Nehemiah 9:22-10:39; 1 Corinthians 9:19-10:13; Psalm 34:1-10; Proverbs 21:13 Paul’s passion and objective is to share the gospel with all people. He makes this so clear in our reading from 1 Corinthians today.  Though he has the freedom to do otherwise he tells us, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, tha...  Read More

Nehemiah 7:73-9:21; 1 Corinthians 9:1-18; Psalm 33:12-22; Proverbs 21:11-12 "If only..." You can easily think that if only circumstances were different then your life would be better. You might think if only I were married, or had kids, or had a different job, or could retire...then my life would be so much better. Though there may be things you could or should change in your life, abundant life i...  Read More

Nehemiah 5:14-7:73; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Psalm 33:1-11; Proverbs 21:8-10 What are some of the defining aspects of your identity? It might be a son, daughter, husband, wife, mother, or father, or maybe your job is a critical part of your identity, and hopefully being a Christian, but what about a servant? We are told that part of Jesus' identity while he ministered on earth was as a servant. Yet, ...  Read More

Nehemiah 3:15-5:13; 1 Corinthians 7:25-40; Psalm 32:1-11; Proverbs 21:5-7 We can easily believe that our circumstances are up to us. Any failure finds us to blame, while any victory leaves us to get all the credit. As we continue the story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the walls, we learn that we can play an important role, but God is the critical component. To live as a practical atheist, whe...  Read More

Nehemiah 1:1-3:14; 1 Corinthians 7:1-24; Psalm 31:19-24; Proverbs 21:4 Sexual freedom is highly valued in our culture. Anything that intrudes upon someone's ability to act out their sexual desires (as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else-- with no clear grounding of what hurt means) is considered harm. This cultural value begins with the individual and their ability to do whatever they want. In 1 C...  Read More

Ezra 10:1-44; 1 Corinthians 6:1-20; Psalm 31:9-18; Proverbs 21:3 “But” may be one of the most amazing, wonderful words in the Bible because it indicates the complete reversal of our situation through Jesus Christ. After listing several regrettable sinful states in I Corinthians 6, Paul says, “And that is what some of you were. BUT you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the nam...  Read More

Ezra 8:21-9:15; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; Psalm 31:1-8; Proverbs 21:1-2 Holy. God's people are those who have been made holy through the work of Jesus. They have been declared righteous and yet we still struggle to live in practically holy, righteous ways.Ezra 8-9 describes a second remnant of Israelites returning to Jerusalem from Babylon and finding that the first group of returnees were living just...  Read More

Ezra 7:1-8:20; 1 Corinthians 4:1-21; Psalm 30:1-12; Proverbs 20:28-30 Paul and Ezra were both men who were willing to do anything to make God known. They were aware of their calling to essentially be disciples who make disciples and thus were willing to do anything and go anywhere that God would call them. Ezra was called by God to leave Babylon and go back to Jerusalem. Though it may sound impres...  Read More

Ezra 4:24-6:22; 1 Corinthians 3:5-23; Psalm 29:1-11; Proverbs 20:26-27 Sixteen years. The returned exiles began building the temple but had been forced to stop due to government decree for sixteen years. Imagine the excitement and energy they would have when they returned to Jerusalem and yet how quickly it dissolved into apathy and frustration. They would have sat around for sixteen years as the ...  Read More

Ezra 3:1-4:23; 1 Corinthians 2:6-3:4; Psalm 28:1-9; Proverbs 20:24-25 Fear can be crippling. When we are afraid we find ourselves shrinking back and feeling like our stomach is in knots. That is how the Israelites felt as they returned to Jerusalem. They were surrounded by hostile people who wanted to see them fail in their mission. Rather than allowing their fears to determine their decisions the...  Read More

Ezra 1:1-2:70; 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5; Psalm 27:7-14; Proverbs 20:22-23 Our world is full of scary things that can make us feel as if it’s completely out of control.  Contagious disease, political unrest, and war all swirl around us as we try to navigate this strange new world. Today’s passages show us that God is completely in control and that events are occurring exactly as God has intended they...  Read More

2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23; 1 Corinthians 1:1-17; Psalm 27:1-6; Proverbs 20:20-21 Hope is a necessary ingredient for life. Where there is no hope there is no motivation to keep on going. We see in America an epidemic of hopelessness that reveals itself in aimlessness, suicide, and depression. 2 Chronicles ends with disaster. Judah was first overrun by Egypt and then conquered by Babylon. Their defeat...  Read More