Hosea 5 – Sometimes there’s nothing more to say when we pray for someone so lost in their ways. Sometimes they need to be completely turned over to God…
The Renovation Blog
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Hosea 4 – The rest of the book of Hosea takes a turn as it deals head-on with the sins of Israel. It is a brutal and a scandalous…
Hosea 3 – It was the shady side of town, a place where priests stayed clear of, let alone any prophet worth his reputation. The loud bawdy ruckus that…
Hosea 2 – Hosea had done what was expected of him. He married Gomer, made a life together, had a family and provided for her needs. He had redeemed…
Hosea 1 – In one of the most unpredictable and outlandish commands of God, He instructed Hosea to marry a prostitute. Yes, you read that right. It was during…
Daniel 12 – “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 This gospel…
Daniel 11 – Continuing from Chapter 10 and following into this next chapter and 12, the last of the book of Daniel, the Messenger spells out with acute details…
Daniel 7 – The first 6 chapters of Daniel were historical in nature and inspiring as Daniel was one man who stood firm in times of persecution. His unwavering…
Daniel 6 – Daniel was a man of consistency. Here was a man who was in exile who never wavered in his faith or trust. The seasons changed continually…
Daniel 5 – A new king is in town. Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Belshazzar, has taken the throne. Historical documents differ on if he reigned 17 years or 3 but the…
Daniel 4 – Written by Nebuchadnezzar himself, this chapter is the retelling of his testimony. Daniel included the penmanship of the king in his writings because it shows the…
Daniel 3 – “…but even if He does not…” What would it be like to live with such thought in everything we do? Every way we live? How would…
Daniel 2 – It was an impossible situation. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream he couldn’t remember. All he knew was when he woke up he was terrified. Calling all…
Daniel 1 – “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think of…
2 Corinthians 13 – I’m a terrible test taker. Growing up I would study for a class topic and when the exam was handed out, the timer…
2 Corinthians 12 – We do not know what Paul’s thorn was. Many have speculated from malaria to epilepsy to loss of eyesight. Whatever it was, it…
2 Corinthians 11 – Paul charges his attack against the false teachers who were swaying minds left and right within the church. Through smooth talk and engaging…
2 Corinthians 10 – The tone of Paul changes as he begins to wind down his letter. If he hasn’t been bold before, he holds nothing back…
2 Corinthians 9 – 2 people were dead. This husband and wife had sold a piece of property, laid the money at the apostle’s feet. The problem…
2 Corinthians 8 – The comparison of one to another can backfire in hopes the person being compared will hear the challenge and respond. The individual digs…
2 Corinthians 7 – 2 words. 2 words that mean nothing unless they are followed by action. “I’m sorry” all too often slips from our lips when…
2 Corinthians 6 – King Hezekiah was one of the good rulers of Israel. Working in tandem with the prophet Isaiah he reformed the land and cleaned…
2 Corinthians 5 – “For the love of Christ controls us.” – 2 Corinthians 5:14 Everything Paul did, all he endured, the relationships he sought and maintained,…
2 Corinthians 4 – It’s easy to say, “Pick yourself up,” “Stop focusing on the negative,” “This too will pass”. These statements flow so easily from our…
2 Corinthians 3 – “You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ,…
2 Corinthians 2 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” Proverbs 27:6 As Paul Harvey famously states, “And…
2 Corinthians 1 – Between the first letter Paul wrote to the church in Corinth and this one much had happened. His first letter gave advice in…
1 Corinthians 16 – “But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia; and perhaps I will stay with…
1 Corinthians 15 – Truly, Paul writes of some of the deepest foundations and hopes of Christ and belief. Jesus died for our sins, He rose again,…
1 Corinthians 14 – Several years ago, then superstar Adele performed at an award show. People were anticipating such a terrific performance as she never…
1 Corinthians 13 – “People of little religion are always noisy; he who has not the love of God and man filling his heart is like an…
1 Corinthians 12 – “Now about spiritual gifts…” Paul begins. He has laid out many tangible things and issues for the church to consider and turns things…
1 Corinthians 11 – “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1 What a challenge. Follow my example in how I…
1 Corinthians 10 – “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” –George Santayana The Life of Reason 1905 Paul brings a history 101…
1 Corinthians 9 – You peel back more of the underlying issues of the Corinthian Believers and Paul’s defense here and realize he had his hands full….
