Ruth 4 - Boaz married Ruth and God gave her a son named Obed who would become the grandfather of King David.  Ruth's story of tragedy became a story of triumph and landed her in the the genealogy of Jesus because she continued to trust God even when she didn't understand.

Psalm 94 - Those who do evil will not get away with it forever.  God will put an end to evil.  He is not on the side of those who support evil or injustice.  We can find comfort with God as our fortress.

Mark 9:14-32 - The disciples could not cast out the evil spirt from the boy and Jesus calls them faithless.  The boy's father asked Jesus to help "if he can."  Jesus said "if I can?" All things are possible if you believe. He cast out the demon and told the disciples they couldn't b/c it was the kind that could only be cast out through prayer.  They needed to seek God and allow him to do what they could not do. 

1 Corinthians 16 - Be on Guard, stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong and do everything in love.  Pauls conclusion to his letter is summed up with this advice.  Following Jesus requires an active commitment to daily follow Jesus. 

Ruth 2-3 - ruth's kindness towards Naomi gave her a great reputation among those in Bethlehem. God rewarded Ruth's kindness and compassion by giving her favor with Boaz. 

Psalm 93 - Our God is unshakable and immovable.  We can trust in him.

Mark 9:1-13 - Peter, James, and John witnessed the gathering of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.  Peter wanted to build shelters there.  Often when we have a powerful experience with God, our reaction is to want to stay in that moment or try to recreate that moment when God wants to use that moment to build your faith.  Even though Jesus had just predicted his death, they still didn't get it because they didn't understand how he was going to rise from the dead.  That seemed impossible, but Jesus defied what they thought was possible. 

1 Corinthians 15:29-58 - Our physical bodies are temporary. Jesus give us spiritual life and one day we will have heavenly bodies.  We have victory over sin and death because Jesus defeated the grave.  Because of what he has done we should be bold and immovable in our faith and work enthusiastically to build God's kingdom. 

Ruth 1 - Ruth refused to leaver her mother-in-law even though it would have been a better option for her personally.  She gave up her "rights" to take car of Naomi who was now a widow with no sons to care for her. Compassion for widows reflects the heart of God.

Psalm 92 - God is deserving of all praise and honor.  He is the one who has rescued me from sin and he is the one who has strengthened me for ministry.  He is the one who does the work of the heart.  I am just a vessel.  My responsibility is to seek him, spend time in his presence, and do what he tells me to do.  It is only through his power and presence that I will be effective in what he has called me to do.

Mark 8:31-38 - After they recognized who Jesus was, he began to tell them what he must do.  This didn't fit their expectations so Peter tried to rebuke him for predicting his death and resurrection.  Jesus in turn rebuked Peter for not receiving what Jesus was telling them.  Then he told them that real life wasn't found in trying to hang on to their way of life, but found in letting go of the old life to fully follow him.

1 Corinthians 15:1-28 - Jesus was raised from the dead and was seen by over 500 eyewitnesses, all claiming the same story.  In doing this, he demonstrated his power over death and will one day destroy death for good. 

Judges 20-21 - In these chapters, we continue to see what happens when people reject God as the ultimate authority and simply do what seems right in their own eyes.  No God leads to no morality and ultimately disaster.

Psalm 91 - God is our shelter and we do not need to be afraid of sickness or death.  He will take care of us and rescue us and ultimately, if we believe in him, we have no reason to fear death.  Death is not THE end, but the end of our experience with sin and the beginning of experiencing being fully satisfied by God's presence.

Mark 8:22-30 - Jesus healed the blind man but no the way they asked him to, nor a way that was expected.  Jesus asked his disciples who people thought he was, then asked who they believed he was.  They believed in him as the messiah, though they still didn't know or understand how he was going to do what he came to do.

1 Corinthians 14:26-40 - Spiritual gatherings ultimately should be orderly and build up those who attend.  Those who speak in tongues must have an interpreter if they are going to speak publicly, and if they don't, they must remain silent.  The purpose of exercising our gives should be the encouragement and edification of the church.

