Lamentations 4 – With graphic detail, Jeremiah describes all the ways in which his people suffered during the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem. Those who survived the siege lived under horrific suffering. It was so bad, that women …
harvest
42 posts
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 23 – There are several of these celebrations that were brought into modern-day by Christianity. Passover = Good Friday. Unleavened Bread = Easter. And finally, the Festival of the Weeks = Pentecost. Most of us know …
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 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 2 – “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13 NASB This is what …
1 Chronicles 20 – “In the spring of the year…” Great military conquests were routinely conducted in the springtime. Most often, it would be late spring, when the rains had subsided and the dry warmth of summer …
Ephesians 6 – It all begins with Psalm 82:1. God presides in the heavenly council; in the assembly of the gods he gives his decision: Psalms 82:1 GNB That word gods is translated from the Hebrew word …
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 …
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 9 – Interestingly, as Matthew writes his account of his own selection as a disciple, he chooses to use his new name, Matthew, instead of his old name, Levi. As Levi, he was a tax collector, …
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 6 – Satisfaction comes when we do what we ought to do. Taking care of our responsibilities and prioritizing those responsibilities in light of God’s Word brings purpose. Proverbs 6 encourages us to take our cues …
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 5 – There are times when God uses circumstances to demolish the false gods that we all cling to. Initially, we tend to make excuses and stick with the status quo. This is especially true …
2 Kings 12 – He is another leader in Scripture who started off so well but failed to finish. Joash had simply stopped trusting God. He did well when he was being mentored, but he never came …
1 Kings 8 – We really cannot understand the massive celebration that took place here until we look deep into the context. It seems that Solomon delayed the dedication of the temple (11 months) to take place …
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 4 – Jesus told him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” John 4:48 HCSB Jesus used signs and wonders as a tool to lead people into faith. Later in His ministry, …
Nehemiah 13 – So, remember that guy Tobiah? Back in Nehemiah 6 he was one of Israel’s enemies who formulated a smear campaign against Nehemiah to stop the construction of the walls. Now we read that while …
Nehemiah 12 – A few years ago a woman in town asked Hank and I to come over and cleanse her apartment. Not knowing exactly what we were dealing with, we agreed. Come to find out, she …
Haggai 1 – We just finished studying Zephaniah who warned of God’s future judgment on Judah, and as predicted, they were carried off to captivity by Babylon. That bondage lasted 70 years until Babylon was conquered by …
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 …
2 Corinthians 9 – Paul sarcastically (playfully) urges the Corinthians toward giving in verses 1-5. He mentions that they will be put to shame if he sends someone to collect their offering and they are unprepared. Paul …
Psalm 98 – Do we actually praise and worship God for His judgment? Let the sea and all that fills it, the world and those who live in it, resound. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; …
Psalm 94 – O LORD, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth! 2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth, Render recompense to the proud. Psalms 94:1-2 NASB The appeal to God to exercise His vengeance …
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 65 – “How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You To dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple.” Psalms 65:4 NASB …
Psalm 28 – What does it mean to trust in the Rock of our Salvation? David uses the phrase “My Rock” in verse 1. The term can also mean ‘strong tower’ or ‘refuge.’ So, what does it …
Mark 12 – Total sacrifice. Do we understand it? Do we live it? Jesus pulls his disciples aside to highlight the faith of the poor widow. In this story, the NASB translation reads… A poor widow came …
Mark 11 – The Pharisees were reeling. Jesus had just cleansed the Temple and done it with supreme authority. Aside from that one event, however, they were most likely trying to figure out who this man really …
Mark 4 – The Purpose of the Parables By utilizing parables as His primary vehicle for delivering “the secrets of the kingdom,” Jesus was assured more time to invest in those who were seeking. There’s no doubt …
Deuteronomy 26 – Once again we enter into an Old Testament story which has significant implications for how we understand events documented in the New Testament. “Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the …
Deuteronomy 25 – “Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain.” Deuteronomy 25:4 GNB On the surface, this seems like a straightforward passage. In that time, an ox would break the grain …
Deuteronomy 16 – Favoritism. Bribes. Bias. Corruption. Does this not describe our current political climate? God gave specific laws regarding the judges that He Himself would appoint for Israel. First, there would be impartiality. Everyone would be …
Luke 12 – “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! Luke 12:49 NASB Jesus would send fire upon in the Earth in a few ways. First, He …
Luke 8 Commentary by Brad Boyles Starting in verse 26 we see an amazing story of casting out a legion of demons. The demons know who Jesus is, and are frightened by Him. And Jesus asked him, “What is your …
Song of Solomon 8 Commentary by Brad Boyles As Hank has written, this chapter is the 1 Corinthians 13 of the Old Testament. In these verses, we find four essential qualities of love. It is unstoppable and inevitable within a …