June 12, 2023
June 18 | Warning for Temple Worshippers
God’s people had undergone physical circumcision, but their hearts still required spiritual circumcision (Jeremiah 4:4). . . .
Series: Study
June 5, 2023
June 11 | Warning for Idol Worshippers
This section of Jeremiah begins 13 oracles of God’s case against Judah that continue through chapter 25. . . .
May 29, 2023
June 4 | Warning to Jeremiah
"The word of the Lord" (a phrase that appears more in Jeremiah than any other book of the Bible) came to Jeremiah during the reign of good King Josiah. . . .
May 22, 2023
May 28 | Waiting
People adopt a posture of solitude while waiting, which is not only a good spiritual discipline, but also a great help in waiting. To sit alone in silence can be very redemptive. . . .
May 15, 2023
May 21 | Wounded
The Lord acts like a physician who must hurt the patient to produce healing. He seems violent, but the Lord knows something about wounds, and he knows how redemptive they can be. . . .
May 8, 2023
May 14 | Punished
God administered deserved punishment to the Israelites for their unfaithfulness. The result was Lamentations, which we are working our way through. . . .
May 1, 2023
May 7 | Disciplined
The people of Jeremiah’s day had a long stretch of discipline. The siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar took years; it ended in 586 BC when Jerusalem fell. The people of Jerusalem were still weeping in 571 BC when Jeremiah wrote Lamentations. . . .
April 24, 2023
April 30 | You Are Invited
God invites all of creation to worship him. How extravagant should that worship be? . . .
April 17, 2023
April 23 | The Hurting Are Invited
After feeding the 5,000 in the wilderness, Jesus retreated to the far northern country to gain some margin in his life. While there, he encountered a desperate mother . . .
April 10, 2023
April 16 | Sinners Are Invited
This week we study two miracles of Jesus. The first is the cleansing of the leper (1:40-45). The second is the cleansing from sin and healing of the paralytic (2:1-12).
April 3, 2023
April 9 | All Nations Are Invited
On this Easter Sunday, the church needs to remember that it has the best of the good news to share. The church dares not be stingy with it. . . .
March 27, 2023
April 2 | The Ordinary Are Invited
Mark devoted one-third of his Gospel to the Passion experience of Jesus, and the first event in that experience was the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. . . .
March 20, 2023
March 26 | Lead Me to Righteousness
Amos, the farmer prophet, pleaded with Israel to seek the Lord and live. Several unrighteous deeds were identified as needing to be eradicated. The most pronounced was idolatry. . . .
March 13, 2023
March 19 | Mend My Brokenness
How severe was Israel's brokenness? Very! The people had majored in minors (Amos 5:21-24) and were experiencing the worst kind of famine—one from the Word of God (8:11). They would not be able to escape judgment from the Lord of Hosts. . . .
March 6, 2023
March 12 | Grant Me Mercy
The eighth-century BC prophet Micah (like his counterparts Amos and Hosea) prophesied against the northern and southern kingdoms. Micah cried out against idolatry, immorality, leadership crises, and family deterioration. But his prophecy had some bright spots . . .
February 27, 2023
March 5 | Forgive My Unfaithfulness
The theme for Hosea might be, “Good News from a Troubled Home.” God’s love for his people was on display at Hosea’s house. This minor prophet had married Gomer, who was unfaithful to him. But Hosea had purchased her back as an object lesson for Israel. . . .
February 20, 2023
February 26 | Courage to Restore
Rebuilding walls can take people only so far. At some point a love for the Word of God must be restored for genuine revival to take place. . . .
February 13, 2023
February 19 | Courage to Deny Oneself
Post-exilic Israel had returned home. The people had learned their lesson about idolatry following their 70-year spanking in Babylon. But they had fallen prey to other nuances of selfishness and would need to learn again the benefit of self-denial.
February 6, 2023
February 12 | Courage to Take a Risk
When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he set right to work. . . . Nehemiah was willing to risk it all to ensure that Jerusalem would be rebuilt so that one day the good news would come out of Zion.
January 30, 2023
February 5 | Courage to Stand Up
A touched heart typically is what spurs a person to action. The devastating news of Jerusalem caused Nehemiah to weep and mourn in chapter 1, and God used Nehemiah’s sadness to get the king’s attention in chapter 2.
