Daily Bible Readings

October 3 – October 9: Proper 22

Monday, October 3 – Idolatry in Paul’s time drove the economics of some cities and societies…
Tuesday, October 4 – There are many stories in the Bible of evil children that come from righteous …
Wednesday, October 5 – Jesus formed his band of disciples with men from very different…
Thursday, October 6 – How can you tell if you or someone else belongs to Jesus?…
Friday, October 7 – Contrast the lives of Judean Kings that did evil in the eyes of the Lord…
Saturday, October 8 – We don’t always get the reason behind Jesus’s actions…
Sunday, October 9 – Here we see signs of the Gospel going out and being met…

September 26 – October 2: Proper 21

Monday, September 26 – How do animals live their lives?…
Tuesday, September 27 – Is it better for a Christian to be married or single?…
Wednesday, September 28 – Do all stories in the Bible show a test of faith?…
Thursday, September 29 – Did anyone remember the children’s Bible song when you read…
Friday, September 30 – Why do we do what we do?…
Saturday, October 1 – Isaiah pronounces God’s answer to the prayers of those in Jerusalem…
Sunday, October 2 – We have examples in scripture of miracles done by…

September 19 – September 25: Proper 20

Monday, September 19 – Can you name the examples of faith in this story?…
Tuesday, September 20 – While people and societies also hold people accountable for what…
Wednesday, September 21 – Isn’t it a truly scary thought…
Thursday, September 22 – In this passage earlier prophesies against Ahab and his family are…
Friday, September 23 – Why is the Lord’s prayer prefaced by warnings…
Saturday, September 24 – This is an answer to a question that leads into a much deeper discussion…
Sunday, September 25 – King Hosea would be the last King of Israel…

September 12 – September 18: Proper 19

Monday, September 12 – This is the ultimate expression of the carrot & stick technique…
Tuesday, September 13 – Wouldn’t it be amazing if every time a leader did something evil God…
Wednesday, September 14 – In this passage everyone has to operate outside their comfort zone…
Thursday, September 15 – One amazing thing about Paul’s writing is his ability to return back to…
Friday, September 16 – Do you ever feel you would have liked to live at a time…
Saturday, September 17 – Can you imagine how difficult this short passage would have been…
Sunday, September 18 – This is a story of two men that thought everything was going…

September 5 – September 11: Proper 18

Monday, September 5 – Jesus died, abandoned by all His disciples but John…
Tuesday, September 6 – After praising and thanking the Philippian Christians for their steadfast belief…
Wednesday, September 7 – How many miracles are in this short passage?…
Thursday, September 8 – This passage creates more questions than it seems to answer…
Friday, September 9 – Can a Christian have a pedigree?…
Saturday, September 10 – Elijah has triumphed over the false god Baal…
Sunday, September 11 – It’s one thing that someone sacrifices themselves for others…

August 29 – September 4: Proper 17

Monday, August 29 – Solomon creates one of the true wonders of the ancient world…
Tuesday, August 30 – Peter had great courage in the garden and followed Jesus…
Wednesday, August 31 – One should never take God for granted or presume to know…
Thursday, September 1 – Solomon, like his father David before him, knew from a young age…
Friday, September 2 – This is the great exchange between Jesus and mankind…
Saturday, September 3 – Patience – James starts this book with this concept…
Sunday, September 4 – This passage shows that King Rehoboam had the wisdom…

August 22 – August 28: Proper 16

Monday, August 22 – Could you plead your own case and risk your life in front of a judge…
Tuesday, August 23 – How many times did David’s authority have to be challenged…
Wednesday, August 24 – How many details in this passage allude to aspects of Jesus’ multiple roles…
Thursday, August 25 – How do the miracles of the New Testament stack up against…
Friday, August 26 – How does God keep His promises to David…
Saturday, August 27 – Why did the Jewish leadership send a “multitude” to arrest one man…
Sunday, August 28 – Why does Paul mention witnesses?…

August 15 – August 21: Proper 15

Monday, August 15 – The interactions that Jesus had with the fig tree…
Tuesday, August 16 – Have you ever wondered and/or been in awe of…
Wednesday, August 17 – How can the love of a parent be so blinding?…
Thursday, August 18 – Can you be right and wrong at the same time?…
Friday, August 19 – For 3½ years the question for many people in the Holy Land was…
Saturday, August 20 – Can a person write their own eulogy?…
Sunday, August 21 – What does “Light of the World” mean?…

August 8 – August 14: Proper 14

Monday, August 8 – What is there in human nature that creates discord?…
Tuesday, August 9 – How many times do the followers of Jesus have to attest to the truths…
Wednesday, August 10 – This passage shows the important roles that are needed…
Thursday, August 11 – Sampson is an example of how someone can fulfill God’s purpose…
Friday, August 12 – For 3½ years the question for many people in the Holy Land was…
Saturday, August 13 – Imagine the self control needed to face false charges…
Sunday, August 14 – The costs of David’s actions…

August 1 – August 7: Proper 13

Monday, August 1 – Peter has a message for all those God would call…
Tuesday, August 2 – Try to put yourself in the mind of one of Gideon’s 300 men…
Wednesday, August 3 – John the Baptist, like David before him, said…
Thursday, August 4 – What is a miracle? Can it be verified?…
Friday, August 5 – How often in the Bible do the descendants of named righteous men…
Saturday, August 6 – Is there such a thing as righteous indignation…
Sunday, August 7 – Sometimes it is difficult to witness in the face of opposition…

July 25 – July 31: Proper 12

Monday, July 25 – Like many plays and shows today, this passage is written backward chronologically…
Tuesday, July 26 – It is important to note the role of the Holy Spirit…
Wednesday, July 27 – Revenge, family, and politics are at the heart of this story…
Thursday, July 28 – During Jesus’s ministry and the history of the church…
Friday, July 29 – The common cycle of God’s Good News…
Saturday, July 30 – David – like Joshua before him – inquires and is given specific instruction by God…
Sunday, July 31 – Jesus begins to build his group of disciples…

July 18 – July 24: Proper 11

Monday, July 18 – David’s willpower is amazing…
Tuesday, July 19 – Sometimes the 20/20 hindsight makes us wonder how Jesus…
Wednesday, July 20 – God’s work, and his workers, will not go unchallenged…
Thursday, July 21 – Saul, like many others, only wanted God’s input when…
Friday, July 22 – How many times have we heard ‘just believe’ or…
Saturday, July 23 – Like today, many in the early church had to add to…
Sunday, July 24 – At Saul’s death, David is not but insisted on mourning…

July 11 – July 17: Proper 10

Monday, July 11 – The persecution of the Early church had driven many Christians out…
Tuesday, July 12 – Anyone that believes that God should always take immediate action against sin…
Wednesday, July 13 – When Jesus calls, everyone responds, except the self righteous…
Thursday, July 14 – Paul and Barnabas were set aside for ministry by the Holy Spirit…
Friday, July 15 – David is on the run, having no provisions or weapons with him…
Saturday, July 16 – While short, this passage carries many strong points…
Sunday, July 17 – With echoes of God’s response to Job’s questions…

July 4 – July 10: Proper 9

Monday, July 4 – The death of Jesus was an unsettling time for Jerusalem…
Tuesday, July 5 – This passage highlights the activity of the Holy Spirit…
Wednesday, July 6 – The people were afraid of Samuel, but Samuel was afraid of Saul…
Thursday, July 7 – After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and followers…
Friday, July 8 – Why is it so hard to believe that God can call people…
Saturday, July 9 – How great was the faith of David…
Sunday, July 10 – Where the word ‘blessed’ shows God’s favor, Jesus’ use of the word ‘woe’…

June 27 – July 3: Proper 8

Monday, June 27 – Mankind always prefers a god or leader that they can see or identify with…
Tuesday, June 28 – A man is arrested after dinner at the order of the highest authorities…
Wednesday, June 29 – The arguments for ‘profession’ versus ‘possession’ in terms of…
Thursday, June 30 – We can ignore Saul taking credit for his victories…
Friday, July 1 – This is the only Gospel where some of these events are mentioned…
Saturday, July 2 – Ananias was a man of great faith…
Sunday, July 3 – What makes someone guilty?…

June 20 – June 26: Proper 7

Monday, June 20 – Why does mankind insist on telling an omnipotent God what he can…
Tuesday, June 21 – If you took God’s sacred vessel, the Ark of the Covenant…
Wednesday, June 22 – How many times have we heard or read this passage…
Thursday, June 23 – A man is brought before the highest court in the land…
Friday, June 24 – What happens when God lets people have, not what they need, but what…
Saturday, June 25 – You can gain quite a bit of context by reading multiple accounts…
Sunday, June 26 – Abraham was justified by faith…

June 13 – June 19: Proper 6

Monday, June 13 – What is the difference between stewardship and ownership?…
Tuesday, June 14 – Who or what is a disciple?…
Wednesday, June 15 – How can we contrast the life of a righteous servant, minister, or judge…
Thursday, June 16 – From the beginning, Jesus could see through the outward beauty…
Friday, June 17 – It is amazing that the Church grew to almost 30 times its original size in one day…
Saturday, June 18 – What happens when you take God for granted?…
Sunday, June 19 – Jesus often used the rich as examples…