Judges 19 - "Israel had no king" - is often repeated in Judges and it seems to be right before a story showing the evil ways of the Israelites.  They had no earthly king, but God was their king. The problem is they rejected God as their king and lived as they pleased, doing what seemed right in their own eyes which always leads to sin and then destruction.  (Look around in America right now. It's happening again with a generation that has embrace relativism. Problems are here and more are on the way.)  Without God as the ultimate authority, many will always drift toward depravity because of the sinfulness of mankind.

Psalm 90 - Life is brief in light of eternity.  I long to see you move in power in my lifetime.  I hope to see thousands of lives saved and spiritual awakening. 

Mark - 8::14-21 - Jesus warns the disciples about the "yeast" of the Pharisees and Herod.  The yeast represents the sin of rejecting Jesus which is rooted in pride.  The disciples didn't have bread, so they were arguing and Jesus asked them - why don't you get it yet?  he reminded them that they had seen him feed the 5k and the 4k and how much they had left over.  They were still worried about not having what they needed even though Jesus had proven his ability to provide in abundance.  We don't serve a God of scarcity, but a God of abundance.  We can trust him to provide!

1 Corinthians 14:1-25 - It is better and more helpful to the church and unbelievers to be able to speak a prophetic word than to speak in tongues.  While speaking in tongues is a divisive subject among believers, God is using Paul to tell us not to let it be.  He says he wishes all could speak in tongues (implying that all can't) because of the way that it strengthens the person, but that speaking a word of truth from God is more beneficial to those who hear!

Judges 17-18 - The tribe of Dan failed to trust God and take the land given to them.  As a result, they wondered not just physically, but spiritually as well.  They began worshiping false gods of the people of the land.

Psalm 89:19-52 - God raised up David, an unlikely king and delivered on his promise to bless his time on the thrown, but it wasn't right away.  God's timing isn't always ours, but we can trust him to do what he says he will do in his time. 

Mark 8:1-13 - Jesus used the food that the disciples found to do the miraculous.  God isn't concerned about what you don't have.  He can used what he has already given you to do what only he can do through you.  The disciples had to simply give to Jesus what they had and let him do the rest.  This is how faith works.  We give what we have to God and trust him to use us to do things we could never do on our own.

1 Corinthians 13 - Let love guide the way you live.  Understand that you don't see things clearly and could be wrong because we only are able to know things in a "partial" and "incomplete" way.  Only in eternity will we finally be able to know fully.

Judges 16 - Samson allowed himself to be deceived because he wanted to keep Delilah even though Delilah was trying to destroy him.  We must be careful that we don't allow ourselves to be deceived in or to hold on to something that will ultimately destroy us.  

Psalm 89:1-18 - As we learn to understand God's character, who he is, it gives us reason to rejoice and trust in his unfailing love. 

Mark 7:24-37 - Jesus healed the gentile woman's daughter because of her humility and great faith.  Then he healed a deaf man in a very strange way - putting his fingers in the man's ears, then spitting on his fingers and touching the man's tongue. We need to know that Jesus doesn't heal everyone the same way.  We must trust him even when we don't understand what he is doing.

1 Corinthians 12:14-21 - Every believer is apart of the body of Christ and we need each part to do their job for the body to function at its best. 

Judges 13-15 - Israel turned away from God and were oppressed for 40 years by the Philistines.  God raised up Samson who would begin to rescue them from the Philistines but that would not fully happen until King David.  Samson married a woman from the enemy's camp.  This only created trouble for him.  The source of Samson's strength was the Spirit of God.  Each time he did something that required great strength, it says the spirit of God came on him.  A this point, he still realized that God was the one who strengthened him and gave him victory.

Psalm 88 - When life is full of trials and struggle, we should tryout to God and when we do, we can be honest about how we feel.  Often when we are honest about how we feel, we are able to identify the lies we have believed and allow God to replace them with truth.

