2 Kings 24-25 - The result of consistent disobedience to and disregard for God will always be destruction. God sent prophets to warn people, but they did not heed the warnings. We must listen to God's warnings in our lives and take them seriously.

Psalm 122 – Many travel to Jerusalem to experience God‘s presence, but we can experience him anywhere because of Jesus. We find peace and God‘s presence.

Luke 7:1–10 – Jesus was amazed by the Roman officer’s faith. His faith wasn’t in religious activity but in the power of Jesus. By recognizing his authority, he recognized his position and power over creation.

Philippians 4:14–23 – God used the Philippians’ generosity to support Paul’s ministry. When we give generously, it demonstrates our faith that God is the one who takes care of all our needs and that all that we have has been given to us by God.

2 Kings 22-23 - Josiah discovered God's truth, then acted on it. When God shows us some thing we didn’t know, we should respond fully and immediately as Josiah did. The kings that follow Josiah return to the evil ways of the kings prior. While Josiah did what was right, he failed to raise his sons to do the same.

Psalm 121 - God is our source of help and the only one who can protect us.

Luke 6:43–49 - Obedience to God brings stability, but disobedience springs destruction. A person who is following Jesus fully will display fruit and their lives of faith and will withstand the storms of life. Faith to obey builds a faith that will stay.

Philippians 4:80–13 - Keep your thoughts centered on things that honor God and keep obeying him. This is the key to experiencing God’s peace. God will give us strength in any situation to follow him completely.

​2 Kings 20-21 - Because of Hezekiah‘s faithfulness to God, God heard his plea and healed him and gave him 15 more years of life. Hezekiah lacked discretion when he showed off all of his kingdom. Pride may have been the reason he did this but it led to his destruction. When Manasseh ruled, he was evil and lead people to do evil. People will suffer under the leadership of evil people. Amon continue to sin against God and did not rule for long because he was murdered. Evil leadership creates an evil culture.

Psalm 120 - God will wipe out deception and only he can bring peace.

Luke 6:37–42 - Instead of worrying about what other people are doing or aren’t doing, be concerned with doing the right thing yourself. If you do what God wants you to do, he will bless your obedience and that is enough.

Philippians 4:1–7 - Peace is a product of prayer and a sign of God‘s presence in your life. Learn to trust God more and he will increase your peace.

2 Kings 18-19 - The bronze serpent was used to show people God's power that had become an object of worship that had to be destroyed. We must be careful that the things of worship don’t become objects of worship. God rescued Hezekiah and Judah without them having to even raise a sword. God it is our protector so we must learn to turn to him for protection.

Psalm 119: 169–176 - I need gods discernment to be able to do what he wants me to do and to understand how his truth should guide my life. It is not enough just to know information, but we must also gain understanding.

Luke 6:27–37 - To love like Jesus in a way that reflects his love, we must love those who are easy to love and who may even persecute us. We must love our enemies. Real love chooses to love even when it’s not easy.

Philippians 3:15–21 – Your behavior will show if you are truly a follower or an enemy of the cross of Christ.

2 Kings 16-17 - King Ahaz copied the pagan religious customs and changed the way he worshiped God and the way the temple was set up. He ignored God‘s command and just tried to look more like the pagans. We must follow God‘s design for worshiping him. We often try too hard to fit in and look like the world that we fail to fully follow God and his desire for our lives.

Psalm 119:161–168 - God's instructions will keep us from stumbling. His word holds more value than great treasure.

Luke 6:17–26 – People were healed by simply touching Jesus. Those who prosper by the world standards will suffer one day and those who suffer by the world standards will prosper. Make sure you aim at God‘s standards and trust him to provide according to your needs.

Philippians 3:10–14 - I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the grave. We must let go of all that is in the past and continue to press on to the prize that is ahead of us.

2 Kings 14-15 - The decisions of a leader carries great weight for those that they lead. Ultimately all that matters is if you did what God told you to do wholeheartedly.

Psalm 119:153–160 - God help me through your Holy Spirit never to swerve from your commands.

Luke 6:1–16 - The Sabbath should be a day of refreshing, strengthening, and healing/restoration. Do you have a day that you spend allowing God to restore and refresh your spirit? Jesus called ordinary people to follow him.

