Tag: Bible questions.

December 1, 2025

December 1st, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 23

Highlight Verse:

““What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The word “hypocrites” occurs 6 times in this chapter. It literally means “actor.”

The teachers of religious law and Pharisees that Jesus dealt with were fakes and they knew it.

They played their parts for fame, importance, and wealth, not because they believed what they taught.

Maybe they started out believing, but the temptation of wealth and fame pulled them out of their faith and into their roles as perpetuators of a shallow legalistic faith.

Today, legalism remains a major factor driving people away from true faith.

I know several people who rejected church when they ran into judgmental attitudes. Some of them went as far as rejecting Jesus.

Worse, I’ve seen some get sucked into legalism to the point that they start driving others away.

Mind you, I am not advocating ignoring sin.

I am advocating bringing people to life through faith. If they have a genuine relationship with Jesus, they will seek to live a more holy life to get closer to Him.

Have you struggled with legalistic people in your life?
Have you struggled against becoming legalistic yourself? What do you do to keep your faith genuine?
November 30, 2025

November 30th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 147-150

Highlight Verse:

“Sing out your thanks to the Lord; sing praises to our God with a harp.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I heard long ago that if God gave to a good voice, you should sing out loud and thank him for it.

If he gave you a terrible voice, you should sing out louder and get even.

I don’t know about that last part, but I know that we are commanded to sing both thanks and praise.

Ever since I was told that funny phrase above, I have been unashamed to be heard singing.

I’ve never had a great voice, but I am certain that God is honored when I seek to praise Him with it.

It doesn’t matter if you have the vocal cords of an angel or could compete with an alley cat, God wants to hear our voices, bringing our best to honor Him.

He rewards that effort with joy.

Is there anything keeping you from praising and thanking God through song?
What could you thank God for in song today?

In case you are wondering, today I thank God for His amazing creation. He could have made things and people and animals plain, simple, compliant, and easy. Instead, He made life challenging, beautiful, exciting, and interesting. I thank God for that even on the days when the challenging parts seem to take over.

Image credit – ChatGPT (I promise this is the last turkey image I use this year)
November 29, 2025

November 29th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Thursday delayed – Letters

Reading – 1 Timothy 4

Highlight Verse:

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I like lists.

Here’s a good one about how to lead people in Christ by being an example:

• In what you say.
• In how you live.
• In your love.
• In your faith.
• And in your purity.

If you stay faithful to those principles, no one could refute you honestly.

Instead, those who are honestly seeking truth will follow your lead.

How would you best choose to lead?
Have you seen these principles lived out?
November 28, 2025

November 28th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Ezekiel 7-9

Highlight Verse:

“The king and the prince will stand helpless, weeping in despair, and the people’s hands will tremble with fear. I will bring on them the evil they have done to others, and they will receive the punishment they so richly deserve. Then they will know that I am the Lord.””
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭7‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I really wanted to find a hopeful verse in today’s passage.

Not much of that to find.

Except for those who received a mark for their repentant attitude in chapter 9, it was too late.

Perhaps they were some of the people in this verse who finally realized who God was.

For everyone else, they could only wish they had figured it out before the bearers of death confronted them.

The story is the same today.

Granted, Jerusalem isn’t captured by the Babylonians.

But every human being will someday realize that God exists and reigns supreme.

Some will repent when they figure it out.

Some will go through their lives in denial or rebellion and step beyond death’s door only to realize their folly too late.

For them, like in this passage, there is no hope.

But while we breathe, there is hope.

That hope is anchored in the sacrifice that Jesus already made and willingly offers to us.

It is the antithesis of today’s reading to those who have accepted this hope.

For those who have not accepted that hope, we need to shine the light of that hope in such a way that it is undeniable and pray that they would be able to see that light before it is too late for them.