Mark 7:1-23 - Jesus rebuked the pharisees for teaching man made tradition over God given truth.  Jesus cared more about the heart change than behavior modification because he knew lasting change started in the heart.  It is possible to do good things and not be "good" with God because you don't have a relationship with him.  Heart change come from a relationship with God.

1 Corinthians 12:1-13 - When we believe, we all receive and are immersed in the same Spirit.  The Spirit gives us different gifts so that together we can function properly and effectively as the body of Christ. 

Judges 9 - The story of Abimelech is a reminder that evil may win a few battles, but justice will have its day.  The people followed Abimelech because of the power it would give them.  They didn't do what was right but were persuaded to do evil because of how they thought it would benefit them and it actually made things worse for them.

Psalm 86 - My prayer - God heart my prayer, I need your help. Protect me, my wife, and my children for I am devoted to you.  Save me for I serve you and trust you.  You are my God.  Send me a sing of your favor.

Mark 6:30-44 - Disciples were tired and hungry from a busy time of ministry.  They wanted to send the crowds away to buy food, but Jesus told them no - you feed them.  They told Jesus they had nothing to give to the people.  We must always remember that we don't have anything good to offer others that doesn't come from God first.  If we are going to help experience God's grace in their lives, we must continually be allowing him to fill us up so we have something to give to others.  They began the story with nothing, but at the end of the story there were 12 baskets left over.  That would be enough for each disciple to have a basket.  When you allow God to use you, it leaves you with more than you started.

1 Corinthians 9 - By God's design, those who preach should be supported financially by those who benefit from their ministry.  The strategy to effective ministry given here is to find common ground with all people so you can help them experience Jesus.  Being a pastor is not about earthy treasure, but about the opportunity to share the gospel with people.  To finish the race well, we must be disciplined in all we do.

Judges 8 - Gideon faced tension from his allies because they didn't know why he hadn't come to them for help, but he continued to do what God told him to do.  Sometime people will not understand or agree with what you are doing when you are following God, but we are accountable to God before man.  With 300 troops, Gideon defeated thousands.  The leaders of Succoth and Peniel said they were willing to feed his army only if they won.  We should be eager to help those that God has put his hand of blessing on even before the victory, but we must be tuned in to the Holy Spirit in order to determine God's anointing.  We often rally around those who have proven themselves rather than investing in those that God is raising and miss out on sharing in the blessing.  Gideon made and ephod as a memorial for their victories but this became a trap for the Israelites.  We should remember and celebrate what God has done in the past, but we can't make the mistake of idolizing those victories.  While the people wanted Gideon to rule of them, Gideon refused and pointed them back to God.

Psalm 85 - As we cry out to God to move and save people and see revival, his people must return to him whole heartedly.  Righteousness, or right living is fertile ground for a mighty move of God.

Mark 6:14-29 - Bad things happen to all people, even Godly people, because there is evil in the world.  When sin entered, evil came with it.  Herodias hated John because he spoke truth.  Darkness hates the light and wants to destroy it, but the good new we have is that the light wins in the end.  

1 Corinthians 8 - We are free from rules steeped in religion because of Jesus, but just because we are free to do something doesn't mean we should.  We should be willing to give up our "freedom" in order to prevent division or to keep from causing someone else from sinning. 

Judges 6-7 - God used Gideon to rescue Israel from the Midianites.  Gideon was not confident in his own abilities, but was cautious to make sure what God was asking him to do.  Gideon's plan of attack was not through strength or strategy but through the Power of God.  The spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon.

Psalm 84 - God's presence brings joy, peace, comfort, and blessing even through the tough times of life.

Mark 6:1-13 - Man refused to believe in Jesus despite the miracles he performed.  he was not what they expected and because of their lack of faith, Jesus didn't heal many in his hometown. The disciples message was simple - repent and turn to God.  The message of the gospel is not complicated. 

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 - Don't ignore what happens when people turn from God.  Don't become proud thinking it can't happen to you.  Be humble and with God's strength, resist temptation.

