2 Kings 20
2 Kings 20 - Through all of Hezekiah's successes, we finally come to a weakness. It is a strange chapter in which many commentators are divided with their analysis. In this story, God speaks to Hezekiah four ...
2 Kings 14
2 Kings 14 - What I am struck by in this 14th chapter of 2 Kings is just how much of an impact a single generation can have on all the generations that follow. Take these verses, ...
1 Kings 16
1 Kings 16 - As we see many other places in Scripture, the sins of Jeroboam had a lasting effect on his family line. It was a brutal time for Israel. King Ahab would rise to capture ...
Genesis 44
Genesis 44 - Judah goes from schemer to savior. He goes from loving himself to understanding pure, unconditional love. He was the first to suggest selling Joseph years before but now he is the first to offer ...
James 1
James 1 - There are so many believers I talk with who tell me that their favorite book is James. It makes sense. The book structure is written with direct language and plain explanations. James comes across ...
John 21
John 21 - Even after His resurrection, Jesus was still teaching His disciples. Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No." 6 He said to them, "Cast the net on the ...
John 20
John 20 - The empty tomb (Matt 28; Mark 16; Luke 24) is the most contested event by skeptics of Jesus’ death and resurrection. This is because if a skeptic concedes that the tomb was indeed empty, ...
John 19
John 19 - One of the unique aspects of John's Gospel is the theme of Jesus as the Lamb of God. All the way back in John 1, we read about John the Baptist declaring “Look! The ...
John 18
John 18 - "While human politics is based on the premise that society must be changed in order to change people, in the politics of the Kingdom it is people who must be changed in order to ...
John 17
John 17 - I cannot think of a more powerful prayer in all of Scripture. Through Jesus' words, much is revealed. Eternal life = knowing Jesus Christ and the one true God (John 17:3) Glorification on Earth ...
John 16
John 16 - They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 They will do these things because they ...
John 15
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 14
John 14 - Sometimes theology can overcomplicate the simple words of Jesus. In John 14, Jesus plainly states exactly what He requires from His followers. Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it You're going ...
John 13
John 13 - John would have known the story well. He (the disciple whom Jesus loved) was reclining against Jesus when it all unfolded, so this firsthand account is most likely as accurate a picture as we ...
John 12
John 12 - Here in John 12, we are once again drawn to how Jesus' words and actions were in complete obedience to God and how He functioned as an extension of His Father in Heaven. We ...
John 11
John 11 - So much irony! The reasoning of the religious leaders is astounding. "Let's kill the man who is actively doing mighty works in the Name of God..." "Let's kill the man who has just proven ...
John 10
John 10 - The entire book of John has drawn us into the reality that Jesus is His own person, yet, is one with God. We have also witnessed the Jewish leaders trying to catch Jesus in ...
John 9
John 9 - Jesus and the disciples are out for a stroll when suddenly they encounter a blind man. In the ancient world, blind people were especially helpless in many ways. They were easily manipulated and exploited. ...
John 8
John 8 - It would not be a stretch to call this the "chapter of traps." After trying to get Jesus to condemn a woman caught in adultery, the Pharisees continue their verbal trickery. I Am The ...
John 7
John 7 - Have you experienced frustration or grief because a close friend or family member has rejected the Gospel? You aren't alone. In John 7, we learn that even Jesus' own family didn't believe in Him. ...
John 6
John 6 - Jesus was not going to be defined by the people’s interpretation of who He should be. He came to do the Father’s will. Out of all the themes of this chapter, this one speaks ...
John 5
John 5 - Bearing witness to yourself is not reliable in court. Jesus didn't need to provide witnesses for His authority, but in His grace, He would. John the Baptist John's lamp testified to Jesus but he ...
John 4
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, ...
John 3
John 3 - If we take a bird's eye view of chapter 3, we find that John is intentional about giving us stories that refute the familiar view of Salvation in ancient times. The Path To Salvation ...
John 2
John 2 - Jesus cleansed the temple twice. The first, recorded here in John 2, was early in His ministry. The second is recorded by the other gospel accounts during passion week. Jews and proselytes from all ...
John 1
John 1 - From the very first verse of the book, it is clear that the focus of John's gospel is Jesus as God. As brain-twisting as that revelation is, it opens up a marvelous new realm ...
Esther 4
Esther 4 - "...if I perish, I perish" Don't miss these words. Don't gloss over them. I know maybe you have read them before when you've studied this story, but take a moment and let that thought ...
