John 10 – A shepherd’s job is quite a task. They have the responsibility of making sure their sheep are safe; must know how many they have…
The Renovation Blog
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John 9 – He had never seen the sunrise, witnessed a smile; never in his life had he been able to see the flowers of which he smelled…
John 8 – They set a trap. The teachers and Pharisees thought they had Jesus cornered as they first baited the woman to commit…
John 7 – There is a thirst within every human. There’s a drive and longing that is there beyond what we ourselves are capable of finding…
John 6 – It’s way too easy to get focused on the tangible things before us rather than the spiritual that God is doing in the middle of it…
John 5 – For 38 years the man wanted to be healed. He had joined many others who gathered around a pool of water in Bethesda day…
John 4 – The Gospel is for all people. No matter what their race, title, social position, identity, past sins may be – the redemptive work…
John 3 – I love, love, love this chapter. It is completely packed with unreal truths and conversations. We’re first introduced to Nicodemus…
John 2 – In ancient times, weddings were week-long events. Imagine. Now a day’s people put months and months into such planning…
John 1 – “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14 From timeless eternity, God was there. Jesus was there. The Trinity was…
Esther 10 – 3 short verses sum up this chapter and bring a close to an amazing story of Esther and God’s providence. It’s so encouraging to…
Esther 9 – The day arrived. The irreversible edict Haman connived and duped the king to sign had come. The edict King Xerxes approved…
Esther 8 – Haman impaled on the very gallows he’d built for Mordecai still left a problem. The edict of the slaughter of the Jews still stood…
Esther 7 – “Lord my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me apart like a lion…
Esther 6 – “If the book of Esther shows us anything, it shows us that God manages the affairs of men, without their knowledge…
Esther 5 – “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you…” –Obadiah 3:3 Prayer and fasting led Esther to act. It was probably one of…
Esther 4 – Sometimes we are called to make hard decisions. Sometimes we are compelled to speak truth or confront where loss…
Esther 3 – Every story and needs a villain and here we have a doozy of an individual. Haman the Agagite, serves the king. He’s also a…
Esther 2 – “Exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and…
Esther 1 – The year is 483 BC. 100 and some years have passed since the Jewish people were taken into exile. The first wave of people had…
Nehemiah 13 – As the saying goes, “While the cats away…” The book of Nehemiah ends with quite a flurry of activity that is not only surprising…
Nehemiah 12 – “When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter…
Nehemiah 11 – Although the walls were complete around Jerusalem, the city itself was a ghost town. The exiles who had returned and settled…
Nehemiah 10 – Repair. Rebuild. Reinforce. Physically things had come together and were complete with the walls of Jerusalem. God was not…
Nehemiah 9 – “But You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness; and You did not…
Nehemiah 8 – With Ezra by his side, the people gathered as one and listened to the Word of God being read. It was the first in many…
Nehemiah 7 – “Then I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot, and while they are standing guard, let…
Nehemiah 6 – Nehemiah is determined to fulfill the Lord’s work and rebuild the walls despite facing every obstacle imaginable thus far…
Nehemiah 5 – The work stopped. On the tail end of such a great victory when the people were motivated, working alongside one another to…
Nehemiah 4 – Discouragement is a terrible thing. The insidious feeling of being overrun and fighting defeat sinks to one’s bones…
Nehemiah 3 – Nehemiah made it to Jerusalem. At night he went out and inspected the walls to see what he was facing of this massive task that…
Nehemiah 2 – “So I prayed to the God of heaven. I said to the king…” Smack in the middle of a conversation, Nehemiah prayed…
Nehemiah 1 – Brokenness surrounds us. Many times it is overwhelming. Marriages are in disarray. Addictions drive the addict to things they…
Hebrews 13 – The letter was addressed to first-century Believers but the effects of the words still resonate. The author has made one thing clear…
