Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Three times in the first 9 verses of Joshua chapter one God urged Joshua to be strong and courageous. Joshua must have been a…

Last week we looked at the uniqueness of Jesus as described for us in the Book of Hebrews. One of the verses we looked at and talked about was Hebrews 3:1, which states Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle…

In Isaiah 37:6 the Lord, through Isaiah, told king Hezekiah “Do not be afraid of what you have heard“. The Assyrians had just bombarded Jerusalem with a propaganda campaign of fear and terror in an attempt to demoralize the people and coerce them to surrender. But Hezekiah instead turned to the Lord and the Lord’s…

As the world talks about the birth of Jesus this holiday season remember what that really means. Jesus is unique in that he is our apostle, our high priest, and our sacrifice. Jesus is unique because he is the final, complete self-expression of God to mankind. This Sunday’s lesson will focus on the uniqueness of…

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. A word of encouragement offered at the right time can be the difference between finishing well and collapsing along the way. Look around you; be sensitive to other’s need for encouragement, and offer supportive words or…

Isaiah 36-37 gives a description of the destruction of Judah averted. This section has two scenes and some key players. The key players are Isaiah the prophet; Hezekiah, Judah’s king; Sennacherib, Assyria’s king; and Rabshakeh, Assyria’s field general (2nd in command), and of course God. In scene one, God is challenged by Assyria. Ch.36 begins…

1 Peter 1:1 (1984 NIV) Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Asia, and Bithynia. The apostle Peter, inspired by God, wrote this letter to encourage Christians to live godly lives in an ungodly world. The Christians during Peter’s time were going through intense persecution…

Isaiah 35:3-4 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” God, through Isaiah, told the people of Judah to not fear. God would come, He would rescue…

Psalm 100 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts…

Isaiah 32 begins with a prophecy of the Messiah (Isaiah 32:1-8). In verse 9 the tone shifts to a sharp rebuke of the people for their complacency. Verses 15-20 move back to God’s grace and mercy as Isaiah again looks forward to the coming kingdom of God. This Wednesday’s study from Isaiah focuses on chapter…