Samuel Listens to God – 1 Samuel 1:1 – 3:21 Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. At the beginning of our E100 journey, Adam and Eve demonstrated for us how easy it is to listen to the wrong voice.  After reading their story, we talked about the importance of practicing a…

The Story of Ruth – Ruth 1:1 – 4:22 “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me —a foreigner?” The story of Ruth is a beautiful love story… the love between Ruth and her mother-in-law… and the love between Boaz and Ruth.  But central to our understanding of the story…

Samson Defeats the Philistines – Judges 13:1 – 16:31 “Then Samson prayed to the Lord, ‘O Sovereign Lord, remember me.’” I think that all of us can identify with Samson.  Not because of super-human strength, but because we’ve all made promises and commitments to God that we have failed to keep. Oh… our intentions are…

Gideon Defeats the Midianites – Judges 6:1 – 7:25 “My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.“ Do you ever feel like Gideon?  Weak and insignificant… alone and overwhelmed? It’s easy to look at our resources and think that we can’t do it.  We study the situation, and…

Deborah Leads Israel – Judges 4:1 – 5:31 “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” The prophetess Deborah tells Barak exactly what it is that God wants him to do.  There is no ambiguity in the plan that is clearly laid out for him. …

Israel’s Disobedience – Judges 2:6 – 3:6 “…another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” In a short while the 2012 Summer Olympics will begin, and we’ll probably find ourselves watching some gymnastics, swimming, or relay races before the summer is over. I’m told that relay races…

The Fall of Jericho – Joshua 5:13 – 6:27 “Are you for us or for our enemies?” I like to imagine that Joshua immediately knows that there’s something special about this man.  Maybe he’s a little bigger than most… perhaps he looks a little stronger then any of the Hebrews.  He’s probably a bit better…

Crossing the Jordan – Joshua 3:1 – 4:24 “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Expectation.  Hope.  Preparation. Imagine what the Israelites might have thought as they heard Joshua tell them these words.  Did they even begin to imagine that great thing that God was going to do?  Certainly, they’d…

Joshua Succeeds Moses – Joshua 1:1-18 It’s amazing to realize that God uses individuals to accomplish His plan, but He never is dependent upon those individuals.  In other words, God chose Moses… God used Moses… but God was able to use someone else to replace Moses. Yesterday we read about the danger of idolatry as…

The Golden Calf – Exodus 32:1 – 34:35 “They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them…” An idol can be anything that takes the rightful place of God in our lives.  For the ancient Hebrews, they wanted something tangible they could worship, an idol they could carry with them. What they…