June 6 – June 12: Proper 5

Monday, June 6 – How do you give a message that someone doesn’t want to hear?…
Tuesday, June 7 – Finish this line: “I have decided to follow ___.”…
Wednesday, June 8 – Here Jesus weaves a story full of gestures toward contemporary events but…
Thursday, June 9 – This passage ends with “…for when I am weak, then I am strong.”…
Friday, June 10 – There is an old Jewish saying: God never sleeps…
Saturday, June 11 – While only a few verses long, this passage suggests that some time has passed…
Sunday, June 12 – How does the Lord work in this world?…

May 30 – June 5: Easter 7

Monday, May 30 – “When the days drew near for Him to be taken up…” (v. 51) seems to hint…
Tuesday, May 31 – “He [God] guaranteed it by an oath…
Wednesday, June 1 – Here we read about the restoration of Israel…
Thursday, June 2 – Here we go again! Faith versus works…
Friday, June 3 – Much of this block of Hebrews is very technical and somewhat steeped in legalese…
Saturday, June 4 – The original Tabernacle was described to Moses by God…
Sunday, June 5 – Jesus is qualifying in whom His Spirit will dwell…

May 23 – May 29: Easter 6

Monday, May 23 – Deuteronomy is a retelling of the law. Simple enough…
Tuesday, May 24 – James is very big on “be does of the word” (v. 22) which has…
Wednesday, May 25 – “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…” This verse…
Thursday, May 26 – This is a great rendering of just how much Jesus is identified with us…
Friday, May 27 – Here Ezekiel begins with the “appearance of the likeness of the glory”…
Saturday, May 28 – The demon-possessed boy. He was, undoubtedly, an innocent victim…
Sunday, May 29 – “…even when we were dead through our trespasses…” (v. 4)…

May 16 – May 22: Easter 5

Monday, May 16 – Remember: this sinful woman is unnamed…
Tuesday, May 17 – The “first-formed father” is Adam. The chapter is a thinly veiled history of Israel…
Wednesday, May 18 – This passage can be used as a cudgel with which to beat people down…
Thursday, May 19 – The country of the Gerasenes located on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee…
Friday, May 20 – This is a recounting of the Exodus from Egypt…
Saturday, May 21 – Paul reminds us here that the stronger…
Sunday, May 22 – Here Matthew relates several parables of Jesus describing the kingdom of heaven…

May 9 – May 15: Easter 4

Monday, May 9 – Paul’s student Epaphras, a Colossian himself, was sent to Colossae…
Tuesday, May 10 – This scene is toward the beginning to Jesus’ ministry…
Wednesday, May 11 – All too often we don’t “see” the triumph of the righteous…
Thursday, May 12 – I think Paul is insisting that all of our (spiritual, moral) focus be directed…
Friday, May 13 – A centurion had asked Jewish elders to appeal to Jesus to come and heal…
Saturday, May 14 – This is another ode to wisdom…
Sunday, May 15 – Not only, according to Paul, must we give thanks to God but also why…

May 2 – May 8: Easter 3

Monday, May 2 – Here Jesus goes to his hometown of Nazareth…
Tuesday, May 3
Wednesday, May 4 – Belshazzar, son or, more likely, grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar
Thursday, May 5 – I am no fisherman, but I’ve heard many say that night is the best time to fish…
Friday, May 6 – Take a breath, this is a long one (all 13 verses)…
Saturday, May 7 – New king, Darius of the Medes and Persians…
Sunday, May 8 – Peter is addressing two groups: the elders & the young men…

April 25 – May 1: Easter 2

Monday, April 25 – Daniel’s life was favored by God from beginning to end…
Tuesday, April 26 – This scene is the Last Supper (Passover)…
Wednesday, April 27
Thursday, April 28 – King Nebuchadnezzar had a very troubling dream…
Friday, April 29 – This is the Easter season and yet this passage brings us back to Jesus’ baptism…
Saturday, April 30 – Here John explains what it means to love our brothers…
Sunday, May 1 – Nebuchadnezzar is a study of someone who just does not learn…

April 18 – April 24: Easter Week

Monday, April 18 – Jeremiah’s prayer here opens much like Psalm 73…
Tuesday, April 19 – “God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.”…
Wednesday, April 20 – Notice, “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener…
Thursday, April 21 – This is a vivid rendering of the “general resurrection” at the end of the age…
Friday, April 22 – The scene is the Last Supper. Jesus is telling His disciples that He is “going away”…
Saturday, April 23 – Isaiah sounds like he’s prophesying of John’s “Revelation”…
Sunday, April 24 – Spiritual maturity is the responsibility of each Christian for himself…

April 11 – April 17: Holy Week

Monday, April 11 – Jeremiah’s prayer here opens much like Psalm 73…
Tuesday, April 12 – This is but days before Jesus’ death…
Wednesday, April 13 – Standing firm is a guard against complacency…
Thursday, April 14 – This is the day we remember as the institution of the Lord’s Supper…
Friday, April 15 – This is the first portrayal of the act of redemption…
Saturday, April 16 – For a limited time, Job’s life was fraught with misery…
Sunday, April 17 – I doubt I shall ever fully understand the great significance of these 18 verses…

April 4 – April 10: Lent 5

Monday, April 4 – Which to choose…
Tuesday, April 5 – Judah has abandoned her covenant with God…
Wednesday, April 6 – Matthew tells us in his chapter 15 that as Jesus was going about in Tyre & Sidon…
Thursday, April 7 – Hearing the gospel is necessary for salvation, but hearing is not enough…
Friday, April 8 – ’Tis is a stern warning against complacency…
Saturday, April 9 – This is the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead…
Sunday, April 10 – Confession of faith is an on-going thing…

March 28 – April 3: Lent 4

Monday, March 28 – Volumes are written about Romans alone…
Tuesday, March 29 – These 8 verses discuss just how important “keeping the sabbath” is to God…
Wednesday, March 30 – Much of Jesus’ life mirrors the life of Moses…
Thursday, March 31 – We have an obligation as Christians to live according to the Spirit…
Friday, April 1 – The responsibility of the teachers is treated here…
Saturday, April 2 – This section of Jeremiah speaks of the relationship between the Jews and God…
Sunday, April 3 – Peter’s rebuke to Jesus, it turns out, is in direct opposition to the Father’s will…

March 21 – March 27: Lent 3

Monday, March 21 – The feast here is the Feast of Tabernacles…
Tuesday, March 22 – At age 75 Abraham received the promise of Isaac and the land of Canaan…
Wednesday, March 23 – The LORD has done what no one had ever believed possible…
Thursday, March 24 – Three times in just two verses Jesus utters “I am” but not in the “meaningful” way…
Friday, March 25 – This is a passage about the importance death plays in our lives…
Saturday, March 26 – This section of Jeremiah speaks of the relationship between the Jews and God…
Sunday, March 27 – The opening verses involve the Pharisees seeking a sign…

March 14 – March 20: Lent 2

Monday, March 14 – “…we received grace and apostleship to call people from all the Gentiles”…
Tuesday, March 15 – “But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about.’”…
Wednesday, March 16 – “Since they did not think it was worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God”…
Thursday, March 17 – “Among my people are wicked men.” (v. 28)…
Friday, March 18 – The whole exhortation of Romans 2:25-29 is a rephrasing of Jesus’ quote in Matthew…
Saturday, March 19 – The LORD refers to the house of Jacob as foolish and senseless…
Sunday, March 20 – We often hear of Jesus’ power. Here we get a glimpse into His authority…

March 7 – March 13: Lent 1

Monday, March 7 – While the marriage at Cana is a good inauguration to Jesus’ ministry…
Tuesday, March 8 – Deuteronomy here gives us a warning against self-righteousness…
Wednesday, March 9 – Once when Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Passover…
Thursday, March 10 – The recurring word of this passage is “Today”…
Friday, March 11
Saturday, March 12 – Points to remember: 1) Jesus was in Samaria…
Sunday, March 13 – As the reading tells us, Jeremiah was called to be a prophet even before…

February 28 – March 6: Epiphany Last

Monday, February 28 – These are the last days of Epiphany (or Manifestation)…
Tuesday, March 1 – “How can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (v. 3)…
Wednesday, March 2 – Jonah is a reluctant prophet…
Thursday, March 3 – Still “manifesting”: this time it is John (the baptizer) who identifies Jesus…
Friday, March 4 – Titus was a close associate of Paul and Silas…
Saturday, March 5 – One of the first things Moses admonishes here is to remember…
Sunday, March 6 – The question of fasting came up…

February 21 – February 27: Epiphany 7

Monday, February 21 – The time: during the period of the Judges…
Tuesday, February 22 – Jesus, even early in His ministry, must have gained…
Wednesday, February 23 – In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians…
Thursday, February 24 – A subtext to this passage is the practice of gleaning…
Friday, February 25 – I love this citation: “an eye for an eye…”…
Saturday, February 26 – Very much in tune with yesterday’s look at the Sermon on the Mount…
Sunday, February 27 – Perhaps the Commandments are not presented in a positive light!…

February 14 – February 20: Epiphany 6

Monday, February 14 – Scholastic consensus is that this letter to Timothy was written prior to Paul’s final imprisonment…
Tuesday, February 15 – This section ends with “… to make for Yourself a glorious name.”…
Wednesday, February 16 – In this parable of the wicked tenants, Jesus gives a synopsis of what happened to the prophets…
Thursday, February 17 – “Let no one despise your youth.” (v. 12)…
Friday, February 18 – A very hopeful image is given us in this section…
Saturday, February 19 – The opening conundrum, I think, was intended to excite some thinking…
Sunday, February 20 – There is nothing quite like a tricky passage to make life exciting…

