In Judges 6, the Israelites once again sinned against the Lord and were oppressed by the Midianites for seven years.…
Joshua 11 - Let's set the backdrop. Joshua has just led Israel in defeating the cities in the south. News…
Joshua 5 - There was a series of events that the Lord required of Joshua prior to conquering Jericho. Joshua…
Ezekiel 14 - After introducing His hand of judgment, God reveals four ways in which He will punish the rebellious…
Ezekiel 12 - "Son of man, what is this proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, 'The…
Acts 27 - It's interesting to me that Paul could have fallen by the wayside so many times in his…
Acts 18 - Corinth had a bad reputation for being a city chock full of immorality. It was known as…
Acts 11 - Unfortunately, the attitude that Peter experiences here in Acts 11 is all too common in our church…
Acts 3 - The miraculous signs and wonders led to opportunities to authenticate the message of the Gospel. Peter did…
Leviticus 22 - As do many of the chapters in Leviticus, there is a background painted in order to better…
Revelation 9 - The 5th Trumpet The 5th trumpet releases a key to open the abyss. Many scholars believe this…
Revelation 2 - Although these letters are addressed to specific congregations in the first century, I believe they are representative…
Jeremiah 23 - In this chapter, we see God really target the people in positions of leadership among the Jews.…
Jeremiah 1 - When my wife and I first moved into our house, we immediately fell in love with the…
2 Chronicles 33 - Sometimes it has to hurt in order to draw genuine Godly repentance. It's not a concept…
2 Chronicles 20 - Did God command his people to go into battle singing? I read this over and over…
2 Chronicles 19 - Jehoshaphat was a spiritual leader. Other than David or Solomon, he restored the nation to a…
2 Chronicles 14 - The attack that comes upon Israel is from the Ethiopians but that is deceiving. During this…
1 Chronicles 22 - Though David served Israel in many ways, his primary role was as a military leader. He…
Isaiah 51 - In verse 9 of this chapter the writer appears to believe that the Lord is asleep. Awake,…
Isaiah 27 - This chapter, as a whole, is about the destruction of Israel's enemies. The smaller story line, however,…
Philippians 2 - Paul's opening in Philippians 2 follows a delicate and precise structure. He opens with "Therefore" and unfortunately…
Ephesians 6 - It all begins with Psalm 82:1. God presides in the heavenly council; in the assembly of the…
Ephesians 1 - The readers of this letter in Paul's day would have received a rolled up scroll that required…
Exodus 40 - The glory of God came down and dwelled in the constructed tent. Previously, when God came near…
Exodus 36 - Can you believe it? I don't recall very many stories in the Bible where a cheerful giver…
Exodus 33 - Perseverance. Can you imagine being Moses? On one hand, he is a spiritual leader for these obstinate…
Exodus 17 - The team was assembled and ready to go! Joshua would lead the army into battle. This is…
Exodus 14 - Like the Canaanites, ancient Israel thought of the sea as an uncontrollable beast. At creation the Lord…
Exodus 9 - Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail. Exodus…
2 Thessalonians 2 - In case you haven't grasped by now, the Thessalonians were deeply concerned with future events. It's…
1 Thessalonians 2 - Paul covers a broad range of topics in this chapter. He starts with defending, and moves…
Job 42 - Without... Without knowing answers to all of his deepest questions, Job bowed his knee in humility to…
Job 41 - It is the mystery of the Leviathan... No beast, terrestrial or aquatic, deserves the high character here…
Job 40 - Consider Job's humility in this chapter. Consider that he takes up none of the words with God…
Job 39 - Many times it's true that our expectations of God are outmatched by His unfolding plan. I can't…
Job 38 - After all of Job's questions, and his friends weighing in, God answers their questions with some questions…
Job 37 - We experience and come to know God through Scripture. Another place we come to know Him is…
Job 36 - God is the most patient, relentless, and loving Father we will ever encounter. Unfortunately, many people of…
Job 35 - This is arguably Elihu's harshest language against Job. It is a message of condemnation with truth mixed…
Job 34 - Elihu uses some quotes from Job to reiterate that God can do no wrong. Specifically, he uses…
Job 33 - As I read Elihu speak, I feel the tension of two different angles. On one hand, Elihu…
Job 32 - Elihu may have been younger, but he had the genealogy going for him. But the anger of…
Job 31 - The tenderness of Job's heart comes through in this chapter. He is certain that even if he…
Job 30 - Which is more agonizing for Job - the suffering he is currently enduring or the exasperation of…
Job 29 - What does it mean to reflect on the former times? We've all heard people talk about the…
Job 28 - Whatever time period Job was written, it's clear that the author was familiar with mining expeditions. The…
Job 27 - Have you ever just unloaded your heart out of both sides of your mouth? On one hand,…
Job 26 - I remember a story one time where I was in a counseling session with a pastor. We…