Judges 4-5 - God delivered the Israelites through the prophetess Deborah and Joel.  Sisera died at the hands of women.  Barak did not want to go unless Deborah went with him.  God uses women to accomplish his purpose.  

Psalm 83 - This is a cry to God to defeat his enemies and show that he alone is the Lord Most High.  I feel this way about evil in our world.  I want God to move in a mighty way to destroy the evil we see.

Mark 5:21-43 - Jesus healed the religious leaders daughter who was 12 and a lady who had done all she could do to be healed through Drs for 12 years.  Nothing they did for her worked.  When she touched Jesus, her plan was to remain anonymous, but Jesus wanted her to admit she was the one so she could be healed.  humility is essential for seeing God move.  The littler girl who Jesus was on his way to see died, but Jesus said she was only asleep because he planned to bring her back to life.  When all seems lost, it's not over.  Jesus has the final word.

1 Corinthians 9:13-27 - God's desire is that the church provide well for their pastors because this is his calling on their lives.  We should find common ground with everyone for the sake of the gospel.  Run with purpose. Run with discipline. Finish well. 

Judges 1-3 - As the Israelites began taking their territory, some drove out the people in the land and some failed to and instead compromised by making them their slaves.  This is not what God told them to do.  As a result, they set themselves up to fail again later down the road.  God wanted them to drive the people out of the land because they were evil and eventually would lead the Israelites to sin against God by worshiping false gods.  We don't need to compromise God's standards or it will eventually hurt us.  After the generation who took the land died, the next generation failed to honor God.  They worshipped false God's and angered God.  As a result, God fought against them.  When we compromise, we set the next generation up for failure.  Sin leads to destruction.  Even though they failed many times, when they turned back to God and cried out to God he would raise up someone to rescue them.  God never fails.

Psalm 82 - God will not tolerate unjust decisions by favoring the wicked.  We should stand up for the poor and oppressed and give them justice. 

Mark 5:1-20 - The demons know who Jesus is and they are terrified.  The people from the town wanted Jesus to leave their town and leave them alone.  Sometimes we are guilty of ignoring the spiritual realm and only caring about the physical realm.  This man was delivered but all the people cared about were the dead pigs.  They didn't mind the demon posted man because they had found a way to manage this problem.

1 Corinthians 9:1-12 - This is why the church should take care of its pastors.  God's plan to take care of those he has called to lead the church was through the gener of those who attend the church.

Joshua 24 - God has proven his power and faithfulness to Israel despite their unfaithfulness.  God is faithful and worthy of our worship.  He wants us to make a choice of who we will serve.  Will we serve God and obey God or will we serve false gods of self, mammon (money/wealth), or pleasure.  I choose Jesus.

Psalm 81 - Israel's sacred celebrations were suppose to remind them of the way he took care of them in the desert and delivered them from their enemies, but they still failed to remain faithful to him.  So God allowed them to experience the results of their own decisions.  But for those who trust in God, he will richly provide for us. 

Mark 4:21-41 - God has given us his light to help us understand his truth.  If we try to ignore the light or discount the truth, we will mis it.  We should listen carefully to God and him for understanding.  Knowledge without understanding is useless.  God is the one who makes the seeds grow and he can turn even the smallest seed into one of the largest garden plants.  I am asking God for more understanding that he would cause his seed inside of me to grow.  

1 Corinthians 8 - Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn't really know much.  We should consider how our decisions affect others. 

Joshua 22-23 - Joshua's instructions to the easter tribes are good for us today - Love God, walk in his ways, obey all his commands, hold firmly to him, serve him with all your heart and soul.  
The community of leaders of Israel recalled the sin of Achan and how it affected others.  Gad and Reuben built an alter to serve as a reminder for the next generation that the Lord was their God.  Every promise of God has come true, so you can trust his promises.  If you follow the ways of the world around you, you will suffer the consequences and God will not continue to bless and protect you.  Disobedience leads to destruction.

