A Good and Faithful Servant Today’s passage: Matthew 24:45–25:46 Focus verse: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21) As Jesus winds down his teaching about the end times and his return, he shares an example of two servants. One is faithful and wise. The other is wicked. The first does what’s expected by his […]
The Story of the Prodigal Son Today’s passage: Luke 15:1–32, with Matthew 18:10–14 Focus verse: “We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:32) In today’s passage, the religious leaders criticize Jesus. This is something they do often. […]
Luke Bible Study, Day 21 Today’s passage: Luke 10:1–37 Focus verse:“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27) We call one of Jesus’s more beloved teachings the parable of the good […]
Luke Bible Study, Day 17 Today’s passage: Luke 8:1–18 Focus verse:“The seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Luke 8:15) Luke records many of Jesus’s parables. What makes this one stand out is that Luke also shares […]
Three Parables Today’s passage: Matthew 21:28–46, Mark 12:12, and Luke 20:9–19 Focus verse: When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. (Matthew 21:45) Immediately after Jesus counters the religious leaders who challenge his authority, he shares some parables. With a crowd already gathered, it provides him […]
John Bible Study, Day 34 Today’s passage: John 18:28–40 Focus verse: “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) Jesus talks often about his kingdom. John, along with Mark and Luke, uses the phrase kingdom of God, while Matthew prefers the kingdom of heaven. The two phrases mean the same thing. For the sake […]
An Old Testament Parable Warning about the Perils of Prostitution and Idolatry Ezekiel shares a story about two sisters. It’s an Old Testament parable. And it comes directly from God. The older sister is Oholah, and the younger sister is Oholibah. Oholah is Samaria, the capital of Israel and represents the ten northern tribes. The […]
Jesus Focused on the Kingdom of God, Not Church Jesus talked about the kingdom of God, but we made a church instead. What if he never intended us to form a church? After all, Jesus did tell his followers to “seek first the kingdom of God,” (Matthew 6:33, ESV). Let’s look at where else the […]
How Engagement and Marriage Worked in the New Testament In Bible times, when a couple became engaged, the groom-to-be with go home and prepare a place for them to live by adding a room to his parents’ house. As soon as he finished the construction, he would go to his fiancée, the marriage ceremony would […]
We Should Embrace Our Homecoming to Eternity After writing his psalms of praise to God, Isaiah continues the positivity by looking forward to the day when his people will receive deliverance from their enemies, about them going home. Though the people view this as a physical rescue, many people today understand it as a spiritual […]