Author: Norm

SCRIPTURE: Luke 7:1-10 OBSERVATION: Here we see how often it is non-Jews or non-Christians who put Jews and Christians to shame. Do we think that only Christians are good people? This Roman soldier was kind to the Jews, kind to his slaves and respectful of the Jewish messiah. He understood better than the Jews how the…

SCRIPTURE: Nahum 3:1-19 OBSERVATION: Once again Nahum uses vivid language to present the fall of Ninevah. We need to recall that such scenes were commonplace; at one time Assyria was guilty of doing these things to other nations. Now, predicts Nahum, they’re about to get what they gave. The violence reminds us that this world is…

SCRIPTURE: Nahum 2:1-13 OBSERVATION: Ninevah was the center of the Assyrian empire, a cruel, despotic nation that raped and pillaged the surrounding nations, including Israel and Judah. Here God speaks to the Jews about the impending doom of the “high and mighty” Ninevah. Think about how the victims and prisoners of Nazi Germany would have heard…

SCRIPTURE: Nahum 1:1-15 OBSERVATION: 1. “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God… the LORD is slow to anger and great in power” – Two different pictures of God? Jealous and avenging, yet slow to anger? We need to avoid comparing God’s anger to ours. His anger is always right, just and necessary, and if we…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:46-49 OBSERVATION: 1. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” – Seems to be a lot of people still like this today. I am probably one of them. I was raised as a ‘christian’, but only lately have been sensing the need to be a Jesus follower…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:43-45 OBSERVATION: 1. “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit” – Jesus is very black and white here, we prefer to see more grey area. The analogy does not suggest that there is NO bad fruit, just that the majority of the fruit is good. One bad…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:37-42 OBSERVATION: 1. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged… Forgive, and you will be forgiven” – This does not mean we should not discern right from wrong, but Jesus does warn us about condemning the sinner. It is up to God to make the final decision, and while there is time,…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:27-36 OBSERVATION: Jesus introduces this with the phrase, “if you are willing to listen” (NLT), and that is very appropriate given how unacceptable what He says is. Here we see the radical way of the world according to God, the kingdom of God, the way the world ought to be. Love, compassion, mercy, generosity,…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:12-26 OBSERVATION: 1. “Spent the night praying to God” – Can I imagine spending a WHOLE night praying to God? Though this kind of prayer may not be a command for us to follow, the example of dependence and priority on prayer certainly is stressed. 2. “Chose twelve of them, whom he also designated…

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:1-11 OBSERVATION: 1. “Disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels” – This action was understood as a form of ‘threshing’ of the crops. 2. “Unlawful on the Sabbath” – The Sabbath was a day of rest commanded by God for Israel in the Law…