1 Chronicles 10 – For 9 chapters we have read of Israel’s genealogy from creation all the way through the Exile which took the rebellious people into…
hope
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1 Chronicles 1 – The Workman clan descends upon Columbia City once a year. As many who can make it, New Year’s Day has been set aside…
Ruth 3 – The blending of lives is a beautiful thing. We probably don’t think about that much with the relationships we hold. But all…
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…
Isaiah 62 – “Holy people. Redeemed. Sought out. Not forsaken. A relational God uses relational language for His…
Isaiah 61 – It is such an interesting chapter. In Luke 4, Jesus reads the first two verses of Isaiah 61 in the synagogue…
Isaiah 60 – This begins a new section that looks ahead Christ’s Kingdom and rule. Remember, Isaiah was a prophet in the…
Isaiah 59 – Sin is offensive. There, I said it. We are so good at relegating our sins to the back burner of thought. We insanely justify behavior that…
Isaiah 54 – Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Try and suck all the sweetness that you can out of this chapter while we read it. The personal application of a promise…
Isaiah 52 – Awake from your slumber and believe! Awake from the sleepiness that has taken over your ways and thoughts and live in victory. Within this profound and…
Isaiah 50 – Courage. Imagery of a courageous person comes often times in scenes of battle. We think of a warrior who is on the battlefield moving forward against…
Isaiah 49 – His words were like a sharp arrow ready to pierce the heart. Israel would be his servant and he would be their master. But something was…
Isaiah 47 – We have heard and have spoken even that God is the God of the past, the present and the future. It’s a tremendous statement that can…
Isaiah 44 – We stand in the barren wilderness. The ground cracked and dried, our parched throats cry for water. Looking every direction there is nothing on the horizon….
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 41 – The mercy of God is undeserved and unreal. There is no way any of us should receive the extended hand of His grace, reaching…
Isaiah 40 – This life is a fleeting experience compared to the life of eternity that awaits. Sometimes we get so caught up in the mundane…
Isaiah 37 – “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 The Assyrian field commander’s words sent shock waves throughout the people…
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 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 26 – Difficulties and turmoil bombard us from time to time. We struggle with physical illness. We have broken relationships that tear us apart. We wrestle with our…
Isaiah 25 – Following a chapter on the destruction and judgment of God, we read a deeply personal appeal to His faithfulness. It almost…
Isaiah 24 – It’s known as Isaiah’s Apocalypse. For the following 4 chapters he is given words from God about the judgment of the entire world. This chapter is…
Isaiah 21 – A shared truth sticks out over the past few chapters of Isaiah. All the main players surrounding Judah (Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, and Ethiopia) are under…
Isaiah 20 – Many years ago while in Cyprus a friend of mine told a story how God asked him to do something which seemed illogical. He was back…
Isaiah 16 – We’ve all witnessed it. Maybe we ourselves did the same. God began putting a finger on some area of our life, revealing our…
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 6 – It was a life changing vision. An encounter with the Holy God that changed the complete trajectory of Isaiah’s life. The vision revealed the greatness…
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…
Isaiah 2 – We long for days when there are no more wars. It seems everyday there are headlines stating a war or faction or uprising that is affecting…
Isaiah 1 – He is known as the greatest prophet. Raised in an aristocratic home he was married to a prophetess. When he first started off he was well…
Colossians 3 – We are walking miracles. God has taken the dead and raised them to life. Through Jesus Christ, the grave clothes that wrapped us so tightly are…
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…
Ephesians 4 – There is a deep calling on each of our lives. We who are representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ have a mission. This mission does not…
Ephesians 2 – Identity. The dictionary defines identity as the sameness of essential or generic character in different instances; a distinguishing character or personality…
Ephesians 1 – Paul wrote a letter. It was not to confront the church on issues, but to encourage. The church was born the day of Pentecost when the…
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…
Galatians 4 – I admit that sometimes I get so caught up in my own wants and needs that I miss the bigger picture. We all tend to gravitate…
Galatians 1 – Freedom. Across this globe, there is a longing for freedom from tyranny. There is a desire to be free from the underbelly of sex trafficking. There…
Exodus 34 – Moses had asked to see the glory of God and here we see further aspects of just that. Many times we consider the glory…
Exodus 31 – Hebrew tradition Rabbinical literature states he was only 13 years old when he completed his task. But it would be by this age he…
Exodus 28 – God had tremendous instructions for the people as to how they were to worship Him. This was detailed all the way down to what…
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…
Exodus 15 – “The Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. The Lord is a warrior. The Lord is His name.” -…
Exodus 13 – We want to get from here to there in the least amount of time possible. We’re wired that way I think, or at least…
Exodus 6 – There are many times God calls us to a task far greater than we believe can be accomplished. Just think of the prayers you…