Hebrews 12 – The word ‘therefore’ is an adverb used to introduce a new line of thought as a conclusion to something previously stated…
Hebrews 11 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”– Hebrews 11:1 “By faith…
Hebrews 10 – Persevere in the life Christ has called you. Do not give up hope. Do not get lost in your struggle with sin. Do not become…
Hebrews 9 – “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect…
Hebrews 8 – Jesus became the New Covenant between man and God. His sacrifice took away our sin. He is a better mediator between us than…
Hebrews 7 – Genesis 14 has a mysterious individual make an appearance who only is mentioned within a few short verses. Melchizedek was a…
Hebrews 6 – An anchor is essential in the high waters and rough seas. Without it securely and deeply planted you’ll never stay where you intend…
Hebrews 5 – A high priest according to the Law of Moses specific role was to bring the gifts and sacrifices before God for an individual’s and…
Hebrews 4 – The Bible is a dangerous book. It exposes our hearts, reveals our motives and calls us continually to be transformed. Like a…
Hebrews 3 – Consider… Jesus is our high priest. Through this remarkable title and act only He is worthy of He has taken in us in as his own…
Hebrews 2 – The world is full of all kinds of spiritual teachings and thoughts. Sadly many of these have flowed within the faith. Due to the fact…
Hebrews 1 – Written before the destruction of the temple in 70 AD the author of the Hebrews is unknown. The initial audience was to the Jews…
Malachi 4 – I hadn’t really given much time or thought about this last chapter of Malachi. And then it struck me. These were the last words…
Malachi 3 – The Lord told Malachi he would send 2 messengers. The fulfillment of these was through John the Baptist who prepared the way…
Malachi 2 – God comes after the priests. They weren’t honoring His name in their duties as well as at their home. They had failed to set their…
Malachi 1 – Malachi is the last of the prophets in the Old Testament. In fact, when his voice ceased, over 400 years passed before God spoke…
Zechariah 14 – “And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.”…
Zechariah 13 – “There’s a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from Immanuel’s veins, And sinners plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty…
Zechariah 12 – Some call it Armageddon. Others refer to it as the Great Final Battle. It is the time prophesied here and through other prophets…
Zechariah 11 – A shepherd’s role is pretty important. His job is to first and foremost care for the sheep of his. This involves leading them to…
Zechariah 10 – “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” – Ephesians 6:10 Standing strong in the face of difficulty is one of the…
Zechariah 9 – We call it Palm Sunday. It’s the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to much celebration. Within this prophecy, we have…
Zechariah 8 – Small beginnings – we often tend to overlook things that are so small yet critical steps toward something being fulfilled…
Zechariah 7 – But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. They made their…
Zechariah 6 – The horse’s hooves hit the ground hard, riding with all their might. Saddled behind were chariots holding four spirits going out…
Zechariah 5 – A flying scroll and woman in a basket – what does this mean? Given a strange vision, Zechariah knew this spoke of things to…
Zechariah 4 – Zechariah woke with a start. Before him were lampstands and olive trees. A strange pairing that in the end this vision would…
Zechariah 3 – It’s one of the most fascinating and disturbing pictures. Satan had dressed Joshua the high priest in filthy rags and brought him…
Zechariah 2 – Firewall – an event, person or thing that acts as a barrier or protection against something undesirable. In this second vision…
Zechariah 1 – The future – we consider this very vast uncharted territory from time to time with somberness. Yes, we look toward our future…
Zephaniah 3 – The opening message of doom found in Zephaniah ends with that of hope. It holds words of rescue, restoration and celebration…
Zephaniah 2 – “Before the decree takes effect…”Zephaniah 2:2 The announcement of God’s judgment echoed in the first chapter of Zephaniah…
Zephaniah 1 – The prophet Zephaniah was most unusual as he was from the lineage of royalty, specifically King Hezekiah. His name means…
Nahum 3 – The proud Nineveh is ripe for judgment here as the final chapter of Nahum speaks toward the demise and sins of this…