February 7 – February 13: Epiphany 5

Monday, February 7 – Surely the best way to create bad blood among colleagues might be…
Tuesday, February 8 – Timothy must have been quite young when he received this letter…
Wednesday, February 9 – I didn’t have to get far into this passage to see parallels to today…
Thursday, February 10 – The rich (young) man depicted here must have felt some emptiness…
Friday, February 11 – The Transfiguration…
Saturday, February 12 – Rejoice is a key word here for this reading quite literally begins with that word…
Sunday, February 13 – One does not get very far into the gospel of John when he encounters “light”…

January 31 – February 6: Epiphany 4

Monday, January 31 – The Jews of Isaiah’s day, not unlike Christians today, had a tendency not to be faithful…
Tuesday, February 1 – The feeding of the 4,000 is much less embarrassing to the Apostles…
Wednesday, February 2 – I have often wondered of how much interest Jewish history…
Thursday, February 3 – So much of what is said here is echoed or paraphrased by Jesus..
Friday, February 4 – The Transfiguration…
Saturday, February 5 – Living by the Spirit and being guided by the Spirit…
Sunday, February 6 – The LORD looks for two spiritual qualities in people whom He wishes to bless…

January 24 – January 30: Epiphany 3

Monday, January 24 – It takes no time at all for Paul to scold the Galatians…
Tuesday, January 25 – Isaiah prefigures the verse in John’s Revelation…
Wednesday, January 26 – The death of John the baptizer…
Thursday, January 27 – “It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!”…
Friday, January 28 – Several time in the Scripture the LORD talks of “divorcing” His people…
Saturday, January 29 – Since Mark spent so much time (or space) talking about this issue…
Sunday, January 30 – Because he is the father of the faithful, Abraham is held here before us as an example…

January 17 – January 23: Epiphany 2

Monday, January 17 – Apparently, Jesus’ popularity fostered great crowds to gather…
Tuesday, January 18 – “You must no longer live as the Gentiles live…”…
Wednesday, January 19 – This is a curious reading for it sets Bible scholars’ hearts aflutter…
Thursday, January 20 – Jesus begins with a series of rhetorical questions…
Friday, January 21 – It appears the Fifth Commandment is viewed now as a two-way street…
Saturday, January 22 – Isaiah, in delivering this prophecy, is again harping about idolatry…
Sunday, January 23 – Do we ever make the story not about us?…

January 10 – January 16: Epiphany 1

Monday, January 10 – This passage is one of the finest and most eloquent in all of Scripture…
Tuesday, January 11 – This is not an unfamiliar passage we are considering…
Wednesday, January 12 – It is important to remember that eternity has nothing to do with time…
Thursday, January 13 – Isaiah is addressing a people who continually turn to false gods…
Friday, January 14 – Jesus is in the midst of choosing His disciples…
Saturday, January 15 – So, this is a prayer. I can tell because Paul said, “I bow my knees…”…
Sunday, January 16 – Echoes of Isaiah 41 – images of deserts and droughts principally because of the obstinacy of the Jews…

January 3 – January 9: Christmas 2

Monday, January 3 – Commonly referred to as the “faith chapter”, Hebrews 11 presents a parade of the faith-filled leaders…
Tuesday, January 4 – This is a lesson either in assuming responsibility or of minding one’s own business…
Wednesday, January 5 – The vine and the vinedresser…
Thursday, January 6 – From this verse to the end of chapter 22 represents the dénouement…
Friday, January 7 – God appears to get rather testy about the misuse of His name…
Saturday, January 8 – John recounts 7 signs (miracles) of Jesus of which this is the second…
Sunday, January 9 – These verses can be compared and contrasted with David’s Psalm 8…

December 27 – January 2: Christmas 1

Monday, December 27 – While not an apostle, Stephen was the first of an array of martyrs…
Tuesday, December 28 – Let’s explore these 144,000…
Wednesday, December 29 – Christmas marks the beginning of the culmination of the redemption story…
Thursday, December 30 – This vignette in Jesus’ life is striking…
Friday, December 31 – In this passage, Paul begins with an age-old adage…
Saturday, January 1 – Significant ministries have been started later in life…
Sunday, January 2 – The “Jews” of verse 41 were probably members of the “Council”…

December 20 – December 26: Advent 4

Monday, December 20 – I am no particular fan of poetry, but the opening line Isaiah gives ranks rather high in terms of beauty…
Tuesday, December 21 – Unlike Mark, Luke is far more generous with the details surrounding John the baptizer’s conception…
Wednesday, December 22 – Poor (Apostle) John. He is commissioned to describe something unutterable…
Thursday, December 23 – Isaiah: is speaking here of lip service…
Friday, December 24 – The difficulty of probing a familiar passage of Scripture such as this is…
Saturday, December 25 – In the NRSV the word “love” appears in this passage at least 15 times…
Sunday, December 26 – We are living in the midst of the Second Advent…

December 13 – December 19: Advent 3

Monday, December 13 – I confess, I have never met St. Peter, well, not yet anyway…
Tuesday, December 14 – This prophecy is frequently cited during Advent…
Wednesday, December 15 – The good thing about Mark is that he doesn’t mince words…
Thursday, December 16 – Happy Advent to these people!…
Friday, December 17 – Here we see how the LORD redeems and/or disciplines His people…
Saturday, December 18 – This is Luke’s rendering of John the baptizer’s ministry…
Sunday, December 19 – The prevalent “nice” gospel does not show up here…

December 6 – December 12: Advent 2

Monday, December 6 – There is something about the idea of the Temple…
Tuesday, December 7 – In closing this letter Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to esteem and love our [church] leaders…
Wednesday, December 8 – The thing about being in the presence of ultimate holiness is that one can see the contrast…
Thursday, December 9 – Just how important is the Passover and what significance does it have…
Friday, December 10 – “…because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation”…
Saturday, December 11 – Here you go: Maher-shalal-hash-baz – this is the name the LORD tells Isaiah to name his son…
Sunday, December 12 – The opening here suggests that Jesus was baptizing people…

November 29 – December 5: Advent 1

Monday, November 29 – It appears the LORD does not have any good things to say to Judah…
Tuesday, November 30 – All too often things are taken for granted…
Wednesday, December 1 – One of the major stumbling blocks for the Jews was their status as God’s “Chosen People”…
Thursday, December 2 – This sounds like a grim rendering of what we read yesterday…
Friday, December 3 – Today we will glimpse at 4 scenes…
Saturday, December 4 – A great passage wonderfully exposited by many Christians…
Sunday, December 5 – It is a pity most of us are not well-versed in husbandry….

November 22 – November 28: Proper 28

Monday, November 22 – Faith vs. Works. This is one, if not the most divisive point resulting from the Reformation…
Tuesday, November 23 – Habakkuk shares with us a magnificent prayer…
Wednesday, November 24 – This is a rather brief, if pointed study in gratitude…
Thursday, November 25 – The only promise of time we are given is “today”…
Friday, November 26 – I seldom consider Scripture addresses…
Saturday, November 27 – “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were religious and regarded others with contempt.”…
Sunday, November 28 – If I were to apply a word to describe what Peter is saying here, it would be “watch” or “be vigilant”…

November 15 – November 21: Proper 27

Monday, November 15 – Setting: the house of a Pharisee. Verses 12-14 are an apt description of the contrast between “nice” and “kind”…
Tuesday, November 16 – So, if you like peace and quiet (as I do) you may not find it in heaven…
Wednesday, November 17 – This is clearly a call to repentance – something we all need to do always…
Thursday, November 18 – The parable of the “Prodigal Son” always moves me…
Friday, November 19 – Luther did not like this book and was in favor of removing it from Scripture…
Saturday, November 20 – Joel speaks of “the Day of the LORD”…
Sunday, November 21 – Again, we get a glimpse of Jesus charming the scribes and Pharisees…

November 8 – November 14: Proper 26

Monday, November 8 – As I read this passage, I am reminded of Paul’s discourses on spiritual gifts…
Tuesday, November 9 – I trust you’ve never heard: “God is going to punish you”…
Wednesday, November 10 – This is a somewhat grim image…
Thursday, November 11 – All throughout Scripture we are admonished to “remember”…
Friday, November 12 – Ever eager to be “nice”, Jesus addresses some well-meaning Pharisees…
Saturday, November 13 – “…and the earth as made bright with His splendor.”…
Sunday, November 14 – This passage will close our brief overview of Ecclesiasticus…

November 1 – November 7: Proper 25

Monday, November 1 – This is the second woe of three…
Tuesday, November 2 – Sirach here is helping us to see not only the beauty of Wisdom but also Her place in the order of things…
Wednesday, November 3 – Whoever thinks that Jesus is “nice” take a gander at this…
Thursday, November 4 – Say what you like about Satan, but what you can’t say is that he is a slouch…
Friday, November 5 – First dreams then sacrifices…
Saturday, November 6 – There are two very memorable verses here…
Sunday, November 7 – If ever you have the opportunity to discern your gifts…

