Luke 1:39-56Responses to the Message Pastor Dave’s sermon this week continued the theme of “compare and contrast.” As for comparing, Elizabeth and Mary both received confirmation of what the angel Gabriel had said. Fetal John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb at the...
Luke 1:5-25Birth of John the Baptist Foretold Luke recounts the foretelling of John the Baptist’s birth (vv5-25) alongside the foretelling of Jesus’ birth (vv26-38), inviting us to compare the two events. The similarities emphasize the consistent ways in which God operates. The...
Luke 1:1-4Introduction We have finished our study of Kings in the Old Testament and turned our attention to Luke in the New, but it’s not the case that we are shifting gears completely. Pastor Dave emphasized that both are parts of the same redemptive story. Kings told us the “bad...
2 Kings 24:8-20The Exile of Judah Begins Way back in 1 Samuel 8, the people of Israel asked Samuel to appoint a king over them. The Lord instructed Samuel to warn them solemnly about what a king reigning over them would do, and Samuel did, in detail. Pastor Dave’s paraphrase was, “It...
2 Kings 23:31 – 24:9Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Jehoiachin We are down to the last few kings of Judah – these three and one more next week. As Pastor Dave rattled through the brief accounts of their reigns, he pointed out what they had in common. All three did evil in the sight of the...
2 Kings 23:1-30Josiah’s Reforms The Book of the Law, discovered during repairs to the temple, had a tremendous impact on King Josiah. He turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul. Guided by God’s word, he cleaned house, removing idol worship from his kingdom. The...
2 Kings 22:1-20Josiah Reigns in Judah Josiah receives the highest commendation from the writer of Kings: He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David. This week’s passage backs up that summary statement with a specific example. When the Book of the Law...
Merry ChristmasLuke 1:26-38 We are busy preparing for Christmas. The gifts have been purchased – most of them, anyway – but they need to be wrapped. Is it too late to ship gifts to Minnesota via UPS Ground? The Christmas tree is up, but don’t forget to stop at Home Depot for...
2 Kings 19:1-37Isaiah Reassures Hezekiah The Bible describes Hezekiah as a godly king, a standout, a faithful servant of the Lord. Pastor Dave asked, wouldn’t we love to have a reputation like Hezekiah’s? For sure! Dave organized his teaching on this week’s passage around seven...
2 Kings 17:24-41Assyria Resettles Samaria Pastor Dave surprised us all with his first title slide: John 4:4-42 Jesus the Savior Pursues SamariaHe was making the point that the Bible is one big story of God’s redemptive plan, which is illustrated by His dealings with the Samaritans. After...