Message:  In 2 Timothy 6 Paul was encouraging Timothy to “keep ablaze” (or stay on fire with) the gift that God had given to him by the laying on of hands. The very next verse is “for God has not... Continue reading →

Message:  In Joshua 9 the Israelites were tricked into making a peace treaty with the Gibeonites. They had seen and heard what God was doing through the Israelites and were aware of the promise God made to them so they... Continue reading →

Message:  In Joshua 8 God sent the Israelites back to Ai to conquer them. Their victory was assured this time because they had consecrated themselves and removed the sin that made them vulnerable. This time instead of sending just part... Continue reading →

Message: In Joshua 7 Israel was scouting out the land of Ai. They had just conquered Jericho and when they saw the size of Ai they opted to take just a portion of their army to defeat the small city.... Continue reading →

Message:  Joshua 6 is one of the most famous bible stories known to all. Because we have all heard it and understand the basic details it’s easy to gloss through the story and remember the details and things taught by... Continue reading →

Message:  Joshua 5 is a merge of endings and new beginnings. As the Israelites camped near the Jordan River after crossing over towards the promised land, they were ending their time in the wilderness. An entire generation before them had... Continue reading →

Message:  Before I started reading the first chapter of 1 Timothy I read the synopsis in my bible. Although the greeting clearly identifies Paul as the author, I found it interesting to read that some scholars argue over the legitimacy... Continue reading →

Message:  In Joshua 3 we are watching the transition of leadership to Joshua after Moses died. Joshua’s leadership of the Israelites began with four important directives. Follow the presence of God. (verse 2) God instructed Joshua to send the priests... Continue reading →

Message:  2 Thessalonians gives us a picture of what things will be like in the end times.  There were no descriptions of beasts here, but Paul was reassuring the church not to become anxious or upset by his description of... Continue reading →

Message:  Proverbs 9 shows a contrast between wisdom and foolishness. We read through the book of Proverbs every month and it occurred to me while reading today that I usually focus so much on the contrasting negatives, or the “what... Continue reading →

Message: The last chapter of Thessalonians is about the end times. Most of us have read the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation so we have a vague understanding of the symbolic meanings, but what we do understand... Continue reading →

Message:  Proverbs 7 is a directive warning to Solomon’s son to obey and treasure the commands and keep wisdom and understanding close to his heart like a sister and a close relative. These instructions were intended to protect him from... Continue reading →

Message:  In Deuteronomy 32 God had told Moses to teach the Israelites a song that he wanted them to learn and pass through their generations. God knew that they would continue in their rebellion when they reached the promised land... Continue reading →

Message:  In 1 Thessalonians 2 Paul was defending his character in the way he and Timothy had brought in the gospel without motives and without burdening the church financially. They were all under persecution and we have seen in other... Continue reading →

Message:  1 Thessalonians was a letter written to the church of Thessalonica after Paul started this church but was forced to leave abruptly because of persecution. This letter has a much different tone than the previous letters. It begins with... Continue reading →

Message:  Colossians 4 is the final chapter and last thoughts in Paul’s short letter to the church of Colossae. Paul encouraged them (and us) to devote ourselves to prayer and to stay alert in it with thanksgiving. This is big... Continue reading →

Message:  Right off the top of Colossians 3 was the first verse to grab my attention this morning. “Set you mind on things above, not on things of earth.” I have heard that scripture literally all of my life but... Continue reading →

Message:  In Colossians 2 I can feel the anguish in Paul’s heart that he wanted to be there to say these things in person but from a prison cell he conveyed to them that even in his physical absence he... Continue reading →

Message:  Colossians is another short letter to the church of Colossae which started with a typical greeting from Paul and an acknowledgment of thankfulness for them. He told them he was praying for their growth and maturity and then got... Continue reading →

Message:  Philippians 4 is the ending to Paul’s letter to the church of Philippi. He began by urging them to help some named women who contended for the gospel and worked alongside Paul’s team. From there Paul expressed gratitude to... Continue reading →