Isaiah 66 – As the book of Isaiah comes to a close it ends with drama, hope, and sobering warnings. Throughout Isaiah’s writings, God has instructed him to return…
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Isaiah 65 – The book of Judges sums up a people who did what they wanted, threw caution to the wind and reaped those benefits for generations. Story after…
Isaiah 55 – The invitation has been sent. All are asked to join our Lord of Hosts, God Almighty, the Redeemer Jesus. The invitation is for all but many…
Isaiah 43 – Sink or swim. Drown or float. Two pretty stark options when the floods come, the hardship prevails. Waves crashing upon, the…
Isaiah 42 – It’s known as the Servant Song. The verses found in this passage of Isaiah are remarkably beautiful. Speaking toward Jesus the…
Isaiah 38 – “Set your house in order. You are going to die.” The scene is dramatic. Isaiah was instructed to relay an important message to King Hezekiah. The…
Isaiah 29 – We’re all guilty of it from time to time. Going through the motions with anything we’ve become accustomed to doing can be a deadly careless action….
Isaiah 14 – Jesus said, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.” (Luke 10:18) Tucked in the prophecy against Babylon, are 5 verses giving insight toward this…
Isaiah 11 – We stand in a sea of need. Most times that need is overwhelming. Over the past several months we as a staff have really buckled down…
Isaiah 3 – On many fronts, Isaiah 3 is a parade of sin. The people proud of their choices and personal behavior, they were no longer ashamed but put…
Colossians 4 – “Devote yourselves in prayer, being watchful and thankful.” “Epaphras… he is always wrestling in prayer for you…” Prayer is an essential aspect of our spiritual life….
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 1 – It’s known as Paul’s letter of joy. It speaks personally to the people but also of his own circumstances. Circumstances he has not…
Ephesians 5 – There is a subtle downward slope that can happen to any Believer who is not standing firm and working on their relationship with Jesus daily. It…
Ephesians 3 – What do you long for? What are the prayers ever on your mind and whispered from your lips? Where do the burdens of your heart take…
Exodus 38 – We are people who try to do it alone. Delegation over some tasks for some is difficult. This is an area God has been working…
Exodus 37 – There are many key tabernacle pieces listed to be constructed under the direction of God and carried out by Bezalel. Each had specific purpose…
Exodus 36 – We are nothing without the Spirit of God. It is what is essential for us to fulfill our calling, survive our day, be strong…
Exodus 35 – There are specifics I pray daily. Right before I close out my time with God, I pray directly for myself and go through the…
Exodus 25 – For the next 6 chapters God will instruct Moses and the people with detailed directives on the building of a tabernacle. Following these will…
Exodus 17 – It is possible to be in the will of God and yet be riddled with problems. Israel was on track exactly where they needed…
Judges 21 – The people of Israel went from mess to mess all based upon their own thinking. From this crazy story there was no forward thought, long term…
Judges 3 – “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him…” Judges 3:10 This phrase is simply a powerful reminder of the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon…
Judges 2 – The stage is set. The unraveling of Israel is about to take place as leaders would rise and lead people forward. When the leader passed, the…
1 Thessalonians 1 – It was the capital city of Macedonia. Thessalonica was one of the largest and most important thoroughfares on the Roman highway. From Rome…
Job 30 – The emotional pain and rawness of Job is on full display. As he walked back into his past and what life had been like, he turns…
Job 24 – Weve all been there. We look upon those who are wicked, the people who seemingly get away with complete defiance to the ways of God; we…
Job 13 – The absolute trust Job has in God despite the afflictions he continues to deal with, the friends that are off base in their advice, the unanswered…
Ezra 6 – It’s almost like a footnote. As a refresher of the story, the people surrounding were having a fit because the Temple of God was being rebuilt in…
Joshua 21 – “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” – Joshua 21:45 What a…
Joshua 17 – There is an interesting comparison to be noted in the attitudes of the different tribes and the division of land. With Caleb, he took what was…
Joshua 16 – It’s an interesting thought to ponder. The tribes of Joseph were given land but not titled in the 12 Tribes as a whole. Joseph did not…
Joshua 5 – The Israelites spent 40 years in the desert because they were terrified of the Canaanites. They foolishly doubted God’s ability to do for them what He…
Matthew 26 – “Why the waste?” We use such a question when we consider something that was of value is recklessly used up. Obviously this concerns physical…
Matthew 19 – Let’s face it, childlike trust in God is hard. Many times circumstances bombard our thoughts to the point of giving up. Our bank account…
Matthew 15 – We spend a lot of time and money investing in making ourselves look good, feel better about ourselves. From the makeup industry to fashion lines…
Proverbs 28 – Leadership is no easy thing. It’s ironic how many desire such a role but the responsibility of being a leader holds many tough decisions and acts…
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 19 – Sometimes we build a house of cards. We have plans we want to see accomplished. We have purposes we want to attain. We have goals we…
Proverbs 12 – Correction is never easy. Discipline is harder. Both go hand in hand when a person acts stupid. Wow, a bold statement right? But ironically the Bible…
Proverbs 7 – The ancients used the phrase “apple of the eye” in reference to the pupil due to its shape. They believed it captured what was important to…
2 Samuel 5 – Waiting. We all hate it. When waiting on the timing of God, it can seem like the most excruciating amount of time. We…
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 1 – This second letter to Timothy was written 2 years after the first about 66 or 67 AD. Paul had been released from prison…
1 Timothy 6 – Sometimes we get it backward. We forget that everything we accumulate, everything we strive to have, we can’t take with us in the…
1 Timothy 2 – When we think of prayer – often it revolves around the things that affect us directly. I mean, this is how it often…
