A WEEK WITH GOD
Real Stories of Walking with Him Daily
Discover "A Week with God," a dynamic community where personal growth and impactful change converge. Immerse yourself in our diverse array of commentary and blogs by clicking on the images below. Each passage and post opens a window to deeper understanding and shared insights. Feel free to join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments section under each post. Your participation is welcome, offering a unique perspective to our collective journey. Also, enrich your experience with our engaging Sunday Service PODCAST. Be a part of this vibrant exchange of ideas and inspiration, at your own pace, in your own way.
Speak Life
Numbers 24
Now, when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness. When he looked out and saw Israel…
God Is Not Human
Numbers 23
Then he spoke his message: Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor. God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act…
We Had Hoped
Luke 24
He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped…
A Donkey’s Vision
Numbers 22
Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field…
Look Up and Live
Numbers 21
The Lord said to Moses, Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live. So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then, when anyone was bitten…
Quiet Obedience
Numbers 20
The Lord said to Moses, Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron, gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes, and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock…
Purification
Numbers 19
For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over them. Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water…
Security
Numbers 18
You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the tent of meeting. By presenting the best part of it, you will not be guilty in this matter; then you will not defile…
Dead Sticks Bloom
Numbers 17
The next day, Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed, and produced almonds. Then Moses brought out all the…
Unjust or Not Ours?
Numbers 16
So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between…
Good Posture
Numbers 15
The priest is to make atonement before the Lord for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made, that person will be forgiven. But anyone who sins defiantly…
A Different Spirit
Numbers 14
Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land…
Magnify Courage
Numbers 13
They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land…
Forward Together
Numbers 12
So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back. After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran…
Ordinary Gratitude
Numbers 11
The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost, also the cucumbers, melons, leeks…
Lived Obedience
Numbers 10
But Moses said, Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord gives us…
Treasure and Ponder
Luke 2
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these…
Trust In Grace
Numbers 9
So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day and said to Moses, We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord’s offering with the others…
Purposeful Light
Numbers 8
Aaron set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold, from its base to its blossoms…
Spiritual Continuity
Numbers 7
Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, and anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of…
Peace Giving
Numbers 6
This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face to you and give you peace…
Clean In Messiness
Numbers 5
The Lord said to Moses, Say to the Israelites: Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty and must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full…
Who Do We Have?
Numbers 4
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Take a census of the Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families. Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent…
Grateful Service
Numbers 3
The Lord said to Moses, Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the tent of meeting by doing the work…
A Call to Order
Numbers 2
These are the Israelites, counted according to their families. All the men in the camps, by their divisions. The Levites, however, were not counted along with the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded…
God Always Wins
Numbers 1
These were the men appointed from the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes. They were the heads of the clans of Israel. Moses and Aaron took these men whose names had been specified…
Not Your Own
Leviticus 27
But nothing that a person owns and devotes to the Lord—whether a human being or an animal or family land—may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the Lord. No person devoted to…
Obey and Be Free
Leviticus 26
If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest, and…
Balance
Leviticus 25
If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. Do not take interest…
Life Matters
Leviticus 24
Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed…
Firstfruits
Leviticus 23
The Lord said to Moses, Speak to the Israelites and say to them: These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. There are six days…
No Leftovers
Leviticus 22
When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the Lord. Keep my commands…
A Spiritual Mirror
Leviticus 21
The Lord said to Moses, Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die, except for a close relative, such as his mother…
Set Apart
Leviticus 20
Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy. Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land…
One Unified Life
Leviticus 19
Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or quantity. Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God, who brought you…
Purity and Holiness
Leviticus 18
The Lord said to Moses, Speak to the Israelites and say to them: I am the Lord your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I…
In the Blood
Leviticus 17
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. Therefore, I say to the Israelites, None of you…
Reconciled
Leviticus 16
When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it…
Everyday
Leviticus 15
The priest is to sacrifice one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my…
Renewal
Leviticus 14
On the eighth day, they must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb, a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, and one log…
Wellness
Leviticus 13
When anyone has a defiling skin disease, they must be brought to the priest. The priest is to examine them, and if there is a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white, and if there is raw flesh in…
Clean and Connected
Leviticus 12
When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin…
The Little Things
Leviticus 11
These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves about in the water, and every creature that moves along the ground. You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean…
Risky Business
Leviticus 10
Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them, and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence…
Being Deliberate
Leviticus 9
