As minor prophets go, Joel seems particularly minor. He prophesies during a national crisis; a horde of locusts have been … More
Category: Bible intros #2
Habakkuk – A Prophet We Really Should Know!
Feeding on the `minor` prophets is a challenge! As my former colleague Andrew Waugh said, they seem to move around … More
Old Testament Intro Course 6: The Prophets
Today we’re exploring the old testament’s great final section: the Prophets. And we’ll begin with the greatest of them all, … More
Old Testament Intro Course 5: The `Writings` – Job to Song of Solomon
We come now to a wonderful but very different set of old testament books. Here’s a few introductory ideas that … More
Isaiah 1 to 5 and intro
Today we’ve reached Isaiah: glorious, indispensable, once we find the path through it; the OT’s greatest prophet – so, one … More
Isaiah 6: How God Prepares A Spokesperson
Today we’re in one of the old testament’s greatest chapters. We, like Isaiah here, are called to speak for God … More
Esther intro
As we listen to God in Scripture we want to get a better grip on how we live for Him … More
1 Samuel intro
The eight earliest books of the Bible seem to be setting out the fundamentals of faith. One way of looking … More
Isaiah 7 and 8: Living By Faith At A Culture’s Turning-Point
Today, two highly important chapters of Isaiah; sections repeatedly quoted in the NT, chapters that actually introduce Jesus here! Their … More
1 Samuel 1
1 Samuel and the next 8 Bible books offer a leadership training manual: what things mark people God uses – … More
Parenting – part 1
1 Samuel is the Bible’s first `leadership manual`. And strikingly, the common factor in its very first stories is raising … More
Parenting – part 2
Like we said: 1 Samuel is the Bible’s first `leadership manual`, and the common factor in its first two stories … More
Isaiah 9: Getting The Christmas Passage Right
Here’s something really daft I’ve seen churches do at Christmas. They’ve wanted to flag up the background to Jesus’ birth … More
Job part 1
Now’s the time for us to launch into the – little-read? – book of Job. Below are some initial, thought-provoking … More
Isaiah 11 and 12: Fantastic Cosmic Restoration!
Today, two of the most joyous bits of Isaiah… Here’s a key thing about reading old testament books: we grasp … More
Isaiah 13 to 26: What It Means That God is King of Kings
Here’s an important thing about feeding on the Bible: there are parts where it doesn’t help to go slowly, like … More
1 Sam 7: The Path to Real Renewal
1 Samuel: leadership training. These next chapters show us how a leader leads people into deeper commitment. Eli fails in … More
1 Sam 8 and 12: Servant Leadership And The Other Kind
1 Samuel 8 and 12 bring us something vital about leadership. These chapters help us see two kinds of leaders … More
1 Sam 9 to 15: Saul – Losing Your Life-Destiny
If there’s one old testament story that scares me, it’s our next one, about Saul: how it’s possible to lose … More
1 Sam 14: The Kind Of Person God Uses
1 Samuel 14 is one of the great commando raids of history, when God used Jonathan in a venture that … More
David: Not Quite Like We Think
Now David. David: a nice blue-eyed, curly-haired boy sweetly playing his harp? Not quite. Actually, a deeply damaged kid from a … More
1 Sam 17: What We Learn From David & Goliath
If there’s one part of 1 Samuel that everyone knows, it’s ch17, David and Goliath. And so it should be. … More
1 Sam 18 to 31: What We Learn From Saul
We’re going through 1 Samuel. A series of people – some did well with their lives, some didn’t. How? Why? … More
Job part 2 – Amidst The Agonizingly Incomprehensible
OK, now we’re starting exploring the tough but astonishing book of Job. After last week’s intro, today chapter 1; which … More
1 Sam 19: A Deeper Grasp Of The Spirit
There’s a darkly funny episode in 1 Samuel’s history of Saul’s disintegration. It’s funny, but it’s also a bit bizarre … More
1 Sam 22 & 24: The Way Of The New King
It’s great to read 1 Samuel. It contains so many practical encouragements! We’ve watched how Israel chose against God’s style … More
Psalm 22: David’s Cry In The Dark
Last week we saw what we gain from how David (sometimes, not always) symbolises Jesus the Son of David. This … More
1 Sam 25: When A David Goes Wrong
This week we’ll look at David for the last time. And the question is: how do you help a David … More
1 Sam 28 & 31: The Last Lessons From Saul
Today we complete our `leadership training` from watching the leaders in 1 Samuel. Today’s is a dramatic, powerful story, and … More
1 Samuel summary
As we leave 1 Samuel – what do we learn from it? Here’s an overall summary, the whole book in … More
Isaiah 20 & 22: Two Hugely Challenging Chapters
Today two short parts of Isaiah that I find very personal and very, very challenging indeed… Last time we embarked … More
Job part 3 – How Not To Be A Friend
Today our third Job post: how not to be a friend! (It seemed a good idea to include some notes … More
Isaiah 23 to 26 again: The End
God crafts a powerful, wonderful finish to this part of Isaiah (chs 21-26)! Like we saw last week, there’s been … More
Old Testament Intro Course 4: The Leadership Manual – 1 Samuel to Esther
Now the old testament’s further `historical books`. How will we feed on these – and why? Well, first, to understand … More
Job part 4 – chapters 3 to 31 (1)
Job is one of the Bible’s least-known books, even though it’s totally God-inspired! And I’ve come to see how little … More
Job part 5 – chapters 3 to 31 (2)
These 2 weeks’ posts have aimed to supply a `pocket map` of the turbulent central section of the great book … More
Isaiah 27 to 35: So Many Practical Jewels!
