Colossians 1:21-23 | Ryan MacDonald | You have been saved by Christ so that you can be presented “holy,” “blameless,” and “above reproach.” This is incredible news for you who were once far off and sinning against God! The Christian life is not constant striving to clean yourself up before God. The Christian life is a day-in, day-out response to th…

Colossians 1:15-20 | Andrew Murch | Through Paul’s letter to the believers in Colossae, God gives us poignant insight into the nature of Jesus. We learn that Jesus is sovereign and powerful, and our beautiful earth and heavens were created through him.Andrew Murch

Colossians 1:9-14 | Andrew Murch | Paul did not establish and probably never visited the church at Colossae. He was imprisoned in Rome when he wrote this letter. Regardless of his circumstances and the absence of a historical or physical connection, Paul knew that he had a relationship with these believers – they had the same Father. He, along with…

Colossians 1:1-8 | Andrew Murch | A special relationship existed between Paul, Timothy, and the Christians in and around Colossae. Considering Colossian, you are faced with the beauty of a local church established in the gospel and growing in the grace of the Lord Jesus. In the opening of the letter, we see the power of the grace of God in the live…

Psalm 133:1-3 | Andrew Murch | "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" Unity, harmony, and community are all universally understood to be good things, but we often see our world marked more clearly by division, strife, and isolation. King David pens this psalm to reveal God's will for life to be lived in brotherly unity.…

Psalm 145:1-21 | Jake Gamble | "I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever." King David declares God's goodness and righteousness and the Lord's worthiness of our worship. David then announces his response to such a great God, and we see that we are to follow suit in how we praise the Lord.…

Psalm 116:1-19 | Gavin Hesse | "I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy." How far gone is too far? What extreme need or danger is too much for God to handle? The truth is that there is no distance, no threat of death, no enemy, and no affliction that is too much for God to handle. In Psalm 116, we see that the Lord hea…

Psalm 82:1-8 | Ben Potloff | "Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!" We often downplay or altogether ignore God's role as judge. However, for God's people, his judgment promises deliverance and an end to wickedness. In Psalm 82, we see a picture of the hope and security that we have in the Lord.…

Psalm 23:1-6 | Andrew Murch | "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures." What does confidence and trust in the Lord sound like? It sounds like King David's words in Psalm 23. Here, we see the hope that people of God have in the one who leads, comforts, protects, and saves.…

Psalm 121:1-8 | Chris Lewis | "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?" This psalm comes not in the form of a prayer but as a testimony and declaration of who God is and what he does. Be encouraged! The God who created the universe, who doesn't even need sleep, will keep you!Chris Lewis

Psalm 33:1-22 | Nathan Noorlun | "Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you." God is the creator and ruler of all things and all people. There is nothing outside of his control or his awareness. In Psalm 33, we see that God is truly worthy of the worship of his people.Nathan Noorlun

Psalm 3:1-8 | Andrew Murch | "Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people!" For King David—and all of God's people—enemies and opposition abound. But, there is great hope for those who look to the Lord in their trouble. Here, we see that in the Lord there is security, sustenance, and salvation.…

Psalm 113:1-9 | Sam Cassese | "Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!" God is good and is worthy of all praise! Here, we hear the call to praise and glorify the Lord for his goodwill and good works.Sam Cassese

Psalm 77:1-20 | Chris Rich | "In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted." Where would you be if you couldn't remember anything? Day-to-day life would be difficult, and hard seasons would be unbearable. Here, we see the comfort, hope, and security offered to God'…

Acts 20:17-38 | Andrew Murch | The time has come for Paul to leave Ephesus; his heartfelt words reflect the difficulty of such a departure. Paul exhorts and comforts the Ephesian elders with truths from his own missionary experience and the hope that they all have. The mission of God will continue to move forward to transform the world around them!…

Acts 20:1-16 | Andrew Murch | Continuing from last week, the uproar in Ephesus has come to nothing. The mob does not take Paul to court, so it gives him time to plan his next move. He sends Titus to Corinth, which is where he longs to go next, but it has not been smooth sailing with that church. He has had a contentious relationship with them since…

Acts 19:21-41 | Nathan Noorlun | Paul’s ministry in Ephesus is booming, but you know what’s not booming because of this, the sale of idols of Artemis or the worship of her in her temple in the city. A silversmith named Demetrius is none too happy about this. You see, all these people turning to “The Way” is hurting his bottom line. Since everyone i…

Acts 19:11-20 | Andrew Murch | Power is attractive. We see it all over our world today that those who have power attract a group of followers and groupies. Who doesn’t want to be able to walk into the hottest restaurant in town without a reservation and say, “Oh, I’m here with...” Paul’s ministry in Ephesus is on fire. People are being healed left …