Hebrews 11
Hebrews 11 - The Hall of Faith. It is by far the most popular and most quoted chapter of Hebrews. Beautifully, the author articulates the power of faith and how it can completely change both our attitude ...
Hebrews 2
Hebrews 2 - For in bringing many sons to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—all things exist for Him and through Him—should make the source of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 2:10 HCSB It was ...
Malachi 4
Malachi 4 - But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall. Malachi 4:2 HCSB ...
Malachi 3
Malachi 3 - "Because I, Yahweh, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. Malachi 3:6 HCSB Picking up on the truth of God's refining process, we read in verse 6 that He is ...
Malachi 1
Malachi 1 - Malachi's ministry would have overlapped with Nehemiah. The temple had been rebuilt (v. 13), and there was a presiding governor over the nation (v. 8), but the people were struggling with the same sins ...
Zechariah 14
Zechariah 14 - In Philippians, Paul urges the church to "hold onto the truth we have attained." This means as truth is revealed to us, we must continue to move forward and not lose ground with regard ...
Zechariah 13
Zechariah 13 - In order to understand this chapter, we must rewind to the end of Zechariah 12. In the end times, after Jesus has returned, Zechariah predicts a time of mourning where Israel will finally realize ...
Zechariah 12
Zechariah 12 - Zechariah's name means "The Lord Remembers" and in this chapter, we get a striking image of God remembering His Jewish people. Theology is not the most important thing here, but it does determine what ...
Zechariah 9
Zechariah 9 - Before Jesus was Savior, He was King. But He was not a king as you or I know one. Jesus ushered in a different kind of Kingdom. Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, ...
Zechariah 6
Zechariah 6 - The scene here is connected, though it might not seem like it on the surface. In the Bible, divine warfare follows a pattern that was common in the Near East: War-Victory-Kingship-Building-Celebration. Zechariah 6 shows ...
Zechariah 3
Zechariah 3 - Wow! What. A. Scene. Joshua stands before God in rags while Satan accuses him. That image alone is enough for an entire sermon series. The reason Joshua stands in rags is because the vision ...
Zechariah 2
Zechariah 2 - There is so much we could unpack in this short chapter of only 13 verses. It is rich with symbolism and prophecy. But I want to draw your focus to one section that stuck ...
Zephaniah 2
Zephaniah 2 - Urgency. Do you sense it? Are you living it? There are two massive truth bombs that come from this chapter. The first is that God will repay all evil done against Him outside of ...
Nahum 2
Nahum 2 - Micah's choice of wording is not random. He sarcastically refers to the nation of Nineveh as lions in verses 11 and 12. "Archeologists have found a carving from a palace showing an Assyrian king ...
Haggai 2
Haggai 2 - The main event of Haggai is the rebuilding of the temple, however, there are other several other storylines that run alongside this narrative. One such example is verse 13 where Haggai offers two opposing ...
Jonah 1
Jonah 1 - Nineveh was both a great and wicked city. It was the capital of the Assyrian Empire and the Assyrians had a reputation for being extremely cruel. It was quite possibly the largest city in ...
Hosea 10
Hosea 10 - Their hearts were faithless, devious, and deceitful. The KJV and Jewish Bible translate verse 2 using a different word. Their heart is divided; now they will bear their guilt. He will break down their ...
Daniel 11
Daniel 11 - Daniel 11 contains some of the most specifically accurate prophecies in the entire Bible. Critics have often wondered if this chapter was written after the historical events took place because it is so deadly ...
Daniel 8
Daniel 8 - This chapter is one of the most controversial and heavily debated chapters in all the Bible. However, there is still solid truth we can take away. First, we must realize that even the interpreter ...
Daniel 7
Daniel 7 - The prophetic part of Daniel starts here with Chapter 7. It is unlikely that we can know exactly what is being talked about here, or even the timing of these events. Scholars have differed ...
Daniel 1
Daniel 1 - There is some speculation (as there is with many books of the Bible) as to who actually wrote the book of Daniel. So, let's first dispel this myth that Daniel might not have written ...
2 Corinthians 11
2 Corinthians 11 - "A story is told about a dinner party where the guests were expected to stand after the meal and recite something for the group. A famous actor was present, and he recited the ...
2 Corinthians 10
2 Corinthians 10 - Most likely, Paul was dealing with a false teacher or many false teachers who had infiltrated the Corinthian church and discredited his ministry and teaching. He pivots here in chapter 10 to bring ...
2 Corinthians 5
2 Corinthians 5 - When Jesus took the form of a man, He stepped down from Heaven and entered into a finite, flawed human body. It was a heart and mind just like ours. He dealt with ...
