Acts 15 – The first question we want to know is, who was right and who was wrong between Paul and Barnabas? I feel that when we approach it from that angle we really miss Luke’s point. …
Romans
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Acts 5 – The early church faced persecution from both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. After hearing the testimony of Peter, they were ready to kill these men just like they had Jesus. But wisdom prevailed. But …
Leviticus 26 – First off, this is a crazy awesome chapter that raises many significant questions. In the most direct and straightforward language that He can use, God lays out the future possibilities for His people. These …
Leviticus 21 – This chapter primarily deals with the holiness of the religious leaders. We read that higher standards were expected from them as opposed to ordinary citizens. The New International Commentary – OT provides a good …
Leviticus 2 – The grain or cereal offering of the OT symbolized man’s work for God. The offering would be brought to the priest and would symbolize man’s willingness to keep the law. But, the grain offering …
Revelation 18 – Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19 NASB Paul’s words ring true …
Revelation 7 – God’s primary motive in our hearts has always been this: transformation. I think it’s important to understand Revelation in terms of the overall picture instead of as individual narratives. We see a great transformation …
Revelation 5 – The Scroll In ancient times, the Romans would seal their wills seven times. Each wax seal usually contained an engraved emblem and sealed the letter for security or to designate ownership. Marriage contracts, leases, …
Revelation 4 – The Throne We just recently studied the book of Ezekiel and Leviticus which have some strong ties to the language here in Revelation. Before God’s throne, John sees brilliant and vivid imagery that is …
Revelation 3 – Lukewarm I remember several years ago going to a music festival in Kentucky called Ichthus. It was basically a camping trip with live Christian music playing at all times across multiple stages. Now, I’m …
Revelation 2 – Although these letters are addressed to specific congregations in the first century, I believe they are representative of all churches that will exist throughout history. No matter what church you attend, it is likely …
Jeremiah 44 – Once again the people of Judah have hardened their hearts to God. It’s unreal. To be honest, this is such a hard chapter to read because Jeremiah stands here confronting them as a prophet …
Jeremiah 31 – There is a lot going on in this chapter, and it can seem kind of confusing. I want to focus on the very interesting but highly controversial verse 15. Thus says the LORD: “A …
Jeremiah 5 – The people of Israel and Judah have betrayed me completely. I, the LORD, have spoken.” 12 The LORD’s people have denied him and have said, “He won’t really do anything. We won’t have hard …
2 Chronicles 35 – Armchair Quarterback (noun) a person who offers advice or an opinion on something in which they have no expertise or involvement How many people do you know who have lots of great ideas …
Isaiah 65 – God has made Himself available. He is standing with arms outstretched ready to help His people. God says one thing, but the people say another. God offers His help, but the people will not …
Isaiah 53 – The opening verse grabs my attention. “Who has believed our message?” It’s a rhetorical question but one that was referenced twice in the New Testament. But though He had performed so many signs before …
Isaiah 12 – Isaiah 12:1 is a mirror image of Paul’s writing in Romans 6:17. Compare the two passages. Then you will say on that day, “I will give thanks to You, O LORD; For although You …
Ephesians 2 – Many of us today live under the illusion that we simply can’t change. Hidden deep under a “that’s just the way I am” attitude is a deadliest of all sins – human pride. It’s …
Galatians 4 – I admit that sometimes I get so caught up in my own wants and needs that I miss the bigger picture. We all tend to gravitate toward a “me first” attitude even if we …
Exodus 28 – “You shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: Exodus 28:33 NASB You may ask, why …
Exodus 12 – The Passover is a powerful event in both Jewish tradition as well as Christianity. One major difference, obviously, is that the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah. It’s tradition when the Jews celebrate the …
Judges 9 – So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon. Judges 8:28 NASB …
3 John 1 – Gaius was the Greek way of writing the Roman name Caius. Believe it or not, there are many references to Caius in Scripture. In Romans 16, Paul mentions a Caius who lived in …
Job 42 – Without… Without knowing answers to all of his deepest questions, Job bowed his knee in humility to the Lord. Without understanding how everything works together, he repented. It’s no coincidence this happened. While so …
Job 40 – Consider Job’s humility in this chapter. Consider that he takes up none of the words with God that he had planned. The entire book culminates to this point; Job is given permission to speak …
Job 37 – We experience and come to know God through Scripture. Another place we come to know Him is through His creation. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and …
