, His presence and leading is every…
Psalm 120 – They are called the Pilgrim Psalms or Songs of Ascent. Psalm 120 is the first of 15 each with the same title. These songs were sung…
Psalm 118 – “When I think about the Lord How He saved me how He raised me How He filled me with the Holy Ghost How He healed me…
Psalm 115 – Who will get the credit when God answers your prayer? Now, that’s a thought-provoking question, isn’t it? The Life Application Bible had this in the notes…
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 67 – “The best saints and the worst sinners may unite in this petition.” – Charles Spurgeon These words come from a beautiful blessing Aaron gave to the…
Psalm 50 – Our battlefields are different but they bring about the same feelings at times. We feel exhausted, weary from the ongoing things…
Psalm 49 – I remember the story well. A pastor I used to serve under told of an incident at his previous church where a member was a beyond…
Psalm 36 – How would you describe a wicked person? Would words and descriptions come of someone who takes another’s life, someone bent on another’s destruction? A wicked person…
Psalm 31 – There are many of us who claim to have faith in God. We’ve turned to Jesus at some point on our journey. We’ve sought to seek…
Psalm 24 – It speaks toward the greatness of God. Everything in creation is His. No man can stand before the eternal Creator on his own. Psalm 24 is…
Psalm 18 – It’s one of the most beautiful songs of thanksgiving. An almost identical poem is found in 2 Samuel 22 as David was coming to the end…
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 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…
Deuteronomy 26 – What is your history with Jesus? Consider when you were found by Him as that lost sheep. Think about where He has stepped into your life,…
Deuteronomy 18 – God gave the responsibilities of the Priests and instructed the Israelites of how to take care of the Priests…
Deuteronomy 13 – When did self-appointed titles become a “thing” in the church? When did “a word” become more important than action? When did the thoughts inside people’s heads become full-blown prophecies…
Deuteronomy 11 – There is absolutely no neutral ground with God. Either we are for Him and working alongside of Him or we are not. Many times the fruit…
Deuteronomy 4 – The future for Israel was based on what they did and how they would follow. Not only their physical future but their spiritual one as well. …
Deuteronomy 3 – There are many instances on this journey where what looms in the future seems impossible to overcome. This is seen in the practicals of life as…
Ecclesiastes 2 – His resume was astounding. He would have been a Fortune 500 contender for sure. He’d built houses, a temple, a kingdom, a large family…
Numbers 22 – He’s one of those obscure characters of the Bible who suddenly whisks across the pages for a few moments then is gone. But his name would…
Song of Solomon 8 – The Song of Solomon closes much the same way it opened – intense passionate love of Solomon and his wife. In so many ways,…
Ezekiel 43 – We are a people who live in exile. Longing for a better place, a place where our residence of eternity awaits. This earth is not our…
Ezekiel 27 – It’s a funeral lament. Comparing the city of Tyre to a ship it speaks of trading partners and their response to what it will be like…