Psalm 80 - Turn our hearts to you and pour out your favor on us.  We are completely dependent on you.  Revive your church once more and let us see your glorious salvation.

Mark 4:1-20 - Jesus tells the parable of the seeds and the soil.  Only those who produce a harvest are good soil.  They are able to persevere and don't allow things to choke out God's truth.  We need God to continually make us into good soil.  He is the one who causes the seed to grow.  We must learn to depend on him.

1 Corinthians 7:17-40 - Those who follow Jesus shouldn't abandon their families, but remain married.  Paul wants you to remain in whatever situation you were in when it comes to your marital situation and His point is that our time is short and marriage is something that is only of this world and will soon pass away. 

Joshua 20-21 - God loves justice and had the Israelites establish towns of refuge so revenge didn't undercut justice.  AfterJoshua and the priests had the tribes give land to the levies, everything God had promised was complete. God gave them rest on every side and no enemy could stand against them because God fought for them.  Not a single promise of God was left unfulfilled which reminds me that we can trust God.  He fulfills his promises. 

Psalm 79 - This should be our prayer that God doesn't hold us accountable for the sins of the generations before us and that he would return to us so we can experience his power and glory again.  When people mock us, they are not really mocking us, but God and he will not allow them to continue to mock him forever. 

Mark 3:20-35 - Religious leaders tried to identify the power of the Holy Spirit as evil spirits of Satan.  Jesus explained that their reasoning was flawed and told them to reject the Holy Spirit in this was was blasphemy.  Jesus' family thought he was crazy and came to try to speak to him and pull him away for the ministry he was doing.  He said that his real family are those who do God's will.  Obedience is a sign of believing and believing leads to belonging.

1 Corinthians 7:1-16 - In marriage, sex should not be withheld but each person should meet the needs of their spouse.  Those who are married should remain that way.  If a person leaves their spouse, they should remain unmarried.  Christians married to unbelievers should remain married and let God use them to lead their spouse to Jesus. 

Joshua 18-19 - Joshua asked why 7 of the tribes still had not taken possession of the land God had given them.  Sometimes we delay doing what God told us to do because it seems overwhelming or impossible.  When you delay to obey you delay to experience God's promise and sometimes miss it because delayed obedience is disobedience. We should identify what is cause us to delay - doubt, fear, resistance- and ask God to help us obey.  Dan gave up on the land that God had given them and settled for something else.  Don't quit when following Jesus is tough.  Press on and trust Jesus will prevail in time.  

Psalm 78:40-72 - God's people sinned and worshipped false gods so God abandoned them to their own decisions.  As a result, they were no longer under his protection, but instead under his wrath.  He once again rescued them from their enemies and gave them David, a shepherd, as their new leader.  Caring for sheep was practice for caring for the people of Israel. 

Mark 3:1-19 - The fact that there was a man with a deformed hand in the synagogue is likely a sign that this was a set up to begin with.  People with deformities were considered unclean and typically not allowed in the synagogue.  The religious leaders were merely using this man to try to trap Jesus.  Jesus called them out for trying to use the man and for expecting him to refuse to heal a man when it was in his power to do so simply because it was the sabbath.  They had adopted an opinion of the sabbath that lacked compassion for people.  
- Crowds followed Jesus because of the miracles he had done.  From the crowds that followed him, he had 12 that he had called on to be his closest disciples.

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 - Unlike food, sex isn't merely about physical pleasure and purpose.  There is a spiritual element to it.  We are spiritually united with Christ when we believe and become part of the body of Christ.  If we use our body's for sexual sin, it is a sin that impacts us spiritually more than physically.  This is why he tells us to FLEE from sexual sin.  

Joshua 15-17 - We see where the land was given out to the tribes and their responsibility was to drive out the people living there with the Lord's help.  Caleb drove out the people where his land was given, but it seems that other tribes did not drive out the people completely.  Instead, they made them work as slaves.  Often, we make compromises with what we know God wants us to do and instead of putting to death the old life of sin, we just look for a way to manage it.  This is a set up.  The nation of Israel would at some point fall into worshiping false gods of the Canaanites and sin against God.  If we try to manage sin rather than remove sin, it is only a matter of time before we fall into sin.  "Managing" sin is a trap set by our own pride.