Acts 19:1-10 | Andrew Murch | Paul has finished his second missionary journey, yet he’s not done spreading the good news of Jesus by any means. He embarks on his third missionary journey in the city of Ephesus, a place he’d been to briefly a year before. He’d been asked to stay but felt called by God to move on, but he promised to return to them, “…

Acts 18:1-28 | Andrew Murch | After reading story after story of Paul’s boldness and tenacity in sharing the gospel, it’s almost shocking to hear God’s calm, quiet reassurance to “not be afraid . . . go on speaking . . . for I am with you.” We don’t know exactly what Paul was going through that warranted encouragement directly from heaven. But we d…

Acts 17:16-34 | Andrew Murch | You can almost picture the formidable witness for the Gospel, Paul the Apostle as he arrives in the Areopagus on the top of the Hill of Aries, known in Latin as Mar’s Hill. We don’t often encounter explicit sermons from Paul in the Scriptures, but when we do, they are a treat. Facing the esteemed minds of the day, Pau…

Acts 17:1-15 | Andrew Murch | Paul was no stranger to adversity. In fact, as you follow Paul’s journey, you will likely conclude that Paul has made obstacles, setbacks, and persecution his friend. In this section of text, we will see this same theme running its course as Paul shares the message of the Gospel, not knowing whether the seed will sprou…

1 Samuel 31:1-13 | Jake Gamble | It’s not how you start the race, but how you finish it that matters. Tragically, Saul did not finish the race well. This week’s passage recounts the death of Saul. His story seemed to start so strong: he was the people’s choice for king, taller and more handsome than any in Israel. Yet he continually rebelled agains…

1 Samuel 29:1-30:31 | Andrew Murch | In this week’s text, David arguably hits his darkest moment. While his years of exile are coming to a close, he does not know that yet. Here, even his enemies cast him out; his village is burned, his family taken captive, and possessions taken; even his own people are ready to stone him. He is tempted to despair…

1 Samuel 27:1-28:25 | Andrew Murch | In 1 Samuel 27 and 28, we see David, once again and in a twist of irony, fleeing Saul and going to the land of the Philistines. Meanwhile, King Saul turns to the occult. He feels like God has let him down and is not answering him the way he wants. So he seeks dark and forbidden spiritual powers to rescue him. He…

1 Samuel 26:1-25 | Andrew Murch | Amid the dramatic back and forth between King Saul and David, Saul says, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” We're left wondering, what circumstances could possibly lead to this declaration from Saul? David refused to take vengeance upon the Lord’s anointed. David’s tru…

Psalm 16:1-11 | Andrew Murch | "For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption." Looking back on Jesus' glorious resurrection, the Apostles remembered words originally penned by King David a thousand years before. God, faithful to his promises, delivered his Anointed One from the power of sin and death.…

1 Samuel 25:1-44 | Cody Cannon | Running for his life, David could hardly have imagined this would be his reality when Samuel anointed him to be the next king of Israel. Yet, this “man after God’s own heart” seems unchanged by his present circumstances, humbly keeping God’s command not to kill Saul, even when the opportunity to do so is literally a…

1 Samuel 24:1-22 | Gavin Hesse | This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. Our protagonist David has been on the run, fighting for his life against Saul, and finally David is in the position to pounce. As readers, this is what we want. We desire to see the good guy, the one who has been chased, turn the tables on the bad guys and take them down. J…

1 Samuel 23:1-29 | Andrew Murch | Movies, novels, and even documentaries have been obsessed with this same storyline: an innocent person, convicted of murder or a crime and on the run for their lives. It plays on the fear of what happens when “innocent until proven guilty” falters, and the innocent must prove themselves despite a wrongful convictio…

1 Samuel 21:1-22:23 | Andrew Murch | The frequent connection between expectations and disappointment manages to find us in every season of life. And, this next section of 1 Samuel is no different. Here, we see that there’s no preventing disappointments and times of unrealized expectations, but for David and for us, it’s our response in those moment…

1 Samuel 20:1-42 | Andrew Murch | It could be said that life is all about relationships. We are shaped by our primary and formational relationships whether for good or harm. We carry significant memories, insecurities, and motivations from key relationships in our lives. We often make decisions in light of certain relationships and grieve for one r…

1 Samuel 19:1-24 | Andrew Murch | A hardened heart harkens hellward. Murder is set in Saul’s mind, and he is dedicated to sending David to Sheol on the tip of a spear. King Saul repeatedly commands his soldiers, even his own family, to deliver the son of Jesse to death’s door. In God’s mercy, Saul receives multiple opportunities to change. In God’s…

1 Samuel 18:1-30 | Andrew Murch | The great juxtaposition between Saul and David serves as a moment of reflection for us. Will we boast in might, power, and wealth and ultimately become slaves to jealousy, envy, and rage? Or as humble servants, come before the Lord with hearts and hands open with thankfulness for whatever he has put before us today…