If you haven’t yet accepted that hope, what is holding you back?
If you have accepted it, what are you doing to shine the light of hope to those around you?
November 27, 2025

November 27th, 2025

Thanksgiving Day – Special Reading (I’ll cover today’s normal reading Saturday)

Reading Psalm 136:1-9

Highlight Verse:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭136‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Happy Thanksgiving.

Instead of the usual devotion today, after you read today’s reading, please comment what you are thankful to God for today.

I’ll start:

Of all things, today I’m thankful for transportation.

Airplanes and automobiles are bringing my two older daughters and their husbands to visit today!

Two of their grandparents will be by today as well for a beautiful family time.

Tomorrow, my wife’s faithful Subaru will take us to Nebraska to see another grandparent and other relatives.

I’ll admit, I was prompted to give thanks for transportation because I spent much of yesterday afternoon and evening working on my not so faithful (very old) pickup truck.

Me yesterday

Even though that job was difficult and still isn’t all the way done, I was thankful for the experience (though you wouldn’t have known it from my grumbling as I battled stuck ball joints).

I learned from the difficulties and succeeded (halfway so far) despite the stuck parts.

Now I plan on enjoying the presence of family and some really good food.

I pray that you may find joy in all that Thanksgiving brings you – both in the holiday and the state of mind.

Remember to comment with what you are thankful for!
November 26, 2025

November 26th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Kings 1

Highlight Verses:

“the king said to them, “Take Solomon and my officials down to Gihon Spring. Solomon is to ride on my own mule. There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. Blow the ram’s horn and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’”
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭1‬:‭33‬-‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did you know that King David was not the King of Israel at his death?

While most kings of that era reigned until death, that was because most were killed in battle.

David was different.

He survived Absalom’s coup.

He and his armies were so strong that no one dared fight him anymore.

At the time of today’s passage, he still had a sound mind, but his body was failing him.

He wisely heeded advice and appointed Solomon as king just in time.

While many would have help on to power until their last breath, David wisely kept the well being of Israel in mind, making sure the next king would be the wisest of his sons.

Sometimes we are forced to decide between our pride and God’s mission.

We could hang on to our successful past, refusing to let someone else take over what we spent years building.

But sometimes it is best to hand the reins over to someone who could build on our success to take what we’ve do to the next level.

Have you ever stepped aside to let the next wave or generation of leader take over?

Was it a good or bad experience? Explain.
November 25, 2025

November 25th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 26

Highlight Verse:

““Make another curtain for the entrance to the sacred tent. Make it of finely woven linen and embroider it with exquisite designs, using blue, purple, and scarlet thread.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭26‬:‭36‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The theme for today’s reading seems to be to give your best and most beautiful for the house of God.

In fact, passages like this are sometimes cited to encourage people to wear their “Sunday best” clothing to church.

I don’t think this passage applies directly to that, though it’s not a bad idea. Honestly, for me it’s nice blue jeans and a good inspiring T-shirt for church in the hope that it helps newcomers feel more at-ease.

I would say that this passage supports the idea of bringing our best to God and His ministry.

In other words, ministry should not be an afterthought.

We should do whatever we can to lead people to Jesus.

This, of course, should start at home. We should never neglect time with our families.

The problem is that many people neglect ministry, leaving it to “professionals” rather than taking on their own portion of it.

We were meant to be partners in the work of God, not consumers.

We should give our best efforts to bring about the best change in the lives of those around us.

If you do, don’t be surprised at the blessings that will come your way as well.

Are you plugged into ministry at church or in another group?
In what ways have you been blessed as you do your part?
November 24, 2025

November 24th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 22

Highlight Verse:

“No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭46‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today I’m thankful that Jesus answers every time I ask Him questions (usually through His Word).

Today’s verse is a good reminder of the importance of context.

Jesus had just refuted the ill-intended questions of the Sadducees and Pharisees.

After that, people stopped try to trap Him with trick questions.

He never stopped taking questions and teaching His disciples.

He is still teaching us today.