Psalm 78 - We must teach the next generation about the greatness of our God - so that the next generation can know and glorify God.  If we fail to pass on our faith to the next generation, we fail to carry out God's design.  God showed his power to the Israelites repeatedly but they still failed to trust him and sinned against Him.  As a result, their lives ended in failure. Even when they repented and took God seriously, it was holy for a short time.  It was only lip service because their hearts were still not loyal to God.  Real change- lasting change - starts in the heart.  

Mark 2:18-28 - Old wineskins represent old religious requirements.  New wineskins represent a new way of being make right with God.  No one could follow the old way perfectly, so Jesus came to make a new way for all who would believe.  We can't combine the old covenant with the new.  Following Jesus isn't about religious behavior or being good enough, but about fully following Jesus.  Sabbath is a gift for us, not a requirement to fulfill.  We need the sabbath so while we should receive the gift, we should not treat it like a religious rule to follow.  

1 Corinthians 6:1-11 - Don't get into legal disputes with other believers.  In humility, accept the injustice and let it go.  Those who hate others will be judged by God.  The only thing that changes us is calling on Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit who changes us from the inside. 

Joshua 13-14 - While Joshua had conquered the kings in the land, there was still more work to be done.  It says He was an old man at this point.  Regardless of our age, as long as we are living, there is still work to be done for God's kingdom.  Caleb asked for his allotment of land as God had promised because of his faithfulness.  Caleb asked for the hill country, the land of Anak.  He knew the towns were fortified and it would be a tough battle, but even at 85 years old, he was willing and ready to do what God wanted him to do.  He said he was just as able at 85 as he was at 40.  He believed that he would take the towns because God said he would give them to him.  He believe God would go before him, so he didn't allow fear to keep him from experiencing God's promise. 

Psalm 77 - When life feels overwhelming, I need to remember the ways God has shown his power already.  God led his people on a path through the Red Sea - a path that no one even knew was there.  God makes paths that we don't even know is possible.  We simply need to trust him.

Mark 2:13-17 - Levi's (Matthew) response to Jesus' call was to leave behind his old way of life immediately and follow Jesus.  he then invited Jesus to his house along with many other tax collectors and despised sinners.  It says there were many of "this kind" that followed Jesus.  He came for those who knew they were sick and needed a doctor, so if we don't have these kind of people in the church, we may not be doing it the way Jesus did. 

1 Corinthians 5 - Paul condemns the church for allowing those who claim to be christians, yet continue to practice blatant sin to remain in close fellowship with them.  He refers to the sin as yeast that will infect the whole batch.  The list of sins he gives here isn't just sexual immorality - it is also greed, idol worship, abusiveness, drunkenness, a lack of integrity.  As we follow Jesus those who are closest to us need to be free from these kind of things or it could impact us in a negative way.  We should encourage and help those around us break free from such sin. 

Joshua 10-12 - When the nations allied against Gibeon and the Israelites, God gave them victory and fought for them by sending hail that killed their enemy.  Joshua prayed that the sun would stand still in the sky so that they could fight the battle and God answered his prayer.  Joshua followed God's command completely by wiping out the people living in the land completely as God had commanded.  His purpose was so they would not lead them into worshiping their false gods.  We should deal the same way with sin in our own lives.  Too often, we allow it to take up residence in our lives through the things we watch, listen to, or the places we go.  We need to completely remove the things from our lives that leads to sin.  Joshua defeated the kings in the land and gave the land to the tribes of Israel according to God's instructions.  It took 7 years to complete their mission of taking the land and getting to experience the fullness of God's promise.  It took 7 years of battle to get to experience God's promise.  Sometimes it takes time to experience God's promise.  After they had done what God told them to do, there was peace in the land.  Joshua was successful in battle because the Lord was fighting for him.  When God is fighting for you, victory is certain.

