1 Samuel 10
1 Samuel 10 - Once again, I want to point out the detail that many miss when Saul is anointed king. The terminology described a leader or commander and not a king. Verse 1 opens with this ...
1 Samuel 9
1 Samuel 9 - Saul had everything going for him. He came from a family of prominence and wealth. His father was most likely a feudal lord - a landowner and a leader in times of war. ...
1 Samuel 8
1 Samuel 8 - Samuel's reputation as a judge was top-notch. He followed in a long line of judges who would call God's people back to repentance, but only for a specific period of time. Because Samuel's ...
1 Samuel 7
1 Samuel 7 - Coming off the heels of their defeat to the Philistines, Samuel would bring forth a challenge. Often in our weakest moments is when God's voice will speak the loudest. God had stirred their ...
1 Samuel 4
1 Samuel 4 - Israel goes to war with the Philistines. "Never did time seem more hopeless than when Samuel arose. The Philistines, strengthened not merely by a constant influx of immigrants, but by the importation of ...
1 Samuel 1
1 Samuel 1 - Historically, Israel was on the ropes. The Philistines were growing and becoming stronger because of their modern Greek military technology. They were the first in the region to discover and use iron, and ...
2 Timothy 2
2 Timothy 2 - There's only one Gospel. There's only one Gospel. There's. Only. ONE. Gospel. The Gospel = Suffering Paul continues to reiterate the fact that the Gospel requires sacrifice, suffering, and even imprisonment. Suffer. Hardworking. ...
1 Timothy 3
1 Timothy 3 - Paul moves from congregational conduct to leadership. There are two offices he addresses: the overseer and the deacon. Today, we would call an overseer a pastor and a deacon an elder. The difference ...
1 Timothy 2
1 Timothy 2 - As a child, I would sometimes hear my parents say, "As long as you are under this roof, you will live by our guidelines." Every parent must choose how they will govern their ...
1 Timothy 1
1 Timothy 1 - The Same Old False Doctrine Paul comes out swinging against false teachers. We find out in 2 Timothy that they were teaching a Gospel contrary to the early apostles. Specifically, they were teaching ...
Romans 16
Romans 16 - This is a phenomenal chapter that champions the role of women in the church. Romans 16 begins with an affirmation of a woman serving in a position of leadership. I commend to you our ...
Romans 1
Romans 1 - John Calvin said of Romans, "When anyone understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scripture." Martin Luther praised the Book of Romans: "It is the ...
2 Kings 24
2 Kings 24 - This is such a tough time for Judah. Jeremiah had been prophesying about Babylonian captivity for quite some time. This was the voice of God. Josiah, in the previous chapter, had found God's ...
2 Kings 21
2 Kings 21 - This chapter is filled to the brim with the evil of Manasseh. He would be remembered as the king who led his people back into the darkness of which they hadn't seen since ...
2 Kings 17
2 Kings 17 - Hoshea was the last king of Israel before it was captured by the Assyrians. In this chapter, the writer goes back and highlights exactly why Israel was led off to captivity. It's an ...
2 Kings 18
2 Kings 18 - A major theme the past several chapters has begged the question - who will step up and wholeheartedly trust the Lord to defend them? We've seen some kings who have trusted for a ...
2 Kings 16
2 Kings 16 - This was a horrific compromise by Ahaz as he decided to trust the Assyrian army to bail him out of this looming threat. When we read this same story from the book of ...
2 Kings 15
2 Kings 15 - If you get bored and skim through 2 Kings 15, you will miss a very significant detail in verse 19. Pul, king of Assyria, came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a ...
2 Kings 12
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 ...
2 Kings 9
2 Kings 9 - One of my favorite parts to this story is the fact that Jehu was recognized by his furious driving. Again the watchman reported, "He reached them, but he is not coming back. And ...
2 Kings 5
2 Kings 5 - Remember when King Ahab was shot by a "random arrow" in 1 Kings 22? Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of ...
2 Kings 3
2 Kings 3 - The verses here in 2 Kings 3 really put into perspective just how evil Ahab and Jezebel really were. Their son, Jehoram (aka Joram), is now king over Israel. We read that he ...
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 ...
1 Kings 15
1 Kings 15 - If you are like me, you've read the last few chapters and been a little confused by all the names. We have two different Abijah's and also the prophet Ahijah in chapter 14. ...
1 Kings 13
1 Kings 13 - As we read in 1 Kings 12, Jeroboam’s kingdom was in a terrible state and God had a message for him. There are three different scenarios we see play out in this scene. ...
1 Kings 12
1 Kings 12 - What happens when the vessel that is destined to carry God's image into the world is split up and divided? What happens when civil war threatens the existence of those who represent His ...
