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 …
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Acts 5 – The early church faced persecution from both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. After hearing the testimony of Peter, they were ready to kill these men just like they had Jesus. But wisdom prevailed. But …
Acts 4 – As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and …
Acts 1 – At the end of Chapter 1, the apostles have just witnessed the ascension of Jesus and are waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. So, the question I found myself asking is, how do we …
Lamentations 5 – We don’t often think in terms of the comprehensive suffering that Judah endured during exile. It was not just that their enemies came and put them in chains. They struggled immensely. Their sin cost …
Leviticus 27 – The New International Commentary (Old Testament) gives a clear summary of this chapter… The custom of making vows and tithing is simply assumed in the NT (see Ac 18:18; Act 21:23; Mat 23:23) as …
Leviticus 24 – When I read the “eye for an eye” passage, I immediately think of the Sermon on the Mount. “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR …
Leviticus 17 – The people of Israel must no longer be unfaithful to the LORD by killing their animals in the fields as sacrifices to the goat demons. The people of Israel must keep this regulation for …
Leviticus 13 – “The symptoms that led to a verdict of uncleanness were as follows. The “skin disease” had to be long and lasting. It had to be old (Lev 13:11) or last at least a week …
Leviticus 12 – After bearing a child, a woman was considered contagiously unclean for one to two weeks. One day 8, when a boy would be circumcised, the childbearing mother was no longer contagious but still had …
Leviticus 11 – In Leviticus 11, God outlines both the clean and unclean animals. A general rule which was given to Israel was that clean animals would “chew the curd” but also have a completely divided hoof. …
Leviticus 3 – In Leviticus 1, we explored the burnt offering. In Leviticus 2, it was the grain offering. Now, in Leviticus 3, we come to the peace offering. If you remember, the burnt offering required only …
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 …
Leviticus 1 – The book of Leviticus picks up right where Exodus left off. The opening verse begins with “Then the Lord called to Moses…” ‘Then’ signals us to look back at the end of Exodus which …
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 16 – The continuity of the seals and the trumpets is broken up with the bowls as they move seamlessly through all seven with no interlude between the 6th and 7th as we have traditionally seen. …
Revelation 15 – The divine judgment which was revealed by the seals and proclaimed by the trumpets will now be poured out by the seven bowls. From a literary standpoint, the seventh seal was unleashed by the …
Revelation 14 – First question I asked myself… who is Babylon? John, again, is writing symbolically here. Literal Babylon was a mere fraction of what it had been in years past. But, the wording certainly plays into …
Revelation 13 – The First Beast At the end of Revelation 12, we read of Satan’s rage. He sets out to destroy the people of God. Now, in Revelation 13, we are introduced to the two henchmen …
Revelation 11 – I think a major issue with Revelation 11 is the fact that it relies heavily on Revelation 10 for continuity. It is best to read on and view chapters 10 and 11 as one …
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 8 – Continuing on the theme from Chapter 7, John either heard or saw something with every seal that was opened. Here in Revelation 8, the seventh seal is broken and he hears and sees nothing …
Revelation 7 – God’s primary motive in our hearts has always been this: transformation. I think it’s important to understand Revelation in terms of the overall picture instead of as individual narratives. We see a great transformation …
Revelation 6 – I grew up in Berne, Indiana which sits directly on top of the continental divide. If you are not familiar with the continental divide, it is an area of raised terrain that …
Revelation 4 – The Throne We just recently studied the book of Ezekiel and Leviticus which have some strong ties to the language here in Revelation. Before God’s throne, John sees brilliant and vivid imagery that is …
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 52 – The final chapter of Jeremiah gives a summary of the events which have occurred, giving us some additional details as to what took place. The thing that strikes me the most in reading this …
Jeremiah 47 – The sword of the Lord now comes against the Philistines just as he came against the Egyptians in the previous chapter. In the grand scheme of what has happened here, it is a stunning …
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 36 – Anyone could argue that God knew what was going to happen to these people. He knew their hardened hearts. He knew for certain that the King would do what he did …
Jeremiah 35 – What excuses are we giving for our lack of faithfulness to Jesus? Where are we settling for a lukewarm relationship with him similar to those who are around us? The message here was to …
Jeremiah 27 – It is fascinating to me to see the way that God is handling wayward Judah in these chapters. Back in Chapter 21 of Jeremiah, we saw the Lord first introduce this idea of submission …