Job 36 – God is the most patient, relentless, and loving Father we will ever encounter. Unfortunately, many people of our day have turned to the false teaching that says if everything isn’t “good” in your life …
Job 35 – This is arguably Elihu’s harshest language against Job. It is a message of condemnation with truth mixed in. I am somewhat puzzled by commentaries who defend Job in being completely righteous and not deserving …
Job 25 – Well, there is not much here that we haven’t already heard. Bildad sums up with “God is holy” and “man is sinful.” Job has heard all of this already but it seems his friends …
Job 19 – The most magnificent phrase in this chapter shines in verses 25-26. It is so surprising and unexpected. Job has lamented for many chapters now, and wished death upon himself. In this chapter, he concludes …
Job 6 – Here are some points we can draw from Job’s response in chapter 6: Job is under tremendous stress. On top of his physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual pain, he is also dealing with ignorant …
Joshua 16 – The sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance. Joshua 16:4 This made up a good chunk of the land. Again, this point has already been discussed extensively, but a big takeaway from …
Matthew 1 – The Gospels do not record a single word spoken by this man. Yet, the Gospel account written by Matthew is a bridge to the past. If a person had just read the Old Testament …
Proverbs 25 – “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22 for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will …
Proverbs 20 – This chapter really addresses a diverse range of topics. Excessive drinking, gossip, pride, and disobedience, just to name a few. Here is what stuck out to me… “The one who lives with integrity is …
1 Samuel 24 – David retreats with his men to the caves of the Wilderness of En Gedi. This was a strategic move and a very good one on David’s part. The canyon of En Gedi is …
1 Samuel 18 – “Saul has slain his thousands,And David his ten thousands.” The wording here says that “all cities in Israel” had women who danced and sang to this tune. It was literally a Billboard Top …
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 – 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 – 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 15 – This week, I learned a very relevant historical fact that alters the way I read and understand the book of Romans. The very first house churches in Rome would have been comprised of mostly …
Romans 14 – Years ago, I hosted a Bible study with some college guys who were looking to grow in their faith. One particular afternoon, we were studying the New Testament when the discussion turned to some …
Romans 13 – In Chapter 13, Paul’s focus is the authority of the government, and how the Christian should respond to such authority. In Paul’s time, there were overzealous Jews who claimed that they would honor no …
Romans 12 – Starting in verse 9 of Romans 12, Paul rattles off a disjointed list of Christian principles. On the surface, it may seem haphazard. In reality, Paul is most likely using a style known as …
Romans 11 – To me, the most interesting part of Romans 11 starts in verse 25. After outlining the difference again between works and grace, and the stumbling that Israel has had over the years, Paul writes …
Romans 10 – A lot of times we talk about people having knowledge about God, but no zeal for him. Here, Paul is attacking just the opposite. He is accusing the Jews of having much zeal for …
Romans 9 – Paul now shifts his focus to the Israelites specifically. His heart is so heavy for his brothers and sisters. Although they had knowledge of God, they had not truly humbled themselves to him. He …
Romans 8 – Christ lived a sinless life. He willingly gave Himself as a living sacrifice for our sin so that the judgment for sin would be satisfied. It would follow logically then, that if we are …
Romans 7 – What is the purpose of the law? In Romans 6 we saw the law cannot make us righteous. In Romans 7, we read that the main concern of God is if we are bearing …
Romans 6 – Grigori Rasputin was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed “holy man” who claimed to speak on behalf of God. He gained considerable influence in Russian during the early 1900s. Controversy surrounds Rasputin as he claimed …
Romans 5 – Romans 5 marks a transition. Paul has been formulating his theological argument around sin and justification which continues throughout the first half of this chapter. He then moves into a new theme that centers …
Romans 4 – In Romans 4, Paul contrasts the ideas of “works = righteousness” with “faith = righteousness.” Abraham was counted as righteous in the sight of God because of his faith, not because of his works. …
Romans 3 – When we study Scripture, it is important we don’t sweep through it with a predetermined mindset. There are always deeper truths to be found but sometimes we can miss it. This is especially true …
Romans 2 – When you hold up God as the standard, as you should, that standard is one that not only condemns the person you are correcting but yourself as well. As the old saying goes, “You’re …