1 Kings 11
1 Kings 11 - When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. He was not completely devoted to Yahweh his God, as his father David had been. 1 Kings 11:4 HCSB How many ...
1 Kings 9
1 Kings 9 - 1 Kings 9 provides some insight into the subtle turn taking place in Solomon. As soon as Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD and the king's house and all that ...
1 Kings 5
1 Kings 5 - There were two key ingredients Solomon needed in order to build the temple. 1) Peace. 2) Wood. This was an amazing time for Israel as they had no threats from their enemies. "You ...
1 Kings 4
1 Kings 4 - This was the golden age for Israel as we read in verses 20-21... The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore; they ate and ...
Genesis 39
Genesis 39 - Set against the backdrop of Joseph's brother Judah pursuing a harlot who was actually his daughter-in-law, here we have a polar opposite response. Genesis 39 is a valuable lesson on dealing with temptation. Joseph ...
Genesis 35
Genesis 35 - Which is more dangerous, heading to Bethel or disobeying God? We often justify disobedience with fear. We often convince ourselves that safety is more important than a total commitment to Jesus. But the truth ...
Genesis 34
Genesis 34 - There are so many issues here and they are glaring. What is clearly evident in this story is that one disaster builds upon another when we refuse to obey God. Jacob's refusal to go ...
Genesis 19
Genesis 19 - I find it interesting that there were two angels sent to Lot's house to save four people. There was a hand for each person God desired to save. In other words, there is nothing ...
Genesis 4
Genesis 4 - I'll be honest, this story has always confused me. Why was Abel's offering acceptable to God but Cain's was not? All we know from the story here in Genesis is that Abel offered the ...
James 5
James 5 - How should we respond to sickness and what is the church's responsibility? In Chapter 5, James gives practical advice with a balance between physical and spiritual. First, we read that anyone who is sick ...
Esther 1
Esther 1 - At this point in Israel's history, Ezra has just returned from the exile to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. The Persian Empire is firmly in control and its territory extends from India to Ethiopia ...
Nehemiah 13
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 6
Nehemiah 6 - Nehemiah is determined to fulfill the Lord's work and rebuild the walls despite facing every obstacle imaginable thus far. He has persevered during the mockery from his enemies and the turmoil from his own ...
Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah 5 - In Nehemiah 4, we looked at how the enemy engages us when we step out in faith to do the Lord's work. Satan and the world work externally to derail our progress, however, the ...
Nehemiah 3
Nehemiah 3 - In my mind, there are two critical applications of this chapter. Back in Nehemiah 1, I stated that the rubble of the temple mirrored the people’s spiritual condition. So, the first application is that ...
Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah 1 - Back in the minor prophets, we learned that very few Jewish people left Babylon to return to their own land when they were granted permission. Out of approximately 2.5 million Jews, only about 50,000 ...
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 2
Malachi 2 - God starts with the priests and then works His way down to marriage and divorce in this heavy-handed chapter. Rather than speak to the details, I want to look at the bigger picture. We ...
Zechariah 11
Zechariah 11 - The LORD my God said to me, "Act the part of the shepherd of a flock of sheep that are going to be butchered. Zechariah 11:4 GNB Zechariah was called to "act the part" ...
Zephaniah 1
Zephaniah 1 - The twelve minor prophets are divided into two categories based on the time period of their ministry. Either they came before the Babylonian exile (pre-exilic) or after it (post-exilic). "Zephaniah is the last of ...
Micah 3
Micah 3 - The distortion of justice taking place in Israel was a strong indicator of just how bad things had become. Those who were entrusted to lead the city were actually manipulating it. Their ability to ...
Joel 1
Joel 1 - The book of Joel centers around The Day of the Lord. Here is a brief synopsis of what that entails... The Day of the Lord Though it probably refers to future events, it ...
Hosea 1
Hosea 1 - Hosea and Jonah were most likely the only writing prophets who lived in the Northern Kingdom. We know this because Hosea addresses the king of Israel as "our king" in Hosea 7. Historically, Hosea ...
Daniel 5
Daniel 5 - "Though you knew all this..." It's a frightening statement. Consider the fact that Belshazzar didn't grow up in a "Christian home." His father, King Nebuchadnezzar, had humbled himself to the Lord at one time ...
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 3
2 Corinthians 3 - The Corinthians, like many today, wanted written proof of Paul's legitimacy as an apostle. Like a certification or degree, letters of commendation would have authenticated the status of a leader of God. They ...
1 Corinthians 12
1 Corinthians 12 - Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each ...
1 Corinthians 9
1 Corinthians 9 - Paul was a man with his priorities straight. He was a man who had given up all his rights for the sake of Jesus. His life's mission was to preach the Gospel and ...