1 Corinthians 8 – “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” – 1 Corinthians 8:9 Knowledge…
1 Corinthians 7 – Paul writes about sex and marriage and purity is tied in here as well. This passage may seem a bit odd at first…
1 Corinthians 6 – “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord…
1 Corinthians 5 – It is by far some of the toughest statements Paul makes to the church. He’s not only calling these out for allowing something…
1 Corinthians 4 – “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” – 1 Corinthians 4:1…
1 Corinthians 3 – There’s a strange division among the church of Corinth. Paul hits it head on. Some are followers of Paul, looking to him as…
1 Corinthians 2 – When we think of Paul consider the fact he was a brilliant scholar and teacher. He had been trained in the Scriptures, learned…
1 Corinthians 1 – Corinth was a major cosmopolitan hub in Achaia. A seaport and major trade center, it buzzed with people coming and going and life…
Psalm 150 – Psalm 150 – As Psalm 150 brings this beautiful book to a close there is no real teaching, no explanation even in the writings. It is simply a call…
Psalm 149 – Psalm 149 – Psalms 149:1 NASB Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones…
Psalm 148 – Psalm 148 – We probably don’t think much of the greatness of all of creation giving praise and worship to our God. From the very heights to the depths,…
Psalm 147 – Psalm 147 – It begins and ends with “Praise the Lord!” In 20 verses we read of the overarching protection and preservation of His people…
Psalm 146 – Psalm 146 – James Boice writes: “In the earlier psalms, we have studied the writers’ griefs, shames, sins, doubts, and fears. We have…
Psalm 145 – Psalm 145 – Crossroads. Sometimes as we approach these on our journey we struggle. Many a time coming to such a place has left our footprints behind of burdens…
Psalm 144 – Psalm 144 – Spiritual warfare is part of our daily lives. As Believers in Jesus, when we made our allegiance to Him, the enemy put a bounty on our…
Psalm 143 – Psalm 143 – David went seemingly from one crisis to another. Crisis brings out all kinds of reactions from us. We can knee-jerk with our words or actions. We…
Psalm 142 – Psalm 142 – Have you ever felt so utterly alone? You may be surrounded by people even but the pressing in of loneliness suffocates. It’s the isolation that comes…
Psalm 141 – Psalm 141 – Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also,…
Psalm 140 – Psalm 140 – “The ‘wicked’ may arrogantly desire, plan, and execute; but the Master of the universe cannot tolerate anarchy for long. To this end the plea changes into…
Psalm 139 – Psalm 139 – “It’s not just that God knows everything, He knows me. It’s not just hat God is everywhere, He is everywhere with me. It’s not just that…
Psalm 138 – Psalm 138 – It’s a bold declaration: I will praise you with my whole heart. Let’s consider just this statement alone. There are many things about the heart found…
Psalm 137 – Psalm 137 – It’s a striking scene. Gathered on the shores of one of Babylon’s rivers the people remembered what they had lost. Held in captivity due to their…
Psalm 136 – Psalm 136 – The repetition is purposeful. God’s love, this unending, faithful and merciful love endures forever. The declarative phrase is found several other times in the Old Testament…
Psalm 135 – Psalm 135 – It opens and closes with the same phrase: Praise the Lord! There are several aspects mentioned here as why we should praise our God. He is…
Psalm 134 – Psalm 134 – It was a very small group of men who had a very important task. The Levite and priest establishment is found in the book of Exodus….
