Psalm 20 — Poetry with Power
Understanding the Old Testament Part 35 (Psalm 20) We cam understand Psalm 20 at three levels: the Artistry, the Truth it expresses, and the Powerful Message that speaks to our hearts.
The Beauty and Power of Old Testament Poetry
Understanding the Old Testament Part 33 The goal is to give an understanding of how Hebrew Poetry works so we can be better able to take in it’s beauty and power so as to fill us with joy in our amazing God.
Stories of God’s Creativity and Love of Beauty
Understanding the Old Testament Part 33 Sometimes we think of God as being too serious to be interested in beauty. But creating beauty is core to his very nature, and when we do the same, we are being God-like. Yet there in an extra dimension of beauty that comes by the Spirit.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it
Understanding the Old Testament Part 32 (Psalm 81) God has so much for you, and longs to satisfy you with the very best. So what is stopping him?. The same thing as in Psalm 81 where he longed to bless Israel, but they did not “shema”. This word is the key that will open all the blessings.
The Presence of God, Then and Now
Understanding the Old Testament Part 31 (Psalm 16) Part 1 is the unfolding story of the presence of God with humanity, from the beginnig of Genesis through the Bible. Then the second part in about experiencing him right now, using Psalm 16 as a guide. Come on this journey with us now!
Trusting God in Hard Times - Reading the O.T. in a way that lets it speak truly into our lives: Is. 55
Understanding the Old Testament Part 30 (Isaiah 55:1-13) Have you had times of darkness in your life? We work through how we should read Old Testament passages so that they speak accurately into our situation. God says, “just hold on to me and I will never forsake you”
Stories of Endurance and the Motivations that Got People Through
Understanding the Old Testament Part 30 (Hebreews 11 & 12) From Abraham and Moses to the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment, endurance is a common human experience. The Bible gives us three ways that not only help us endure, but turn it from a negative to a positive experience.
Can God be Trusted in the Darkest Situation? (Isaiah 37)
Understanding the Old Testament Part 28 (Isaiah 36,37) Have you ever been in a situation when it looks like something really bad could happen? We take an example of how to relate Old Testament stories to our own lives in a way that is faithful to the context, and also immensely encouraging!
Hints of the Trinity and Jesus in the Old Testament
Understanding the Old Testament Part 27 (Gen 1; Ex 23; Josh 5; Ps 45 +more) Why did God not tell us everything about himself right at the start? Because it is only in the context of an unfolding relationship that we can begin grasp the richness of who he is. Join us in this exciting journey!
Trusting Jesus in the Storms
Are you going through a storm? This is one of the most encouraging stories I have ever read. Even with little faith you can survive the worst storms in your life. (Mark 4:35-41)
A Surprising Invitation to a Banquet
Do you want to be part of a supernatural kingdom, built in an impossible way? You have to step up to God’s call! Stop telling yourself you are nothing and can’t do anything “I can do all things through him who strengthens me!” (Luke 14:15–24)
Reading the Old Testament in our Devotions
Understanding the Old Testament Part 26 (Luke 24 & Psalm 1) All the Bible is God’s Word, and is beneficial, but different parts have different purposes. Some parts are more suitable for study than devotional reading and we can get discouraged if we make this mistake.
The Silver Trumpets
What if we had a silver trumpet that we could blow at any time and God would come to our rescue? Actually such trumpets really existed! We have effectively the same thing if we can understand it. (Numbers 10:1-10; 2 Chron 20:3-30)
Jesus: our Sympathetic Priest
Understanding the Old Testament Part 25 (Hebrews 4:14-16) We can gain a deeper appreciation of what Jesus does for us by examining the picture given to us of O.T. priests.
The Misunderstanding of Holiness – Part 3: Tying it All Together
Understanding the Old Testament Part 24 (John 17, 2 Tim 1 & 2; 1 Pet 2:9) How does our new understanding of holiness fit with some N.T. passages that seem to be equating it with purity. Buy making an extra step in our definition, we can tie everything together in a way that not only makes sense but is helpful and motivating, and gives a very positive meaning to a word that is often seen as negative and discouraging.
Holy — Answering Problems with Correctly Understanding this Word (pt.2)
Understanding the Old Testament Part 23 (Num 20:9-13; Lev 10:1-2; Ex 3:4-5, 19:5-6) Having presented a new understanding of this incredibly important word, we clear up some problems with other Old Testament passages and dig deeper into the meaning.
Why I love Jesus
Let’s focus on why we love Jesus, not just for what he has done for us, but because he is the most fascinating, wonderful, awesome and lovely person that has ever existed. (Col 1:15-20)
Holy — The most Misunderstood Word in the Bible
Understanding the Old Testament Part 22 (Hosea 11; Psalm 145) A word that is so rich, so precious, and so heart-warming has been tragically misunderstood in recent centuries. God’s holiness a positive quality very closely linked to his love, and it is so important that we connect with this.
When God Speaks like a Mother
God sometimes uses the language of a mother to describe how he relates to us. There are beautiful scriptures where he tells us how he sees us, hears our cry and deeply cares for us, using mother imagery. (Genesis 16, 21; 1 Peter 5:7)
Roadblocks when Reading the Old Testament
Understanding the Old Testament Part 21 (Luke 24:27,32) Quite often, when people start reading the Old Testament. they hit roadblocks such as obscure language, stories that seem to condone violence or abuse, and moose strange or problematic laws, for example regarding women. All of these roadblocks can be shifted, and we do at least some shifting here.