Nahum 2 – Nahum’s prophecy of the destruction of Nineveh begins. This chapter speaks specifically of its fall and what that will look like but…
Nahum 1 – 100 years had passed since Jonah walked the streets of Nineveh and proclaimed God’s Word of repentance. 100 years of new…
Haggai 2 – It was a dramatic moment; A dramatic change for God’s people. The sin from the people’s past had hindered them but now…
Haggai 1 – Many times we bankrupt our lives. We pursue things that are unfulfilling; invest in things that hold no return; waste and squander…
Habakkuk 3 – Questions are answered. Habakkuk’s choice and action are critical. His prayer simple: Revive us. Revive Your work in the midst of…
Habakkuk 2 – “The righteous shall live by his faith.” – Habakkuk 2:4 God answered Habakkuk and in essence it was, “I’ve heard you. I’m at work…
Habakkuk 1 – There are times we all have questions. Many of these questions go to the heart of things as we look at our world, our life even…
Micah 7 – “My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more…
Micah 6 – Standing in a courtroom are the people of Israel. God the Judge stands behind the desk. “Plead your case…” he opens up…
Micah 5 – 700 years before the birth of Christ, Micah was given one of the clearest prophecies of His coming. In fact, when he was…
Micah 4 – There is a time we long for. A time when there will be no more tears, no more wars, peace will be a constant. We long…
Micah 3 – Poverty was driving the people into an early grave. Those responsible for this were none other than the leadership of the nation…
Micah 2 – Premeditated sin – this is the topic here as Micah opens up with some pretty harsh statements to these who think and plot against the character…
Micah 1 – Micah was a bold speaker of God’s Word much like his contemporary Isaiah, who was around the same time as himself. His message directed mainly at…
Jonah 4 – Pity Parties – we’ve all thrown them. We feel sorry for ourselves, we become angry over something; things didn’t go our way…
Jonah 3 – We serve a God of second chances. In fact, it seems we serve a God of numerous ones! The entire calling Jonah fled from…
Jonah 2 – I’m struck with the reality God spared Jonah’s life. His rebellion against the call placed upon him we’d think God would be done…
Jonah 1 – Nineveh – on the world stage of mid 750 BC, it was a rising and dominant power. Some 500 miles east of Israel, ancient historians say…
Obadiah 1 – The shortest book of the Old Testament, Obadiah’s words go out against Edom, blood relatives of Israel from Esau…
Amos 9 – In the final chapter of Amos and from the 5th vision of Amos, destruction, and ruin for Israel is foretold. There will be nowhere to hide…
Amos 8 – I used to have a friend who said, “If you’re green – you’ll grow. If you’re ripe – you’ll rot.” This statement has stuck with me…
Amos 7 – This chapter looks like a story right out of Jeremiah’s life. The prophet Amos has 3 visions – locusts, fire, and plumb line. Representing God’s destruction…
Amos 6 – It’s an unnoticed disease that creeps upon most unexpectedly. The tentacles of self-satisfaction, self-reliance begin to grip the mind and heart ever so slowly. Once its…
Amos 5 – In a move that would be shocking to the listeners, Amos sings a song of lament, a dirge of Israel who is fallen. The irony is…
Amos 4 – “…But you didn’t notice me. You continued to ignore me.” – Amos 4:10 The Message It’s almost as though God is saying in this chapter, “What’s…
Amos 3 – In an interesting opening, God poses rhetorical questions. Stating Israel is that of chosen family to Him, He is responding like one would in such a…
Amos 2 – Chapters 1 and 2 proclaim God’s judgment proclaimed against the enemies of Israel. As the hearers of these prophecies, the people probably rejoiced that God was…
Amos 1 – Often when we think of a man of God, they come with a title. We tend to place people with the label of minister or reverend…
Joel 3 – “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.”– Joel 3:14 This short book climaxes…
Joel 2 – There is a warning, a bold call to repentance and promise found in this chapter. Joel foresees and speaks of the devastation coming to the land…
Joel 1 – In this short and powerful book, the prophet Joel calls the nation to repent. Only referenced one other time in Scripture by Peter during a sermon,…
Hosea 14 – As the book of Hosea comes to a close, it is a powerful reminder of the relentless love and forgiveness God offers to all. Hosea had…