October 25 – October 31: Proper 24

Monday, October 25 – “When the days drew near for Him to be taken up, He set His face to go to Jerusalem.”…
Tuesday, October 26 – This passage makes me want to be a martyr (witness); look at what they’re doing in glory…
Wednesday, October 27 – Sirach: We will be considering this text for the next couple of weeks…
Thursday, October 28 – In the law (principally the book of Leviticus) there are a number of prohibitions regarding blood…
Friday, October 29 – I cannot pretend to explain the descriptions of horses and riders here…
Saturday, October 30 – Sirach: Again, I hear echoes of Scripture throughout…
Sunday, October 31 – Let’s talk some of judgment…

October 18 – October 24: Proper 23

Monday, October 18 – This guy (Micah) sounds dejected and mournful…
Tuesday, October 19 – Two wonderful events and miracles are unfolded here…
Wednesday, October 20 – This voyage Luke describes Paul’s last…
Thursday, October 21 – To say Jonah is a reluctant prophet is really an understatement…
Friday, October 22 – The Transfiguration…
Saturday, October 23 – This passage closes the book of Acts…
Sunday, October 24 – Ecclesiasticus AKA Sirach: Sirach is the writer of this apocryphal books…

October 11 – October 17: Proper 22

Monday, October 11 – Paul is now back in Jerusalem…
Tuesday, October 12 – Micah is one of very few prophets addressing himself to both…
Wednesday, October 13 – John the Baptist was a Levite, Jesus of the tribe of Judah…
Thursday, October 14 – We can easily glean from a look at this passage…
Friday, October 15 – The accusation Micah brings here is quite similar to the attitude of ever-so-many Christians…
Saturday, October 16 – We are going to examine fear … again…
Sunday, October 17 – I love sarcasm and so does Paul…

October 4 – October 10: Proper 21

Monday, October 4 – It is a truth universally acknowledged that men tend only to see the surface of things…
Tuesday, October 5 – This reading easily splits into to two…
Wednesday, October 6 – Ten times in this reading the word “whore” or its attendant synonyms…
Thursday, October 7 – Two more examples of “straining the gnat”…
Friday, October 8 – Perhaps Paul was a more dynamic speaker in Hebrew than in Greek…
Saturday, October 9 – Verse 1 is cited by Luke as a prophesy…
Sunday, October 10 – This is that infamous story highlighting the martyrdom of John the baptizer…

September 27 – October 3: Proper 20

Monday, September 27 – Whoever wrote this tale of Judith seems to have woven many themes…
Tuesday, September 28 – John the baptizer, recognized by Jesus Himself as the “greatest of men born of women”…
Wednesday, September 29 – “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”…
Thursday, September 30 – Judith is clever…
Friday, October 1 – Jesus had recently been rejected at Nazareth…
Saturday, October 2 – Just to fix the time of year in this account – the “days of unleavened bread”…
Sunday, October 3 – Gomer, Hosea’s wife, was a whore…

September 20 – September 26: Proper 19

Monday, September 20 – Several things are at play here…
Tuesday, September 21 – God continues to question Job and his serious limitations…
Wednesday, September 22 – The Greeks spoken of here were probably God-fearers…
Thursday, September 23 – Paul and Silas find themselves in jail…
Friday, September 24 – Please read the introduction (included with the passage) before beginning…
Saturday, September 25 – Here Jesus reminds us that at His first coming He did not come to judge…
Sunday, September 26 – The letter of James is likened to a Christian book of good discipline…

September 13 – September 19: Proper 18

Monday, September 13 – Sometimes I think that the “Jews”, or what I believe to mean the scribes, priests, and not all the Pharisees…
Tuesday, September 14 – Paul and Barnabas are smack-dab in the middle of Asia Minor…
Wednesday, September 15 – Please re-read verses 29:16-31…
Thursday, September 16 – It cannot have been a surprise to Jesus that once He got to Bethany that Lazarus had been dead for four days…
Friday, September 17 – Barnabas and Paul have returned to Jerusalem just in time for the Church’s first Council…
Saturday, September 18 – Job is facing his day of reckoning…
Sunday, September 19 – This reading is taken from the so-called “Sermon on the Mount”…

September 6 – September 12: Proper 17

Monday, September 6 – “I am a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called upon God and He answered me…
Tuesday, September 7 – Here Jesus is speaking to the Jews who had believed in Him…
Wednesday, September 8 – Much of what Jesus said and did was in private…
Thursday, September 9 – These sentences capture all the praise, joy, happiness of Psalm 88…
Friday, September 10 – This passage is rife with fear…
Saturday, September 11 – Paul and Barnabas are in a place called Antioch of Pisidia…
Sunday, September 12 – “Job must be guilty of something,” says Bildad the Shuhite…

August 30 – September 5: Proper 16

Monday, August 30 – Very recently in our narrative, Paul had had his conversion experience on the Damascus Road…
Tuesday, August 31 – That Job might be depressed is not difficult to imagine…
Wednesday, September 1 – Much of what Jesus said and did was in private…
Thursday, September 2 – Sometimes we need to experience something before we can fully understand it…
Friday, September 3 – It seems that Job has a good sense of who he is as compared with God…
Saturday, September 4 – John opens this encounter, presumably with the scribes, elders, and Pharisees…
Sunday, September 5 – “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”…

August 23 – August 29: Proper 15

Monday, August 23 – This reading brings to a close both Stephen’s sermon and his life…
Tuesday, August 24 – The Danites depicted in this chapter seem to seek the LORD’s counsel…
Wednesday, August 25 – Jesus could certainly read a crowd…
Thursday, August 26 – It is believed that Job was written about the time of Abraham…
Friday, August 27 – In chapter 1 we saw that Job was assailed by Satan of all he had…
Saturday, August 28 – Jesus is still talking about bread…
Sunday, August 29 – The Book of Revelation continues to be a mystery to me…

August 16 – August 22: Proper 14

Monday, August 16 – For evangelicals, this passage amounts to the Holy Grail in Scripture…
Tuesday, August 17 – Sometimes cooler heads do prevail…
Wednesday, August 18 – It is time to break with mythic tradition: angels are not feathered creatures…
Thursday, August 19 – There is nothing like misunderstanding to prompt conclusions and questions…
Friday, August 20 – This section of Scripture brings us to the middle of Stephen’s (the deacon) sermon…
Saturday, August 21 – Samson was a remarkable man…
Sunday, August 22 – This is a great example of the power of faith…

August 9 – August 15: Proper 13

Monday, August 9 – This passage marks the opening of the gospel of John…
Tuesday, August 10 – John and Peter would go to the Temple at the time of prayer…
Wednesday, August 11 – The LORD, in speaking to Gideon, called him a “mighty warrior”…
Thursday, August 12 – Nathaniel meets Jesus…
Friday, August 13 – Boldness begets boldness…
Saturday, August 14 – The death of Gideon’s 70 sons represents only some of the slaughter in Judges…
Sunday, August 15 – For evangelicals, this passage amounts to the Holy Grail in Scripture…

August 2 – August 8: Proper 12

Monday, August 2 – I am reasonably convinced that the people who said “No, we will serve the LORD.”…
Tuesday, August 3 – The most difficult part of this particular day, I think, was for Jesus, was to complete his journey to the cross…
Wednesday, August 4 – These opening verses are packed with activity…
Thursday, August 5 – Most people find the Book of Judges rather troubling…
Friday, August 6 – The Transfiguration. There are only 3 witnesses…
Saturday, August 7 – It is the day of Pentecost…
Sunday, August 8 – The call of Gideon…

July 26 – August 1: Proper 11

Monday, July 26 – So, love fulfills the Law…
Tuesday, July 27 – The LORD had promised that the city of Ai would be defeated…
Wednesday, July 28 – The drama begins…
Thursday, July 29 – Edifying. Paul is exhorting these Romans to encourage each other…
Friday, July 30 – The land of Canaan was not a unified entity but rather a collection of what might be called city-states…
Saturday, July 31 – Jesus is now before Pilate who asks Him: “Are You the King of the Jews?”…
Sunday, August 1 – At this point Paul is in what amounts to home confinement…

July 19 – July 25: Proper 10

Monday, July 19 – This is yet another parable of keeping vigil…
Tuesday, July 20 – Paul has a recurring theme running throughout his letters…
Wednesday, July 21 – The LORD will witness to the Hebrews, in a spectacular way…
Thursday, July 22 – Lots to talk about here: Simon the leper; Jesus’ anointing, disciples judgment, to mention 3…
Friday, July 23 – This is Jesus’ end-time prophecy…
Saturday, July 24 – Here we see the LORD’s strategy to bring down Jericho…
Sunday, July 25 – Consider a couple of things…

July 12 – July 18: Proper 9

Monday, July 12 – Only now are the Israelites becoming aware that the promise of the inheritance from God is about to be fulfilled…
Tuesday, July 13 – I can’t begin to know what kind of mood Jesus was in when He unleashed this tirade on the scribes and Pharisees…
Wednesday, July 14 – More about promises (see Monday’s meditation)…
Thursday, July 15 – Deuteronomy is a re-telling of the Law and major events the Hebrews faced as they wandered through the wilderness…
Friday, July 16 – This is Jesus’ end-time prophecy…
Saturday, July 17 – In this passage, my first connection to Jesus’ final message to His apostles/disciples just before His ascension…
Sunday, July 18 – “Be strong and courageous” is commanded to Joshua…

