Posts from March 2021

Hebrews, Day 2 A Call to Perseverance (Hebrews 3 – 4) “Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it” (Hebrews 4:1) The letter of Hebrews is a call to perseverance. The author’s target audience was struggling: Hellenistic Jews who were being overwhelmed with oppression for their faith. They were about to abandon their newfound faith in Jesus and return to Judaism because of…

Hebrews, Day 1 Meet the Son, Better than Angels (Hebrews 1 – 2) “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by…

2 Corinthians, Day 9 SUFFERING AND JOY ARE TWO SIDES TO MINISTRY 2 Corinthians 12 – 13  Paul’s pleasure in weakness (12:1 – 13) Peter was chosen by God to bring the Gospel to the Jews. Paul was chosen by God to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles through an incredible outreach ministry. He had to be trained quickly and correctly directly by God. A crash course was needed in the new age (the church age) that was entered into…

The Rest of the Story Matthew 21:1 – 11 When I was growing up, my family would take trips to Michigan to visit our relatives. On those trips, I remember my dad tuning into a station that would air stories told by a man named Paul Harvey. To this day, I have no idea if that man was just a Michigan legend or if he had national exposure. If you are familiar with him, you immediately went to his catchphrase,…

2 Corinthians, Day 8 Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better 2 Corinthians 10 – 11 “Like most people, the Corinthians were slow to absorb the truth that divine standards differ radically from those of the world” (David K. Lowery, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Page 579). Paul was having a tough time with the Corinthian church. He had written to them four letters: a first Corinthians, then 1 Corinthians (which is actually the second Corinthian letter), then a third…

2 Corinthians, Day 7 An Open Hand II Corinthians 8 – 9 Key verses: 9:6 – 15 Today’s portion of II Corinthians deals with giving. Not just ordinary giving, but I believe it is sacrificial giving. Some people wonder why they should give at all. Does God really need the money we give? NO! If He did, Jesus never would have commended the poor widow who put a penny into the offering plate over the amount that the rich person…

2 Corinthians, Day 6 Godly Grief 2 Corinthians 6:11 – 7:6 “Godly grief is to sin what pain is to disease. A sensitive conscience is a gift of God, just like nerve endings that recoil from scalding water” (John Piper). I often have the privilege of meeting with couples preparing for marriage. It is an exciting season for an engaged couple and it is a privilege to be such a vital part of their preparation process. The first thing I…

My Motivation #4 (2 Corinthians 5) “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that…

2 Corinthians, Day 4 SUFFERING AND JOY ARE TWO SIDES TO MINISTRY “My Motivation #3” 2 Corinthians 4 What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal Paul shares with us through the Written Word his motivation behind preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ: God has provided mercy so he doesn’t lose heart in preaching the Word. We have removed all secret and shameful ways of presenting the Good News. By presenting the Gospel truthfully and plainly, we…

2 Corinthians, Day 3 2 Corinthians 3 In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul spends much of the chapter comparing the old and new covenants, the old covenant being the law of Moses and the new covenant being found in the death and resurrection of Christ. The old covenant served a purpose but it lacked the ability to provide transformation. In 2 Corinthians 3:9, Paul teaches that there was glory in the law but the glory of the new covenant far surpasses…