giving

  • Ruth

Ruth 4

In Ruth 4, Boaz meets the nearest kinsman at the city gate and presents the case of redeeming Elimelech’s property…

1 week ago
  • Judges

Judges 21

In Judges 21, the Israelites mourned the desolation of the tribe of Benjamin and sought the Lord's guidance (Judges 21:1-4).…

2 weeks ago
  • Judges

Judges 3

Judges 3 describes how the Lord left certain nations in Canaan to test Israel. These foreign nations would help determine…

1 month ago
  • Judges

Judges 2

Judges 2 emphasizes Israel's cycle of sin, disobedience, and God's grace. Despite reminders of the covenant, they abandoned the Lord,…

1 month ago
  • Joshua

Joshua 21

Joshua 21 - This statement of God's promises is such an encouragement. Let's take a look back and review some…

2 months ago
  • Joshua

Joshua 20

Joshua 20 - It's one thing to say that we believe in God as our refuge and strength, but it's…

2 months ago
  • Joshua

Joshua 18

Joshua 18 - Spiritually, Shiloh is an important landmark for worship during this time period. In both Judges and Samuel,…

2 months ago
  • Joshua

Joshua 17

Joshua 17 - Essentially, what is happening over this chapter is that the other half of Manasseh's tribe is being…

2 months ago
  • Joshua

Joshua 16

Joshua 16 - The sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance. Joshua 16:4  This made up a good…

2 months ago
  • Joshua

Joshua 5

Joshua 5 - There was a series of events that the Lord required of Joshua prior to conquering Jericho. Joshua…

2 months ago
  • Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26

Deuteronomy 26 - Once again we enter into an Old Testament story which has significant implications for how we understand…

3 months ago
  • Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16

Ezekiel 16 - This chapter is an anti-entitlement message. Once again, there is application that is extremely relevant for our…

3 months ago
  • Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6

Ezekiel 6 - "However, I will leave a remnant, for you will have those who escaped the sword among the…

3 months ago
  • Acts

Acts 27

Acts 27 - It's interesting to me that Paul could have fallen by the wayside so many times in his…

3 months ago
  • Acts

Acts 23

Acts 23 - "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents…

4 months ago
  • Acts

Acts 21

Acts 21 - This was a tough chapter for me. We read that the voice of the Holy Spirit is…

4 months ago
  • Acts

Acts 6

Acts 6 - We really have two storylines going on here. We have a great leadership move and a great…

4 months ago
  • Acts

Acts 5

Acts 5 - The early church faced persecution from both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. After hearing the testimony of…

4 months ago
  • Acts

Acts 4

Acts 4 - As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and…

4 months ago
  • Acts

Acts 1

Acts 1 - At the end of Chapter 1, the apostles have just witnessed the ascension of Jesus and are…

4 months ago
  • Lamentations

Lamentations 5

Lamentations 5 - We don't often think in terms of the comprehensive suffering that Judah endured during exile. It was…

4 months ago
  • Leviticus

Leviticus 27

Leviticus 27 - The New International Commentary (Old Testament) gives a clear summary of this chapter... The custom of making…

5 months ago
  • Leviticus

Leviticus 24

Leviticus 24 - When I read the "eye for an eye" passage, I immediately think of the Sermon on the…

5 months ago
  • Leviticus

Leviticus 17

Leviticus 17 - The people of Israel must no longer be unfaithful to the LORD by killing their animals in…

5 months ago
  • Leviticus

Leviticus 13

Leviticus 13 - "The symptoms that led to a verdict of uncleanness were as follows. The “skin disease” had to…

5 months ago
  • Leviticus

Leviticus 12

Leviticus 12 - After bearing a child, a woman was considered contagiously unclean for one to two weeks. One day…

5 months ago
  • Leviticus

Leviticus 11

Leviticus 11 - In Leviticus 11, God outlines both the clean and unclean animals. A general rule which was given…

5 months ago
  • Leviticus

Leviticus 3

Leviticus 3 - In Leviticus 1, we explored the burnt offering. In Leviticus 2, it was the grain offering. Now,…

5 months ago
  • Leviticus

Leviticus 2

Leviticus 2 - The grain or cereal offering of the OT symbolized man's work for God. The offering would be…

5 months ago
  • Leviticus

Leviticus 1

Leviticus 1 - The book of Leviticus picks up right where Exodus left off. The opening verse begins with "Then…

5 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 22

Revelation 22 - Tree of Life The final chapter of the Bible bookends the story that God started in the…

5 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 16

Revelation 16 - The continuity of the seals and the trumpets is broken up with the bowls as they move…

6 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 15

Revelation 15 - The divine judgment which was revealed by the seals and proclaimed by the trumpets will now be…

