Malachi 3:13-4:6 Summary: Malachi ministered to a people who were significantly disappointed at how life was going since the end of the exile. In short, there seemed to be little sign of God fulfilling his most treasured promises and as a result, many had concluded that serving God was of little benefit (3:14-15). This was […]
Matthew 6:16-18 Summary: In many Christian circles today, fasting is not among the most familiar of the spiritual disciplines (if it’s practiced at all), and yet every indication from scripture and from church history is that it’s a discipline Christ intended his church to keep using. The Biblical use of the term ‘fasting’ is always […]
Jeremiah 29:12 Summary: The Cadet’s theme this year suggests an approach to God that’s far more familiar than formal: “Hi God, It’s Me.” Together with the Cadets we’ll explore what an astounding gift we’ve been given through Christ to be able to draw near to God in prayer with such a profound sense of intimacy. […]
Haggai 1:1-15 Summary: Haggai is the first of the minor prophets who ministered after some of the exiles had returned to Jerusalem following the Babylonian invasion. Though they had started to rebuild the temple, that work had stopped for nearly 18 years by the time Haggai comes on to the scene. It’s Haggai’s job to […]
Zephaniah 1 & 3 Summary: Zephaniah is considered by some to be a sort of summarizer of the message of the prophets who came before him. The last of the minor prophets before the Babylonian exile, Zephaniah’s message is once again filled with severe warnings of God’s impending judgment. The problem he identifies in 1:12 […]
Luke 11:1-13 Summary: The disciple’s request, “Lord, teach us to pray” is an encouraging affirmation that prayer is a discipline that is learnable and at which we can improve–good news for all of us who know that our existing prayer lives leave room for much growth. Here as so often in Jesus’ teaching on prayer, […]
Luke 2:1-20
Acts 1:6-11 Summary: While the disciples are still hoping for a sudden and final establishment of God’s kingdom on earth (v.6), Jesus tells them that the timing of these things is none of their concern. Their task is to be his witnesses. This is a repeat of what God said to Israel in Isaiah 43:10 […]
Luke 19:11-27 Summary: In this parable, Jesus frames the entire story of our lives as an investment toward the day of His return. Two of the servants made the King’s return the priority and focus of their lives. The third servant had his own agenda for what he wanted to do with his life, and […]
2 Peter 3:1-13 Summary: In these verses, Peter warns the church of scoffers who will mock their anticipation of Christ’s return, believing that surely there’s no reason to expect any divine interruption of history. In addition to shoring up his readers’ confidence in Christ’s return, Peter wants them to know why it hasn’t happened yet. […]