They took the things Moses commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the entire assembly came near and stood before the Lord. Then Moses said, This is what the Lord has commanded…
Consecrated
Leviticus 8
Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils…
Handle Responsibility
Leviticus 7
These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering , and the fellowship offering, which the Lord gave Moses at Mount…
Restorative Action
Leviticus 6
When people sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, or whatever…
Accountability
Leviticus 5
When anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned. As a penalty for the sin they have committed, they must bring to the Lord…
Intent
Leviticus 4
If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, when they realize their guilt and…
Seeking Peace
Leviticus 3
From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering to the Lord: its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat…
Active Faith
Leviticus 2
When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord, their offering is to be of the finest flour. They are to pour olive oil on it, put incense on it, and take it to Aaron’s sons, the priests. The priest shall take…
A New Reality
Luke 24
Two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, Why do you look for the living among the dead…
Something Greater
Leviticus 1
The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from…
The Cloud Moves
Exodus 40
In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord…
Live Purposefully
Exodus 39
The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them….
Every Person
Exodus 38
They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Next they made the courtyard. The south side was a hundred cubits long…
Build Something
Exodus 37
Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. He overlaid it with pure gold, both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it…
Greater Impact
Exodus 36
And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. All those who were skilled among the workers made the tabernacle…
Willing Hearts
Exodus 35
Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence, and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting…
Second Chances
Exodus 34
Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God…
Presence
Exodus 33
And the Lord said, I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will…
Golden Calves
Exodus 32
When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us…
All Kinds of Skills
Exodus 31
For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord. The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant…
Consider It Sacred
Exodus 30
Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. Do not pour it on anyone else’s body…
Dedication
Exodus 29
Aaron’s sacred garments will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them. The son who succeeds him as priest and comes to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place is to…
Wearing Excellence
Exodus 28
Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his…
Keep It Burning
Exodus 27
Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. In the tent of meeting outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant…
Christmas Humility
Luke 2
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was…
Lives as Temples
Exodus 26
Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by a skilled worker. All the curtains are to be the same size—twenty-eight…
Sacred Space
Exodus 25
The Lord said to Moses, Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. These are the offerings you are to receive…
Transformative Joy
Exodus 24
When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, Everything the Lord has said we will do. Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said…
Walk Faithfully
Exodus 23
Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness. Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the…
Alignment
Exodus 22
If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest. If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset, because that cloak…
Lived Realities
Exodus 21
If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist and the victim does not die but is confined to bed, the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and…
Purpose and Peace
Exodus 20
And God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form…
Intentional Time
Exodus 19
Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: You yourselves…
The Good of Others
Exodus 18
The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law, Jethro, saw all that Moses was doing for the people…
Real Victory
Exodus 17
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning but whenever he lowered his…
The Reality of Need
Exodus 16
The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert…
Our Song
Exodus 15
I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God and I will praise Him. The Lord is…
Stand Firm
Exodus 14
Moses answered the people, Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you…
Honoring Wisdom
Exodus 13
The Lord said to Moses, Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.” Then Moses said to the people, Commemorate this…
Judgment and Mercy
Exodus 12
During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go…
Preparation
Exodus 11
The Lord had said to Moses, Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt. Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s…
Be Open
Exodus 10
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that…
Hard Hearts
Exodus 9
When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord…
Troubles
Exodus 8
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your country…
Unimpressed
Exodus 7
The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts and Pharaoh’s heart became hard…
God Will
Exodus 6
Therefore, say to the Israelites: I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty…
The Resistance
Exodus 5
Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness. Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord…
A Reluctant Leader
Exodus 4
Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead. So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he…
Here I Am
Exodus 3
So Moses thought, I will go over and see this strange sight in the bush. When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, Moses! Moses! And Moses said, Here I am…
A Basket of Destiny
Exodus 2
Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could not…
Growth and Change
Exodus 1
Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them…
End of Beginning
Genesis 50
But Joseph said to them, Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t…
Benediction
Genesis 49
Then Jacob called for his sons and said: Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel. All these are the twelve tribes…
Untraditional
Genesis 48
Joseph said to him, No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head. But his father refused and said, I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great…
Arrangements
Genesis 47
Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, If I have found favor in your…
Ready to Die
Genesis 46
When they arrived in the region of Goshen Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father…