July 5 – July 11: Proper 8

Monday, July 5 – Paul here delves into that salty issue of sin vs. grace…
Tuesday, July 6 – We are now introduced to a new face – Balaam, apparently a “world famous” prophet…
Wednesday, July 7 – This episode takes place during Jesus’ last week before He dies…
Thursday, July 8 – The opening lines of this passage are so triumphant that they should make all of us who are in Christ to jump up and down with joy…
Friday, July 9 – Still Balak wants Balaam to curse Israel. This is the third time…
Saturday, July 10 – Jesus was certainly busy during His last week…
Sunday, July 11 – Be careful of your words – they have meaning…

June 28 – July 4: Proper 7

Monday, June 28 – Please (re-)turn to chapter 18:1-5 to hear an echo of what we are looking at today…
Tuesday, June 29 – There are several points to consider here; I shall discuss 2 of them…
Wednesday, June 30 – These verses speak principally of the holiness of God…
Thursday, July 1 – Two events are depicted here…
Friday, July 2 – In this passage we are introduced to what became known as the doctrine of “Original Sin”…
Saturday, July 3 – Two more episodes are unfolded here…
Sunday, July 4 – Talk about “missing the boat” and a complete lack of compassion…

June 21 – June 27: Proper 6

Monday, June 21 – It is certain I will be unable to do Romans justice in these meditation…
Tuesday, June 22 – We can begin to appreciate the LORD’s loving kindness…
Wednesday, June 23 – The admonition here to become like little children, i.e., to be wholly dependent upon God, hearkens back to Matthew 11…
Thursday, June 24 – Paul is telling us again that there is something universal about the Law…
Friday, June 25 – This is an account of what will become an unfortunate story…
Saturday, June 26 – These verses cover a testy subject: divorce…
Sunday, June 27 – What is being described here is the first of 7 Church councils (the remaining 6 were chronicled by the Church Fathers)…

June 14 – June 20: Proper 5

Monday, June 14 – Jesus talks about a treasure in a field…
Tuesday, June 15 – I am persuaded that Paul may not have been an ingratiating person…
Wednesday, June 16 – Ecclesiastes verses 1-8 are fairly familiar…
Thursday, June 17 – Sometimes the headings of some paragraphs are misleading…
Friday, June 18 – This is a tricky passage. It seems to me that whenever Paul starts talking about the law…
Saturday, June 19 – Isn’t it remarkable that governments get anything done…
Sunday, June 20 – This passage begins with a phrase that Jesus uses frequently: “Do not be afraid”…

June 7 – June 13: Proper 4

Monday, June 7 – What we have here is a tantalizing smattering of pithy sayings…
Tuesday, June 8 – Almost as if to continue yesterday’s look at earthly wealth, “Sell your possessions, and give alms…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”…
Wednesday, June 9 – Ecclesiastes verses 1-8 are fairly familiar…
Thursday, June 10 – I guess I forgot just how often wisdom and wealth are juxtaposed in Proverbs…
Friday, June 11 – As I wrote earlier, Matthew was addressing a Jewish audience…
Saturday, June 12 – Paul warns Timothy about false teachers and in the next breath cautions him not to crave money…
Sunday, June 13 – These opening lines set the tone of the book – dismal…

March 7 – March 13: Third Week of Lent

Monday, March 8 – This is not the first time that Paul pleads for…
Tuesday, March 9 – The Pharaoh and his servants (or officials depending on…
Wednesday, March 10 – Paul here presents another aspect to loving one’s neighbor…
Thursday, March 11 – Such a pity that we did not look at Joseph revealing himself to his brothers…
Friday, March 12 – Mark is a little subdued in this reading which is rife with miracles…
Saturday, March 13 – “…on whom the ends of the ages have come.”…
Sunday, March 14 – This passage depicts a rather significant event in the lives of Joseph, his sons, and all the sons of Israel…

February 28 – March 6: Second Week of Lent

Sunday, February 28 – Pharaoh calls for Joseph to come from jail to interpret…
Monday, March 1 – Why does Jesus insist that people not spread the word that…
Tuesday, March 2 – If you knew someone in your church community…
Wednesday, March 3 – Why were Joseph’s brothers so disturbed by finding the…
Thursday, March 4 – Do you know how small a single mustard seed is? They are…
Friday, March 5 – Paul’s letters have been used to provide a basis for…
Saturday, March 6 – Joseph’s brothers thought that they would be attacked…
Sunday, March 7 – In this passage, Jesus speaks on the authority that the Son…

February 21 – February 27: First Week of Lent

Sunday, February 21 – When Jesus became incarnate it wasn’t just a fieldtrip…
Monday, February 22 – Joseph’s reaction to his dreams is puzzling. Why, if you…
Tuesday, February 23 – If someone called to you while you were in the middle of…
Wednesday, February 24 – Human knowledge and wisdom has very little…
Thursday, February 25 – From the highest, most trusted position in the house to…
Friday, February 26 – Not only does this passage show Jesus eating in the house…
Saturday, February 27 – “I do not even judge myself.” These were Paul’s…

February 14 – February 20: Week of Ash Wednesday

Sunday, February 14 – St. Valentines Day – What makes a person rich? Their financial or…
Monday, February 15 – Christ-like humility is not merely preventing yourself…
Tuesday, February 16 – Poetry, such as these verses in Proverbs, can have many…
Wednesday, February 17 – Ash Wednesday – Whether you hold to the traditional Christian…
Thursday, February 18 – How can you tell if someone is a citizen of a nation? Is the only…
Friday, February 19 – Human justice is not the same as God’s justice. The word…
Saturday, February 20 – Unity. It’s such a small word that means so much in the…

February 8 – February 14: Epiphany 5

Monday, February 8 – Why can a prophet not come from Galilee? The Pharisees…
Tuesday, February 9 – This is not the first time, nor is it the last, in which the…
Wednesday, February 10 – Why did Rebekah instruct Jacob to deceive Isaac in…
Thursday, February 11 – Jesus’ audience asks if what he means by “going away” is…
Friday, February 12 – Humans are flawed. We decide who we like, who we…
Saturday, February 13 – If there has ever been a tale of love at first sight it was…
Sunday, February 14 – St. Valentines Day – What makes a person rich? Their financial or…

February 1 – February 7: Epiphany 4

Monday, February 1 – How horrible must the people of Sodom and Gamora…
Tuesday, February 2 – These were the people of Galilee where Jesus grew up with…
Wednesday, February 3 – There is something amazing about Moses, beside the…
Thursday, February 4 – Much of Sarah’s life foreshadows the troubles of the…
Friday, February 5 – The relationship between Jesus and his brothers is an odd…
Saturday, February 6 – As adopted children of God, we are able to claim an…
Sunday, February 7 – The blessing Rebekah’s family bestows upon her, while it…

January 25 – January 31: Epiphany 3

Monday, January 25 – The covenant found in the Old Testament was based on…
Tuesday, January 26 – Everything God promises Abram is from God. There is…
Wednesday, January 27 – This passage is the Gospel in a nutshell. By believing in the…
Thursday, January 28 – “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are…
Friday, January 29 – Abram becomes Abraham and Sarai becomes Sarah as a..
Saturday, January 30 – What would you do if you saw your best friend and teacher…
Sunday, January 31 – The desires of the flesh mentioned by Paul in this…

January 18 – January 24: Epiphany 2

Monday, January 18 – Humanity has made a habit out of discovering, rejecting,…
Tuesday, January 19 – It is amazing what people forget as they get older. They…
Wednesday, January 20 – Morality was a major issue when it came to the early…
Thursday, January 21 – The Jews hated the Samaritans. It was a well-known fact…
Friday, January 22 – Very few figures in the Bible have been known to be…
Saturday, January 23 – The calling of Abram is a fairly well-known passage…
Sunday, January 24 – “Be opened.” Two short words to make up a phrase so…

January 11 – January 17: Epiphany 1

Monday, January 11 – How many creatures were tried out as helpers…
Tuesday, January 12 – In this passage, John the Baptist tells the priests and…
Wednesday, January 13 – This passage is deceptively powerful. It says that Jesus…
Thursday, January 14 – Cain’s banishment from God’s sight did not stop the…
Friday, January 15 – This is Jesus’ first open miracle. He mentions that his time…
Saturday, January 16 – Somewhere along the line, our culture decided that rest…
Sunday, January 17 – When we read the story of Noah, we tend to focus on the…

January 4 – January 10: Week of Epiphany

Monday, January 4 – Paul uses a lot of imagery in his letters. Every thought…
Tuesday, January 5 – Jonah spent three days and nights inside the fish…
Wednesday, January 6 – Epiphany – Israel had been expecting a mighty warrior to…
Thursday, January 7 – Paul and Timothy are praising the church at…
Friday, January 8 – The Israelites had a knack for testing Moses’ and…
Saturday, January 9 – While Jesus specifies that he does not judge, if he did…
Sunday, January 10 – Predestination can be a hard pill to swallow…

December 28 – January 3: Week after Christmas

Monday, December 28 – There are many similarities between Jesus and Moses…
Tuesday, December 29 – John’s letter to the ‘elect lady’ is full of commendation…
Wednesday, December 30 – God often uses the lowest points in our lives to…
Thursday, December 31 – Being ill or disabled is hard enough in our present…
Friday, January 1 – A rider on a white horse. White horses have been…
Saturday, January 2 – Prophets in the Old Testament tend to anger the…
Sunday, January 3 – Bread was an important staple for almost every culture…

