12–18 August 2018. Judges 11 (click to read). The story of Jephthah is one of the most horrifying texts in the Old Testament. It’s a story full of pride and hatred, rejection and tragedy. The biblical writer begins the story by telling us directly that Jephthah was the son of a prostitute. Jephthah’s father also […]
5–11 August 2018. Judges 1–2 (click to read). Though we often call the Book of Joshua a “historical book”, we have to remember that it isn’t really what we think of today as history. It is more of a national story or myth. That becomes clear to us again as soon as we open the […]
29 July – 4 August 2018. John 18:28–40 (click to read). In the middle of the story of Jesus’s trial and execution, John gives us an unusual but very important detail about Jesus’s Jewish accusers. In v. 28 John tells us that these accusers dragged Jesus to the headquarters of the Roman governor but they […]
22–28 July 2018. John 14:15–31 (click to read). In John 14 we find Jesus in the middle of his last speech to his disciples. Jesus knows that he doesn’t have much time left before he is arrested and executed. So here at the end, Jesus gives his disciples his final teachings, and also some hope […]
15–21 July 2018. John 11:38–57 (click to read). When we are suffering it’s easy to think that God is very far away from us, living far away in heaven and not really interested in all the troubles we are going through every day. But that’s really not true at all. God does care about us, […]
8–14 July 2018. John 8:1–30 (click to read). If, when driving down the road, you have ever had a police car suddenly start driving behind you, you will know how nervous that makes you feel! Even though the police aren’t interested in us, having them right behind us and watching us still makes us worry. […]
1–7 July 2018. John 4:27–54 (click to read). One of the things we are all searching for in life is direction. How should I live? What goal and purpose should I direct my life towards? And who can tell me which way I should go? Today millions of people are desperate to find someone who […]
24–30 June 2018. 2 Kings 25 (click to read). We all like stories with happy endings. But sadly the end of 2 Kings isn’t very happy at all. Earlier in the story of Judah, the Babylonian empire had attacked and defeated Jerusalem, taking many of its leaders and people into exile. But despite this defeat, […]
17–23 June 2018. 2 Kings 13–14 (click to read). Suddenly in 2 Kings 13, in the middle of a lot of fairly dry lists of all the different kings of Israel and Judah, we find a strange little story about the prophet Elisha. King Joash of Israel hears news that Elisha is about to die, […]
10–16 June 2018. 1 Kings 21–22 (click to read). When we face temptations, it’s easy to tell ourselves that this temptation is such a little thing and won’t have a big impact on our lives. It’s only afterwards that we see the terrible results that small temptation led us to. When King David first looked […]