Come Close
Genesis 45
So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household. Then Joseph said to his brothers, Come close…
A Silver Cup
Genesis 44
Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. Then put my cup, the silver one…
Joy of Restoration
Genesis 43
They replied, Your servant our father is still alive and well. And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him. As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, Is this…
Conflicting Emotions
Genesis 42
Then, ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin’s, Joseph’s brother, with the others because he was afraid that harm might come to him. So Israel’s sons…
Favor Not Power
Genesis 41
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold…
Night Dreams
Genesis 40
Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in…
In The Darkness
Genesis 39
But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held…
Divine Extraction
Genesis 38
At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. There, Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made…
Faith Amid Adversity
Genesis 36-37
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he had been born to him in his old age, and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any…
Return to Bethel
Genesis 35
So Jacob said to his household and all who were with him, Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar…
Justice or Revenge?
Genesis 34
Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask. Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay…
Reconciliation
Genesis 33
Jacob looked up, and there was Esau, coming. He went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms…
Wrestling with God
Genesis 32
Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the early morning. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched…
Running Man
Genesis 31
On the third day, Laban was told that Jacob had fled. Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. Then God came to Laban the Aramean…
Art of the Deal
Genesis 30
After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way…
All’s Fair In Love
Genesis 29
While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her Father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd. When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone…
Divine Encounter
Genesis 28
Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep…
Family Matters
Genesis 27
After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him…
A Beautiful Dilemma
Genesis 26
Now there was a famine in the land and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live…
Divine Purpose
Genesis 25
Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years, and he was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael…
Timeless
Luke 2
So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was…
Love at First Sight
Genesis 24
He prayed, Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the town are coming out to draw water. Before he had finished praying…
Grief Observed
Genesis 23
Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her. Then Abraham rose from…
Bond of Faith
Genesis 22
Abraham looked up, and there in a thicket, he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place…
The Parentheses
Genesis 21
Now, the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and he did what he promised for Sarah. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the time God had promised him. Abraham gave…
The Same Mistake
Genesis 20
Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while, he stayed in Gerar, and there said of his wife Sarah, she is my sister…
Run
Genesis 19
Early the next morning, Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke…
Nothing Is Too Hard
Genesis 18
Then the Lord said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh and say, Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son…
Active Partnership
Genesis 17
Abram fell facedown, and God said, As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father…
The God Who Sees
Genesis 16
The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert, the spring beside the road to Shur. And She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: You are the God who sees me, for she said, I have now…
Don’t Be Afraid
Genesis 15
After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. Then the word of the Lord came to him: This man will not be your heir, but a son who…
A Daring Rescue
Genesis 14
When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. During the night, Abram divided his men to attack them…
Boundaries
Genesis 13
So Abram said to Lot, Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left…
The Blessing
Genesis 12
The Lord had said to Abram, Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great…
Scattered
Geneses 10-11
Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves. But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building…
The Promise
Genesis 9
Then God said to Noah and his sons: I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you: Never again will the waters of a flood destroy all life; never again will there be a flood to destroy the…
God Remembers
Genesis 8
But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred…
In This Generation
Genesis 7
The Lord told Noah, Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. Noah did…
Except for Noah
Genesis 6
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made…
Reflection
Genesis 5
When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them Mankind when they were created. When Adam had lived…
Inside Out
Genesis 4
Eve became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, With the help of the Lord, I have brought forth a man. Later, she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Cain said to his brother, Let’s go out to the field…
The One Thing
Genesis 3
Now, the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals God had made. He said to the woman, Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden? When the woman saw that the fruit…
Soul Connection
Genesis 2
Then, the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east…
Beginnings
Genesis 1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters…
Gone Is The Curse
Revelation 22
No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night…
The City of God
Revelation 21
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he…
End Game
Revelation 20
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him…
Warrior King
Revelation 19
I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice, he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many…
The Fruit Is Gone
Revelation 18
They will say, The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered. The merchants who sold these things and gained wealth from her will stand far off. They will weep…
The End of Babylon
Revelation 17
The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom but who will receive authority as kings along with the beast for one hour. They have one purpose and will give their power…
Armageddon
Revelation 16
Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne…
The Sound of Victory
Revelation 15
