Abraham Takes Lot with Him In the Bible, God told Abram (later called Abraham) to go to a new place. As he went, Abram was to leave behind his country, friends, and family. So Abram left, taking with him his nephew Lot. Abram obeyed the part about going but didn’t fully comply with the part […]
Today’s passage: 1 John 2:26–29 Focus verse: The anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. (1 John 2:27) Our verse for today contains two words that we’ve already read in 1 John 2: anointing and remain. In verse twenty, John reminds us of the fact that we received […]
Marriage Is for Children Not for Self DINK stands for Dual Income, No Kids. The concept has gained traction in recent years. But it’s not an enlightened perspective. Instead, being a DINK is an idea we should avoid. The Result of Circumstances Some couples are childless due to their circumstances. They can’t have biological children, […]
Excitement Prevails I removed every church from my list that was part of a denomination. At best they would merely offer variations of what we’ve already experienced—and rejected. Left are three churches with intriguing implications. Perhaps one will click with Candy. We’ll visit them the next three Sundays. This church meets in a public school […]
Psalm 165 from Beyond Psalm 150 King David secures his throne, and the Almighty blesses him with peace. David desires to build a temple for Yahweh. At first the prophet Nathan agrees, but that night God reveals his perspective to his spokesman. David is not to build the temple because he is a warrior and has […]
Consider What Job Believes in the Midst of His Suffering After Bildad’s attack, Job stares into the distance. He sits in silence as if this time he will not respond. Still, his anger bubbles within him, slowly at first and then building until it boils. He scans the three men and closes his eyes. He […]
Today’s passage: 1 John 2:24–25 Focus verse: And this is what he promised us—eternal life. (1 John 2:25) After warning us to be on alert for the antichrist, John encourages us to make sure we hold on to the good news of Jesus—on what we heard from the beginning. We started our journey with Jesus by believing […]
God Made Us to Be in Community Does the phrase “two by two” conjure up images of God sending the animals to Noah to enter the ark two by two (Genesis 7:8-9)? This need for pairs of animals is so they can repopulate their species after the flood. A single animal accomplishes nothing. Be Fruitful […]
Two Options in One Building The budget program I’m involved with on Wednesday mornings also has a Thursday evening option. Though I’m not a regular volunteer on Thursdays, I help from time to time. It’s bigger, with more classes, more clients, and more volunteers. The Thursday evening budget program meets at a different church, and […]
The Magi Visit Jesus Matthew 2:1–2 “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2) Now let’s focus on the Magi who come to visit Jesus. Matthew is the only writer in Scripture who mentions them. First, we must dispel some common misconceptions that come to us from the classic […]