Psalm 76 - God is greater than all our enemies.  No one can stand against him.

Mark 2:1-12 - Their determination to get their friend to Jesus was a demonstration of their faith.  Jesus responded to their faith by healing the man.  He first told the man that his sins were forgiven which angered the religious people there.  They questioned why he thought he had authority to forgive sins because only God could do that - which was Jesus' point.  He then simply told the man to pick up his mat and walk and the man did.  If Jesus had the power to heal, he had the power to forgive sins. 

1 Corinthians 4 - We are God's servants and only his opinion of us really matters.  One leader is not better than another.  All that I have has been given to me by God and my job is to manage what he has given me well.  This is why I work hard to become a better communicator.  My success though doesn't come form my own effort, but by learning to live in the Power of the Holy Spirit.  

Joshua 8-9 - After Achan and his family were put to death because of Achan's sin, God gave Joshua instructions to attack Ai and this time told him that he and his army could keep all of the lives stock and treasure for themselves.  I feel like this is a picture of the tithe.  In the first battle, all the riches belonged to God, but after the first battle, God allowed them to keep it for themselves.  Tithing is about giving God the first and the best and he allows us to keep the rest.  This time, their approach was a more conventional approach to battle.  The night before the battle, Joshua stayed with the people.  This is a picture of good leadership.  Good leaders don't separate themselves from those they lead, but surround themselves with those they lead.  Being present is a huge part of gaining trust. After the victory, Joshua led the people in worship and read every word of God's commands to them again.  In our victories, it is important to remember that God is the one who gave us those victories.  When we lose sight of that, we will begin to rely on our own efforts.  
When people from Gibeon come to deceived the Israelites into making a treaty, the Israelites failed to consult God and as a result, they were deceived and made a covenant with those they were supposed to destroy.  If we don't consult God we will unintentionally make agreements with the enemy. 

Psalm 75 - God will not let the proud and the wicked prosper forever.  God will one day budget he wicked.  he will break their strength and he will increase the power of the Godly.  How I long for that day.

Mark 1:35-45 - Jesus got away alone early to spend time with God.  The way to allow God to direct our steps each day is to take time to talk with him before the day begins. In this passage, Jesus didn't perform the miracle for the fame it would bring him, but out of compassion and love for the man.  Ministry is never about ourselves, but about loving people the way Jesus did.

1 Corinthians 3 - God is the one who causes the spiritual seeds to grow so no one can take credit for the work God is doing.  As we build ministry on the foundation of faith, what survives the test of time and trials will determine if what we built was built well and has value or was poorly built and burned up.  As a church, we are God's temple together.  God's desire is that we care for and build his temple - the church, those who are brothers and sisters in Christ .  If we divide his temple based on human logic, reason, and the wisdom of man, we are failing to build what God desires.  Human theology that is divisive beyond the foundation of faith is not built on God's wisdom, but human wisdom.  Human wisdom is foolishness to God. 

Joshua 6-7 - God's battle plan for Israel was not conventional, but God did it that way to show his power.  What God asks us to do may not be the way that makes the most sense, but he wants us to trust that his way is best.  That takes faith.  The Israelites were told to completely destroy everything except the things that were suppose to be brought into the treasury.  Adam kept things for himself that probably didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but turned out to be a major problem.  There is no sin that is so small that it doesn't matter.  All sin is a big deal to God.  Ache's compromise cost him his life, the life of his family, and the life of many soldiers who fought and lost the battle of Ai.  Sin may be personal, but the consequences are often communal.  

Psalm 74 - Many today in the world are trying to get rid of anything pertaining to God.  They are vehemently against God and his design.  At times it seems as if they are winning.  This is the same thing the writer of this Psalm talks about.  Israel felt this way when God allowed their enemies to invade them due to their own rebellion against God.  But even when it seems evil is winning, we can hold on to the hope we have in the God who has already defeated satan.  We can look to him to defeat evil. 