Jeremiah 24 – Captivity has now set in and Jeremiah is once again given a message as to the fate of his people. Essentially, the vision is two baskets of figs – one good and one bad. …
Jeremiah 12 – We have all been in a situation like this before. We cry out to God over something we just can’t take anymore. Jeremiah has had it. He’s calling out the hypocrites and asking God …
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 30 – Hezekiah wanted to do the right thing. He believed that Israel and Judah should come back together in order to celebrate the Passover. He knew God’s promises extended to all 12 tribes which …
2 Chronicles 26 – It may not seem like a big deal to us, but in that time, it was not a king’s role to enter into the temple. This was a duty assigned to the priests. …
2 Chronicles 20 – Did God command his people to go into battle singing? I read this over and over to make sure I wasn’t missing something. As far as I can tell, we don’t read they …
2 Chronicles 19 – Jehoshaphat was a spiritual leader. Other than David or Solomon, he restored the nation to a deeper spiritual commitment than any king of Judah or Israel. One of his strategies in doing this …
2 Chronicles 18 – Would you rather be a well-liked king or a ridiculed prophet? In a bizarre revelation, God asks for a lying, deceitful spirit to go an entice Ahab to fall at Ramoth-gilead. Why was …
2 Chronicles 16 – There is so much in this chapter that is personal and meaningful for me. As someone who has struggled with unexplained health issues, it seems that every day is a battle. The temptation …
2 Chronicles 13 – After reading this chapter, I am reminded of a common situation we have all encountered. It’s that moment when someone is telling the truth, but not giving you the full story. When a …
2 Chronicles 11 – I hate to be pessimistic, but here in Chapter 11, we have bad going to worse. Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) was now the king of the southern tribes of Judah. Jeroboam (Solomon’s former official) …
2 Chronicles 5 – There are moments when God shows up in a mighty way and we are simply called to step back. This was one of those moments. in unison when the trumpeters and the singers …
2 Chronicles 3 – The effort and detail Solomon and his people put into the newly constructed temple was simply amazing. They went all out. God is in the details. This is true. It’s also a fact …
1 Chronicles 29 – 1 Chronicles 29:25 GNB The LORD made the whole nation stand in awe of Solomon, and he made him more glorious than any other king that had ruled Israel. If you read my …
1 Chronicles 28 – Loyalty of heart. I once had a pastor give me advice on how to preach a sermon. His main point was, speak to the mind and speak to the heart. Truth and grace …
1 Chronicles 24 – There is a fine line between structure and freedom in the Spirit. This chapter speaks to the structured process of the priesthood while attempting to preserve true worship and the influence of the …
1 Chronicles 21 – To David’s credit, he takes responsibility for the error in judgment. He even asks God to spare His people and instead punish him and his family. Anytime sin separated the people from God, …
Isaiah 66 – As the book of Isaiah comes to a close, I am drawn to the writings of F.F. Bruce. “As the book has stated again and again in a variety of places and ways, however, …
Isaiah 65 – God has made Himself available. He is standing with arms outstretched ready to help His people. God says one thing, but the people say another. God offers His help, but the people will not …
Isaiah 55 – Faith in Jesus without a life filled with Jesus’ attitude and behavior is no life of faith at all. There are no excuses because a reborn life is not done in our own strength …
Isaiah 43 – Should we forget the past or remember it? This is a troubling question. On the surface, it would seem that Isaiah has contradicted itself. For instance, in Isaiah 43:18 it says… “Do not call …
Isaiah 42 – God is the only Savior. His creation will bring glory to Him alone and it will not be shared with an idol. In the beautiful and symbolic open verses, the theme of restoration continues. …
Isaiah 38 – Let’s review what’s happened thus far and what will happen in the future. Assyria has built the strongest military the world has ever seen and has destroyed both Aram as well as Israel. Judah …
Isaiah 29 – I can remember times in my life when I was simply neglecting the spiritual wisdom of God. Like a nagging fly that kept landing on me, I swatted those thoughts out of my mind …
Isaiah 14 – There are some deep theological principles at work in this chapter. There is also some controversy as to the correct translation of the phrase, “Oh Lucifer, Son of the morning” in verse 12. Many …
Isaiah 11 – There is a good point here to be made about the wrath of God. Many skeptics are quick to point out God’s wrath, especially in the Old Testament. Of course, we have all heard …
Isaiah 3 – Strong Christian leadership is important. Most likely during the time that Isaiah was writing this, the readers were under the leadership of King Uzziah. He was a wise and godly king, however, a time …
Colossians 4 – A very practical and important set of instructions are given here by Paul on how we should act toward nonbelievers. Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 6 Your speech should …
