In 1 Samuel 3, the text states that Samuel served under Eli during a time when God's revelations were rarely…
In Judges 16, Samson visits Gaza and sleeps with a prostitute. The Philistines plan to ambush him, but Samson escapes…
Judges 4 recounts how Israel once again turned from the Lord after Ehud’s death. In response, God allowed King Jabin…
Joshua 12 - Joshua 12 lists the 31 kings defeated by the Israelites during their conquest of Canaan. The chapter…
Joshua 5 - There was a series of events that the Lord required of Joshua prior to conquering Jericho. Joshua…
Deuteronomy 28 - "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They…
Ezekiel 22 - Spiritual sin = practical consequences. This is a fact. Though the OT and NT are under different…
Ezekiel 9 - It's tough to read about the judgment of God with regard to sin, however, it reveals the…
Ezekiel 3 - First, let's paint a backdrop of what Ezekiel is dealing with here. The people of Israel have…
Acts 19 - Paul in Ephesus is a great reminder for our churches today. From his investment, we know that…
Acts 16 - I want to focus on a somewhat bizarre section of this chapter – the end. It struck…
Acts 6 - We really have two storylines going on here. We have a great leadership move and a great…
Lamentations 5 - We don't often think in terms of the comprehensive suffering that Judah endured during exile. It was…
Leviticus 26 - First off, this is a crazy awesome chapter that raises many significant questions. In the most direct…
Leviticus 24 - When I read the "eye for an eye" passage, I immediately think of the Sermon on the…
Revelation 22 - Tree of Life The final chapter of the Bible bookends the story that God started in the…
Revelation 21 - There is a lot of crossover between what Isaiah writes in chapter 65 and the 21st chapter…
Revelation 20 - If someone comes up and asks you, "How do you interpret Revelation?" most likely, they are referring…
Revelation 19 - After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven,…
Revelation 18 - Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is…
Revelation 17 - We have already reiterated it over many chapters, but Rome stood proudly as a pagan symbol against…
Revelation 16 - The continuity of the seals and the trumpets is broken up with the bowls as they move…
Revelation 15 - The divine judgment which was revealed by the seals and proclaimed by the trumpets will now be…
Revelation 14 - First question I asked myself... who is Babylon? John, again, is writing symbolically here. Literal Babylon was…
Revelation 13 - The First Beast At the end of Revelation 12, we read of Satan's rage. He sets out…
Revelation 12 - The Woman It is out of Israel that the Messiah will come, therefore, it makes sense that…
Revelation 11 - I think a major issue with Revelation 11 is the fact that it relies heavily on Revelation…
Revelation 10 - This vision differs from the others for the simple fact that John is engaged in the action…
Revelation 9 - The 5th Trumpet The 5th trumpet releases a key to open the abyss. Many scholars believe this…
Revelation 8 - Continuing on the theme from Chapter 7, John either heard or saw something with every seal that…
Revelation 7 - God’s primary motive in our hearts has always been this: transformation. I think it's important to understand…
Revelation 6 - I grew up in Berne, Indiana which sits directly on top of the continental divide. If you…
Revelation 5 - The Scroll In ancient times, the Romans would seal their wills seven times. Each wax seal usually…
Revelation 4 - The Throne We just recently studied the book of Ezekiel and Leviticus which have some strong ties…
Revelation 3 - Lukewarm I remember several years ago going to a music festival in Kentucky called Ichthus. It was…
Revelation 2 - Although these letters are addressed to specific congregations in the first century, I believe they are representative…
Revelation 1 - The comparison game. We all do it. When life throws us unpredictable storms, (and especially when we…
Jeremiah 37 - If you have been following along in Jeremiah you may be confused at how the chapters skip…
2 Chronicles 21 - There is a simple question with a simple answer. What's the cost? When you look at…
2 Chronicles 18 - Would you rather be a well-liked king or a ridiculed prophet? In a bizarre revelation, God…
2 Chronicles 2 - Solomon knew the dwelling place for God would not do Him justice. He makes this statement…
1 Chronicles 11 - David's ascent to king was not as simple as three verses. In the book of 2…
1 Chronicles 1 - It was a bittersweet time for Israel. The Jews had just returned from 70 years of…
Isaiah 66 - As the book of Isaiah comes to a close, I am drawn to the writings of F.F.…
Isaiah 63 - At the beginning of Isaiah 63, we find a familiar theme in Scripture. There is someone with…
Isaiah 62 - *If you haven't read the Isaiah 61 blog entry, it would be helpful for context. Isaiah 62…
Isaiah 60 - Isaiah 60 begins a new section that looks ahead Christ's Kingdom and rule. Remember, Isaiah was a…
Isaiah 49 - His words were like a sharp arrow ready to pierce the heart. Israel would be his servant…
Isaiah 48 - We who know Christ understand that the Gospel message is not a one of mystery and mysticism.…
