Inside Out
“In Tarshish we can have a religious career without having to deal with God.” — Eugene Peterson Even if my busyness and activity is religious, I could be far from…
Jesse Tree Scriptures
The Jesse Tree stories emphasize God’s faithfulness throughout generations. Each day uncovers a new account of how our Sovereign God preserves this family line to ensure the coming of Jesus, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.
Blessed are Those who are Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake
Let's ask our gracious God for clarity in expressing our views in a way that reflects his love. He’ll either direct our words in answer to that prayer or direct us to let it go.
Blessed are the Peacemakers
Children often reflect the mannerisms of their parents, even if they don’t physically resemble them. When we reflect God’s characteristics, others will recognize us as his children.
Blessed are the Pure in Heart
Jesus makes a distinction between what the law requires and the purity of the heart. Would anyone hearing him dare to think that his words could apply to them?
Blessed are the Merciful
When we aren’t honest with ourselves, we might presume we deserve God’s blessing. If that is the case, we have a misunderstanding of mercy and won’t share it freely with others. The appropriate response to mercy is compassion and forgiveness toward others out of the overflow of the mercy we’ve been given.
Blessed are those who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness
If we aren’t hungering and thirsting for his righteousness, we’re likely filling up on poor substitutes and have lost our appetite for God and his Word.
Blessed are the Meek
Meekness is strength and discipline; power and humility. Someone meek isn’t compelled to announce how powerful and humble they are.
Blessed are those who Mourn
Mourning is more than being sad, feeling guilty, or having regret, and it isn't limited only to dealing with the death of a loved one. We can mourn over what we thought our life would be, missed opportunities, broken relationships, or any number of things.
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
The blessed life begins when we recognize our spiritual poverty. The order of the beatitudes isn’t random— humbling ourselves before the Lord is a prerequisite for everything else.
Purposeful Pruning
Let’s learn a lesson from creation! That flower isn’t going to last long when it’s cut off from the tree. Likewise, we can’t produce anything worthy of Jesus cut off from him. Why should we expect to have an effective witness or a successful ministry if we aren’t abiding in Jesus and He in us?
Hound of Heaven
We’re not playing tag with God… He isn’t out of reach. He lets us catch up to him. It's more like God is pursuing us… like the hound of heaven
The Power of Words
Our words are powerful— they can help or hurt; bring comfort or confusion. Let's pray for discernment and discipline to shut up when we don’t know what we’re talking about and for wisdom to give clarity to our speech (Matthew 23:16-22).
Wonder of Christmas
The wonder of Christmas is that God comes down. Jesus humbles himself, leaving the glory of heaven that he deserves, to be born a baby in Bethlehem. But if we leave Jesus in the manger, we miss the point! (Matthew 1:23).
An Invitation for All
The birth of the Savior of the World isn’t only announced to lowly humble shepherds; they’re invited to meet him. It’s an open invitation to all, even now (Luke 2:1-21).
Carpenter to King
Scripture reveals details about Joseph’s character that God already knows. He’s a just man unwilling to put Mary to shame and plans to divorce her quietly. But an angel tells Joseph in a dream that this is no ordinary conception (Matthew 1:18-25).
Finding Favor
Mary considers her unusual situation as a privilege and praises God, saying, “He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name” (Luke 1:26-56).
Spiritual U-turn
Repentance is recognizing that all the detours of our own efforts and good works can’t get us home. It’s turning away from the path of our own selfish desires, turning to God, and trusting his perfect path instead (Matthew 3:1-17).
Barren to Blessing
After the baby is born, Elizabeth names him John. Everyone questions why she wouldn’t name him after his father or at least give him a family name. When Zechariah confirms her choice in writing, his voice returns (Luke 1:5-25, 57-80).
Watchful Waiting
Habakkuk shows us that it’s acceptable to ask God difficult questions. The space between a promise given and a promise fulfilled is where our faith grows (Habakkuk 1-3).
With or Without You
Mordecai is confident that God will deliver them with or without her. God doesn’t need us, but wants us to be involved in building his kingdom. Will we take for granted our position while ignoring the opportunity God has given us to fulfill his purposes? (Esther 1-10)
More than A Carol
“O Little Town of Bethlehem” is more than the name of a Christmas carol. It’s where God chose to become man. Micah reiterates that God isn’t interested in external actions without internal change. Humility is the first step (Micah 5:2-5a, 6:8).
A Reluctant Prophet
Usually prophets receive a word from the Lord to share with God’s people. The books named after them share that message. But the book of Jonah is mostly about Jonah. Instead of following through he flees, thinking he can hide from our all-knowing God. (Jonah 1-4).
False, Fickle, or Faithful?
Sometimes we invest all our energy, effort, and devotion into something false that leaves us empty. At other times we divide our loyalty between God and self. But our faithful God answers prayer and draws our hearts back to him (1 Kings 18:17-40).
A Perfect King
Isaiah’s prophesy is a reminder that God is faithful and will fulfill his promise. He uses four names to describe a future davidic king found in Jesus: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6–7).