Read Romans 9:1–13 I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Romans 9:3–4 Paul was considered a traitor to the Jewish nation. He ministered to Gentiles, and he taught freedom...
Read 1 Timothy 5:16–25 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 1 Timothy 5:17 There were two kinds of elders in the church: ruling elders who supervised the work of the congregation, and teaching...
Read Hebrews 2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Hebrews 2:1 If we do not listen to God’s Word and really hear it, we will start to drift. Neglect always leads to drifting, in things material and...
Read 1 John 4:1–8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8 Love is a part of the very being and nature of God. If we are united to God through faith in Christ, we share His nature. And since His nature is...
Read James 3:1–8 Today’s Scripture: The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. James 3:6 I was visiting the used...
Read 1 John 4:9–11 Today’s Scripture: Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11 A Salvation Army worker found a derelict woman alone on the street and invited her to come into the chapel for help, but the woman refused to...
Read Job 23—24 Today’s Scripture: He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. Job 23:10 God knew where Job was—in the furnace! But it was a furnace of God’s appointment, not of Job’s sin. This is not the only answer...
Read Colossians 2:16–23 Today’s Scripture: Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Colossians 2:18 The word translated “disqualify” means “to declare unworthy of a prize.” It is an athletic term: The umpire disqualifies contestants who do not obey...
Read Isaiah 13—18 Today’s Scripture: How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! Isaiah 14:12 Jeremiah had prophesied that the Babylonian captivity would last for only seventy years. So, the...
Read Romans 5:1–21 Today’s Scripture: We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3–4 Suffering builds Christian character. The sequence is: suffering— perseverance—character—hope. Our English word tribulation comes from the Latin word tribulum. A tribulum was a heavy piece of timber with spikes in it, used...