Sometimes understanding Jesus’ teachings can be intimidating. Like the Pharisees and Sadducees, we fear that Jesus might have to change the way we think about things.

In fact, He might turn our lives upside-down.

Because of that, we may shy away from digging deeper into His teaching.

If only the Sadducees and Pharisees had realized the truth found in Jesus, they might have found life and joy.

If only we would embrace all of Jesus’ teaching, we might make our joy complete!

Are there parts of the Gospel that you shy away from for fear they might change your life?
How would your life be different if you accepted all of Jesus’ teachings?
November 23, 2025

November 23rd, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 144-146

Highlight Verse:

“But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭146‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sometimes answers are simple.

You want joy? Put your hope in God.

Of course, a simple answer is not always easy to live out.

Sometimes hope is hard to find.

Sometimes life is so easy that hope seems unnecessary.

But I guarantee that if you keep your eyes on Jesus through the good and the bad and everything in between, your joy will overflow to the point that you can’t contain it. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

What tends to distract you from the hope and joy of God?
Have you experienced that joy in the midst of a horrible time? Tell us about it.
November 22, 2025

November 22nd, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Proverbs 15

Highlight Verse:

“The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today I’m thankful that God is always watching out for me.

Santa is not a popular character in our home. The whole idea of some fat old guy in a red suit watching you when you’re sleeping is just a little disturbing.

It’s also a little bit disturbing to think of the fact that all our smart phones and smart speakers are also listening to us all the time.

I’d be bothered by it until I remember that if anyone is listening to me all day, they’re going to be awfully bored.

God is not a stalker or spy. But He is interested in every moment of our lives.

When I was young, I pictured Him as an old judge looking for me to mess up so He could throw the book at me.

God’s primary relationship with us is not a judge but a caring Father. When He looks at His children, it is with eyes of love. He sees our highest potential and every facet of our character.

We may fall short but, when we put on the sacrifice of Jesus, He sees only our best.

If we are willing to follow His leading, He will help us become the best versions of ourselves.

Along the way, He is willing to protect and guide us as we learn the difficult lessons on the path that leads to our best selves.

Are you willing to allow Him to guide you through all the lessons, even the tough ones?
What is the most recent lesson He has brought you through?

Tag: Bible questions.

The word “hypocrites” occurs 6 times in this chapter. It literally means “actor.”

Today, legalism remains a major factor driving people away from true faith.

I am advocating bringing people to life through faith. If they have a genuine relationship with Jesus, they will seek to live a more holy life to get closer to Him.

I don’t know about that last part, but I know that we are commanded to sing both thanks and praise.

I’ve never had a great voice, but I am certain that God is honored when I seek to praise Him with it.

He rewards that effort with joy.

I like lists.

If you stay faithful to those principles, no one could refute you honestly.

I really wanted to find a hopeful verse in today’s passage.

But while we breathe, there is hope.

It is the antithesis of today’s reading to those who have accepted this hope.

Of all things, today I’m thankful for transportation.

I learned from the difficulties and succeeded (halfway so far) despite the stuck parts.

I pray that you may find joy in all that Thanksgiving brings you – both in the holiday and the state of mind.

Did you know that King David was not the King of Israel at his death?

He wisely heeded advice and appointed Solomon as king just in time.

But sometimes it is best to hand the reins over to someone who could build on our success to take what we’ve do to the next level.

The theme for today’s reading seems to be to give your best and most beautiful for the house of God.

I would say that this passage supports the idea of bringing our best to God and His ministry.

We were meant to be partners in the work of God, not consumers.

Today I’m thankful that Jesus answers every time I ask Him questions (usually through His Word).

He is still teaching us today.

If only we would embrace all of Jesus’ teaching, we might make our joy complete!

You want joy? Put your hope in God.

Today I’m thankful that God is always watching out for me.

God is not a stalker or spy. But He is interested in every moment of our lives.

If we are willing to follow His leading, He will help us become the best versions of ourselves.