There is a common saying you might have heard: “Every scar tells a story.” For example, I have a scar on my thigh from when I was a kid. I tried to do a wheelie on my bike, but I was unsuccessful and landed on my handlebars. I have a scar on my knee from when I had knee surgery—a…
I was listening to a Tim Keller post-Easter message this week. In that sermon, he said, “The resurrection didn’t just change history—it’s supposed to change us.” I think change is something we all struggle with. We encounter these big events in our lives, but the change we desire to see doesn’t always come. Yet other times, we’ll encounter a situation…
Scripture References: 2 Timothy 3:16, Amos 2:6, 16, Mark 14:51-52, 15:46, 16:4-8, Galatians 2:20 Introduction: “If it’s weird, it’s probably important” This quote is one of my favorites when it comes to studying the Bible. I first heard this from the late Dr. Michael Heiser, who was an Old Testament professor and Scholar-in-residence at Logos Bible Software. What he meant…
In my personal study, I’ve been spending time in the book of Luke. Once Jesus begins His ministry, there are constant questions about who He is and what He’s about. These questions are often accompanied in the narrative by an act that reveals truth—both to the people at the time and to us—about who Jesus is. My favorite of these…
Scripture References: Matthew 4:12-20, Jeremiah 16:10-18, 2 Kings 15:29, Isaiah 9:1 Introduction: 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left…
This Sunday we are looking at John 6:1–13 and the feeding of the five thousand. Before we get into this devotional, I encourage you to stop here, read the story, and then come back. In this passage the disciples are presented with a problem. They had to provide food for a large number of people, but they didn’t have the…
Scripture References: Lamentations 3:40, Jeremiah 7:1-11, 30-31, Matthew 21:12-13, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 139:23-24 Introduction: 40 Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord! – Lamentations 3:40 ESV One of the most dangerous states we can fall into is complacency. When I step back and reflect on my own life, I can remember times where I probably thought…
Two years ago, I was part of a group of men in our church who challenged each other to be more disciplined in our lives. Diet and exercise were, of course, part of the program, but so was studying and memorizing Scripture. Each man was given a chapter of Ephesians to memorize and then recite to each other after a…
A while back I was taking my youngest to one of her sporting events when, out of the blue, she asked me, “How can someone be born again?” I hadn’t been paying much attention to the radio, but it turns out one of the songs mentioned being born again. I immediately started chuckling to myself because her question was the…
Scripture References: Genesis 15:15-16, Deuteronomy 9:4-6, Deuteronomy 18:9-12, 2 Kings 21:6, 8-9, Galatians 3:7-9. Introduction: Have you ever come across topics from the Bible that are hard to swallow? I think if we’re honest, there are times when we come across a topic or question that can be uncomfortable to talk about, particularly if they are being asked by an…