Job 25 - Well, there is not much here that we haven't already heard. Bildad sums up with "God is…
Job 24 - Job continues on his theme of questioning why the wicked get away with so much. To the…
Job 23 - I want to follow-up from yesterday's thoughts and continue in the same direction. I was intrigued by…
Job 22 - When we do not pay attention to the needs before us, true care can turn to condemnation.…
Job 21 - Job thoroughly rejects the doctrine of retribution and he draws from common knowledge to do so. Throughout…
Job 20 - The cruel misjudgment of man stems from an ignorant and arrogant attitude. I've written this many times…
Job 19 - The most magnificent phrase in this chapter shines in verses 25-26. It is so surprising and unexpected.…
Job 18 - The dating of this time period would have meant that Job and his friends were highly influenced…
Job 17 - Job is pretty depressed here in Chapter 17. He reiterates that he expected his friends to support…
Job 16 - This is Job's fourth response. He makes it clear that if he was in their position he…
Job 15 - Eliphaz brings a load of sarcasm to this chapter. He claims that his understanding of Scripture and…
Job 14 - Be quiet and give me a chance to speak, and let the results be what they will.…
Job 13 - If it's true that the enduring attitude of a believer is a great threat to everything the…
Job 12 - Job comes out with some bold truth in addressing his friends. He seeks to point out that…
Job 11 - I think Zophar is right on one thing; he understands the wisdom of God. It actually feels…
Job 10 - Job's attitude takes a turn in this chapter. When I read these passages I picture a courtroom…
Job 9 - The description of God's power in verses 5-9 is breathtaking. I like the HCSB version... God is…
Job 8 - As the New International Commentary states, "Bildad is a champion of 'old-time' religion." God's ways are right.…
Job 7 - Job now turns his attention to God. He is fully convinced that he will die soon, and…
Job 6 - Here are some points we can draw from Job's response in chapter 6: Job is under tremendous…
Job 5 - Eliphaz continues his speech in chapter 5. I am struck with similar thoughts from his words in…
Job 4 - There is a difference between theology and common sense. I know that the word 'theology' sounds like…
Job 3 - In this chapter, we see the pendulam swing completely in the opposite direction from where it began.…
Job 2 - There are a few differing thoughts that we naturally progress through as we read the story unfold…
Job 1 - The entire book of Job explores tough themes and deep theological questions. Namely, it seeks to answer…
Ezra 7 - There is an old tradition that claims that Ezra had the law memorized and only needed to…
Ezra 6 - The people trusted God they were delivered from the threat to their temple. God knew exactly where…
Matthew 13 - Here in Matthew 13, there are so many great parables it is hard to just reflect on…
Matthew 10 - Jesus' selections were complete. Among his disciples were some strange picks by human standards. Among those chosen…
Matthew 7 - Judge not so you will not be judged. What was Jesus getting at here? This is a…
Matthew 2 - Remarkably, the calendar we all depend on was originally created around Jesus' birth. Medieval creators tried to…
Proverbs 31 - Proverbs 31 is a famous chapter describing a virtuous woman of God. Many of us have heard…
Proverbs 27 - "As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person. 20 Sheol and Abaddon are never…
1 Peter 5 - Peter is following up on his previous chapter on suffering. It's no surprise that in order…
1 Peter 2 - Peter opens with the process of transformation. The true progression of spiritual growth is measured by…
2 Samuel 24 - This account of a census is a puzzling chapter. We wonder today, what could be wrong…
2 Samuel 10 - After David's men were humiliated by the Ammonites, a war was sure to break out. The…
2 Timothy 4 - I have never really noticed this before, but I am struck by Paul's confidence in 2…
Romans 14 - Years ago, I hosted a Bible study with some college guys who were looking to grow in…
2 Kings 18 - A major theme the past several chapters has begged the question - who will step up…
2 Kings 2 - Discipleship 101 Elijah respectfully asked Elisha to stay and leave him alone, but Elisha refused to…
1 Kings 19 - The events in 1 Kings 19 could be known as "The Pastor's Chapter." After the triumphant,…
1 Kings 3 - Incredibly, we see both the pinnacle of Solomon's character as well as a foreshadowing of his…
Genesis 36 - The bullet points of Esau's life were not great. God blessed him and his family, but the…
Genesis 6 - What does the text mean when it says the "sons of God" saw the "daughters of men"…
John 17 - I cannot think of a more powerful prayer in all of Scripture. Through Jesus' words, much is…
John 10 - The entire book of John has drawn us into the reality that Jesus is His own person,…
John 9 - Jesus and the disciples are out for a stroll when suddenly they encounter a blind man. In…
John 6 - Jesus was not going to be defined by the people’s interpretation of who He should be. He…
Esther 4 - "...if I perish, I perish" Don't miss these words. Don't gloss over them. I know maybe you…
Nehemiah 12 - A few years ago a woman in town asked Hank and I to come over and cleanse…