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Read the Word: Philippians 1:12-18 Meditate on the Word: When Paul wrote this letter to the church at Philippi, he was a prisoner in Rome, being held for his preaching of the gospel. But instead of spending his time in prison bemoaning how unfair it was that he was being held, Paul was productive with… Read More »

Read the Word: Luke 11:29-32 Meditate on the Word: One lesson that I have learned time and again, in ministry and in life, is that many people flat refuse to believe the truth when it confronts them. I have seen people refuse medical treatment because they insist that the doctor is lying about their condition.… Read More »

Read the Word: Psalm 63:3-5 Meditate on the Word: David is such an interesting character. He was a warrior, poet, and musician who loved and celebrated God. Even when he was on the run from enemies, as in during the writing of this psalm. The introduction says, “When he was in the wilderness of Judah.”… Read More »

Read the Word: 2 Kings 23:24-25 Meditate on the Word: You may remember that Josiah was the king who set out to repair the Temple, leading to the finding of the book of the law. This discovery led the king to seek to purge idolatry from the land and to celebrate the Passover again for… Read More »

Read the Word: 2 Kings 22:11-20 Meditate on the Word: King Josiah, in the eighteenth year of his reign, had decided that the Temple needed to have some damage repaired. We are not told specifically what damage in this passage, but it seems reasonable that it was neglect. The fact that the book of the… Read More »

Read the Word: Acts 7:54-8:1 Meditate on the Word: When Stephen became the first Christian martyr, it set in motion the rapid spread of the gospel throughout the world. Followers of Christ to this point had been largely congregated in Jerusalem and the church was growing. But of course, Jesus had commanded the disciples to… Read More »

Read the Word: Mark 13:9-13 Meditate on the Word: What kind of person must it take who would keep following a Lord who has promised persecution? One who, has not only told you that he is going to be killed in the most brutal and humiliating way possible, but that you are going to be… Read More »

Read the Word: Hebrews 10:32-39 Meditate on the Word: It is easy to read a text like this and think that taunts, afflictions, and confiscation of possessions which were so common to the early church are a part of Christianity’s distant past. These things can seem unreal to us, as if it does not happen… Read More »

Read the Word: Hebrews 10:26-31 Meditate on the Word: In the Old Testament, breaking the law had serious consequences. In many cases, that penalty was death. Why? These penalties were to show God’s people the seriousness of their sin. All sin leads to death. It seems that we have gotten away from recognizing the seriousness… Read More »

Read the Word: Ruth 4:11-17 Meditate on the Word: Naomi had lost it all. Fleeing hunger, her husband had taken her and her two sons to a foreign land. Her sons had married, then also died. All she had left when she returned home was a daughter-in-law who would not abandon her. So she showed… Read More »