Philippians 3:1–9 - A good standing with God isn’t about being religious or good, but about putting our faith in Jesus and simply following him.

2 Kings 12-13 - As long as Jehu listened to the high priest, he continue to carry out God‘s plan. Unfortunately he failed to remove the pagan shrines, and allowed the people to continue to offer worship to them. We may not have pagan shrines, but anything that keeps us from worshiping God completely or pulls us away from God is an idol we must get rid of. Even though God rescued Israel from their enemies they quickly return to their old way. We must learn to fully follow God and depend on him in the good and bad times.

Psalm 119:145–152 - Our hope is found in the reality that God‘s truth is absolute truth that will never change.

Luke 5:33–39 - Jesus came to create a new covenant, not simply modify the old.

Philippians 2:19–30 - Genuine friendships and relationships with other believers are an important part of carrying out God’s plan for our lives.

2 Kings 10-11 - Jehu obeyed God mostly, but not completely. His lack of complete obedience kept him from experiencing God‘s complete blessing. He carried out the work of God, but was not fully devoted to him. God protected Joach from the time he was an infant because he was God’s chosen to be the next king. God used the priest Jehoiada to protect the king who was a child. We must step up to protect and guide the next generation. We must see God's call on their lives and be their biggest encouragers.

Psalm 119:137–144 – We find joy from God‘s truth and commands despite stress and pressure we may face.

Luke 5:27–32 - Matthew left his old way of life behind to follow Jesus. He didn’t completely abandon the people he had known, but wanted them to meet Jesus to. Following Jesus always leads to loving others the way Jesus does.

Philippians 2:12–18 – Let God who is at work and you change the way you live. We’re card to simply follow Jesus Staley and let him do the work through the power of the Holy Spirit.

2 Kings 8-9 - Through Jehu, God carried out the judgment that had been declared against Jehu’s father, King Ahab, and against his mother Jezebel. Our decisions impact not only us, but generations that follow.

Psalm 119:129–136 - God's word will change me and keep me from following evil. Our heart should break for a culture that has committed itself to disobeying God.

Luke 5:17–26 – Verse 17 says that God‘s healing power was strongly with Jesus. God is the one who heals and his healing power can be strongly with us as well because the Holy Spirit is in us. God‘s healing causes people to be in awe of God. My prayer is that he will do the same today and we will see people healed so that many will be in awe and wonder at the greatness of God and many would come to know him.

Philippians 2:1-11 - The power of the life of a follower is found in following Christ's example of humility, obedience, love, and kingdom focus.

2 Kings 4-5 - God can take what you have and multiplied if you trust him with all that he has given you. God has proven his power over life and death. He can spare our lives from sickness and provide all that we need and more. Naaman was a mighty warrior but he could not win the battle with his skin disease. His healing followed simple obedience. Surrender is required to experience God’s power to change our lives.

Psalm 119:113-120 - our loyalty toward God cannot be divided. Those who stray from God have straight from his decrees and are fooling themselves.

Luke 5:1-11 - God can feel what is empty that you could not feel yourself. We must trust gods way even if it isn’t the way you were raised or the way you’ve seen it done before. Just do it the way God says and he will do the rest.

Philippians 1:12–20 – Paul’s imprisonment gave others boldness and confidence to share the gospel. Regardless of why people share the gospel we can celebrate that it is being shared.

2 Kings 1-3 - King Uzziah was looking to a false God for help, so Elijah confronted him. The leader of God's people was no longer looking to God. As a result, God told him through Elijah that he would die. When Elijah was getting ready to be taken away by God, Elisha stayed close to him the very end and asked for a double portion of the spirit that was on Elijah. Maybe this was his request because he wanted to do more for God. I need God spirit in my life so that I can be an instrument for God’s mission. God gave favor to the king of Israel, Judah, and Edom only because of Jehoshaphat. We must surround ourselves with godly people. 

Psalm 119:105-112 - The enemy has set traps for us and his desire is to lead us away from God and destroy us. We must cling to God‘s truth and set out to follow him completely.

Luke 4:38–44 - Jesus healed people physically to demonstrate his authority however the reason he came was to preach the good news that a greater spiritual healing had come.

Philippians 1:1–11 - we must continue to follow Jesus and allow him to continually transform our lives so that our salvation is visible in the life we live. 