Isaiah 44 - "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am…
Isaiah 34 - The idea of this chapter is that the Lord will conquer all who oppose Him. There is…
Isaiah 24 - The somber truth is that our world is headed for judgment. In the end, God will reign.…
Isaiah 21 - A shared truth sticks out over the past few chapters of Isaiah. All the main players surrounding…
Isaiah 14 - There are some deep theological principles at work in this chapter. There is also some controversy as…
Isaiah 13 - Chapters 7-12 were Messianic in nature and now in Chapter 13 of Isaiah turns to the surrounding…
Isaiah 4 - Isaiah 4:2 describes the Branch of the Lord. The time is coming when the LORD will make…
Isaiah 2 - The first five verses of this chapter relate to the future Messiah and hint at the admission…
Isaiah 1 - The book of Isaiah is full of prophecy. Hebrew poetry used a literary style called parallelism, much…
Colossians 2 - Think of it in these terms. Any philosopher, theologian, scientist, professor or quantum physicist, whether Christian or…
Ephesians 6 - It all begins with Psalm 82:1. God presides in the heavenly council; in the assembly of the…
Galatians 1 - Just like we see today in the political sphere, Paul was battling against two extreme views within…
Exodus 35 - Think upon the skills that were required of a master craftsman. Obviously, the person would be gifted…
Exodus 30 - The ability to come before God is an opportunity, not a right. Aaron was given the duty…
Exodus 28 - "You shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around on…
Exodus 27 - "You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for…
Exodus 24 - What does the manifestation of God look like? For Moses and these others, they received a small…
Exodus 9 - Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail. Exodus…
2 Thessalonians 3 - In his final letter, Paul encourages the believers of the Thessalonian church to remain true and…
2 Thessalonians 2 - In case you haven't grasped by now, the Thessalonians were deeply concerned with future events. It's…
1 Thessalonians 4 - What do we know about the coming of the Lord? Paul gives us a clue at…
Job 41 - It is the mystery of the Leviathan... No beast, terrestrial or aquatic, deserves the high character here…
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 19 - The most magnificent phrase in this chapter shines in verses 25-26. It is so surprising and unexpected.…
Job 1 - The entire book of Job explores tough themes and deep theological questions. Namely, it seeks to answer…
Ezra 5 - Let's get a quick background on the characters involved in the temple rebuild. Haggai and Zechariah are…
Matthew 20 - Our plans and God's plans never really pan out the same. He gives us the main idea,…
Matthew 17 - The half-shekel tax was equivalent to about 2 days of wages. It was collected annually from every…
Matthew 5 - I love the depth and practicality of Jesus' message here. Many of his critics thought he was…
Proverbs 19 - If you are like me then you might have read this chapter and become uncomfortable with a…
Proverbs 17 - As I read this chapter, I see a theme of relational conflict. "Better a dry crust with…
Proverbs 15 - "The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good." Proverbs 15:3 HCSB This…
2 Samuel 12 - Sin often causes innocent people to perish. This is because sin cannot be overlooked. Though David…
1 Samuel 29 - Can you imagine David fighting against his friends and family? Can you imagine him going to…
1 Samuel 24 - David retreats with his men to the caves of the Wilderness of En Gedi. This was…
1 Samuel 9 - Saul had everything going for him. He came from a family of prominence and wealth. His…
1 Samuel 6 - 7 months. 7 months of terror, suffering, and death. The Philistines experienced the white-hot flame of…
2 Timothy 3 - We have already seen it mentioned times over the last several chapters, but Paul once again…
2 Kings 20 - Through all of Hezekiah's successes, we finally come to a weakness. It is a strange chapter…
2 Kings 3 - The verses here in 2 Kings 3 really put into perspective just how evil Ahab and…
1 Kings 22 - What's the deal with Ramoth-Gilead and why did they want it back? Ramoth was a Levitical…
1 Kings 21 - When Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes, took them off, and put on sackcloth. He…
1 Kings 10 - What was the point of the Queen of Sheba coming to visit Solomon? Jesus actually makes…
1 Kings 9 - 1 Kings 9 provides some insight into the subtle turn taking place in Solomon. As soon…
Genesis 32 - There are three points that really stick out to me in this chapter. Separation from the world…
Genesis 3 - Blatant evil is not our greatest threat as believers; it is deceptive evil wrapped in a package…
James 2 - Not surprisingly, James fires out more questions for believers here in Chapter 2. Among them are several…
John 20 - The empty tomb (Matt 28; Mark 16; Luke 24) is the most contested event by skeptics of…
John 19 - One of the unique aspects of John's Gospel is the theme of Jesus as the Lamb of…
John 1 - From the very first verse of the book, it is clear that the focus of John's gospel…