2 Corinthians 4
2 Corinthians 4 - Why jars of clay? "The Greek word means "baked clay," and refers to clay pots. They were cheap, breakable, and replaceable, but they served necessary household functions. Sometimes they were used as a ...
1 Corinthians 13
1 Corinthians 13 - The Greeks had four different words to describe love. 'Eros' described erotic love. It was the word used to describe sexual love. 'Storge' referred to family love. It described the love between father ...
1 Corinthians 7
1 Corinthians 7 - It is important to first understand that Paul is not dealing with a full theology of marriage in this chapter. He is answering specific questions the Corinthians had asked him. We know this ...
1 Corinthians 6
1 Corinthians 6 - Paul's had some specific issues with the Corinthians in regard to legal matters. First and foremost, the disputes in question were between two believers. Paul is working under the assumption that Jesus has ...
Psalm 146
Psalm 146 - Psalms 146:3 NASB Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. Dr. A.C. Gaebelein describes his conversation with an Orthodox Jew who interpreted this passage incorrectly. “He stated ...
Psalm 133
Psalm 133 - Through Jesus, the Holy Spirit has been poured out over us. Like a priest who would be anointed by a fine oil, we as believers have been abundantly blessed by the Holy Spirit. This ...
Psalm 126
Psalm 126 - Dr. J. Vernon McGee writes... "The Psalms are full of Christ. There is a more complete picture of Him in the Psalms than in the Gospels. The Gospels tell us that He went to ...
Psalm 124
Psalm 124 - The storms that God allows only further serves to reveal His power and glory within. When we are faced with opposition, we clench tightly to the anchor that we know and trust. In those ...
Psalm 117
Psalm 117 - Although short, this psalm packs a heavy punch. God calls all people to worship Him. The calling of the Gentiles (all people other than Jews) was in the plan of God from the beginning. ...
Psalm 108
Psalm 108 - Moab is My washbasin; I throw My sandal on Edom. I shout in triumph over Philistia." Psalms 108:9 HCSB "Picture Edom in rebellion against Yahweh and his people. Picture them mustering thousands and thousands ...
Psalm 106
Psalm 106 - What is risk? It is a decision to act in a way that opens us to danger, hurt, or uncertainty. Every day we take risks. Today, you have a 1 in 70 chance of ...
Psalm 101
Psalm 101 - "I will pay attention to the way of integrity. When will You come to me? I will live with a heart of integrity in my house." Psalms 101:2 HCSB Christians are often singled out ...
Psalm 97
Psalm 97 - When we look back at Scripture, we see just how holy God really is. Anyone who came into the fullness of God (or Jesus in His heavenly form) were overwhelmed beyond comprehension. Wrestling With ...
Psalm 92
Psalm 92 - The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the LORD, They will flourish in the courts of our God. ...
Psalm 82
Psalm 82 - Psalm 81 is one of those chapters that is difficult to understand without digging deeper into the context. At a glance, it may seem confusing that God refers to magistrates, judges, and other people ...
Psalm 72
Psalm 72 - Psalm 72 is considered a royal psalm and coronation hymn. It presents the job description of the King in song form. Modern-day readers are tempted to gloss over the details and view the writing ...
Psalm 66
Psalm 66 - The end of Psalm 66 highlights various ways in which we are to walk out the mercy of God in our lives. All of us who have believed have received grace from the Father ...
Psalm 59
Psalm 59 - Twice in the first two verses, David cried out for God to deliver him. In verse 2, he cries out for God to save him. Deliver me from those who do iniquity And save ...
Psalm 44
Psalm 44 - Following God wholeheartedly is a practical act of cooperation (our response) and faith (assurance of God's love). When we teeter too far to one side or the other, we fall short and end up ...
Psalm 43
Psalm 43 - What hurts more than the abandonment and rejection of our peers? It's the feeling we have been rejected by God. Is this true? Does God reject us? For You are the God of my ...
Psalm 41
Psalm 41 - The timeless and inspired Word of God never ceases to amaze us. It has the ability to speak to the situation in context while also providing truth for generations to come. We see this ...
Psalm 23
Psalm 23 - Psalm 23 is known as the shepherd's psalm. Composed by David as a youth, he was keeping sheep when Samuel came to his father's house to find the king which God had chosen to ...
Psalm 22
Psalm 22 - "I know not whether any Psalm throughout the whole book contains matter more weighty, or from which the hearts of the godly can so truly perceive those sighs and groans, inexpressible by man, which ...
