Proverbs 14:1-16:33 The average person speaks 7,000 words a day. Those can be words that bring life and encouragement, or pain and destruction. Proverbs often discuss the differing speech that comes from the wise and from the foolish. Proverbs 14:3 tells us fools speak from a place of pride. They are defensive and self-centered in their words, while the wise speak differently. Further, in 14:5 we ...  Read More

Proverbs 11:1-13:25 Is it worth it to follow God? Choosing to follow and obey God means we must humble ourselves, not give in to our broken desires, and may mean suffering, difficulty, and persecution in the moment. Since this is true, we must count the cost of following Jesus. In our Proverbs today we see the value of following God in the destiny of the righteous. The righteous are people who hav...  Read More

Proverbs 8:1-10:32 The voices we pay attention to often determine the trajectory of our lives. Who we listen to will lead our lives. In Proverbs, there are two voices competing for attention. These voices are wisdom and folly. One voice speaks to a path that leads to life, while the other path leads to death. They both may sound enticing. They both seem to offer wonderful things. Only one (wisdom)...  Read More

Proverbs 5:1-7:27 If someone questions whether the Bible is practical for modern life, they do not need to look any further than the Proverbs. Solomon's instructions with his son will deal with almost every area of life, including sex. There is warning after warning regarding the consequences of sexual immorality. The critical skill Solomon wants to pass on to his son is prudence. One of the aspec...  Read More

Proverbs 1:1-4:27 Our culture is focused on the accumulation of knowledge, but what about the acquisition of wisdom? People accumulate multiple degrees, but this pursuit rarely leads to greater skill in living. Solomon asked for wisdom above all else, and God provided it. He then was to walk in this personal wisdom and communicate it to others. Over the next week we will sit at Solomon’s feet and ...  Read More

1 Kings 4:1-34; Psalm 72, 127 As Americans we are raised with a deep sense of individualism. We grow up with the ethos that we can do anything we put our mind to do. Though there may be positives to this mentality, on some levels it is deeply unbiblical. From the beginning to the end, the Bible speaks of a deep need for community in our lives. We are to live deeply connected to others, not as isol...  Read More

2 Chronicles 8:1-18; 1 Kings 9:15-10:13; 2 Chronicles 9:1-12; 1 Kings 10:14-29; 2 Chronicles 9:13-28, 1:14-17 God's heart is for all people, for all nations to come and worship Him. If you have had the opportunity to travel, every person you have encountered has value, dignity, and worth, because they are made in the image of God. God created them so they might have a relationship with him. The Qu...  Read More

1 Kings 8:54-66; 2 Chronicles 7:1-10; 1 Kings 9:1-9; 2 Chronicles 7:11-22; 1 Kings 9:10-14 Most of the psalms deal with praise. Praise is a planned or immediate response to the greatness and beauty of an object. As we see the response of Solomon and Israel to the temple, their immediate response is praise. Solomon praises God for the rest he has given his people, his faithfulness, and his presence...  Read More

1 Kings 8:1-11; 2 Chronicles 5:1-14; 1 Kings 8:12-21; 2 Chronicles 6:1-11; 1 Kings 8:22-53; 2 Chronicles 6:12-42 Recently, I heard a radio commercial that spoke of a plague which has struck relationships in America. It has crippled intimacy, love, and a feeling of connectedness. This plague is the inability to listen. According to the advertisement, our inability to listen is destroying our most i...  Read More

1 Kings 7:1-51; 2 Chronicles 3:15-4:22 There are moments in our lives when a huge shift happens. This change may come when we move, take a new job, get married, have kids, retire, etc. The construction of the temple and its furnishings is one of the most dramatic pivots in the history of Israel. Prior to the Exodus, people could worship God without a priest anywhere and at any time. With the const...  Read More

1 Kings 3:16-28; 1 Kings 5:1-18; 2 Chronicles 2:1-18; 1 Kings 6:1-13; 2 Chronicles 3:1-14; 1 Kings 6:14-38 The first thing we do each morning says a lot about our priorities. Do we reach for our phone first? Do we grab a newspaper or a cup of coffee? In the same way, what a politician or king does at the beginning of their reign speaks about their passions, interests, and agenda. We see the key pr...  Read More

Psalm 83; 1 Chronicles 29:23-25; 2 Chronicles 1:1; 1 Kings 2:13-3:4; 2 Chronicles 1:2-6; 1 Kings 3:5-15; 2 Chronicles 1:7-13 Life is like a rollercoaster. Our days are filled with highs and lows. We have great victories that are followed by crushing defeats. In the Psalms, David freely expresses the highs and lows of his emotional condition to God. In Psalm 83, David pleads for God not to keep sil...  Read More