The Bible in a Year “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Mark 8:15, ESV A little yeast can change an entire batch of dough. Its influence spreads quietly, reaching far beyond the place where it was first introduced. Jesus uses that familiar kitchen image to warn HisContinue reading “When Pride Gets Into the Dough”
Category Archives: Faith
When Love Has No Easy Reason
The Bible in a Year “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” —Luke 6:27, NIV Some passages of Scripture comfort us immediately. Others make us pause because they ask something we would rather avoid. Luke 6:27 belongs to that second group. Loving an enemyContinue reading “When Love Has No Easy Reason”
The Word That Makes Us Ready
The Bible in a Year “The sacred writings … are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:15–16, ESV. Some days, our Bible reading feels immediately relevant. AContinue reading “The Word That Makes Us Ready”
The Seat Beside You Matters
The Bible in a Year “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” —James 2:1, ESV Sometimes our convictions become visible in the smallest decisions. We greet one person warmly and give another a hurried nod. We listen carefully when someone influential speaks, thenContinue reading “The Seat Beside You Matters”
The Names That Tell Us God Keeps His Word
The Bible in a Year “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Matthew 1:1, NIV. YouVersion When we open the New Testament, we might expect a miracle, a stirring sermon, or the announcement of Jesus’ birth. Instead, Matthew gives us names. Some are familiar; others mayContinue reading “The Names That Tell Us God Keeps His Word”
When Worship Becomes a Burden
The Bible in a Year “Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! And ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.” —Malachi 1:13,Continue reading “When Worship Becomes a Burden”
When the Mountain Cannot Stand in His Way
The Bible in a Year “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east” (Zechariah 14:4, KJV). Some obstacles seem so permanent that we begin arranging our lives around them. We learn what subjects to avoid, what disappointments to expect, and which hopes toContinue reading “When the Mountain Cannot Stand in His Way”
Faithful in the Small Things
The Bible in a Year It is easy to look at a small beginning and decide that it does not count. A room has only a few people in it. A habit of prayer lasts five minutes. A strained relationship improves through one careful conversation, but the distance between two people remains. We can seeContinue reading “Faithful in the Small Things”
The Strength God Promised to Raise Up
The Bible in a Year When a community has been disappointed by its leaders, the promise of good leadership becomes especially precious. Zechariah spoke to a people who needed that hope. They had returned from exile, but restoration was far from complete. In Zechariah 10, God rebukes shepherds who have failed His people and promisesContinue reading “The Strength God Promised to Raise Up”
When Wealth Cannot Shelter Us
The Bible in a Year Zephaniah speaks words most of us would rather pass over: “Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath” (Zephaniah 1:18, NIV). Money can pay a debt, provide food, and help us care for our families. Those are valuable usesContinue reading “When Wealth Cannot Shelter Us”