Isaiah 62 – “Holy people. Redeemed. Sought out. Not forsaken. A relational God uses relational language for His…
Peter
104 posts
Isaiah 61 – It is such an interesting chapter. In Luke 4, Jesus reads the first two verses of Isaiah 61 in the synagogue…
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 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…
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 2 – The tension was high. I was a missionary attending an English speaking congregation and was actively involved in some ministries. An all church meeting was called…
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…
Judges 7 – “‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” – Zechariah 4:6 Size matters. We tend to look at numbers…
1 Thessalonians 5 – When a runner comes toward the end of a race, their entire body screams in pain. Muscles ache, your throat burns and everything…
3 John 1 – Paul calls it a gift. Hospitality is right up there as one of the giftsthe Spirit gives out to Believer’s. EveryFollower has at…
1 John 5 – “You guys teach too much on obedience.” The words hung in the air. “It’s all I hear week after week, ‘We must be obedient…
Job 32 – Jobs 3 friends have gone silent. It almost appears to have grown to a face off on the matter. Convinced he had some hidden sin and…
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…
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 17 – It’s known as the Transfiguration. Jesus took his closest friends with Him to the mountain and what took place was more than astounding. The…
Matthew 12 – There is no neutral ground with Jesus. We either believe who He is and act accordingly or we don’t. We either live in that…
Matthew 11 – The prison walls felt like they were closing in on him. The cold dampness they held seemingly, somehow began to creep into his mind…
Matthew 10 – In the choosing of the disciples, it is obvious he didn’t decide who ‘qualified’ for the job based on pedigree or social standing. They…
Matthew 7 – As Jesus finishes His sermon, He has done a remarkable thing. He’s taken the Law and made it practical or deeply personal. Often in…
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…
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…
2 Peter 3 – “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18 Peter ends his letter the same way he opened…
2 Peter 2 – Jesus had warned they would come. He said they would rise up among them. Hearing these thoughts, Peter now was living it. False…
2 Peter 1 – A few times a month (maybe it’s more) at noon the air is pierced with sirens. They reverberate throughout the town almost sinking…
1 Peter 5 – Leadership. It’s always been interesting to me how there are some who long for leadership within the church but are not willing to…
1 Peter 3 – We hate the word – submission. It really goes against everything within our human nature as we want to be independent, don’t want…
1 Peter 2 – I remember a specific conversation with some college friends after we had graduated. I was still student teaching at the time but looking…
2 Samuel 24 – The Holy Spirit convicts us of our waywardness – even in things of everyday or…
2 Samuel 23 – When we think of a Last Will and Testament being read it is usually after the passing of someone. Family members gather to…
Romans 1 – Paul had never been to Rome; neither had the church leaders of Jerusalem. It’s widely believed the church was started from people who were in…
2 Kings 19 – The king of Assyria, Sennacherib invades and takes several cities of Judah captive. King Hezekiah had paid a ransom of silver and gold…
Genesis 19 – The slippery slope of compromise led Lot into an unraveling of a storyline that would place him in the infamous story of the
Genesis 6 – Let’s stop and consider, Noah had no idea of what God was about to do. He was simply given instructions, mind you – crazy…
James 1 – Talk is cheap. Inundated with promises everywhere we look from commercials to presidential candidates it’s easy to make or hear…
John 21 – Peter had denied his friend and Lord. He had acted in his flesh and in fear. He had disappointed Jesus. Yet, Jesus met Peter…
John 20 – The miracle of the empty tomb, the resurrection of Jesus brought shock and skepticism. John records that miraculous morning…
John 13 – It was the last night of his life. As John opens up this chapter he states Jesus “showed the full extent of His love.” (John13:1) In…
John 5 – For 38 years the man wanted to be healed. He had joined many others who gathered around a pool of water in Bethesda day…
Hebrews 12 – The word ‘therefore’ is an adverb used to introduce a new line of thought as a conclusion to something previously stated…
Nahum 3 – The proud Nineveh is ripe for judgment here as the final chapter of Nahum speaks toward the demise and sins of this…
Micah 7 – “My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more…
Joel 1 – In this short and powerful book, the prophet Joel calls the nation to repent. Only referenced one other time in Scripture by Peter during a sermon,…
2 Corinthians 7 – 2 words. 2 words that mean nothing unless they are followed by action. “I’m sorry” all too often slips from our lips when…
2 Corinthians 4 – It’s easy to say, “Pick yourself up,” “Stop focusing on the negative,” “This too will pass”. These statements flow so easily from our…
1 Corinthians 15 – Truly, Paul writes of some of the deepest foundations and hopes of Christ and belief. Jesus died for our sins, He rose again,…
Psalm 114 – It is a story of release from captivity. Israel were under 400 years of imprisonment to a nation that was not their own. Through forced labor…
Psalm 94 – The act of discipline is of love. In today’s culture, this thought has taken a backseat. Many parents love their children deeply but do not discipline. …
Psalm 88 – Darkness presses in. The pit of which we have fallen drives our sight above to see a flicker of light. So far away, we cannot even…
Psalm 86 – There are moments in this life when things are so painful and distressing we are driven to God. These pains come in many fluid circumstances resulting…
Psalm 57 – We all encounter it from time to time. Someone speaks against us. Sometimes these words are easily brushed off and we go on. Other times it…
Psalm 50 – Our battlefields are different but they bring about the same feelings at times. We feel exhausted, weary from the ongoing things…
Psalm 26 – The testing of our faith comes in many forms all of which is allowed by God. Times of testing are never easy and in fact, really…
Psalm 23 – God is far more interested in our being than our doing. He cares much more about our ongoing relationship with Him rather than the things we…
Psalm 22 – It’s one of the most heartfelt, gut wrenching prayers of David. “Why have you forsaken me?” he asks. Whatever the great trial he was enduring at…
Psalm 21 – David Guzik writes at the end of his commentary on Psalm 21: “We will sing and praise Your power: After the direct statement of praise, David…
Psalm 13 – The question is asked 4 times in 2 verses: How long? We’ve all been there. Maybe you’re there now. You desire to be done with a…
Psalm 2 – The world is a wreck. Nations rage against one another. Political parties are at each others throats. Lies, half truths, conspiracy theories abound. The precariousness of…
Mark 13 – After the exile, the temple was rebuilt by Ezra and Zerubbabel. King Herod would expand it around 19 BC. It had been the center of Jewish…
Mark 9 – It was a moment of complete transparency and revelation. Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the mountain where right before their…
Mark 8 – We’ve all experienced it. We get behind someone who is driving 20 mph on a 35 mph road. Aggravated, it can be the birth of road…
Mark 6 – Has Jesus become too familiar to us? Familiar: one who is seen or well known from close association. We all have people in our lives we…
Mark 3 – As the quote goes, “Politics makes strange bedfellows.” But this is not only the case in such an arena. The meaning goes toward unlikely companions who…
Mark 1 – A man running naked… a deserter… eventually, a pastor… who was this man?