1 Kings 21-22 - King Ahab allowed his wife to have Naboth killed so he could take the Vineyard he wanted. He clearly had more than anyone else but still was not satisfied. As a result, he brought disaster on himself and his whole family. He humbled himself so his punishment was reduced. God responds to humility. Then Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to go to battle against the king of Aram to take back a town from him. When he consulted the profits, Ahab didn’t want to hear from Micaiah because he always gave him bad news. He didn’t tell the king what the king wanted to hear but instead what God had said. Things happen the way Micaiah said they would happen and the king was killed in battle. We must learn to listen to the Lord and follow his ways if we want to avoid disaster.

Psalm 119: 97–104 - The more we follow God’s ways, the wiser we will become and the more we will learn to hate evil.

Luke 4:31–37— Many people began to talk about Jesus because of the authority of us teaching and seeing him cast out demons. People take notice at God’s power.

Ephesians 6:10–24 – We are in a spiritual battle so we must daily clo ourselves and the spiritual armor and stay diligent and aware as we pray persistently with the spirits help.

1 Kings 19-20 - Even though Elijah had seen God‘s power, he still fled and hid when he heard Jezebel was coming after him. The weight of doing gods work, ministry, I got him to. He was exhausted, worn out, and discouraged. God still took care of him and met him where he was, then he told him to go and anoint a new king and a new prophet to take his place. Elisha responded by slaughtering his oxen and feeding the people. To follow Jesus we must be willing to fully let go of our old way of life. God gave Ahab victory over been a dad when he was attacked about times, because Ahab let Ben Hadad go he would be killed because he didn’t do what God told him to do. He did not wipe out the evil that threatened his people. We must deal with evil the way God tells us to, not make compromises or it will destroy us.

Psalm 119: 89–96 – In a world where things constantly change, God’s word remains constant. There is joy and following his ways.

Luke 4:13–20 - Jesus made it clear to the religious leaders early that he was the fulfillment of the promised Messiah and that they would reject him, just as the Scriptures had said.

Ephesians 6:1-9 - Discipline your children in the way that helps them understand gods instructions. Do it in the way that doesn’t provoke anger. Treat those for, work with, and work for you in a way that on her Scott. Do everything as if you were working for God, not people.

1 Kings 17-18 - Elijah was fed by ravens during the drought. God sent him to a brook and hid him from King Ahab. He later sent him to a village where he met a widow and her son. He asked her to give him water first and then ask for bread. She told him she only had a little left for her son and herself to eat one more time before they died. Elijah told her to make some bread for him and give him the bread first and if she did she would never run out as long as he was living with him. If we will be faithful to trust God first with all that he has given us, we will never run out. He will always take care of all of our needs. Later the widows son died but Elijah cried out to God on her behalf and God restored his life. God sent Elijah to challenge the prophets of bail but before the contest he told the Israelites to choose who they would follow – God or baal. God prove to be the one true God and the prophets of Baal were put to death. Then Elijah prayed for rain and God answered his prayer and sent it. When he prayed, he prayed seven times but only after the seventh time was there even a cloud in the sky. The small cloud was all Elijah needed to believe that God had answered his prayer and he did. We need a spiritual rain in our culture today. We need God to change the spiritual conditions of our churches and the country.

Psalm 119: 81–88 – When we are worn out spiritually, we can continue to trust in God‘s word. Don’t give up. Hold on. He will come through.

Luke 4:1–12 - Even though Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, he still experienced temptation in the wilderness. Holy Spirit led him to it and gave him strength through it. We must learn to listen to and rely on Holy Spirit in our lives. 

Ephesians 5:22–33 - Mutual submission is the key to a healthy marriage. Both people must first be submitted to God and then out of submission to God must learn to submit themselves to serving their spouse. This looks different for men and women. God created them equal, but different. Differences are not deficiencies and should not be seen as such.

1 Kings 15–16 – For the kings who did evil, their reign was normally short and the kingdom was often taken from their family and their family destroyed. For those who followed God, he blessed their reign. An evil leader will lead the nation to distraction, but a godly leader will preserve the nation.

Psalm 119:73–80 - When we recognize God as our creator, we must learn to follow him so we can become what he created us to be. We need others who are committed Christ followers around us to help us.