1 Samuel 17:1-58 | Andrew Murch | The lesson we learn from the narrative of David and Goliath is that we need a Savior. And what David realizes more than his own people is that the Lord God is his Savior. Our Lord does not save with sword or spear, man or military, wit or white-knuckle strength, grit or grime. This is where the gospel shines throug…

1 Samuel 16:1-23 | Josh Lane | Our culture is addicted to perception over substance. Our social media environment pressures us to present an artificial reality that can look better than it is beneath the surface. People stop at surface perception, but God looks deeper to the substance beneath.Josh Lane

1 Samuel 15:1-35 | Josh Butler | God wants our full obedience, not just our partial obedience. In 1 Samuel 15, we see that we’re invited to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, giving all of who we are to all of who He is.Joshua Ryan Butler

1 Samuel 14:1-52 | Andrew Murch | As in many great tales of old, in moments of despair and desperation, a hero emerges. In chapter 13, Saul’s impatient attempt to gain the blessing of God in a battle against the Philistines ended in shocking consequences: the monarchy of Israel would be handed to someone else, stripped from Saul and his descendants…

1 Samuel 13:1-23 | Andrew Murch | Our opening stories of Saul show us what kind of man and king he is. Is he one with courageous faith in his God or one who cowers in fear? Our answer is clear from this text and will be key as we are introduced to other characters faced with the same odds. From the pages of these stories and the lives of these char…

Psalm 145:1-21 | Todd Miles | "I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever." Authored by King David, Psalm 145 stands as an incredible song of praise to God for who he is and the wondrous things he has done. Here, we see that our God is supremely and uniquely worthy of praise because he is both Great and Good, wholly oth…

Luke 2:1-20 | Josh Butler | As God the Son, having taken on human flesh, is born in a manger another glorious scene takes place and another pair of Advent witnesses is introduced. Lowly shepherds are met by heavenly angels who point the way to the birthplace of the long-awaited Savior. Luke continues to highlight the wonderful and mysterious happen…

Luke 1:57-80 | Andrew Murch | Continuing through Luke's account of the birth of Jesus, we come first to the birth of John—or, as we'll know him, John the Baptist. Elizabeth's pregnancy and John's birth are the glorious fulfillment of God's promises. John will precede the Messiah and call God's people to repentance and renewed faithfulness. Here, Ze…

Luke 1:39-56 | Andrew Murch | Now aware that she is pregnant with the long-awaited Messiah and that her relative, Elizabeth, is also pregnant, Mary rushes to Elizabeth. Filled with the Holy Spirit, should-be-barren Elizabeth and not-yet-born John recognize and glorify their Lord, still in the womb of Mary. Here, we see the mercy of God on display a…

Luke 1:5-38 | Andrew Murch | In Luke's Gospel account, the story of the birth of the one, promised Messiah actually begins with the birth of two babies: Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. Both born to women who in ordinary circumstances could not be pregnant, the coming of these extraordinary men is announced in an equally extraordinary way.…

Philippians 4:14-23 | Josh Butler | By his grace and according to his own design, God has determined that one of the primary means for the sending, supporting, and sustaining of gospel workers is the Church. In part, ‘to be the Church’ means to support the work of gospel ministry, to partner with gospel laborers, and to be an agent of encouragement…

Philippians 4:10-13 | Andrew Murch | Here, Paul discusses the way that the Lord has provided for him in times of need, both through the church in Philippi and through His nearness. In verse 10, readers see Paul discussing how the church’s concern for him has been revived as they had an opportunity to care for him. He continues to discuss throughout…

Philippians 4:2-9 | Andrew Murch | Joy and peace often seem to be a package deal. Like inseparable friends, one is seldom seen without the other. In fact, they even start looking alike after a while. There they are, side by side, in Paul’s list of spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22), and, just as he suggests, they both wave invitingly to us from the lives …

Philippians 3:17-4:1 | Thomas Terry | Multiple times in the New Testament, Paul refers to the Christian’s citizenship in heaven. Those who are citizens of God’s kingdom are welcomed into his family, given grace, and united together with him. Citizens of the Kingdom of God have different, allegiances, live for a different purpose, and live different…

Philippians 3:12-16 | Andrew Murch | Running for the health of it is one thing; running for first place is still another. However, we can look at this passage as one running for their very lives. People facing the fury of a huge storm in a disaster movie don’t go back into their house for the heirloom dining set as the tidal wave approaches their c…

Philippians 3:1-11 | Andrew Murch | What do we consider as “surpassing worth” in our lives? According to Paul, following Jesus not only involved giving up our self-earned “righteousness,” but embracing a life of suffering, death, and resurrection. Is it worth it? Paul argues that knowing Jesus is the only thing of “surpassing worth.” Is Jesus worth…