Psalm 105-106 We are all missionaries. Every one of us is proclaiming the greatness of something and encouraging others to participate in that. It may be a restaurant we ate at recently, it may be a movie or book, or it may be God, but we are all continuously sharing what we enjoy with others. Psalm 105 commands us to “make known among the nations what he has done” (to be a missionary/a disciple w...  Read More

Psalm 98, 99, 100, 102, 104 "Mom," "Dad" seem to be two continual refrains from the mouths of my kids. It might be absurdly early in the morning or after they have been put to bed, but these words constantly flow from their mouths. Many psalms want us to learn a similar continual call for God our Father. Psalms 98 and 100 are calls to God from a place of joy. It is easy to envision smiles on the f...  Read More

Psalm 92-97 What do you picture when you think of God? This view will impact the way you live, so it is important that we have the right view of him. Thankfully the Scriptures and especially the psalms give us several pictures of God. Psalm 92 presents him as a rock. The one upon whom our lives are to be built. Psalms 93 and 97 present him as the eternal king of the universe. Psalm 94 presents him...  Read More

Psalm 1-2, 10, 33, 71, 91 Due to our fallen nature, we have a natural bent towards throwing off authority. If you doubt this, be sensitive to your emotions the next time you are asked to do something you do not want to do. Or watch a kid throw a tantrum when they are asked to perform a small task they dislike. Or consider the founding of our country, which we celebrated a couple days ago, and our ...  Read More

Psalm 47, 48, 49, 84, 85, 87 Some people find the music to be their favorite part of the church service. They love expressing themselves and praising God, while others may find the music to be an almost unnecessary interruption prior to the sermon. Regardless of your attitude, praise should be something we all cultivate in our lives. We need to consistently praise God, because he is worthy of it. ...  Read More

Psalm 42-46 Kids love to pretend to be animals. They love to act like monkeys, cats, and dogs as they run or crawl around the house. You may think as you have grown older you no longer need to act like an animal, but Psalm 42 tells us otherwise. We are all to be like deer. Deer have a longing, a thirst, and a panting for water. We also are to have this longing in our hearts. Yet our longing should...  Read More

Proverbs 30:1-31:31 If you encountered a genie like Aladdin and were given three wishes, what would be your three wishes? Your requests would reveal a great deal about what you value and your hopes for the future. We have already read about Solomon, who when given one wish, chose wisdom. Now, we see Agur’s request. In Proverbs 30:7-9 he asks God for lips that speak truth and for his basic needs to...  Read More

Proverbs 25:1-29:27 You may often hear people say the Bible has contradictions. When you ask what they are, often the person does not know any but is just parroting something they have heard. In today's reading, we encounter a potential contradiction they could mention. Proverbs 26:4-5 says, "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Answer a fool accordin...  Read More

2 Chronicles 29:3-31:21 Your spring cleaning should have been done a few months ago, but, if you never got around to it, it is never too late to start. And even if you did it, I’m sure there are new messes and clutter to undertake. Hezekiah's reign begins with a massive spring cleaning project. The focus is not on the homes of the people; rather it is on the home of God, the temple. The priests sp...  Read More

2 Kings 16:19-20; 2 Chronicles 28:26-27; Isaiah 13:1-16:14 What is the most powerful thing you have experienced? It may be a hurricane, a form of technology, a person, or a country. Isaiah confronts us with the transitory nature of all earthly power. We see various world empires, which despite seeming to be permanent and indestructible, are nothing compared to the power of God. Babylon, who is now...  Read More

Isaiah 1:21-5:30 From the outside, prior to the Israelites’ exile, it would have seemed like they had it all together. The wealthy lived in beautiful houses, indulged in frequent parties, and dressed in lavish clothing. They would have fit right in on a Friday night in the trendy part of town, and yet behind the scenes, they were morally bankrupt. Their lives were consumed by the pursuit of tempor...  Read More

Isaiah 28:1-29; 2 Kings 17:5, 18:9-12, 17:6-41; Isaiah 1:1-20 All humans are made in the image of God─this means we have value and dignity. Being made in the image of God has nothing to do with what we do, but rather about who we are. Yet we can choose to accurately live out and reflect more of God’s image in the way we live. As Christians, we are called to be conformed to the image of Christ rath...  Read More