There are two readings today. SCRIPTURE: Titus 2 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about…
actions that deny
SCRIPTURE: Titus 1 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. [Titus 1:16] Paul’s concern as a missionary is not just to start new churches, he is also concerned to support and sustain strong churches. This letter is his words of encouragement…
betrayal and grace
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 109 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. [Psalm 109:6-8] Imagine the emotional agony of being betrayed by someone…
what am I before God?
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 108 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth. Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah is my scepter. Moab is my washbasin, on Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.” [Psalm 108:7-9] When…
tell your story
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 107 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. [Psalm 107:2-3] Good news is for sharing, and those who have been impacted by the good news of God’s love are…
inclined toward mercy
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 106 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wilderness they put God to the test. [Psalm 106:13-14] The psalmist reviews their history as a nation, and notices again and again how the people…
go and tell
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 105 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. [Psalm 105:1-2] As a child in school, we sometimes had what was called ‘show and tell’. We would bring something special from home…
His eye is on the sparrow
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 104 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. [Psalm 104:27] The psalmist is trying to put things in perspective, to see how we are totally dependent on the greatness and goodness of God. Everything in creation depends on God, He cares for the animals as well as…
grace that wows!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 103 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. [Psalm 103:9-10] God is not soft on sin, but He is certainly soft (or gentle) on sinners. He knows that we are weak (dust), He…
He even loves the dust!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 102 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity. [Psalm 102:14] The title describes this psalm as prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord. Through prayer and praise, this person is building their hope in the Lord…