Psalm 21
Psalm 21 - There is a theme of kingship within this psalm. It's likely it was originally composed for recital during the ceremony of enthronement for a king. In his commentary titled "Psalms," James Luther Mays writes, ...
Psalm 13
Psalm 13 - This psalm is general enough to speak to anyone going through a crisis but specific enough to contain the primary elements of a prayer for help. It is a solid illustration of how we ...
Psalm 6
Psalm 6 - This is the first of the Penitential Psalms. Most believe this piece would have begun with a wail and finished as a song. Speaking of... have you ever wailed before God? Can you relate ...
Psalm 2
Psalm 2 - This royal psalm was a familiar one, as it was recited often by God's followers. We read of two instances in the book of Acts where this Psalm is quoted. The one I want ...
Mark 16
Mark 16 - The Great Commission is important. So important, in fact, that we find it 5 times in the NT. It's found here in Mark 16, as well as Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20 and ...
Mark 15
Mark 15 - More than 1/3 of Mark's narrative is focused on passion week. He includes many details that other Gospel accounts do not. For instance, Matthew's Gospel reveals that Barabbas is a "notorious" criminal but Mark ...
Mark 14
Mark 14 - In Mark 14, Jesus sat down with his disciples during the Last Supper and broke the bread saying "This is my body." He poured the wine saying "This is my blood." Essentially, He was ...
Mark 13
Mark 13 - No one knows the day or hour. This is a familiar passage, yet, there is one question that I've always wondered. If Jesus was both God and man, then why didn't He know the ...
Mark 11
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 9
Mark 9 - We all know the greatest commandment according to Jesus. Here's a refresher... "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ...
Mark 8
Mark 8 - A fascinating quality of Jesus' teaching style was the way in which the geographic location often added to the depth of the teaching. At the end of Mark 8, Jesus takes his disciples to ...
Mark 6
Mark 6 - Have you ever sat down and read Scripture and thought, "I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to live like that? Or how about, "Did Jesus really mean what I think He meant?" ...
Mark 3
Mark 3 - The healings of Jesus are well-documented and factual. Interestingly, the Jews did not dispute the healing power of Jesus, but rather, the source of that power. The Greeks did not dispute the healings either, ...
Mark 1
Mark 1 - It's fascinating to identify the different writing styles of the Gospel authors. Matthew began with genealogy. His mission was to write to the Jews and prove that Jesus was the heir to David's throne. ...
Deuteronomy 31
Deuteronomy 31 - “But was his momentary failure not far too severely punished?" Alexander MacLaren We tend to look at old man Moses and feel sorry for him. The fiery temper that ended the life of an ...
Deuteronomy 30
Deuteronomy 30 - I was drawn specifically to verse 6 of this chapter because it relates closely to the process a believer undergoes within the New Covenant. "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and ...
Deuteronomy 25
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 22
Deuteronomy 22 - Many of these laws seem outdated or inapplicable to our modern culture. Furthermore, one might say that since we are under the New Covenant we are no longer under the Old Testament law. Though ...
Deuteronomy 5
Deuteronomy 5 - False teachers love to cherry-pick verses and twist the context to their liking. A perfect example of this is found in Deuteronomy 5:9. 'You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness ...
Ecclesiastes 7
Ecclesiastes 7 - Even the day of one’s birth is ominous, despite all the hopes and potential in a baby’s birth. Children come into the world uttering the human sound – a scream. “Before ever a child ...
Numbers 33
Numbers 33 - At the end of this chapter, there are six verses that give the Israelites specific instructions on how to take the land. Cross the Jordan into Canaan and drive out all the inhabitants. Destroy ...
Numbers 21
Numbers 21 - Take a moment and think about the times in your life that you've been sorry about something. What was it that ultimately brought you to that moment of humility? Was it just because you ...
Numbers 19
Numbers 19 - It's a tricky task to explain the uncleanliness laws in our modern context. On one hand, being ritually unclean mirrored our fallen sin condition. Being human, we inevitably find ourselves stained with sin and ...
Numbers 8
Numbers 8 - The cleansing of the Levites was an important step in helping the people understand and respond accordingly to God's holiness. The acts described were symbols of spiritual cleansing. For example, shaving their bodies would ...
Numbers 6
Numbers 6 - People are probably surprised to learn that this famous prayer of blessing comes from the book of Numbers. The LORD bless you, and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine on you, ...
Numbers 3
Numbers 3 - We understand the substitutionary atonement of Jesus very well. He died so that we could live. Here in Numbers 3, we find that God was consistent with this theme of substitution dating back to ...