The Day of Judgment – Malachi 1:1-4:6 “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ – Malachi 1:7b Seven times in the book of Malachi we see a similar phrase.  God makes an accusation against the people, and the people respond by saying “How have we ________?”  They had apparantly become so wrapped up in…

The Story of Jonah – Jonah 1:1-4:11 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. – Jonah 1:16 Did you notice that the first converts in the book of Jonah were not the sinful residents of Nineveh?  It was a group of…

Daniel in the Lion’s Den – Daniel 6:1-28 They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. – Dan. 6:4b The story of Daniel and the lion’s den is one of the earliest Bible stories we learn as children.  Daniel gives us an example of unwavering commitment… a…

Jeremiah’s Call and Message – Jeremiah 1:1-3:5 They have forsaken me,     the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns,     broken cisterns that cannot hold water. – Jer. 2:13 Jeremiah was a prophet in the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the time leading up to (and including) the Babylonian Exile.  Nicknamed “The Weeping…

The Suffering Servant – Isaiah 51:1-53:12 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;     together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion,     they will see it with their own eyes. (Isaiah 52:8) After the Babylonian exile, there were three waves of exiles who returned to Jerusalem, rebuilding the temple and the city walls. …

I hope you have been encouraged and challenged by our journey so far! I wanted to remind you that this week (August 6-10) is our built-in “catch-up” week.  If you missed a few days, or substituted the children’s lessons for the adult lessons on a busy day, then this is the week to get caught…

Proverbs of Solomon – Proverbs 16:1 – 18:24 18:6 A fool’s lips bring him strife,     and his mouth invites a beating. 18:7 A fool’s mouth is his undoing,     and his lips are a snare to his soul. 18:8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;     they go down to a man’s inmost parts. One of the…

Godly Wisdom – Proverbs 1:1 – 4:27 “let the wise listen and add to their learning” Today and tomorrow we read a sampling of the book of Proverbs–a collection of wisdom sayings which point us toward holy and wise living.  While some of these sayings are linked together by theme, often you’ll find that the…

Praise the Lord – Psalm 103:1-22 “he remembers that we are dust” This psalm is one of the most beautiful and most-quoted psalms in scripture.  It reminds us to praise God… to not forget all his benefits.  We learn that He redeems us from the pit… and renews our youth like the eagle’s. This is…

Have Mercy on Me  – Psalm 51:1-19 “For I know my transgressions…“ The first step of healing is to admit that you need medical attention.  The first step in a Twelve Step program like AA is to admit that you are powerless over your addiction.  And the first step in salvation is to admit your…