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 – 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 1 – Same story, different chapter. After reading about all of Ahab’s disastrous choices, we now move into the reign of Ahaziah. The gist of the story is that Ahaziah has experienced a severe fall …
Genesis 37 – “Enoch shows the walk of faith, Noah shows the perseverance of faith, Abraham shows the obedience of faith, Isaac shows the power of faith, and Jacob shows the discipline of faith. Along these lines …
Genesis 29 – Jacob is here in Genesis 29 doing “Jacob-like stuff.” Like a smooth-talking used car salesman, he approaches these shepherds as if they were his long lost buddies from college. His reference to it being …
Genesis 26 – In Genesis 26, God reiterates His promise made long ago to Abraham. Being a descendant, Isaac was still under this covenant relationship of God. Let’s look at exactly how God describes His relationship with …
Genesis 17 – The question we all ask ourselves at one point or another is, why circumcision? First, in the context of what God is speaking to Abraham, the covenant is dealing specifically with fathering nations. Circumcision …
Genesis 15 – God spoke, Abraham believed. Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6 NASB I love that we see the first expression of the Gospel here between …
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 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 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 …
Esther 9 – Historians have long criticized Esther for her decision to eradicate all those who stood against the Jews. Herodotus, a Greek historian, wrote that Esther was a cold and vindictive woman. To outsiders, justice can …
Nehemiah 4 – This chapter is a case study for how the enemy works when you decide to follow through with God’s calling. In Nehemiah 3, Nehemiah planned a strategy to get the walls up all at …
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 …
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 – 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 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 5 – Even though the Jewish people were brought back to their land, were forgiven of their sins, and were inspired by the Holy Spirit to complete the temple, God still had standards for them. What …
Hosea 3 – What impacts me the most about this short chapter in Hosea 3 is the fact that God makes the first move. Scripture tells us in Romans 5… “But God demonstrates his own love for …
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 …
Daniel 2 – What does Daniel’s interpretation mean? He tells us that the gold represents King Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian Empire. Three greater kingdoms would come after the reign of Babylon (silver, bronze, and iron). With each level, there …
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 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 135 – Our God is praise worthy in every age and season. No matter the circumstances, God is with us and for us. Often, it is hard to understand and believe this when we look around …
Psalm 130 – Psalm 130 is known as a Pauline psalm because it speaks to the grace and mercy of God. This was a theme Paul wrote on extensively. For all have sinned and fall short of …
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 116 – “How can I repay the LORD for all the good He has done for me? 13 I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of Yahweh.” Psalms 116:12-13 HCSB What …
Psalm 91 – Whoever goes to the LORD for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, 2 can say to him, “You are my defender and protector. You are my God; in you I trust.” …
Psalm 70 – The reality of this Psalm is palpable. We’ve all had days where we face an urgent situation that requires trusting God quickly and assuredly. It’s one thing to be able to pray over a …
Psalm 67 – Many forget God’s original intent when He chose Israel as His people. “I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them …
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 60 – Defeat is never easy. Never. But since Jesus took on sin and death and triumphed over it through His resurrection, we have the power to face it. For the believer rooted in faith, defeat …
Psalm 53 – When God looks down from heaven at humanity, He’s not looking at innocent people. He’s looking at guilty people who love evil. People love their sin. This is why the sin problem had no …
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 30 – One of the most difficult theological principles to reconcile in our hearts and minds is the idea that the same God who delivers us is also the God who allows for our destruction. Many …
Psalm 24 – Psalm 24 was written to be chanted/recited and comes with two choruses. It would have been sung during Jewish worship on the first day of the week (Sunday). It was followed by Psalm 48 …
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 19 – One of the issues addressed in this psalm is hidden sin. I’m not talking about sins you know about, but sin that you are ignorant of. The psalmist calls them “hidden faults.” None of …
Psalm 12 – Lies. Deception. Delusion. We all do it. We use coping mechanisms to help us deal with reality. In many ways, it’s a strategy to deny reality. The problem with this is that we begin …
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 – 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 …