SCRIPTURE: Joel 1:1-12 OBSERVATIONS 1. (v.1) The ‘word of the Lord’ is the LOGOS (John 1:1-2), the personal communication of God Who comes as Jesus the Messiah. It is the Spirit of Jesus speaking to and through Joel (see 1 Peter 1:10-11, Revelation 19:10). APPLICATION: I need to see Jesus as the voice of God everywhere, in creation, in the…
May 22 — Ephesians 6:10-24
SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 6:10-24 OBSERVATIONS 1. (vv.10-13) Paul describes the struggle that Christ-followers go through as a battle with spiritual (not physical) forces of evil. APPLICATION: I can relate to the battle imagery, I often feel under attack. But do I mistake the enemy, do I focus on the people and circumstances instead of on the spiritual…
May 21 – Ephesians 5:21-6:9
SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 5:21-6:9 OBSERVATIONS 1. (vv.21) This whole section is an expansion of the theme verse, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Paul explains how wives, husbands, children, fathers, slaves and masters do this. Yes, even fathers and masters are to submit to those entrusted to them, out of reverence for Christ! APPLICATION:…
May 20(b) — Ephesians 5:1-20
SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 5:1-20 OBSERVATIONS 1. (vv.1-2) Paul offers a perfect summary of what it means to be a Christ-follower, one who responds to the amazing love of God in Christ by imitating His love, offering ourselves up to God for the sake of others. APPLICATION: Is my religious life a reflection of this wholehearted commitment to…
May 20 — Ephesians 4:17-32
SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 4:17-32 OBSERVATIONS 1. (vv.17-19) Paul describes the life of sin as a state or condition of the heart and mind: futile thinking, darkened understanding, separated from God, ignorant and hardened hearts, loss of sensitivity, given over to sensuality, indulging every kind of impurity, continual lust for more. APPLICATION: The bad things I do (sins)…
May 19 — Ephesians 4:1-16
SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 4:1-16 OBSERVATIONS 1. (vv.1-6) As Christ-followers, how we live will either support or hinder my witness for Him. Paul stresses “oneness” to show how Jesus Christ unites us, and to expose the sinful attitudes that undermine that unity. APPLICATION: I struggle with then gentleness and patience with people who think or behave differently from…
May 18 — Ephesians 3:14-21
SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 3:14-21 OBSERVATIONS 1. (v.14-15) Paul continues the theme of the one family of God, reminding us of the unity of all people as God’s children. The walls of division have been removed, we all call upon one God, Who is Father of all! Paul speaks about this in Athens as well, when addressing Greek…
May 17 — Ephesians 3:1-13
SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 3:1-13 OBSERVATIONS 1. (vv.1-6) Jesus Christ is the key to the mystery of God’s plan, how all people are reconciled to God through Jesus, whether Jewish or not, and together in Him become one people. APPLICATION: In a culture divided by class and race and gender, this message is especially good news (i.e. “gospel”)…
May 16 — Ephesians 2:11-22
SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 2:11-22 OBSERVATIONS 1. Paul makes it clear that the New Covenant is different from the Old Covenant, that the “law with its commandments and regulations” has been abolished, and instead that we are reunited with God through His sacrifice of love. APPLICATION: This ought to make us very careful in how we use the…
Penny for your thoughts!
I am looking at the story of the widow’s pennies (Mark 12:41-44). At first I thought the “moral” or “lesson” of this story was: its not the amount of the gift but the attitude of the giver that counts with the Lord. But though this is true, I wonder whether its more than that.