December 21 – December 27: Advent 4

Monday, December 21 – Zephaniah preached to Judah during the reign of…
Tuesday, December 22 – This is one of those selections I don’t fully understand…
Wednesday, December 23 – Titus was a young pastor in Paul’s charge. Paul…
Thursday, December 24 – Christmas Eve – These 7 verses contain so much imagery…
Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day – We celebrate God being born of a woman today…
Saturday, December 26 – Today, the Church celebrates the life of Deacon Stephen…
Sunday, December 27 – The birth of Samuel was also a miracle thought not like that…

December 14 – December 20: Advent 3

Monday, December 14 – “…who holds the key of David…” What is…
Tuesday, December 15 – Cyrus, the Persian king, issued a decree in…
Wednesday, December 16 – Jesus is telling us, i.e., we of today, to keep…
Thursday, December 17 – His must be a terrible sight to behold – terrible…
Friday, December 18 – I have long thought that life on earth was…
Saturday, December 19 – “But when you give to the needy, do not set your…
Sunday, December 20 – the imagery of this scene has so many parallels…

November 30 – December 6: Advent 1

Monday, November 30 – This is Matthew’s account of Jesus’ triumphal…
Tuesday, December 1 – What are “these things” Peter speaks of in verse…
Wednesday, December 2 – Amos was a sheep breeder or shepherd from…
Thursday, December 3 – In this parable, one of the sons obeyed his…
Friday, December 4 – This “general” epistle of Jude has all the earmarks…
Saturday, December 5 – This I a rather straight forward message. Amos…
Sunday, December 6 – John (the Baptist) was born to a Levitical family…

November 23 – November 29: Proper 29

Monday, November 23 – In the 16^th Chapter of Acts Paul receives a…
Tuesday, November 24 – This prophesy was specifically levelled toward…
Wednesday, November 25 – “It is hard for a rich man to enter the…
Thursday, November 26 – Thanksgiving – “Every good and perfect gift…
Friday, November 27 – The beauty of prophesy is that it is vague…
Saturday, November 28 – This scene is a rather straight forward healing…
Sunday, November 29 – Just two days ago we looked at Isaiah’s vision…

November 16 – November 22: Proper 28

Monday, November 16 – The Transfiguration. Why is this event so…
Tuesday, November 17 – Both ends of this reading are at extreme odds…
Wednesday, November 18 – Surprisingly, the terms “God” and “LORD…
Thursday, November 19 – The question: “Who is the greatest in the…
Friday, November 20 – As the Book of Revelation closes, John reminds…
Saturday, November 21 – This is an OT version of what the restored…
Sunday, November 22 – This is Luke’s rendering of Matthew chapter…

November 9 – November 15: Proper 27

Monday, November 9 – Notice what is at issue here: man’s word…
Tuesday, November 10 – I have seen the like of this before in Scripture…
Wednesday, November 11 – The “Book of the Law of Moses” spoken of…
Thursday, November 12 – Matthew tells us here that the Pharisees and…
Friday, November 13 – We now know where Hollywood got the image…
Saturday, November 14 – Queen Vashti may have been an intellectual…
Sunday, November 15 – This is a curious parable one difficult to…

November 2 – November 8: Proper 26

Monday, November 2 – Jerusalem had been leveled by Nebuchadnezzar…
Tuesday, November 3 – This teaching is about counting the cost of…
Wednesday, November 4 – Rife with symbolism, this passage describes…
Thursday, November 5 – Ezra was commissioned by King Artaxerxes…
Friday, November 6 – this is Matthew’s account of the death of John…
Saturday, November 7 – “Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit…
Sunday, November 8 – From the earliest days (i.e., Abraham, Isaac…

October 26 – November 1: Proper 25

Monday, October 26 – “I am the Alpha and Omega, Who is, and Who was…
Tuesday, October 27 – The letter being sent is very much like the last…
Wednesday, October 28 – Why did Jesus speak in parables? The answer…
Thursday, October 29 – John recounts his visions using imagery both he…
Friday, October 30 – Nehemiah and Ezra should have been twins except…
Saturday, October 31 – Yeast. Yeast is usually associated with sin [I can…
Sunday, November 1 – Eutychus is one of my favorite (minor…

October 19 – October 25: Proper 24

Monday, October 19 – Jesus has compared Himself to John the Baptist…
Tuesday, October 20 – The imagery Paul employs here we have heard…
Wednesday, October 21 – Even as Jesus approaches Jerusalem He…
Thursday, October 22 – Jesus was around the Sea of Galilee healing…
Friday, October 23 – Paul’s concern for Timothy (v. 10) is probably…
Saturday, October 24 – The story of Ezra, priest and scribe, traces the…
Sunday, October 25 – This is the familiar passage which has come down…

October 12 – October 18: Proper 23

Monday, October 12 – Josiah was the last good and faithful king…
Tuesday, October 13 – Jesus is describing what life will be like as a…
Wednesday, October 14 – Some believe that “tongues” exist while others…
Thursday, October 15 – I don’t know what “prophet of the LORD” meant…
Friday, October 16 – John the Baptist sits in prison at King Herod…
Saturday, October 17 – Paul’s argument in favor of the resurrection…
Sunday, October 18 – Jeremiah is commissioned to tell the exiles just…

October 5 – October 11: Proper 22

Monday, October 5 – In this passage Jesus says but one word…
Tuesday, October 6 – Paul likes to give with one hand and take…
Wednesday, October 7 – A woman prophet – or prophetess? Never! Well…
Thursday, October 8 – What could be worse for a parent than the death…
Friday, October 9 – Paul goes through some redundant imagery to…
Saturday, October 10 – This is an illustration of faithfulness. These…
Sunday, October 11 – How easily our eyes are closed to ourselves as…

September 28 – October 4: Proper 21

Monday, September 28 – These verses may help us to understand why…
Tuesday, September 29 – The Mosaic Law was nothing if not thorough…
Wednesday, September 30 – This is a sad truth and one we don’t like…
Thursday, October 1 – Paul is making a defense here of having his…
Friday, October 2 – Hezekiah, an exceptionally good king, is being…
Saturday, October 3 – As if to reinforce my thinking of how Jesus…
Sunday, October 4 – There will be a little confusion here. There are…

September 21 – September 27: Proper 20

Monday, September 21 – I think Jesus wants us to know just how…
Tuesday, September 22 – As if to underscore yesterday’s reading…
Wednesday, September 23 – This reading covers a series of miracles…
Thursday, September 24 – What fun is this? The problem is that…
Friday, September 25 – Here Paul gets to the crux of one of our most…
Saturday, September 26 – Who says the OT is boring? Here we have all…
Sunday, September 27 – This is Luke’s rendering of the call of the first…

September 14 – September 20: Proper 19

Monday, September 14 – The three temptations described here are but…
Tuesday, September 15 – Paul hopes to affirm these Corinthians by…
Wednesday, September 16 – The thing to remember is that at that time…
Thursday, September 17 – This passage is perhaps the third most known…
Friday, September 18 – I think that today most Christians whether they…
Saturday, September 19 – We believe Elijah never experienced human…
Sunday, September 20 – The lives of Elijah and Elisha have too many…

September 7 – September 13: Proper 18

Monday, September 7 – Jeroboam (I) newly established king of Israel…
Tuesday, September 8 – These three women went to the tomb to anoint…
Wednesday, September 9 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain…
Thursday, September 10 – Obadiah, chamberlain to King Ahab, was…
Friday, September 11 – John the Baptist made no attempt at popularity…
Saturday, September 12 – “Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ…
Sunday, September 13 – Billy Graham is probably the nearest point of…

August 31 – September 6: Proper 17

Monday, August 31 – The “catholic” (or “universal”) epistle of James can…
Tuesday, September 1 – God reiterates the need to observe and follow…
Wednesday, September 2 – Jesus is before a reluctant Pilate. The chief…
Thursday, September 3 – James gives us a definition of godly wisdom…
Friday, September 4 – Solomon was a very conflicted man. In his youth…
Saturday, September 5 – As Jesus hangs on the cross He cries out…
Sunday, September 6 – “Judge for yourself whether it is right in God’s…

August 24 – August 30: Proper 16

Monday, August 24 – This passage is Jesus’ explanation to the disciples…
Tuesday, August 25 – Paul’s audience here are the “great and powerful…
Wednesday, August 26 – This passage shows that Solomon was wise…
Thursday, August 27 – This is the last Passover Jesus will celebrate…
Friday, August 28 – While David lived, he prepared materials for the…
Saturday, August 29 – Here Paul gives a summary of how he has been…
Sunday, August 30 – Jesus was nothing of not provocative. At times…

August 17 – August 23: Proper 15

Monday, August 17 – Why curse the fig tree? A fig tree cannot…
Tuesday, August 18 – This is an intriguing event in that it shows how…
Wednesday, August 19 – The revolt against David was put down but…
Thursday, August 20 – Jesus makes it clear that God is to come first…
Friday, August 21 – I don’t know when this event took place, but one…
Saturday, August 22 – As the opening indicates, these are the last…
Sunday, August 23 – Here Jesus is accused of bearing witness to Himself…