Romans 16 – As the letter of Romans closes, Paul turns personal. From the beginning of this remarkable and outstanding work inspired by the Holy Spirit concerning solid truth,…
Romans 15 – Gosh, selfishness drives us. Choices we make are usually based on our wants. Decisions to follow through usually come with the question of ‘What will it…
Romans 8 – God kicked our sinful nature in the teeth when He sent Jesus. More importantly through the death of our Lord and consequent resurrection, He made available…
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…
2 Kings 2 – It is a story of amazing commitment and determination in a relationship. Elijah was about to be taken to heaven and his…
1 Kings 22 – Spiritual wisdom and discernment are needed on all decisions we make and carry through with. This story in 1 Kings 22 could…
1 Kings 14 – It’s the tale of 2 kings who flagrantly walked away from God and His commands. Consider how as the nation was already split…
1 Kings 13 – It is the strangest of stories. A nameless prophet is sent to speak against the false worship King Jeroboam has established…
1 Kings 7 – It took 7 years for Solomon to build the temple. He spent 13 years building his own house. His home had cedars from…
Genesis 33 – From the very womb the 2 boys struggled. Their wrestling within their mother tumbled out into their lives. From their difference…
Genesis 27 – It’s a house of deception. In his old age, Isaac decides it’s time to give his blessing to his eldest son, Esau. Mind you, in the…
Genesis 13 – Abraham’s nephew Lot was a character. While a young man his father died. Although he had strong role models of his grandfather…
Genesis 6 – Let’s stop and consider, Noah had no idea of what God was about to do. He was simply given instructions, mind you – crazy…
James 2 – Salvation arrives by the amazing and most abundant grace given through Jesus. All of our faults, all of our struggles, and all of our sins do…
John 13 – It was the last night of his life. As John opens up this chapter he states Jesus “showed the full extent of His love.” (John13:1) In…
John 3 – I love, love, love this chapter. It is completely packed with unreal truths and conversations. We’re first introduced to Nicodemus…
Nehemiah 13 – As the saying goes, “While the cats away…” The book of Nehemiah ends with quite a flurry of activity that is not only surprising…
Nehemiah 8 – With Ezra by his side, the people gathered as one and listened to the Word of God being read. It was the first in many…
Nehemiah 6 – Nehemiah is determined to fulfill the Lord’s work and rebuild the walls despite facing every obstacle imaginable thus far…
Nehemiah 4 – Discouragement is a terrible thing. The insidious feeling of being overrun and fighting defeat sinks to one’s bones…
Hebrews 12 – The word ‘therefore’ is an adverb used to introduce a new line of thought as a conclusion to something previously stated…
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…
Malachi 2 – God comes after the priests. They weren’t honoring His name in their duties as well as at their home. They had failed to set their…
Zechariah 11 – A shepherd’s role is pretty important. His job is to first and foremost care for the sheep of his. This involves leading them to…
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…
Amos 3 – In an interesting opening, God poses rhetorical questions. Stating Israel is that of chosen family to Him, He is responding like one would in such a…
Amos 2 – Chapters 1 and 2 proclaim God’s judgment proclaimed against the enemies of Israel. As the hearers of these prophecies, the people probably rejoiced that God was…
Joel 2 – There is a warning, a bold call to repentance and promise found in this chapter. Joel foresees and speaks of the devastation coming to the land…
Hosea 13 – Self-sufficiency is an insidious attitude that works its way into a Believer’s heart. As we’re told that only ‘we can make something happen”, we are the…
Hosea 5 – Sometimes there’s nothing more to say when we pray for someone so lost in their ways. Sometimes they need to be completely turned over to God…
Hosea 3 – It was the shady side of town, a place where priests stayed clear of, let alone any prophet worth his reputation. The loud bawdy ruckus that…
Daniel 4 – Written by Nebuchadnezzar himself, this chapter is the retelling of his testimony. Daniel included the penmanship of the king in his writings because it shows the…
Daniel 3 – “…but even if He does not…” What would it be like to live with such thought in everything we do? Every way we live? How would…
Daniel 2 – It was an impossible situation. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream he couldn’t remember. All he knew was when he woke up he was terrified. Calling all…
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 9 – 2 people were dead. This husband and wife had sold a piece of property, laid the money at the apostle’s feet. The problem…
2 Corinthians 8 – The comparison of one to another can backfire in hopes the person being compared will hear the challenge and respond. The individual digs…
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…
1 Corinthians 16 – “But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia; and perhaps I will stay with…
1 Corinthians 11 – “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1 What a challenge. Follow my example in how I…
1 Corinthians 9 – You peel back more of the underlying issues of the Corinthian Believers and Paul’s defense here and realize he had his hands full….
Psalm 149 – Psalm 149 – Psalms 149:1 NASB Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones…
Psalm 148 – Psalm 148 – We probably don’t think much of the greatness of all of creation giving praise and worship to our God. From the very heights to the depths,…
Psalm 143 – Psalm 143 – David went seemingly from one crisis to another. Crisis brings out all kinds of reactions from us. We can knee-jerk with our words or actions. We…
Psalm 138 – Psalm 138 – It’s a bold declaration: I will praise you with my whole heart. Let’s consider just this statement alone. There are many things about the heart found…
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 122 – There is nothing like the presence of our Jesus! When we note that He is right among us, moving within, giving strength and hope, it stirs…
Psalm 119 – It is the longest psalm recorded. It is also the longest chapter in all of Scripture. The beauty of this Psalm is that it focuses solely…
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 113 – On the night of Jesus’ betrayal the scriptures tell us: “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” -…