And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and the number of its name. They sang the song of God’s…
A New Song
Revelation 14
And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne…
The Beast
Revelation 13
The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked…
Not Strong Enough
Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great…
Both Great and Small
We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was. The time has come for judging the dead and rewarding your servants, and the people who revere your name, both great and small…
A Testimony
Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. He was holding a little scroll…
Woe Is Past
During those days, people will seek death but not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come. The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard…
All Things New
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered…
A Moment of Silence
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel, who had…
These Are They
And he said, These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God…
A Witness
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, How long, Sovereign…
The Deliverer
And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain, and with your blood, you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation…
Worship Practice
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night, they never stop saying: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is…
Faith Cares More
I know your deeds. See, I have placed an open door that no one can shut before you. You have little strength, but you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are…
Don’t Leave Me
You have persevered, endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen…
A Glorious Future
Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! I am the Alpha and the Omega…
Do You Love Me?
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Yes, Lord, he said, you know I love you. Jesus said, Feed my lambs. Again Jesus said, Simon, son of…
Don’t Stop Believing
Thomas said to them, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. A week later, his disciples were in the house again…
No King But Jesus
Here is your king, Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him! Shall I crucify your king? Pilate asked. We have no king but Caesar, the chief priests answered…
Undeniable
The other disciple, known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there, and brought Peter inside. You aren’t one of this man’s disciples, too, are you? she asked Peter. He replied…
Prayed For
I also pray for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me…
He Has Overcome
Do you now believe? Jesus replied. A time is coming and has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told…
The Whole Story
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was…
The Vine
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean…
The Best Part
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am. I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me…
Foot Washers
Jesus got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel wrapped…
Easy Thank You
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above…
Important Contrast
Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? Leave her alone, Jesus replied. It was intended that she should save this perfume. You will always have the poor among you, but you will…
Dead Things Live
When he said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, Take off the grave clothes…
The Good Shepherd
I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the Shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep…
Seeing Blind
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, Do you believe in the Son of Man? Who is he, sir? the man asked. Tell me so that I may believe in him. Jesus said, You have seen him…
Glass Houses
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone…
A Person of Truth
Jesus answered, My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own…
Food for the Soul
Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life…
Like Father, Like Son
Jesus gave them this answer: Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing because whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father…
An Intentional Life
Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria…
From Heaven
John replied, A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him. The One who comes from above is above all…
Showing Off
What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. After this, he went to Capernaum with his mother, brothers…
The Whole Story
In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him, all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been…
With Great Joy
The Messiah will rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy…
Criminal Minds
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us! But the other criminal rebuked him. Don’t you fear God, he said, since you are under the same sentence…
The Setup
The Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover. Where do you want us to prepare for it? they asked…
Like We Know
There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming…
Good Citizens
Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not…
Dinner Guest
A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. When Jesus…
Don’t Give Up
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. And will not God bring justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night…
Must Forgive
Jesus said to his disciples: If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you…
Most Valuable
There was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen who lived in luxury every day. At his gate was a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table…
A Changed Life
The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him…
Come In Second
When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more…
Real Growth
And he told this parable: A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit…
No Worries
Then Jesus said to his disciples: Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
Keep Knocking
I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity, he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. So I say to you: knock…
Be My Neighbor
Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise…
The Cost
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus replied, Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head…
Heart Condition
The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word…
Look No Further
When the men came to Jesus, they said, John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else? So he replied to them, Go back and report to John what you have…
Love Your Enemies
But to you who are listening, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them on the other also…
Deep Water
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, Put out into deep water…
A Solitary Place
At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, I must proclaim the good news…
Generational Wealth
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from…
Seen It
Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared…
Who Cares?