August 10 – August 16: Proper 14

Monday, August 10 – David’s sorrows begin. His first-born son…
Tuesday, August 11 – For many people this is a difficult passage…
Wednesday, August 12 – Paul has returned to Jerusalem which ends…
Thursday, August 13 – Absalom, now heir-apparent, though he was…
Friday, August 14 – Mark’s gospel is the shortest and perhaps…
Saturday, August 15 – From the earliest times in Jewish history we…
Sunday, August 16 – When considering David, the first rule of thumb…

August 3 – August 9: Proper 13

Monday, August 3 – The Jews/Christians in Corinth can become a bit…
Tuesday, August 4 – David had just learned from Nathan…
Wednesday, August 5 – What does it mean when Jesus says: “He…
Thursday, August 6 – We have here a very curious event…
Friday, August 7 – This recounts Nathan’s bold rebuke of David…
Saturday, August 8 – “Jesus did not want anyone to know where…
Sunday, August 9 – Paul is exhorting the Roams Christians to exhort…

July 27 – August 2: Proper 12

Monday, July 27 – This rather grizzly account of the death of John…
Tuesday, July 28 – Paul, Silas and their companions roamed…
Wednesday, July 29 – Joab vs. Abner. In chapter 2 of 2 Samuel…
Thursday, July 30 – What is clean and what is unclean? We tend…
Friday, July 31 – Paul was a troublemaker. When in Thessalonica…
Saturday, August 1 – I think Shakespeare pilfered a thought which…
Sunday, August 2 – There are at least two confessions of faith…

July 20 – July 26: Proper 11

Monday, July 20 – These verses show yet King Saul’s maniacal…
Tuesday, July 21 – It sounds like Jesus is talking about honesty and…
Wednesday, July 22 – Let’s begin by clearing up something which…
Thursday, July 23 – Samuel has died, and he was mourned by all…
Friday, July 24 – The obvious good things in this scripture…
Saturday, July 25 – Antioch (Syria), at least this time the writer…
Sunday, July 26 – King Saul is now dead and although David is…

July 13 – July 19: Proper 10

Monday, July 13 – Barnabas first shows up in Acts chapter 4…
Tuesday, July 14 – Jonathan, King Saul’s son, and David were fast…
Wednesday, July 15 – This is the calling of Levi whom we know as…
Thursday, July 16 – Barnabas and Saul venture forth on what will…
Friday, July 17 – David is pursuing his favorite pastime: being…
Saturday, July 18 – There is a recurring theme throughout this…
Sunday, July 19 – The end of chapter 11 is an eloquent doxology…

July 6 – July 12: Proper 9

Monday, July 6 – Jesus, who had lost the vigor of His youth, was…
Tuesday, July 7 – Saul (Paul) had forged for himself a formidable…
Wednesday, July 8 – By this time Samuel had managed to inch his…
Thursday, July 9 – This is Luke’s rendition of what happened the…
Friday, July 10 – Luke now shifts his attention to Peter. We all…
Saturday, July 11 – This is that age-old story of David and Goliath…
Sunday, July 12 – This is one of Jesus’ tirades against the…

June 29 – July 5: Proper 8

Monday, June 29 – “What has been will be again; what has been…
Tuesday, June 30 – Here we see people seeking to do evil against…
Wednesday, July 1 – The sin spoken of in this passage is called…
Thursday, July 2 – As I read about the assembled masses of…
Friday, July 3 – This passage, though short, is rife with meaning…
Saturday, July 4 – Let’s agree that Saul was spiritually blind on…
Sunday, July 5 – These verses prove how stubborn and resolute…

June 22 – June 28: Proper 7

Monday, June 22 – The Israelites, after repeated defeats against the…
Tuesday, June 23 – Gamaliel prevails. Who is Gamaliel? Turns out…
Wednesday, June 24 – We, today, operate at some disadvantage. We…
Thursday June 25 – Israel is beginning to whine like a child…
Friday, June 26 – This passage of scripture finds us smack dab in…
Saturday, June 27 – Another prism through which to glimpse what…
Sunday, June 28 – “For if those who live by the Law are heirs…

June 15 – June 21: Proper 6

Monday, June 15 – This is a thinly veiled prophesy of Jesus’ death…
Tuesday, June 16 – Here may begin the notion of tradition in the…
Wednesday, June 17 – Elkanah was a Levite married to Hannah…
Thursday, June 18 – “David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be…
Friday, June 19 – Peter had just dropped the proverbial bomb…
Saturday, June 20 – Israel went out to fight against the Philistines…
Sunday, June 21 – This little speech Jesus gave to His disciples after…

June 8 – June 14: Proper 5

Monday, June 8 – Paul reminds his readers that while we are in the…
Tuesday, June 9 – I’ve always thought it was interesting that Jesus…
Wednesday, June 10 – For our purposes the meaningful objective of…
Thursday, June 11 – As if to bring forward our last look at…
Friday, June 12 – The Edomites (which don’t exist any longer) lived…
Saturday, June 13 – The priests and lawyers again seek to find out…
Sunday, June 14 – This book reawakens the Book of Jonah. About a…

June 1 – June 7: Proper 4

Monday, June 1 – Constant repetition should produce 2 results…
Tuesday, June 2 – This is a picture of people who both feel entitled…
Wednesday, June 3 – Paul does not skirt the issue he raised in…
Thursday, June 4 – First Moses warns against corrupt judges. They…
Friday, June 5 – The Pharisee and the tax collector. This is a…
Saturday, June 6 – Encouraging people to give to the people of…
Sunday, June 7 – Keep in mind this book is the last thing Moses…

May 25 – May 31: Seventh Week of Easter

Monday, May 25 – Jesus was heading to Jerusalem from Galilee…
Tuesday, May 26 – This is a rather grim prophecy of doom…
Wednesday, May 27 – I hope all of you have grappled with this…
Thursday, May 28 – This time it’s a lawyer who hopes to make his…
Friday, May 29 – When we read this passage, we may (actually do…
Saturday, May 30 – This is an eloquent rendering of the old…
Sunday, May 31 – Pentecost – Pentecost ranks among the top…

May 18 – May 24: Sixth Week of Easter

Monday, May 18 – For 40 years the Israelites wandered in the…
Tuesday, May 19 – Most people, at this time (in Jeru-salem) were…
Wednesday, May 20 – These verses raise some serious ethical…
Thursday, May 21 – This is a glimpse from Daniel, or rather a…
Friday, May 22 – “Like the appearance of a rainbow…(v. 28) The…
Saturday, May 23 – According to the writer of Hebrews, Jesus…
Sunday, May 24 – “It is enough for the student to be like his…

May 11 – May 17: Fifth Week of Easter

Monday, May 11 – The superscription (that portion above verse…
Tuesday, May 12 – “…offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and…
Wednesday, May 13 – Daniel is a somewhat unique prophet or…
Thursday, May 14 – In the section just before this one, Jesus said…
Friday, May 15 – I guess it is very easy for us to get trapped by the…
Saturday, May 16 – Jesus feeds 5,000 people with only 5 loaves and…
Sunday, May 17 – The hymn (typically indented in the English text…

May 4 – May 10: Fourth Week of Easter

Monday, May 4 – Paul’s student Epaphras, a Colossian himself…
Tuesday, May 5 – This scene is toward the beginning of Jesus’…
Wednesday, May 6 – “And I fill up in my flesh what is still…
Thursday, May 7 – Every king or ruler likes to think of himself…
Friday, May 8 – Yesterday we considered earthly kingdoms…
Saturday, May 9 – Jesus began his public ministry by being…
Sunday, May 10 – Pearls are regarded as valuable semi-precious…

April 27 – May 3: Third Week of Easter

Monday, April 27 – Here Jesus goes to his hometown of…
Tuesday, April 28 – Much is mentioned of love in this passage…
Wednesday, April 29 – Belshazzar, son or, more likely, grandson…
Thursday, April 30 – I am no fisherman, but I’ve heard many…
Friday, May 1 – Take a breath, this is a long one…
Saturday, May 2 – New king, Darius of the Medes and…
Sunday, May 3 – Peter is addressing two groups: the…

April 20 – April 26: Second Week of Easter

Monday, April 20 – Daniel’s life was favored by God from…
Tuesday, April 21 – This scene is the Last Supper (Passover)…
Wednesday, April 22 – Just enough is left out of this passage to…
Thursday, April 23 – King Nebuchadnezzar had a very troubling…
Friday, April 24 – This is the Easter season and yet this…
Saturday, April 25 – Here John explains what it means to love…
Sunday, April 26 – Nebuchadnezzar is a study of someone…

April 13 – April 19: First Week of Easter

Monday, April 13 – Why Jonah? Wasn’t he that rather depressing…
Tuesday, April 14 – “God has made this Jesus whom you…
Wednesday, April 15 – Notice, “I am the true vine and my Father…
Thursday, April 16 – This is a vivid rendering of the…
Friday, April 17 – The scene is the Last Supper. Jesus is…
Saturday, April 18 – Isaiah sounds like he’s prophesying of…
Sunday, April 19 – Spiritual maturity is the responsibility of each…

April 6 – April 12: Holy Week

Monday, April 6 – Jeremiah’s prayer here opens much like…
Tuesday, April 7 – This is but days before Jesus’ death. I have…
Wednesday, April 8 – Standing firm is a guard against…
Thursday, April 9 – Maundy Thursday – This is the day we…
Friday – April 10 – Good Friday – This is the first portrayal of the…
Saturday, April 11 – Holy Saturday – For a limited time, Job’s life…
Sunday, April 12 – Resurrection Sunday -I doubt I shall ever…

