Jeremiah 9-11, 1 Timothy 6 • Key Verses: Jeremiah 9:23-24 Sports can bring out boasting in a person—both before and especially after the game. On any given weekend, players and teams let any one who will listen know that they are number one. Some players wear their achievements literally on...

Jeremiah 6-8, 1 Timothy 5 Key Verse: Jeremiah 6:16 “Should you call for directions?” my wife asked. “No,” I replied, “I have a map.” Actually, I was printing a map off the Internet as she asked. I knew of a Web site where I could enter the address and get...

Jeremiah 3-5, 1 Timothy 4 • Key Verses: 1 Timothy 4:7-8 Sports dominates our society. We read about it in the newspaper and watch it on TV Our cities spend enormous sums of money on facilities, and shopping malls include stores that specialize in helping you become an athlete—or at...

Jeremiah 1—2, 1 Timothy 3 • Key Verses: l Timothy 3:14-15 Sometimes we read signs that begin with the words, “Rules for Use of . . . They might be posted on the wall at a swimming pool or an exercise room. The purpose is to inform or remind you...

Isaiah 65-66, 1 Timothy 2 • Key Verse: Isaiah 66:3 The world has its heroes. We find them in action figures, on trading cards, posters, Web sites and newsletters. From athletes to entertainers, from politicians to authors, people have their heroes, those whom they admire. They may like the sound...

Isaiah 62-64, 1 Timothy 1 • Key Verse: Isaiah 62:1 Our family plays a game as we drive. Certain places along the road remind us of a past trip, so someone says, “That’s where … .and the rest of us remember. Part of the game is guessing what someone in...

Isaiah 59-61, 2 Thessalonians 3 • Key Verse: 2 Thessalonians 3:13 Among the familiar quotes of Sir Winston Churchill is the line from a speech he gave at the Harrow School on October 29, 1941. They were not darker days, according to Churchill, but sterner ones. England was engaged in...

Isaiah 56-58, 2 Thessalonians 2 • Key Verse: Isaiah 57:15 A friend one day contrasted the music she prefers with the music style her teenage sons like. She used two words in particular to describe the difference. She prefers the music in which God is transcendent, while her sons like...

Isaiah 53-55, 2 Thessalonians 1 • Key Verse: Isaiah 55:1 Its a bit ironic that while drinkable water is free, bottled water, which costs, has become very popular. When ordering a sandwich at a fast-food restaurant, your request for water to drink has to be very specific. If you just...

Isaiah 50—52, 1 Thessalonians 5 • Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Much can be said in just a few words. One example is the following: “Life is hard.” Our knees may buckle at times, our shoulders droop under the load, and a weariness can settle even into our breathing. We...