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great…
Amazed
Don’t be alarmed, he said. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you…
They Said So
The teachers of the law, and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Are you the king of the Jews? asked Pilate. You have said so…
Don’t Hold Back
When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me. They were saddened, and one…
Here’s Your Sign
Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished? Jesus said to them: Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name…
To Live On
Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, Truly I tell you, this poor widow has…
The Unfilled Seat
When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead…
Lead by Serving
Jesus called them together and said, You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you…
No Distraction
If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you…
Total Recall
During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me…
No Lip Service
Jesus replied, Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely…
Mission: Possible
Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. These were his instructions: Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money…
Not a Silent Night
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. When the shepherds…
The Same Reach
Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, my little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that…
Light It Up
He said to them, Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be…
Family Ties
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, He is out of his mind…
Get Up and Walk
But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. So he said to the man, I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home. He got up, took his mat, and walked out in full view of them…
Last Action Hero
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. The time has come, he said. The kingdom of God has come near…
Worship Not Doubt
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven…
Always In Control
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn…
Powerful Moments
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take and eat; this is my body. Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks…
Do It For Him
For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited me in, I needed clothes, and you clothed me, I was sick, and you looked…
Just Be Ready
But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come…
Burden of Proof
But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift…
First Love
Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment…
Save Us
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna…
Just Mercy
As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us…
Being Rich
Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not…
That Is Great
At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you…
Mountain Experience
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun…
The One
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is? They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah…
Satisfied
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people…
Winds of Faith
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me! Immediately Jesus reached out…
Moral of the Story
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them…
The Greatest Servant
Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Holy Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice…
Refresh
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls…
Sent
Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me…
Need and Supply
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few…
Completely Calm
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him…
Compound Strength
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that…
Treasured
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not…
Happy Is
Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are…
The Winning Walk
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, If you are the Son of God, tell these…
Prepare the Way
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: a voice of one…
The Return
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. So he got up, took the child and his mother, and went to…
With Us
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit…
Abide
Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen! For two whole years, Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him…
Storm Surge
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down…
Reasonable Faith
Festus interrupted Paul. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.” “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable…
Stand Up
Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul…
Stay Clear
My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making…
Allegedly
This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came and rescued him. I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him…
Marks of the Mission
The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live! As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air…
Compelled to Go
When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound but also to die…
Legacy
Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing…
Leave No Doubt
When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now…
Teachable
Apollos, a native of Alexandria came to Ephesus. He was a learned man with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He spoke with great fervor, though he knew only the baptism of John…
The Known God
People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god…
A Song Before We Go
Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken…
Accepted
God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith…
Worthless Things
“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea…
Oldie but Goodie
We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: “’You are my son; today I have become your father…
The Great Escape
The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light…
Name Change
Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians…
Incredible
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was…
No Favorites
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent…
See
The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him…
Down But Not Out
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned…
The Witness
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand”…
Spirit and Wisdom
Choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word…
Unstoppable
Therefore, in the present case, I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men…
Good, Bad & Ugly
The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. More and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. Crowds gathered also from the towns around…
Extraordinary
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given to mankind by which we must be saved. When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were ordinary men…
The Name
Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet…
Together
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They broke bread…
Power Move
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire…
Don’t Stand There
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?…
He Is Able
Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed…
Bear with Me
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. May the God who gives endurance…
Don’t Get in the Way
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. For the kingdom of God is not a matter…
The Unpaid Debt
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does not harm a neighbor. Therefore love…
Change Your Mind
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will…
Have Mercy
Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy…
A Beautiful Message
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can…
Care Too Much
I speak the truth in Christ — I am not lying. I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people…
Never Forget
If Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know…
Total Victory
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us…
A Winnable War
Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law…
The Rescue Story
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him…
Peace and Hope
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand…
Faith That Works
One who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits…
Same Difference
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified…
Check Yourself
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things…
Foolish Hearts
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became…
Purpose and Power
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith…
A Test Worth Taking
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed…
Vision of Humility
Therefore, to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me…
Celebrity or Servant?