6 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 14

Revelation 14 - First question I asked myself... who is Babylon? John, again, is writing symbolically here. Literal Babylon was…

6 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 13

Revelation 13 - The First Beast At the end of Revelation 12, we read of Satan's rage. He sets out…

6 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 11

Revelation 11 - I think a major issue with Revelation 11 is the fact that it relies heavily on Revelation…

6 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 9

Revelation 9 - The 5th Trumpet The 5th trumpet releases a key to open the abyss. Many scholars believe this…

6 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 8

Revelation 8 - Continuing on the theme from Chapter 7, John either heard or saw something with every seal that…

6 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 7

Revelation 7 - God’s primary motive in our hearts has always been this: transformation. I think it's important to understand…

6 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 6

Revelation 6 - I grew up in Berne, Indiana which sits directly on top of the continental divide. If you…

6 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 4

Revelation 4 - The Throne We just recently studied the book of Ezekiel and Leviticus which have some strong ties…

6 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 3

Revelation 3 - Lukewarm I remember several years ago going to a music festival in Kentucky called Ichthus. It was…

6 months ago
  • Revelation

Revelation 2

Revelation 2 - Although these letters are addressed to specific congregations in the first century, I believe they are representative…

6 months ago
  • Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52

Jeremiah 52 - The final chapter of Jeremiah gives a summary of the events which have occurred, giving us some…

6 months ago
  • Jeremiah

Jeremiah 47

Jeremiah 47 - The sword of the Lord now comes against the Philistines just as he came against the Egyptians…

6 months ago
  • Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37

Jeremiah 37 - If you have been following along in Jeremiah you may be confused at how the chapters skip…

7 months ago
  • Jeremiah

Jeremiah 36

Jeremiah 36 - Anyone could argue that God knew what was going to happen to these people.  He knew their…

7 months ago
  • Jeremiah

Jeremiah 35

Jeremiah 35 - What excuses are we giving for our lack of faithfulness to Jesus? Where are we settling for…

7 months ago
  • Jeremiah

Jeremiah 27

Jeremiah 27 - It is fascinating to me to see the way that God is handling wayward Judah in these…

7 months ago
  • Jeremiah

Jeremiah 24

Jeremiah 24 - Captivity has now set in and Jeremiah is once again given a message as to the fate…

7 months ago
  • Jeremiah

Jeremiah 12

Jeremiah 12 - We have all been in a situation like this before. We cry out to God over something…

7 months ago
  • 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35

2 Chronicles 35 - Armchair Quarterback (noun) a person who offers advice or an opinion on something in which they…

8 months ago
  • 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30

2 Chronicles 30 - Hezekiah wanted to do the right thing. He believed that Israel and Judah should come back…

8 months ago
  • 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26

2 Chronicles 26 - It may not seem like a big deal to us, but in that time, it was…

8 months ago
  • 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20

2 Chronicles 20 - Did God command his people to go into battle singing? I read this over and over…

9 months ago
  • 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 19

2 Chronicles 19 - Jehoshaphat was a spiritual leader. Other than David or Solomon, he restored the nation to a…

9 months ago
  • 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18

2 Chronicles 18 - Would you rather be a well-liked king or a ridiculed prophet? In a bizarre revelation, God…

9 months ago
  • 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16

2 Chronicles 16 - There is so much in this chapter that is personal and meaningful for me. As someone…

9 months ago
  • 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13

2 Chronicles 13 - After reading this chapter, I am reminded of a common situation we have all encountered. It's…

9 months ago
  • 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11

2 Chronicles 11 - I hate to be pessimistic, but here in Chapter 11, we have bad going to worse.…

9 months ago
  • 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5

2 Chronicles 5 - There are moments when God shows up in a mighty way and we are simply called…

9 months ago
  • 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3

2 Chronicles 3 - The effort and detail Solomon and his people put into the newly constructed temple was simply…

9 months ago
  • 1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29

1 Chronicles 29 - 1 Chronicles 29:25 GNB The LORD made the whole nation stand in awe of Solomon, and…

9 months ago
  • 1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28

1 Chronicles 28 - Loyalty of heart. I once had a pastor give me advice on how to preach a…

9 months ago
  • 1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24

1 Chronicles 24 - There is a fine line between structure and freedom in the Spirit. This chapter speaks to…

10 months ago
  • 1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21

1 Chronicles 21 - To David's credit, he takes responsibility for the error in judgment. He even asks God to…

10 months ago
  • Isaiah

Isaiah 66

Isaiah 66 - As the book of Isaiah comes to a close, I am drawn to the writings of F.F.…

