About-Face: Saul gets a new name and a new identity Acts 9 Acts 9:21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?” Acts 9 shows a glimpse of the early church even beforeRead More …

The Song of the Cross Psalm 22 Even the best people sometimes suffer Psalm 22:18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. Superficially, the Old Testament can sometimes read like the plot of an old movie. The good guys are the Israelites, and they fightRead More …

Promises, Promises Genesis 22 God promised to give Abraham all that he longed for … and more Genesis 22:18 “Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Human beings haven’t changed much in 4,000 years. The longing for children and the desire forRead More …

An Invisible Danger Leviticus 11 Taking precautions: like a surgeon preparing to operate Leviticus 11:47 You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean. For many years surgery remained a desperate last resort for the hopelessly ill. Surgeons knew nothing about germs. Without washing, they would don operating garb, usuallyRead More …

Handling Tough Questions Luke 19 Why so many stories? Luke 19:47–48 The chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words. Suffering strikesRead More …

A Modern Shepherd John 10 What a “good shepherd” would look like today John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Some of the Bible’s rural illustrations simply do not transfer easily into modern life. What is a “good shepherd” like? WhatRead More …

A Portable Cathedral Exodus 35 An unlikely sight in the desert Exodus 35:21 Everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the tent of meeting. In A.D. 1144 a great building began to take shape in aRead More …

When God Was Obvious Exodus 24 Few atheists, but many rebels Exodus 24:17 To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Why doesn’t God intervene more? Why doesn’t he directly feed the hungry, heal all the sick and stop allRead More …

A Startling Image of Jesus Revelation 5 A helpless lamb—the mightiest of all creatures Revelation 5:4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Images of Jesus abound in Revelation, and one way to study the book is toRead More …

Is Christ Better? Hebrews 3 The uniqueness of Jesus Hebrews 3:3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. In time, a work of art by a great artist gains enormous value because ofRead More …