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 1 – He who began a good work… Paul qualifies the promise of God completing a good work with a specific view. He says “in view of your participation in the Gospel from the first day …
Ephesians 5 – For this reason, it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” I’ve researched this phrase, and it must have been familiar to those he was writing to. …
Ephesians 3 – It’s one of my favorite prayers in Scripture. Ephesians 3:14-21. Once you really see and experience how much Jesus loves you, everything will begin to change. The love of Christ is wide enough to …
Exodus 38 – The values are given here for the exact weight of the gold, silver and bronze used in construction. The GoldCommentators differ in their opinion of just how much gold was actually used. The weight …
Exodus 37 – Let’s take a moment to briefly summarize what makes this chapter so fruitful. We have the Holy Spirit, working among the people, filling them with gifts to craft together the elements that God had …
Exodus 36 – Can you believe it? I don’t recall very many stories in the Bible where a cheerful giver was giving so much that they had to be restrained. Exodus 36:3-5 NASB They received from Moses …
Exodus 35 – Think upon the skills that were required of a master craftsman. Obviously, the person would be gifted in craftsmanship, but according to Scripture, that trait is not enough. Craftsmanship alone has a tendency to …
Exodus 25 – The ark, and later the tabernacle, would be constructed from the wood of the acacia tree. It was a hard-grained wood that was a natural insect repellent and dark orange in color. Because of …
Exodus 17 – The team was assembled and ready to go! Joshua would lead the army into battle. This is the first we’ve heard of Joshua but, of course, it wouldn’t be the last. His training here …
Judges 21 – They said, “Why, O LORD, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today in Israel?” Judges 21:3 NASB The irony surrounding this prayer is both …
Judges 3 – The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Judges 3:7 NASB Now the sons of …
Judges 2 – Let’s take a look with fresh eyes at the scene that’s unfolding. The moral and spiritual roller coaster of Israel continues on even after all they have seen and done through Joshua. God lifted …
1 Thessalonians 1 – In the opening verses of this letter, we read Paul’s words which seem to indicate he had a high regard for the church of the Thessalonians. He is assured of their calling, and …
Job 30 – Which is more agonizing for Job – the suffering he is currently enduring or the exasperation of God’s silence? Which is more agonizing for you? Now I am about to die; there is no …
Job 24 – Job continues on his theme of questioning why the wicked get away with so much. To the theology his friends have adopted, it makes no sense for Job to question this if he is …
Job 13 – If it’s true that the enduring attitude of a believer is a great threat to everything the enemy is trying …
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 …
Joshua 21 – This statement of God’s promises is such an encouragement. Let’s take a look back and review some of these great promises. The Promise of LandGenesis 12:7 The LORD appeared …
Joshua 17 – Essentially, what is happening over this chapter is that the other half of Manasseh’s tribe is being assigned their portion of their inheritance. It just so happens that Zelophehad had no sons or heirs, …
Joshua 16 – The sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance. Joshua 16:4 This made up a good chunk of the land. Again, this point has already been discussed extensively, but a big takeaway from …
Joshua 5 – There was a series of events that the Lord required of Joshua prior to conquering Jericho. Joshua completed these duties (circumcision and First Passover) and was now waiting on the Lord. For whatever reason …
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 19 – The topic of divorce was a hot-button issue back in Jesus’ time, and it remains the same today. Back then, it was the issue that ultimately landed John the Baptist in prison shortly before …
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 …
Proverbs 28 – “The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.” Proverbs 28:13 HCSB This phrase is mirrored in the NT with James 5:16… “Therefore, confess your …
Proverbs 26 – I’m going to analyze verse 4 in comparison to verse 5. Here are both of the verses in context …
Proverbs 19 – If you are like me then you might have read this chapter and become uncomfortable with a few of the verses. For instance, this one… “Wealth attracts many friends, but a poor man is …
Proverbs 12 – Discipline is hard. Accepting instruction is difficult. They both require us to delay our satisfaction. When we are in the middle of being corrected, it can feel threatening. Our flesh wants to resist becoming …
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 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 …
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 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 – 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 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 …
Romans 16 – This is a phenomenal chapter that champions the role of women in the church. Romans 16 begins with an affirmation of a woman serving in a position of leadership. I commend to you our …
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 …