Deuteronomy 31 – Moses was 120 years old. From the snatching him from the waters of the Nile as a baby to the running the palace halls of Pharaoh,…
Numbers 33 – Moses wrote an account of the journey of Israel thus far. Beginning in Egypt and leaving their slavery, they marched out with boldness and not just…
Numbers 31 – Vengeance – punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong. In Deuteronomy as well as in Romans the quote, “’Vengeance is mine. I will…
Numbers 19 – On the last night of His life, Jesus went around to His disciples and washed their feet. It was an outrageous moment of their Master taking…
Numbers 3 – God, being that of order and organization, began to give assignments to the people. First on deck were the Levites. This makes sense as the tabernacle was…
Luke 24 – “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen” – Luke 24:5-6 “But we were hoping that…
Luke 22 – The Passover was a commemoration of Israel’s escape from Egypt after being held in bondage for 400 years. Through specific instructions, the Jewish people were told…
Luke 21 – It began with an observation of the rich putting their money into the treasury in comparison to a poor widow putting only 2 copper coins in…
Luke 13 – Wow! “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to…
Luke 5 – Here begins a turning point in Luke as we read of his many miracles, the calling of who would be his disciples and his ministry to…
Ezekiel 44 – People wonder what will be theirs. Families fight over it. Men and women strain toward receiving the most they possibly can. An inheritance is something passed…
Acts 26 – His innocence stated many times, Paul remains a prisoner. Repeatedly facing unfair charges, Festus doesn’t know what to do with him as the political…
Acts 21 – Perhaps one of the greatest difficulties we face is deciding what God’s will is. In the quietness of our day finally coming to an…
Acts 15 – The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Conflict. We would rather run as far away as we could rather…
Acts 12 – It’s 44 AD. 11 years have passed since Jesus had been crucified and rose from the grave. Herod had begun a full frontal attack…
Acts 11 – The movement of God often requires adjustment not only physically but within our own mindsets and behavior. Much easier said than done, when God…
Acts 10 – God is the great interrupter. Just when we are content with life the way it is. Just when we think we have all things…
Acts 9 – Arrest – the action by which a person is stopped from his normal activities by virtue of a legal authority or sanction; to take…
Acts 5 – Never underestimate the tactics or lengths to which the enemy will go to derail the work God is doing. Never. When one thing doesn’t…
Acts 4 – What is God asking of you? What is He personally calling you to do? Where is He working and asking you to join? Depending…
Acts 3 – Chuck Swindoll tells a story about a man who went to see a psychiatrist because he was extremely depressed and the psychiatrist just could…
Lamentations 3 – The first 20 verses of chapter 3 recall the conditions that God has allowed to take place which has brought immense grief to Jeremiah’s heart. He…
Leviticus 11 – At first glance, the listing of unclean and clean animals of which God spoke about seems to us a bit much. Certainly, there are animals on…
Leviticus 10 – It may have been the hardest day of Aaron’s life. He watched as his sons did not fulfill the duties as priests and were burned up…
Leviticus 1 – The book of Leviticus is not an easy read. Almost like a handbook for the priests and Levites, it gives a snapshot of what their duties…
Revelation 22 – At the beginning of creation – the Tree of Life was planted in the garden. When Adam and Eve disobeyed, the tree was no longer accessible….
Revelation 21 – We all have our share of sorrows and heartaches. We all have experienced the unending trials at time. We all have sat in the ashes…
Revelation 20 – Judging by the amount of attention given by so many people to the first 10 verses of the chapter you would think it’s the most important…
Revelation 17 – Throughout the next several chapters of Revelation what we’re essentially finding is a Tale of Two Cities and not the Dickens’ classic. The two cities of…
Revelation 11 – In a mere 11 verses, there are incredible twists, populated by fantastic creatures and people with superpowers.This section alone is one of the most difficult chapters…
Revelation 9 – I want you to think of someone in your life, someone you know who does not know Jesus. Someone who actually is not even remotely interested…