And so we reach the final chapters of Isaiah’s first half. They start with chapters chewier than some, but what … More
Job part 6 – Elihu (chs 32 to 37)
We’re coming to the dramatic close of Job. Last week we watched Job’s last, powerful speech: `Let the Almighty answer … More
Isaiah 36 to 39 (part one): Why Are these Records So Crucial?
Isaiah 36-39 raise a big question for any serious Bible reader! Isaiah prophesied during four kings’ dramatic reigns, but there’s … More
Isaiah 36 to 39 (part two): Why Are These Records So Crucial?
As we said last week: Isaiah 36-39 raise a very big question. There’s very little history in Isaiah apart from … More
Job part 7: The Glory Of The God Who Now Answers (chs 38-41)
So here we are at Job 38-41, this book’s amazing climax. These are chapters we must grasp if we want … More
Isaiah 40 (part one): The Sheer Greatness of God!
If we seek one old testament chapter that embodies the sheer greatness of God, for me it’s today’s: Isaiah 40 … More
Isaiah 40 (part two): The Sheer Greatness of God!
Again: if we seek just one OT chapter that embodies the sheer greatness of God, it’s arguably Isaiah 40 – … More
Isaiah 41 to 52: So Much Fuel For Joy!
We’re now headed into some wonderfully joyous sections of Isaiah. Try reading 43:1-7 in your personal worship, or 41:17-20, or … More
Job part 8: What Has All This Meant For Job? (ch42)
So: what is the point of the book of Job, what has all this been about? Last time we explored … More
Isaiah 42, 49-50: The Servant Of The Lord
Today: Very remarkable things about Jesus, that we may well not have seen before! Like we’ve said: in Isaiah’s second … More
Isaiah 53: The Centre of This World’s History
When we look back from eternity, we’ll see this planet as the world where the cross happened… The cross is … More
Isaiah 55: What Is Worth Living For?
Today’s piece of Isaiah, chapter 55, tackles the big question: What is really worth my living and striving for? It … More
Isaiah 58: Fasting – And Why Doesn’t God Hear My Prayers?
Isaiah 58 is very, very challenging. Why doesn’t God hear my prayers? And: Might there be something deeply wrong with … More
Isaiah 60: The Big Picture Of Our World’s Future
Today’s chapter, Isaiah 60, is radiantly triumphant, and very helpful! “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory … More
Isaiah 61: Here (Wonderfully!) Is What The Spirit Does….
This week’s piece of Isaiah is another phenomenal, refreshing chapter, ch61… If we grasp it we’ll receive a huge vision … More
Isaiah 63 and 64: Knowing Father Better
This week’s passage is dramatic. It helps us grasp how the Father-God relationship works, & how it’s deepened; which leads … More
Isaiah 65 and 66: How Does God Wrap Up A Book Like Isaiah?
Isaiah is – to my mind! – the great old testament prophet. So there’s an obvious question: with what particularly … More
2 Samuel: intro and David
Today we launch out on the 2nd of the OT’s leadership training books: 2 Samuel (or 2 Kings, that is, … More
Psalm 1, 2, and intro
How do we feed ourselves from the Psalms? They’re the Bible’s songbook. They’re also, as Bono says, the Bible’s blues. … More
Psalm 8: Four Fuels For Worship
This week a magnificent worship psalm, Psalm 8… `O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the … More
2 Sam 6: The Leader Learns To Worship
Not surprisingly, one of the first things we find, as we launch out on another of Scripture’s leadership manuals, is … More
2 Sam 1: Helping In A Time Of Bereavement
Today 2 Samuel 1, about something very practical indeed, a skill that will be essential for anyone in any leadership … More
Psalm 18: Model For our Life-Song
Today something else different from usual!- David’s life-song in Psalm 18. Watchman Nee says one thing that really matters in … More
Psalm 22: A Psalm For the Blackest Darkness
This week we’re feeding on Psalm 22: `My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?` – that astonishing cry … More
Psalm 23: `Exceedingly Great & Precious Promises`!
Today’s is perhaps the most treasured of all the Psalms, well worth memorizing, absorbing, regularly reflecting on – Psalm 23 … More
Psalm 24: The Earth Is The Lord’s!
I love this Psalm 24. Read it – then how shall we respond to it? First, obviously, in worship: `The … More
Psalm 51: The Way To Repentance
A crucial thing today, one we all need sometime: How as a Christian (not, as part of my conversion, but … More
2 Sam 7: The Leader And Grace
Today another key lesson from our 2 Samuel leadership manual; vital indeed for anyone at all whom God is going … More
2 Sam 9: This Is What Grace Is Like
Last week we explored something seriously vital to anyone God will use: our sense of God’s grace, His colossal, undeserved, … More
Leadership And Power In 2 Samuel
Some of us have to find our way in sometimes murky areas – the politics in management, in education; even, … More
2 Sam 11 (and 13 etc): The Leader And Sex
Today part of our 2 Samuel leadership manual that might be crucial one day for lots of us… A sex … More
2 Sam 12: The Way To Repentance
A crucial thing today, one we all need sometime: How as a Christian (not, as part of my conversion, but … More
2 Sam 18:33: This Is What Our Father Is Like
Folks, hello. Something unusual (and brief) this week – just one short verse, as I find it so thought- & … More
2 Sam 22: Model For Our Life-Song
Today something else different from usual!- David’s life-song in 2 Sam 22. Watchman Nee says one thing that really matters … More
2 Sam 23 & 24: So Many Final Lessons!!
So we reach 2 Samuel’s last chapters; and there’s a huge, worship-inspiring amount for us here, as we’ll see. But … More
Proverbs intro
Suppose there was someone who you knew was the wisest man on earth. And, he’d put his life-wisdom into a … More
Ecclesiastes: a possible intro
The book of Ecclesiastes is one of the hardest to understand in the Bible. `Everything is meaningless!’, announces the Teacher … More