Luke 3:21–38 -  Jesus‘s baptism marked the beginning of his ministry. Because of Luke, we can trace Jesus ancestry all the way back to Adam.

Ephesians 5:1–21 – we should live in a way that others can see Jesus and all that we do. We should love others well and have nothing to do with things that are evil or offensive to God. To do this we must let the Holy Spirit change the way we live.

1 Kings 13-14 - A prophet  of God went to Bethel and spoke against Jeroboam and his worship of false gods. Jeroboam Tried to have him arrested, but as he pointed at him, his hand seized up in the altar split apart like the man of God said would happen. God will protect his people when they do what he tells them to do even when others won’t like it. The prophet was told not to eat or drink and to return a different way than he came. An old prophet came looking for him and told him that and Angel told him to bring him back and feed the man of God. The man of God went with them and ate and while he was eating the old prophet told him he would die because he came back and ate. We should always seek God and listen to God regardless of what other people tell us that God told them. If he told them something that pertains to us he will confirm it in us. Jeroboam did not turn from his evil practices and continued to choose common people as priests. As a result of his sins his family would be destroyed. In Judah, Rehoboam was king and he allowed people to continue to do evil in the Lord site and as a result they were not protected from their enemies. Leaders' decisions to do evil or allow evil will impact those they lead.

Psalm 119:65-72 - God‘s discipline isn’t meant to harm us, but to turn us back to him and help us see the goodness of his truth.

Luke 3:1–20 – John was the fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah40 of the one who would come and prepare the way for the Messiah. He warned that just being a relative was not enough to make you good with God. Those who are truly followers of Jesus will be known by the fruit of life change that is evident to others.

Ephesians 4:25–32 - We must make sure that our words are true helpful kind and loving. We should not let anger control what we say or do.

1 Kings 12 - Rehoboam did not listen to the older, wiser advisers and instead listened to his friends he grew up with. As we seek counsel, we should listen to those who have experience. The older advisers urged him to ease the demands and serve the people and in doing so, he would gain their loyalty. Because he didn’t listen to the wiser advisers and the people, they rejected his leadership and the kingdom split.

Psalm 119:57–64 - Be eager to know an obey God. Obedience positions us for blessings. The blessing of knowing you obeyed God is enough.

Luke 2:41–52 - Jesus was obedient to his parents. He grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man. Mary knew something was different about Jesus but it doesn’t seem like she understood his heavenly identity.

Ephesians 4:17–24 – Let the Holy Spirit change you. You can't do it on your own. Change requires us learning to let the Holy Spirit guide the way we live our lives. There should be evidence of our faith in the way we live and the way we treat people. We should be known for kindness, tender hearts, and forgiving spirit.

1 Kings 11 - Solomon married foreign women though God had commended them not to. God told them not to do this because the foreign women would lead them to turn from God and worship false gods. This is exactly what happened to Solomon in his old age. Even though he had such wisdom, he failed to follow God‘s commands and it resulted in God taking the kingdom away from his dissidents. They continued to rule but only over one tribe for the sake of David’s obedience to God. Solomon‘s disobedience impacted the next generation of his family. The best thing that we can do for the next generation is to trust and follow Jesus completely. Sin always has consequences and often those consequences impact the next generations.

Psalm 119: 49–56 - Take time to reflect on who God is and it will inspire obedience.

Luke 2:21–40 - God confirmed to Simeon that Jesus was the Messiah and then Simeon prophesied about Jesus his life. 

Ephesians 4:1–16 - In response to the grace we have received, we should live in unity with other followers carrying out the mission of the gospel. To do this we must be humble, gentle, and full of grace and we must all do our part with the gifts we have been given by God.

1 Kings 9–10 - Solomon‘s wealth grew as people from other kingdoms brought gifts to him when they came to consult with him for wisdom. God gave him wisdom and caused his wealth to grow. God‘s favor was on him and Israel benefited. Wisdom benefits the leader as well as those they lead. God please give me wisdom so I can lead well and so those I lead will be blessed.

Psalm 119: 41–48 - Following God‘s truth is the only way to walk into freedom.

Luke 2:1–20 - The details of Jesus birth aligned with the prophecies of the promised Messiah which is significant proof of who Jesus was.

