Focal Passage: Psalm 10:1-4,12-18  Where are you Lord? The psalmist begins this passage with the question of God’s distance from him. I have heard so many people, even Christians for that matter, often speak of God seeming distant from them. They often say, “I don’t see God in my circumstance.” This is not an emotion that was unfamiliar even for the biblical writer.  In Psalm 22:11 the psalmist pleads, “Do

Focal Passage: Luke 5:1-11  Hearing God’s Word. In Luke 5:1-3 we find Jesus on the shore of Lake Gennesaret or the Sea of Galilee. I live on Fort Loudon Lake, but it is often called the Tennessee River, Ish Creek, or just Loudon. Sometimes theologians and historians get caught up with details, but the simple truth is that different bodies of water were given different names depending on what person

Focal Passage: Psalm 91:1-6, 9-16  My God in whom I trust: For a person to really trust someone they must understand who that person is. That is why the psalmist (most likely Moses) states that our protection is provided by the Most High.  The word “Most High” denotes the One that is the very highest. He is above all other gods and is the One they must all go up

Focal Passage: Jeremiah 23:5-6, Romans 3:10-13, 21-26  The Righteous Branch of David: The prophet Jeremiah begins this passage with, “Look, the days are coming.”  Jeremiah opened with this same statement on 15 other occasions. Even though Jeremiah was known as the “weeping prophet,” he was given the task of bringing hope to God’s people. It is important to note that it is God who initiated the hope and also God

Focal Passage: Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18-25  It really is about the Name: When I read Isaiah 7:14 I am always intrigued by the way different people approach this amazing promise given by the prophet Isaiah.  Many skeptics see this as a desperate attempt of the prophet to bring hope to the people of God when they were facing annihilation by the Assyrian armies. When you consider that Isaiah’s son’s name

Focal Passage: Psalm 103:1-5, 8-13, 17-19  The focal text for this study is Psalm 103:1-5,8-13,17-19. For so many believers, Psalm 103 expresses their deepest heartfelt gratitude toward God.   When we consider the vast number of ways that God has expressed His love for us, it should compel us to bless the Lord with the entirety of our soul.  When I consider verses 1-5, my heart immediately goes to the

Focal Passage: Psalm 138:1-8  The focal text for this study is Psalm 138:1-8. David begins this amazing psalm to the Lord with a heart of praise and worship. John MacArthur states, “the psalmist moves from individual praise (vv. 1-3) to international praise (vv. 4-5) then finishes with invincible praise” (vv. 6-8).  When a person really sees God in His majesty he should be moved to a posture of obedient worship.

Focal Passage: Exodus 3:1-6, 9-15  In this text we find Moses who is in the middle of an identity crisis. He was once a prince in Egypt and is now a shepherd for someone else’s flock. He is watching over his flock, minding his own business and suddenly he encounters a burning bush. It is important to understand that this Scripture is not about the bush.  This story is about

Focal Passage: Psalm 65:11-13  What is the worst grade you ever made on a test? I had a friend in high school whose initials were CDF. He would joke that his report card was simply displaying the first letters of his names.  I wonder how he would answer that question? Imagine you getting a test paper back from your teacher and written in red marker on the top right corner

Focal Passage: II Thessalonians 1:3-12   If you can consider hell free from any pause in your spirit, doubt, or struggle then you might be doing so too flippantly. I feel small and insufficient when I consider a place of torment that people go to forever. If you feel the same way then we are in good company. Commenting on a passage in Matthew, David Platt writes, “If we’re honest,