Judges 19-21, Luke 7:31-50 • Key Verse: Luke 7:47 There is an old joke about a wife asking her husband if he loves her. He assures her that he does. When she points out to him that he never tells her that he loves her, he replies, “I told you...

Judges 16-18, Luke 7:1—30 • Key Verse: Judges 16:20 One of the easiest temptations to which people succumb is self-sufficiency. We take on tasks in our strength with our own abilities and ingenuity. The more we are self-sufficient, however, the less we are God-dependent. Samson demonstrated this. His strength was...

Judges 13-15, Luke 6:27-49 • Key Verse: Luke 6:37 Do you know what is the most-quoted Bible verse? I have heard that it is Luke 6:37: “Judge not lest ye be judged.” Those are probably not the exact words of the Bible version you use, but accuracy is not always...

Judges 11-12, Luke 6:1-26 • Key Verse: Judges 12:1 A chaplain friend of mine told me that in the military they say, “There is no such thing as friendly fire.” If it’s fire, it’s not friendly. Far too often there is “friendly fire” in the church. Typically it is directed...

Judges 9-10, Luke 5:17—39 Key Verses: Luke 5:31-32 Jesus had a knack for running with the wrong crowd—at least in the eyes of the self-righteous. Those who were religious believed that the righteous should associate only with those who are righteous. Most of the religious leaders with whom Jesus had...

Judges 7—8, Luke 5:1-16 • Key Verse: Luke 5:16 To read about the life of Jesus is to read of a lire tilled with activity. His public ministry began with His baptism. Then 40 days of solitude in the wilderness immediately followed. After that, His was a full schedule. Two...

Judges 4-6, Luke 4:31-44 • Key Verse: Judges 6:12 The name Gideon strikes a few notes in our brain, such as “mighty man of valor” and “hero of the faith.” Then the notes sound sour as we can then think, “Not like me.” Gideon is seen as a great man,...

Judges 1—3, Luke 4:1-30 • Key Verse: Luke 4:14 There is nothing wrong with the desire to have the Holy Spirits power in your life. Sadly, however, teaching on the subject too often strays from biblical truth. In the quest for Holy Spirit power, many people follow paths paved with...

Joshua 22—24, Luke 3 Key Verse: Luke 3:14 Years ago the only clothes people owned were probably handmade. The same was true of their furniture and most everything they had. Then came the rise of manufacturing. More things were available, if you had the money to buy them. With the...

Joshua 19-21, Luke. 2:25-52 • Key Verses: Luke 2:29-30 Patience is not a widely practiced virtue anymore. Today is the time for fast food, microwaves and high-speed computers, just drive through, download and move on to the next thing. Yet sometimes God says, “Wait.” To faithfully follow God, one must...