But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to these “super-apostles” who teach such things. I may be unskilled as a speaker, but I’m not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you…
One Voice
You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. So even if I boast somewhat freely about…
He Gives, We Give
This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves…
It’s Better to Give
In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability…
Not Here
Suddenly two men stood beside them. In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here…
Hurts So Good
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because…
Clear a Path
We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles…
A New Point of View
So from now on, we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone…
Jars of Clay
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair…
Confidence & Glory
Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent…
Love to Forgive
Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. Another reason I wrote you…
Built to Comfort
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble…
Open Doors
A great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me. Be on your guard; stand firm in your faith; be of great courage; be strong. Do everything in love…
Beyond the Grave
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality…
Build Up
What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church…
Artificial Noisemaker
If I speak in the tongues of men or angels but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith…
One for All
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit to form one body. Even so, the body is not made up of one part…
The Good of Others
I have the right to do anything, you say – but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything – but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their good, but the good of others…
All People
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. 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, that I may share in its blessings…
Hope
May you experience the hope that is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ this Christmas season. Hope is the benefit and not the doubt. It is silver in the lining. It knows the sunshine is somewhere behind the rain…
Power of Empathy
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge…
Whatever
Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches…
Judgy
I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside…
First Things First
The person and character of God is the catalyst for David’s praise and thanksgiving. It is what he recognizes first before he calls attention to the things God has done. He keeps first things first and doesn’t…
Row the Boat
This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove…
The Grown-Up Table
Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it…
Not Human
We speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden…
Uncommon Sense
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is…
It’s Personal
But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive…
License to Love
You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free…
All In The Family
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons…
Reborn Free
So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there…
Grace Wins
For through the law, I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God…
Free to Live
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory…
Suit Up
Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Therefore take up the whole armor of God…
Copycats
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. For you were once darkness…
Maturity Is Awesome
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity…
A Beautiful Mystery
Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly…
Made Alive
You were dead in your sins, but because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved…
In Him
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world…
Protected Minds
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving…
Keep Going
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it…
Not Who But How?
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy…
Joy In Focus
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue…
Real Conversation
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains…
Let It Go
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults…
No Prisoners
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that…
Seeing in the Dark
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him…
Life On Purpose
Keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you, yourselves know how you ought to follow our example…
Hang In There
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us…
Resilience
Your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. We boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring…
A Person of Impact
Acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Live in peace with each other, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened…
Quiet Not Desperate
Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and mind your own business…
Friend Me
We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith so that no one would be unsettled by these trials…
Not Professional
On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. And we also thank God continually because…
Rolling Stones
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered…
Energized
Recalling unceasingly before our God and Father your work energized by faith and service motivated by love and unwavering hope in the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Thessalonians 1:3
Bold Love
Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also…
It’s Just Better
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us…
Live Wisely
In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness…
Do Good
Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are disobedient and worthless for doing anything good. – Titus 1:16 A do-gooder. This is not a term thrown around too much…
Instant
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. – 2 Timothy 4:2 Instant. We are obsessed with this idea in our society…
Breathe
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Run to Win
Anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. – 2 Timothy 2
Flashpoint
For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline…