In 1 Samuel 5, the Philistines took the ark of the covenant from Ebenezer to Ashdod and placed it in…
In 1 Samuel 1, a man named Elkanah from the hill country of Ephraim had two wives: Hannah (who was…
In Proverbs 1, the author identifies himself as Solomon, son of David and king of Israel. The Proverbs of Solomon…
In Judges 19, a Levite's concubine was unfaithful to him and left for her father’s house in Bethlehem. After four…
In Judges 14, Samson saw a Philistine woman in Timnah and demanded his parents arrange the marriage, despite their objections.…
In Judges 13, the Israelites did evil in God's sight yet again. God allowed the Philistines to oppress them for…
In Judges 10, Tola from the tribe of Issachar led Israel for 23 years and was buried at Shamir. Jair…
Ezekiel 4 - Just as Isaiah was asked to walk naked and barefoot for 3 years, Ezekiel is asked to…
Acts 22 - Paul never wastes an opportunity to talk about the Gospel. Whether he's imprisoned, being beaten, being interrogated,…
Acts 21 - This was a tough chapter for me. We read that the voice of the Holy Spirit is…
Acts 20 - In a bittersweet scene, Paul lays it all on the line for the leaders of Ephesus as…
Acts 8 - It's an awesome thing when the Holy Spirit begins to transform lives and show himself in amazing…
Acts 4 - As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and…
Lamentations 5 - We don't often think in terms of the comprehensive suffering that Judah endured during exile. It was…
Lamentations 4 - With graphic detail, Jeremiah describes all the ways in which his people suffered during the Babylonian attack…
Lamentations 2 - In the second chapter of Lamentations, God expresses His hatred for sin. It's important for us to…
Lamentations 1 - The mere existence of the book of Lamentations shows us that God takes seriously our need as…
Leviticus 16 - The goat chosen for Azazel shall be presented alive to the LORD and sent off into the…
Leviticus 14 - The book of Leviticus deals with holiness in terms of wholeness. It was extremely important for the…
Revelation 21 - There is a lot of crossover between what Isaiah writes in chapter 65 and the 21st chapter…
Revelation 19 - After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven,…
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 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 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…
Jeremiah 45 - This is a flashback to the 4th year of Jehoiakim so it's not happening here alongside the…
Jeremiah 41 - The scene here in chapter 41 is reminiscent of a Hollywood blockbuster action movie. The nation is…
Jeremiah 39 - After 2 ½ years of the people watching and wondering when the Babylonian army would penetrate their…
Jeremiah 30 - God works in mysterious ways. It's cliche but truth for this chapter. He is flexing his muscles…
Jeremiah 27 - It is fascinating to me to see the way that God is handling wayward Judah in these…
2 Chronicles 21 - There is a simple question with a simple answer. What's the cost? When you look at…
2 Chronicles 16 - There is so much in this chapter that is personal and meaningful for me. As someone…
2 Chronicles 14 - The attack that comes upon Israel is from the Ethiopians but that is deceiving. During this…
1 Chronicles 26 - The house of God in verse 20 referred to a place where treasuries and gifts would…
1 Chronicles 7 - God has used women to build, lead and change the world from the beginning of time.…
Isaiah 40 - The theme of chapters 7-39 focuses directly on the punishment of God. It's easy to read this…
Isaiah 39 - The last verse of Chapter 39 is probably the most heavily scrutinized statement from Hezekiah. Many scholars…
Isaiah 26 - Disease. Affliction. Poverty. The kingdom of man wrestles with the birth pains of this world. The city…
Isaiah 24 - The somber truth is that our world is headed for judgment. In the end, God will reign.…
2 Thessalonians 1 - Paul knew that the Thessalonian church was enduring suffering, and he wanted to continue to encourage…
1 Thessalonians 2 - Paul covers a broad range of topics in this chapter. He starts with defending, and moves…
Job 42 - Without... Without knowing answers to all of his deepest questions, Job bowed his knee in humility to…
Job 40 - Consider Job's humility in this chapter. Consider that he takes up none of the words with God…
Job 39 - Many times it's true that our expectations of God are outmatched by His unfolding plan. I can't…
Job 37 - We experience and come to know God through Scripture. Another place we come to know Him is…
Job 35 - This is arguably Elihu's harshest language against Job. It is a message of condemnation with truth mixed…
Job 34 - Elihu uses some quotes from Job to reiterate that God can do no wrong. Specifically, he uses…
Job 33 - As I read Elihu speak, I feel the tension of two different angles. On one hand, Elihu…
Job 32 - Elihu may have been younger, but he had the genealogy going for him. But the anger of…
Job 30 - Which is more agonizing for Job - the suffering he is currently enduring or the exasperation of…
Job 25 - Well, there is not much here that we haven't already heard. Bildad sums up with "God is…
Job 24 - Job continues on his theme of questioning why the wicked get away with so much. To the…
Job 22 - When we do not pay attention to the needs before us, true care can turn to condemnation.…
Job 21 - Job thoroughly rejects the doctrine of retribution and he draws from common knowledge to do so. Throughout…
Job 19 - The most magnificent phrase in this chapter shines in verses 25-26. It is so surprising and unexpected.…
Job 16 - This is Job's fourth response. He makes it clear that if he was in their position he…
Job 15 - Eliphaz brings a load of sarcasm to this chapter. He claims that his understanding of Scripture and…
Job 14 - Be quiet and give me a chance to speak, and let the results be what they will.…
Job 13 - If it's true that the enduring attitude of a believer is a great threat to everything the…
Job 12 - Job comes out with some bold truth in addressing his friends. He seeks to point out that…
Job 9 - The description of God's power in verses 5-9 is breathtaking. I like the HCSB version... God is…
Job 8 - As the New International Commentary states, "Bildad is a champion of 'old-time' religion." God's ways are right.…
Job 7 - Job now turns his attention to God. He is fully convinced that he will die soon, and…
Job 6 - Here are some points we can draw from Job's response in chapter 6: Job is under tremendous…
Job 5 - Eliphaz continues his speech in chapter 5. I am struck with similar thoughts from his words in…
Job 4 - There is a difference between theology and common sense. I know that the word 'theology' sounds like…
Job 3 - In this chapter, we see the pendulam swing completely in the opposite direction from where it began.…
Job 2 - There are a few differing thoughts that we naturally progress through as we read the story unfold…
Job 1 - The entire book of Job explores tough themes and deep theological questions. Namely, it seeks to answer…
Matthew 20 - Our plans and God's plans never really pan out the same. He gives us the main idea,…
Matthew 16 - The Pharisees and Sadducees (who demanded signs in this chapter) were two of the five major political…
Matthew 11 - Yet another piece of evidence that confirms Jesus was indeed the Messiah is the presence of John…
Proverbs 12 - Discipline is hard. Accepting instruction is difficult. They both require us to delay our satisfaction. When we…
1 Peter 5 - Peter is following up on his previous chapter on suffering. It's no surprise that in order…
1 Peter 4 - Arm yourself! This is a powerful opening in 1 Peter 4. Our thought process regarding suffering…
1 Peter 1 - It is beneficial to explore the interesting background on the book of Peter. First, many scholars…
2 Samuel 16 - The reason why we read several chapters back about the grace David extended to Saul's family…
2 Samuel 12 - Sin often causes innocent people to perish. This is because sin cannot be overlooked. Though David…
1 Samuel 6 - 7 months. 7 months of terror, suffering, and death. The Philistines experienced the white-hot flame of…
2 Timothy 2 - There's only one Gospel. There's only one Gospel. There's. Only. ONE. Gospel. The Gospel = Suffering…
2 Kings 21 - This chapter is filled to the brim with the evil of Manasseh. He would be remembered…
2 Kings 20 - Through all of Hezekiah's successes, we finally come to a weakness. It is a strange chapter…
Genesis 47 - The famine was severe. There was no food. Our lives feel like this sometimes don't they? All…
Genesis 45 - Finally! After several chapters of agony, Joseph is finally reunited with his brothers. There is much we…
Genesis 41 - Joseph began as a shepherd of animals and become a shepherd of men. He, like Jesus, was…
Genesis 29 - Jacob is here in Genesis 29 doing "Jacob-like stuff." Like a smooth-talking used car salesman, he approaches…
Genesis 18 - I have to admit, I'm not a great intercessor. I sometimes fall victim to the attitude that…
Genesis 8 - Mount Ararat and the Araratian plain, seen early morning from near the city of Artashat in Armenia.…
Genesis 2 - Sometimes we fall into the trap of believing that God's wrath is greater than His grace. In…
James 1 - There are so many believers I talk with who tell me that their favorite book is James.…
John 15 - "It makes no sense to me!" the woman proclaimed. "I can't comprehend the concept of one way…
John 11 - So much irony! The reasoning of the religious leaders is astounding. "Let's kill the man who is…
Esther 7 - The time has come for Esther to speak up. It was not God's timing earlier because many…