10 months ago
  • Isaiah

Isaiah 65

Isaiah 65 - God has made Himself available. He is standing with arms outstretched ready to help His people. God…

10 months ago
  • Isaiah

Isaiah 55

Isaiah 55 - Faith in Jesus without a life filled with Jesus' attitude and behavior is no life of faith…

11 months ago
  • Isaiah

Isaiah 43

Isaiah 43 - Should we forget the past or remember it? This is a troubling question. On the surface, it…

11 months ago
  • Isaiah

Isaiah 42

Isaiah 42 - God is the only Savior. His creation will bring glory to Him alone and it will not…

11 months ago
  • Isaiah

Isaiah 38

Isaiah 38 - Let's review what's happened thus far and what will happen in the future. Assyria has built the…

11 months ago
  • Isaiah

Isaiah 29

Isaiah 29 - I can remember times in my life when I was simply neglecting the spiritual wisdom of God.…

12 months ago
  • Isaiah

Isaiah 17

Isaiah 17 - Mount Hermon was a massive ridge north of Damascus After focusing on the nations to the south,…

12 months ago
  • Isaiah

Isaiah 14

Isaiah 14 - There are some deep theological principles at work in this chapter. There is also some controversy as…

1 year ago
  • Isaiah

Isaiah 11

Isaiah 11 - There is a good point here to be made about the wrath of God. Many skeptics are…

1 year ago
  • Isaiah

Isaiah 3

Isaiah 3 - Strong Christian leadership is important. Most likely during the time that Isaiah was writing this, the readers…

1 year ago
  • Colossians

Colossians 4

Colossians 4 - A very practical and important set of instructions are given here by Paul on how we should…

1 year ago
  • Philippians

Philippians 4

Philippians 4 - As I introduced in my commentary on Philippians 1, we read in Chapter 4 that this church…

1 year ago
  • Philippians

Philippians 1

Philippians 1 - He who began a good work... Paul qualifies the promise of God completing a good work with…

1 year ago
  • Ephesians

Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5 - For this reason, it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on…

1 year ago
  • Ephesians

Ephesians 3

Ephesians 3 - It's one of my favorite prayers in Scripture. Ephesians 3:14-21. Once you really see and experience how…

1 year ago
  • Exodus

Exodus 38

Exodus 38 - The values are given here for the exact weight of the gold, silver and bronze used in…

1 year ago
  • Exodus

Exodus 37

Exodus 37 - Let's take a moment to briefly summarize what makes this chapter so fruitful. We have the Holy…

1 year ago
  • Exodus

Exodus 36

Exodus 36 - Can you believe it? I don't recall very many stories in the Bible where a cheerful giver…

1 year ago
  • Exodus

Exodus 35

Exodus 35 - Think upon the skills that were required of a master craftsman. Obviously, the person would be gifted…

1 year ago
  • Exodus

Exodus 25

Exodus 25 - The ark, and later the tabernacle, would be constructed from the wood of the acacia tree. It…

1 year ago
  • Exodus

Exodus 17

Exodus 17 - The team was assembled and ready to go! Joshua would lead the army into battle. This is…

1 year ago
  • 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1

1 Thessalonians 1 - In the opening verses of this letter, we read Paul's words which seem to indicate he…

1 year ago
  • Job

Job 30

Job 30 - Which is more agonizing for Job - the suffering he is currently enduring or the exasperation of…

1 year ago
  • Job

Job 24

Job 24 - Job continues on his theme of questioning why the wicked get away with so much. To the…

1 year ago
  • Job

Job 13

Job 13 - If it's true that the enduring attitude of a believer is a great threat to everything the…

1 year ago
  • Ezra

Ezra 8

Ezra 8 - This trek consisted of over 900 miles on foot. But also consider that there would have been…

1 year ago
  • Ezra

Ezra 6

Ezra 6 - The people trusted God they were delivered from the threat to their temple. God knew exactly where…

1 year ago
  • Matthew

Matthew 26

Matthew 26 - Judas Iscariot is an interesting person to study. There are so many questions that center around his…

2 years ago
  • Matthew

Matthew 19

Matthew 19 - The topic of divorce was a hot-button issue back in Jesus' time, and it remains the same…

2 years ago
  • Matthew

Matthew 15

Matthew 15 - It's the worst feeling that any human can experience in this life. It's the realization that I…

2 years ago
  • Proverbs

Proverbs 28

Proverbs 28 - "The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find…

2 years ago
  • Proverbs

Proverbs 26

Proverbs 26 - I'm going to analyze verse 4 in comparison to verse 5. Here are both of the verses…

2 years ago
  • Proverbs

Proverbs 19

Proverbs 19 - If you are like me then you might have read this chapter and become uncomfortable with a…

2 years ago