Psalm 133 – Psalm 133 – Unity matters. From within corporations to households to the church, unity is what continually sustains and moves people forward boldly. It is something only the Holy…
Psalm 132 – “Oh Lord, remember…” Have you ever prayed such words? Is this part of how you intercede over situations and struggles, “Oh Lord remember…” as you bring…
Psalm 131 – Pride – a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated or from…
Psalm 130 – There are many things that cause us to despair. From sorrow to confusion to pain we can all get to a place where nothing seemingly is…
Psalm 129 – “Upon this rock I will be build my church and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” – Matthew 16:18 For Israel, they had been…
Psalm 128 – “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15 There are many thoughts about leadership out there. When a leader leads…
Psalm 127 – Solomon knew that man’s work must be blessed by God for success. If one was left out of the equation, he labored in vain. In particular,…
Psalm 126 – God has the ability to restore all things. From the wreckage of our lives to the exile and captivity we have been held in – our…
Psalm 125 – There are many ideas and theological thoughts out there. Some have been inspired by God’s relentless unfolding of His will and “new thing” He is doing…
Psalm 124 – There is truth to the statement: God is either for us or against us. For those whom God is with, His presence and leading is every…
Psalm 123 – The waiting of God to move is not a passive act. It is coming before Him with the pleas of our hearts for His work and…
Psalm 122 – There is nothing like the presence of our Jesus! When we note that He is right among us, moving within, giving strength and hope, it stirs…
Psalm 121 – The journey of faith of which we walk is one of valleys and mountains. We have experienced both. Yet it is in the valleys, even the…
Psalm 120 – They are called the Pilgrim Psalms or Songs of Ascent. Psalm 120 is the first of 15 each with the same title. These songs were sung…
Psalm 119 – It is the longest psalm recorded. It is also the longest chapter in all of Scripture. The beauty of this Psalm is that it focuses solely…
Psalm 118 – “When I think about the Lord How He saved me how He raised me How He filled me with the Holy Ghost How He healed me…
Psalm 117 – In what is the shortest Psalm of all, believe it or not, Martin Luther wrote 36 pages on it! For although just a few verses it…
Psalm 116 – “Real trouble produces real prayer.” – Charles Spurgeon It’s a short and to the point prayer given. God who answers prayers will answer these current being…
Psalm 115 – Who will get the credit when God answers your prayer? Now, that’s a thought-provoking question, isn’t it? The Life Application Bible had this in the notes…
Psalm 114 – It is a story of release from captivity. Israel were under 400 years of imprisonment to a nation that was not their own. Through forced labor…
Psalm 113 – On the night of Jesus’ betrayal the scriptures tell us: “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” -…
Psalm 112 – There are many things God provides for His people who walk in obedience. Sometimes within the tangible but mostly in the emotional and strength to do…
Psalm 111 – Redemption: An act of redeeming or atoning for a fault or mistake; the state of being redeemed; deliverance, rescue; Within theology – deliverance from sin; salvation. …
Psalm 110 – Who was this mysterious man, Melchizedek? Well, we don’t know much. He appears briefly in Genesis 14:17-20, here in Psalm 110, and is mentioned several times…
Psalm 109 – Oh God, do not remain silent. David holds righteous indignation against those who are liars and slanderers. These are people driven by their pride and arrogance,…
Psalm 108 – Do you pray for rescue or victory? Right?!?! Just think a moment on this question. It’s quite telling as to where our mindset is when it…
Psalm 107 – Sometimes we get so overrun by a situation we can’t see the goodness of our God in the present. Sometimes we are so consumed by something…
Psalm 106 – “They exchanged their Glory…” Let’s talk a moment about the Glory of God. It is impossible to define. John Piper puts it this way: “The glory…
Psalm 105 – There are many a morning I am grateful for “God’s mercies being new every day”. I am beyond thankful for a “restart” after the previous was…
Psalm 104 – In beautiful form, the glory of God’s creation is reflected upon throughout this psalm. I found myself in awe while reading of the greatness of our…
Psalm 103 – As the phrase goes, “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it” refers to someone who must accept the results, usually unpleasant, of something they’ve done….
Psalm 102 – Standing looking at the state of life there are times we sigh and groan; we weep as the hurts, the sorrow has mounted. There is seemingly…
Psalm 101 – “When will You come for me?” Just let this question hover in your mind a moment. David’s prayer was to walk blamelessly before his God. Within…
Psalm 100 – Many people live as though they are the Masters of their Universe. Everything they do, everything they are, revolves around themselves. Decisions made, a life lived;…
Psalm 99 – “Oh, my God!” We hear people say this phrase all the time. I’m old enough to remember when it began slipping into television programs in the…
Psalm 98 – What would a new song to our eternal great God sound like? This question rambles in my thoughts as I consider my own prayers and what…
Psalm 97 – The holiness of God is great and vast. When God appeared on Mount Sinai it was always marked by a thick cloud on the mountain and…