Exodus 5 – To get a better idea of how daring the entire request Moses made to Pharaoh was, it’s important to understand the thinking and theology of…
Exodus 4 – Sometimes God calls us back to the very places we have fled or even were delivered from. Now, hear me out on this. We…
Exodus 2 – Even in the highest oppression, God has a plan. Hang on to that thought if you are currently struggling and questioning what is transpiring. …
Judges 6 – The pattern continues. “Again Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord…” Once again they would need to hit rock bottom before they would cry…
Judges 5 – Leadership is a gift. Wise leadership can be rare. The role of leadership within any sphere of life is important. When leadership is undertaking the work…
2 Thessalonians 2 – Lawlessness – contrary or without regard for the law; unruly, unrestrained. The word is found in both the Old and New Testament but…
1 Thessalonians 3 – When Paul left Thessalonica there was a mid stop in Berea until trouble broke out. He ended up going to Athens leaving Silas…
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…
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…
1 John 3 – My goodness, this chapter is chock full of so many incredible truths. Statement after statement rings out about the love of God through…
1 John 1 – He had walked with Him. He was known as the ‘one Jesus loved’. A part of the inner circle of 3, John was…
Job 42 – We live in a fallen world.Believers andunbelievers are both inundated with the consequences of sin. Our God is not indifferent;Hes not uncaring…
Job 41 – Job 40 spoke of a Behemoth. A large unusual animal that does not exist today. The discussion on this animal is wide ranging as to what…
Job 40 – Weve probably all done it. Things didnt go well. We didnt get our way. We lost the promotion. The sickness led to death. Finances turned downward….
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 35 – Paul and Silas sat in the heart of the dark damp prison. They had arrived at Philippi and immediately gone to the river to meet with…
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 29 – In remembrance of days gone by, Job revisits how life used to be. These were the glory days for him. From his words, it appears he…
Job 22 – The third and final round begins between Job and his friends. The first cycle his friends spoke in generalities, without making their doctrine specifically to Job…
Job 19 – In ancient Israel, one who was called a redeemer was family member who bought and paid for a slaves freedom. As read in the book of…
Job 18 – “Death where is your sting?” – 1 Corinthians 15:55 Hes been called the Grim Reaper, the Angel of Death – An image even of foreboding being…
Job 17 – When we are in crisis, when it seems everything weve built our hopes upon tumble, its hard to keep the right perspective. These moments show up…
Job 14 – I remember sitting at a conference in a large stadium. The speaker at one point said to imagine a long wire stretched from one end of…
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…
Job 9 – Back in college I used to have a roommate who told me when he was frustrated with God, would cuss Him out. Yes, you read that…
Job 8 – Bildad, Jobs second friend now speaks. Talk about a windbag. Hes blunt, unsympathetic, and has made up his mind as to why Job suffers. With friends…
Job 7 – There is a strange phenomenon the older you get. It feels like time flies faster than it ever did. Like, its crazy actually. Years at times…
Job 6 – Eliphazs advice was as filling as the whites of an egg. Tasteless and devoid of flavor, his words certainly did not give him any strength. Almost…
Job 3 – Theres a childrens rhyme put to song that says: O be careful little eyes what you see O be careful little eyes what you see Theres…
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 20 – God had preplanned many things and instructed Moses as to how the government of this new nation of Israel should function. One of these was the…
Joshua 15 – As the allotment of the land for Judah takes place, Caleb makes another appearance. Be it ever so brief we read of his brother Othniel. After…
Joshua 13 – “Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the…
Joshua 6 – The Canaanites considered Jericho invincible. Built thousands of years before Joshua, it was one of the oldest cities of the world and a fortress. The walls…
Joshua 4 – It almost seems like a pause. The entire nation of Israel had crossed over the Jordan River and didn’t move any further. There was an act…
Matthew 28 – “He is risen!” These are 3 words that have changed the very outlook and trajectory of all humankind. These 3 words are the key…
Matthew 27 – Four miraculous events took place at Jesus’ death. Darkness came upon the land. The curtain in the temple was torn in two. …
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 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 4 – After Jesus’ 40 days in the desert with the temptations of Satan playing on every aspect of His calling and life; mocking who He…
Matthew 3 – John the Baptist was one unique guy. Today we would say strange on many fronts. From his odd clothing to the wild look he…
Matthew 1 – There is reason Matthew is placed as the first of the 4 Gospels. First, among the early church, it was known as the most…
Proverbs 30 – There is nothing known of this author Agur who writes these parables. What is clear though he admits he is nothing without the hand of God…
Proverbs 23 – The warning is clear: Do not envy those who seemingly have it better than us. It’s an easy thing to do, isn’t? We get caught up…
Proverbs 20 – Sometimes we have to pick our battles. So often within our relationships we have to weigh in if it is the right time to speak or…
Proverbs 17 – “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts.”– Proverbs 17:3 To purify gold and silver it takes an…
Proverbs 11 – “When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, and the hope of strong men perishes. The righteous is delivered from trouble, but the wicked takes…