1 Corinthians 1
1 Corinthians 1 - Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother... 1 Corinthians 1:1 NASB In Acts 18 Sosthenes was the leader of the Jewish synagogue who ...
Psalm 128
Psalm 128 - "I'm so blessed." We hear this phrase often in our culture. It's not that I don't believe that it's a genuine feeling. I do. However, sometimes I wonder what exactly it means to be ...
Psalm 127
Psalm 127 - According to J. Vernon McGee, this psalm has been used on several important occasions. It was used at the inauguration of President Eisenhower. Two Bibles were used. One of them was George Washington's Bible, ...
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 87
Psalm 87 - "I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me; Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia: 'This one was born there.'" Psalms 87:4 NASB A relationship with Jesus is not based on genetics ...
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 58
Psalm 58 - Verses 1-6We read a familiar description of those in leadership who deceive others. Consider the description. They are in a position of authority where they can judge others. Their hearts are pure evil. They ...
Psalm 49
Psalm 49 - Death. No one can escape it. It is a certainty that all of humanity agrees upon regardless of what they believe about God or the afterlife. You and I will die one day, and ...
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, ...
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 23
Deuteronomy 23 - As we've written many times in Deuteronomy, these laws can seem foreign to us. In some ways, they prescribe almost an ascetic type of lifestyle. Asceticism is defined as a lifestyle characterized by abstinence ...
Deuteronomy 18
Deuteronomy 18 - "God said..." It's a phrase that has permeated our Christian culture. It's a statement that flies out of people's mouths easily and routinely. Reading it in Christian books and magazines and hearing it in ...
Deuteronomy 2
Deuteronomy 2 - It is a unique time in Israel's history. Moses continues to lead and teach the people even though *spoiler alert* he will die before making it to the Promised Land. This time of transition ...
Deuteronomy 1
Deuteronomy 1 - What should have taken 11 days took 40 years. If you have read the book of Numbers, you already have a good understanding of these events. Deuteronomy opens by ...
Ecclesiastes 10
Ecclesiastes 10 - Ecclesiastes 10 reminds us of Proverbs. It's difficult to analyze because it seems disjointed from the previous chapters. I want to focus on a verse that is probably controversial and also a target for ...
Ecclesiastes 8
Ecclesiastes 8 - For the king's word is authoritative, and who can say to him, "What are you doing?" Ecclesiastes 8:4 HCSB How many today question God? How many today say to Him, "What are you doing?" ...
Numbers 36
Numbers 36 - Unfortunately, the evangelical church today has become a place where people feel they cannot seek truth through difficult questions. Many churches discourage seekers from "questioning God," and while questioning Him without faith can be ...
Numbers 24
Numbers 24 - To me, the most striking verse in this chapter begins with verse 1. When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek ...
Numbers 20
Numbers 20 - So... do you want the bad news or the worse news? Well, the bad news is that in Numbers 20 we, unfortunately, witness a sobering truth - complaining and unbelief go hand-in-hand. Where you ...
Numbers 17
Numbers 17 - But the LORD said to Moses, "Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put an end to their grumblings against ...
Numbers 16
Numbers 16 - Numbers 16 is part of a much bigger picture of Moses' leadership of Israel. This rollercoaster of leading the Israelites toward the Promised Land had many twists and turns. If we go all the ...
Numbers 15
Numbers 15 - Nestled in the middle of this chapter is a bizarre story for our modern society. A man is caught collecting sticks on the Sabbath and he is brought before Moses and Aaron. God commands ...
Numbers 12
Numbers 12 - There are so many lessons in this chapter. When jealousy enters the heart, it often manifests a different form in words and behavior. This was most definitely the case with Miriam and Aaron. They ...
Numbers 11
Numbers 11 - Moses needed help, and God responded. The Lord commanded the gathering of 70 men from the elders of Israel, and Moses began assembling his team. The word elder means "aged" or "old." Hebrew tradition ...
Numbers 10
Numbers 10 - Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you'; come with us ...
Ezekiel 39
Ezekiel 39 - Until the time that Jerusalem fell, the message of Ezekiel was negative and full of judgment. Now, God turns His attention towards hope. There would be a new spirit, new leadership, and a new ...
Ezekiel 34
Ezekiel 34 - There are so many false teachers out there who twist the message of the Bible to have personal and selfish benefits. Muddled behind spiritual words is a subtle self-glorifying message. Ultimately, the concern is ...
Ezekiel 29
Ezekiel 29 - God would make His punishment very personal for Egypt. Say that this is what the Sovereign LORD is telling the king of Egypt: I am your enemy, you monster crocodile, lying in the river. ...