Mark 1:21-45 - There was a man in the synagogue that was possessed by a demon.  This is significant because he had to appear to be "clean" by their religious standards in order to be in the synagogue.  It is important for us to realize that just because someone appears religious, they may not truly be yielded to Christ.  You can be in the church and not have Christ in you.  After teaching in the synagogue and healing many people, Jesus got away to spend time talking with God.  If we are going to be able to know what God wants us to do, we need to spend time talking with him.  Jesus healed the man with leprosy because he was moved with compassion.  It is encouraging to know that when we are suffering, God looks on us with compassion.  Jesus told the leper not to tell others, but he did anyway.  It may be because Jesus didn't do it for recognition, but out of compassion for people.  Ministry is not about being recognized, but about caring for people in their times of need. 

1 Corinthians 2 - We must preach with the power of the Holy Spirit, not simply persuasive words.  Our words lack power.  Holy Spirit changes lives. 

Joshua 3-5 - the command to purify yourself comes before seeing God do great wonders.  God used the crossing of the Jordan to establish his leadership with the Israelites.  Joshua piled 12 stones as a testimony to the next generation that God had caused them to cross the Jordan on dry land on their way into the promised land.  He brought them across on dry land so the people of the land would hear of God's power and fear God and his people.  When Joshua saw the commander of the Lord's army, he basically asked who's side he was on and he said neither.  He wasn't there to join a side but to invite Joshua to follow his lead into battle.  God isn't there to join our side, but invites us to follow his lead. When Joshua yielded to the angel and asked what he should do, the angel told him to take off his shoes because he was on holy ground.  This is the same thing God told Moses to do at the burning bush.  There are a couple reasons this could be. First, removing shoes was a sign of reverence. Second - it was holy ground and God wanted him to be in direct contact with the ground with nothing between his flesh and the ground.  We should remove anything that keeps us from experiencing the holiness of God's presence. 

Psalm 73 - Pride promotes self and tears others down.  When we spend time in the presence of God, we will realize the path of the proud leads to disaster so it is foolish to envy the proud.  It is good to be near God.  He is our shelter.  While the proud may be boastful about their sin and the things they have, we should tell the world about the goodness of God. 

Mark 1:9-20 - When Jesus was in the desert he was among the wild animals but the Angels took care of him.  Jesus' message when he began to preach was simple.  Repent and believe.  The disciples who were closest to Jesus left their old life at once and followed him. 

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 - Those who are headed for destruction think the gospel is foolish.  Thinking they are wise, they are really blind to their foolishness.  Human wisdom does not lead to knowing God.  It is not something we can discover through mere logic and human reason, it is something God reveals to us.  This is why when I preach, the power isn't in carefully crafted words because they have not power; the power is in the Holy Spirit drawing people to God.  Fill me God.  God uses the lowly surprise the proud.  His lowest thoughts are greater than the highest intellect of mankind.  God uses the least to do the greatest.  He does this so he alone gets the credit he deserves.  

Joshua 1-2 - To go where God is leading you will require courage that is rooted in faith.  We can follow without fear knowing that God is with us and will go before us.  God's powerful reputation caused those in the promised land to fear the Israelites.  It wasn't because of something they did, but because of the power God displayed.  Rahab didn't allow her past to keep her from being used by God.  Rahab's faith in who God is saved her life and her family's life.  Faith always leads to life. 

Psalm 72 - God cares for the poor, weak, and oppressed so we should too.

Mark 1:1-8 - Baptism was a way to publicly demonstrate that they had repented and turned to God.  Is it a public display of a personal decision to follow Jesus.  John came to point people to Jesus.  He immersed people in water and likewise, Jesus immerses us with his spirit when we believe.  

1 Corinthians 1:1-17 - God will strengthen us as a body of Christ - together.  This is why church is important for those who believe.  We need each other to be truly strengthened in our faith and be able remain faithful to the end.  Our unity is found in the gospel and our new purpose of helping others know Jesus.