January 1 John begins his Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” John 1:1 (CSB) Right out of the gate, John recalls the first chapter of Genesis, which states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and…
In today’s Bible reading, Paul tells Timothy what to look for in church leaders. I don’t know that Paul’s checklist is so much a checklist as it is a reminder that character matters. And character matters … a lot. I find it interesting how Bible teachers and commentators read their Bibles. Many modern Bible teachers look at…
In today’s Bible reading, Paul completes his statement of what being filled with the Holy Spirit looks like as it applies to relationships with parents and children and with masters and servants (employers and employees in our context). He concludes the chapter by discussing Spiritual Warfare. Most believers think they’re being persecuted for being a believer…
One of the issues we must deal with as believers is the tension between liberty and love, or freedom and maturity. Believers are not under the Law, but under Grace. But this doesn’t mean that we can do anything we want to whenever we want to. The tension comes when we consider the fact that…
Today’s Bible reading* includes some very strong warnings for those entrusted with the care of God’s people. Specifically, Jeremiah is addressing the spiritual leaders people of Judah and Israel. Instead of leading God’s people to gather around the heart of God, these leaders are scattering God’s people. But God promises to bring His people back….
Today’s Bible reading* paints a bleak picture of the human condition: we all have a deceitful heart. In fact, our hearts are desperately sick. I mentioned a few days ago that Jeremiah had more to say about the heart. The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it? I, the LORD,…