Ephesians 3:14–21 - We find our completeness as we better understand the vast greatness of God’s love. Also through the power of the Holy Spirit God does in us and through us far more than we could ever do on our own. We must learn to simply trust him more.

1 Kings 6–7 – When Solomon built the temple he followed the Lord’s instructions and spared no expense. God confirmed his promise to Solomon and told him that if he will remain faithful and his obedience, he would fulfill his promise to David through him.

Psalm 119:25–32 - The way to avoid deceiving ourselves is by growing in our knowledge of God‘s truth. It is through God‘s word that we find new life.

Luke 1:57–66 - God‘s hand of blessing was on John from before his birth. When Zachariah confirmed that his name would be John, he was finally able to speak again. This was a sign of God’s blessing that followed his obedience to name him John.

Ephesians 2:11–22 – Christ broke down the lines between Jews and Gentiles and created a new people group – God‘s children. The thing that unites us is our new birth in Christ. He brought peace to us through his sacrifice.

1 Kings 4–5 – God gave Solomon favor with men and he had God’s favor as well. God gave him wisdom far greater than anyone else. His wisdom was not just spiritual thoughts, but wisdom about practical matters such as plants and animals. His wisdom garnished great respect beyond his own country. Wisdom that comes from God is to be greatly desired.

Psalm 119:17–24 – The plea of this passage should become our plea and that is that God would help us focus on and follow his truth regardless of what others may say or do.

Luke 1:39–56 – Mary was blessed because she believed God would do what he said he would do. Blessing comes through faith.

Ephesians 2:1–10 – We were dead because of our disobedience to God and we can be made alive only through faith. Salvation is a gift, not a reward for good behavior. Through Jesus, we are made new so we can do whatever God created us to do and find true meaning and purpose.

1 Kings 2–3 – David gave his final instructions to Solomon before he died. He told him to be courageous and be a man. Then he continued by telling him to fully follow God and his decrees and then God would bless his obedience and protect the throne. Obedience precedes God‘s blessing. We should not expect God to bless our disobedience. Solomon then carried out David’s request by dealing with those who had betrayed David. When God asked Solomon in a dream what is the one thing that he wanted from God, his answer was wisdom so that he could lead Gods people well. I personally understand this need as God has put me in a place to lead this church. I know that I don’t know all that I need to know or have all that I need on my own for leading Gods church, so I need God‘s wisdom in order to lead his people well. God granted Solomon wisdom and much more. God‘s wisdom in Solomon‘s life was seen in the way that Solomon led.

Psalm 119:9–16 – The path to purity for people is through knowing and following God‘s word. We should study it, know it, memorize it, meditate on it, and apply it to all aspects of life.

Luke 1:26–38 – The angel that appeared to Mary confused her because she didn’t understand how this could happen. The angels announcement though revealed how Jesus birth would fulfill prophecy. Elizabeth’s pregnancy was proof to Mary that what the angel said was true.

Ephesians 1:15–23 – Paul’s prayer for believers is that we would grow in our knowledge of God and as we grow in our knowledge, our confident hope would grow as well. Because of our faith, we are part of Christ body and he has all authority. So because we are in Christ, we can experience the same power in our lives that raised Jesus from the dead.

1 Kings 1 - David’s failure to discipline his son Adonijah created problems in his old age. Our lack of parenting may not have immediate consequences, but often will be seen much further down the road. Those who followed Adonijah were quick to get behind him without waiting for the kings direction. God will put in place those he chooses for leadership and neither human effort nor manipulation can stop it. Solomon was God‘s chosen king.

Psalm 119:1–8 - Joy comes from living with integrity and according to God‘s truth. Holy Spirit help me live in obedience to God‘s word.

Luke 1:1–25 – Zachariah and Elizabeth were righteous. They lived righteously by obeying and following God‘s way. Their obedience positioned them to be used by God for gods purposes. God removed the shame of Elizabeth by giving her a son. Her son would be used by God through the power of the Holy Spirit to prepare the way for Jesus. This fulfilled the prophecy of the one who would come before the Messiah.

Ephesians 1:1–14 – God had a plan to redeem the world from sin through Jesus long before we even existed. God showed his kindness and goodness to Jesus and when we put our faith in Christ, he gives us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that we are his. The Holy Spirit gives us assurance of our faith.