Jeremiah 19-24

As we continue through the book of Jeremiah we continue to see God's justice and righteous anger toward those who have rebelled against Him. But we also see that tempered by His mercy and grace, especially toward those who are willing to repent.

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Jeremiah 13-18

Jeremiah 16:11-12:
While each person is responsible for his or her own life, these verses point out why it is so important for parents to not just teach their children about God, but also to live in a way that is consistent with His Word. Otherwise each generation tends to fall further and further away from God.

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Jeremiah 7-12

In continuing my reading through Jeremiah this week, the thing that really sticks out to me is the fact that God is both loving and just. Although it pains Him to punish sin, His character requires that He must do so. But at the same time He continually extends His mercy and grace, particularly to those who are willing to repent.

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Jeremiah 1-6

We'll be in the book of Jeremiah for the next nine weeks. Jeremiah's name likely means "YHWH exalts". Jeremiah ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians in 622 BC, during the reigns of five different kings (Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoaichin, and Zedekiah). His purpose was to warn the people of coming destruction and urge them to return to God. That sounds to me like something that is particularly relevant for us today.

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1, 2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 describe the kind of pastor I am striving to become:  - one who works hard, lives in such a way that I can be an example to others, and who exhorts and to encourags others to live in a manner that is worthy of God.

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Psalms 7-12

According to Psalm 8, I am not just an accident or a mistake. God has been actively involved in every stage of my life. He thinks about me. He cares for me, He has given me dominion over the rest of His creation. Because I am made in His image, my life is characterized by glory and honor.

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Proverbs 1-8

Since I'm considering a sermon series on the Proverbs later this summer, I'm looking forward to reading in the Book this week. I look forward to hearing what God is showing you as you read His Word this week.

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Judges 8-14, 15-21

Didn't post last week after a busy Easter weekend.

As I read the Book of Judges, it often seems like I'm reading a biography of my life. I think about the times in my life when I tried to live my own away apart from God. And then when I get in trouble and call out to God, He is patiently waiting there for me to return to Him and develop my relationship with Him.

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Judges 1-7

This book certainly doesn't paint Israel in a good light as they continually turn away from God and to their own ways. And that kindles God's anger. But God remains faithful to His covenant with His people and continues to treat them with mercy and grace.

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Psalms 1-6

We'll be reading the Psalms in sections throughout the year. There is some good evidence that Psalms 1-2 were written as an introduction to the entire Book of Psalms. Notice that Psalm 1 begins with "Blessed is..." and Psalm 2 ends with "Blessed are..." There is a move from individual to corporate in these two Psalms.

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1, 2, 3 John

Back to the New Testament for a week. I really love these short epistles from John. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Genesis 43-50

We're on the home stretch for the book of Genesis. I've really enjoyed reading this book again and especially focusing on what I can learn about God from it. A few overall observations about God that really stand out to me:

1. God is completely trustworthy. He keeps His promises even when the people to who he made those promises rebel against Him.
2. God is so full of mercy and grace. The "God of the Old Testament" is not, as some would claim, an unloving tyrant or a God who delights in catching His people doing something wrong so that He can punish them. Since God does not change, He was, is and always will be a God of mercy and grace.
3. God is also a just God who will not let sin go unpunished forever. But God mourns when evil becomes so pervasive that He must step in to put it to an end.

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Genesis 37-42

With the exception of the account of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38, this entire section focuses on Joseph and God's providential involvement in his life. This section really emphasizes both God's sovereignty and His mercy.

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Genesis 31-36

One thing that makes the Bible so believable to me is that the people in the Bible are portrayed realistically. None of them are larger than life - they all sin, sometimes a lot - but God delights in pouring out His grace and mercy on them. That seems to be especially true of Jacob.

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Genesis 25-30

I'm really enjoying focusing on what the text is revealing about the heart of God. I'm consistently seeing a God who delights in keeping His promise to His people even when they continually fail Him. I am so grateful for God's faithfulness!

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Genesis 19-24

In Genesis 20 Abraham takes things into his own hands by saying Sarah is his sister for the second time. To me this is why it is so easy to believe the Bible is true. The "heroes" of the faith are shown "warts and all". They are never portrayed as larger than life. God chose Abraham to be the father of His people knowing that he was an imperfect man who would often fail in his faith. But God just keeps showing him grace.

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Genesis 13-18

Keep up the good work. Even if I don't always respond to all of your posts, I'm reading them all and benefiting from your insights.

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Genesis 7-12

Hopefully, like me, you've now settled into our four year reading schedule. I'm finding I really like this pace - hope it's working for you, too.

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Genesis 1-6

Like John in the New Testament, Genesis is a book of beginnings - both books start with "in the beginning..." And there are certainly a number of parallels between the two books. for instance in Genesis 1:3 we see God creating light in the midst of darkness - the same way Jesus is described in John 1.

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John 18-22

I'm really enjoying reading through the Gospel of John again. I'd love to interact with you about what God is revealing to you from His Word.

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