March 30 – April 5: Fifth Week of Lent

Monday, March 30 – Which to choose – Jeremiah and his figs…
Tuesday, March 31 – Judah has abandoned her covenant with God…
Wednesday, April 1 – Matthew tells us in his chapter 15 that as Jesus…
Thursday, April 2 – Hearing the gospel is necessary for salvation…
Friday, April 3 – ’Tis is a stern warning against complacency…
Saturday, April 4 – This is the account of Jesus raising Lazarus…
Sunday, April 5 – Confession of faith is an on-going thing…

March 23 – March 29: Fourth Week of Lent

Monday, March 23 – Volumes are written about Romans alone so I…
Tuesday, March 24 – These 8 verses discuss just how important “keep…
Wednesday, March 25 – Much of Jesus’ life mirrors the life of Moses…
Thursday, March 26 – We have an obligation as Christians to live…
Friday, March 27 – The responsibility of the teachers is treated here…
Saturday, March 28 – “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”…
Sunday, March 29 – Peter’s rebuke to Jesus, it turns out, is in direct…

March 16 – March 22: Third Week of Lent

Monday, March 16 – The feast here is the Feast of Tabernacles (early…
Tuesday, March 17 – At age 75 Abraham received the promise of…
Wednesday, March 18 – The LORD has done what no one had ever…
Thursday, March 19 – Three times in just two verses Jesus utters “I…
Friday, March 20 – This is a passage about the importance death…
Saturday, March 21 – This section of Jeremiah speaks of the…
Sunday, March 22 – The opening verses involve the Pharisees seeking…

March 9 – March 15: Second Week of Lent

Monday, March 9 – “…we received grace and apostleship to call…
Tuesday, March 10 – “But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you…
Wednesday, March 11 – “Since they did not think it was worthwhile…
Thursday, March 12 – “Among my people are wicked men.” (v. 28)…
Friday, March 13 – The whole exhortation of Romans 2:25-29 is a…
Saturday, March 14 – The LORD refers to the house of Jacob as foolish…
Sunday, March 15 – We often hear of Jesus’ power. Here we get…

March 2 – March 8: First Week of Lent

Monday, March 2 – While the marriage at Cana is a good…
Tuesday, March 3 – Deuteronomy here gives us a warning against…
Wednesday, March 4 – Once when Jesus was in Jerusalem during…
Thursday, March 5 – The recurring word of this passage is “Today”…
Friday, March 6 – This passage is rife with “fear”. I hope we all…
Saturday, March 7 – Points to remember: 1) Jesus was in Samaria…
Sunday, March 8 – As the reading tells us, Jeremiah was called to be…

February 24 – March 1: Last Week of Epiphany

Monday, February 24 – The opening verses of Hebrews rank among…
Tuesday, February 25 – The theme for Lent will be avoiding…
Wednesday, February 26 – Ash Wednesday – Why ashes? In the Old…
Thursday, February 27 – Consider Isaiah 38:1-6. Hezekiah, king of…
Friday, February 28 – Beware of becoming complacent. The Lord…
Saturday, February 29 – Here in Deuteronomy we get a (fleeting)…
Sunday, March 1 – This is that well-known passage in Jesus’ life while…

February 17 – February 23: Epiphany Week 7

Monday, February 17 – These are the waning days of Epiphany (the…
Tuesday, February 18 – In verse 2:7, Paul identifies himself as a…
Wednesday, February 19 – “But You are our Father…” (v. 63:16) One…
Thursday, February 20 – Time and again Jesus has to contend with…
Friday, February 21 – It is easy to forget that this is a personal letter…
Saturday, February 22 -The resting place for the LORD has gone…
Sunday, February 23 – This last manifestation by God was not for…

February 10 – February 16: Epiphany Week 6

Monday, February 10 – Isaiah is describing lip-service to God and…
Tuesday, February 11 – “Everyone will be salted with fire.” (v. 49) I…
Wednesday, February 12 – “But God’s word is not chained…” (v. 2:9b)…
Thursday, February 13 – It seems to be difficult to put into words…
Friday, February 14 – “Whoever wants to become great among you…
Saturday, February 15 – These verses might serve as a valedictory…
Sunday, February 16 – I am undecided as to whether God is a micro…

February 3 – February 9: Epiphany – Week 5

Monday, February 3 – But when the time had fully come, God sent…
Tuesday, February 4 – This entry from Isaiah is just a little baffling…
Wednesday, February 5 – There are two encounters with blindness…
Thursday, February 6 – The tenor of this book has been an…
Friday, February 7 – The rules of uncleanness may well have lent an…
Saturday, February 8 – The disciples couldn’t help it; we can’t help it…
Sunday, February 9 – Not a very happy passage I grant you, but…

January 27 – February 2: Epiphany – Week 4

Monday, January 27 – The plague of idolatry is addressed (yet…
Tuesday, January 28 – Paul had not gone to discipleship school…
Wednesday, January 29 – One of Isaiah’s missions was to…
Thursday, January 30 – This is Mark’s rendering of Jesus’…
Friday, January 31 – It won’t take long to assign the Galatians…
Saturday, February 1 – This entry of Isaiah’s has all the earmark…
Sunday, February 2 – This passage in John could sound like a…

January 20 – January 26: Epiphany – Week 3

Monday, January 20 – When I consider “prisoner for the Lord” I…
Tuesday, January 21 – Sadly I can draw parallels between this…
Wednesday, January 22 – The parable of the sower. This…
Thursday, January 23 – There are a number of tantalizing…
Friday, January 24 – We must not get too literal in our look at…
Saturday, January 25 – Strange how certain phrases “jump off…
Sunday, January 26 – This is one of the scarier passages of the…

January 13 – January 19: Epiphany – Week 2

Monday, January 13 – You will notice early on that the gospel of…
Tuesday, January 14 – There is much ado about power. The kind…
Wednesday, January 15 – Sometimes the Scriptures are not at…
Thursday, January 16 – This is a wonderful pericope (scenario…
Friday, January 17 – What Paul says here to the Gentiles cannot…
Saturday, January 18 – Keep in mind that this time of the year is…
Sunday, January 19 – So here we are in Samaria. It is difficult…

January 6 – January 12: Epiphany – Week 1

Monday, January 6 – This passage captures what is great about…
Tuesday, January 7 – The fifth commandment of the Decalogue…
Wednesday, January 8 – Of the two churches we will look at…
Thursday, January 9 – Isaiah offers us yet another look far into…
Friday, January 10 – On Tuesday we read in John 2 about the…
Saturday, January 11 – We looked at the church in Smyrna on…
Sunday, January 12 – The reading begins with comforting…

December 30 – January 5: First Week After Christmas

Monday, December 30 – “…someone ‘like a son of man.’ ” (v…
Tuesday, December 31 – In verse 1 Isaiah mentions a “strong…
Wednesday, January 1 – [New Year’s Day] This is, perhaps, not…
Thursday, January 2 – Faith, that is the sole theme of this…
Friday, January 3 – The imagery of the stairway to heaven and…
Saturday, January 4 – A fascinating factoid about the gospel…
Sunday, January 5 – Repetition is the mainstay of a good biblical…

December 23 – December 29: Advent 2019 – Week 4

Monday, December 23 – This is a discourse on the “bread of…
Tuesday, December 24 – This is how the Bible closes. We are…
Wednesday, December 25 – As Advent ends (December 24th) a…
Thursday, December 26 – Today the Church celebrates the life…
Friday, December 27 – We celebrated the life of the first martyr…
Saturday, December 28 – By now you have figured that each day…
Sunday, December 29 – In some segments of the Christian…

December 16 – December 22: Advent 2019 – Week 3

Monday, December 16 – In the opening Isaiah is speaking of…
Tuesday, December 17 – Advent covers the waning days of the…
Wednesday, December 18 – The teachings of Jesus often run…
Thursday, December 19 – Isaiah describes here more of the…
Friday, December 20 – “From the days of John the Baptist until…
Saturday, December 21 – A final admonition before Revelation…
Sunday, December 22 – Isaiah is describing Jesus and what He…

December 9 – December 15: Advent 2019 – Week 2

Monday, December 9 – The heading in the NIV Bible labels this…
Tuesday, December 10 – We can’t be too surprised that we…
Wednesday, December 11 – The NIV sets these verses apart…
Thursday, December 12 – Earlier this week we saw in 1…
Friday, December 13 – The fun part of prophecy is that we read…
Saturday, December 14 – Twice in this reading Jesus warns Peter…
Sunday, December 15 – The imagery in the opening of this…

December 2 – December 8: Advent 2019 – Week 1

Monday, December 2 – Luke: It seems that Jesus liked to keep…
Tuesday, December 3 – 1 Thessalonians: It may come as no…
Wednesday, December 4 – Isaiah: We generally associate Isaiah…
Thursday, December 5 – Luke: Jesus teaches that Sadducees a…
Friday, December 6 – 1 Thessalonians: Much of what Paul talks…
Saturday, December 7 – Isaiah: Isaiah is drawing for us another…
Sunday, December 8 – Luke: Jon’s role as the point-man for the…