Luke 8:4-15 — The Parable of the Sower is one of the best known that Jesus gave and the most pressing. How we respond to the Word of God determines how much we grow in the Christian life and experience the good things He has for us. In the Parable, Jesus identified the three great enemies…
Luke 8:1-3 — The Gospel writers don’t tell us much about the women who followed Jesus but enough to know that they were among His most faithful disciples. In this text, Luke mentions three by name – Mary, Joanna and Susanna. They accompanied Jesus and the Twelve on a ministry tour through the cities and villages…
Judges 1:27-36 — The LORD had been very clear with His people. When they took possession of their Promised Land they were “to utterly destroy” the Canaanite nations. Israel’s conquest of Canaan would be the means by which God judged these pagan people for their utter depravity and rebellion. Israel enjoyed spectacular success under Joshua’s leadership…
Luke 7:36-50 — On the 31st October 1517 an Augustinian monk nailed 95 theses to the door of a church in Saxony. What were those theses all about? Why are we still talking about them five centuries later? As we mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation we consider what prompted Martin Luther to pen this…
Jeremiah 42 — In this chapter we meet a remnant in Judah who survived not only the atrocities committed by the Chaldeans but also the murderous activities of a warlord named Ishmael. Their leaders were ready to take them into Egypt in the hopes of finding safety, security and economic opportunity but before they departed, they…
Colossians 3:21 — “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.” How can we as parents provoke our children? What happens when they are discouraged? Are we raising discouraged children? These are serious questions that this text causes us to ask. In this short Bible study there is a vitally important message for…
Romans 5:3-4 — Sometimes it seems as though all we have to rejoice in as Christians are those things that await us in the future. We feel like we have to grit our teeth and somehow make it through this life while trying to keep our eyes fixed on the glory that is to come. Is…
Colossians 3:20 — As we continue our study of the Household Code we come to the command addressed to children. In this short lesson we consider Paul’s instruction in light of God’s Law and the example of God’s Son. Jesus “learned obedience” and it was difficult, just as it is for children today!
Colossians 3:19 — “Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.” This was a very unusual command in the Greco-Roman world of the First Century. Pederasty and prostitution flourished in these ancient societies. It was not uncommon for a man to have a wife but also to engage in these sexual practices. So…
Jeremiah 22:13-19 — King Jehoiakim was a man driven by greed and in this short text we see what his greed led to. He exploited and oppressed his own people. He perpetrated violence and murder and as a consequence God ensured he died a shameful death. Jehoiakim’s life stands as a warning about the deadly dangers…