I haven’t posted anything since Friday, and for that I apologize. I try to post about 6-10 articles per week. To put it bluntly, that will not happen this week. There will be a couple of posts, but I am just working on some other things, and I have decided to put the blog in a secondary role this week. Just thought you’d like to know. Also, I have been working on my Facebook page. If you have an account, add me as a friend!

1. Psalm 87 is a very brief psalm expressing the special place reserved for Jerusalem in God’s covenant with His people. It also looks forward to a day when other nations come to recognize Who God is and worship Him. 2. “His foundation” (NASB) means, more literally, “His founded city.” Jerusalem was a city God brought to prominence as He set it up as the place of the temple. 3. Verse 2 is not implying that God did not love other cities or the inhabitants of those locations. It is saying that Jerusalem, because it held the temple, had a special place in God’s heart. 4. If ever a verse…

After reading and reviewing the first two volumes of Joseph Parker’s sermons on Matthew, it may seem like “overkill” to review the 3rd and final volume. This post won’t be long, but I did want to give some insight into the volume. As with volumes one and two, the sermons are quite difficult to understand. My major frustration with the sermons was that they were introduced as “exegetical,” and were supposed to be so thorough that it would feel as if you were reading a commentary. That simply is not the case. Mr. Parker finds a phrase he likes and preaches on that phrase for quite some time–usually half of…

1. This psalm contains a list of prayer requests from David. It is obvious that David is distressed, and asks God for several things. There are about 14 requests in the psalm. 2. The first request is common to many of the psalms, and that is that God will listen to the prayer. David continues verse 1 by giving us some indication of his status: “I am afflicted and needy.” 3. In verse 2 David asks for God’s preservation, but he also points out that he is a righteous man. I don’t think this is coming from a place of arrogance; rather, David is trying to “make a case” before…

As a new 30-something (Wednesday was my 30th birthday), it is good to work with young people. They keep me young in many ways, and, if nothing else, they help me stay somewhat in shape! How else can it be explained that they never can beat me in wiffle-ball? This weekend we are taking a great group to Freed-Hardeman University for RUSH (stands for “Reaching Unlimited Spiritual Heights”). This is a youth rally on the campus of that good school. We have 17 going from 9th Avenue, including several adults. I’m so thankful for the young people who attend these trips, but I’m so very thankful for our adults who…

From A Child You Have Known The Sacred Writings From: iluvleah9, 2 minutes ago This presentation was used in a teen Bible class, and is based on lesson 2 of the Lads to Leaders PEARLS book. Zachary Cox wrote the chapter.

Godly Women From: iluvleah9, 23 hours ago This presentation was used in a teen Bible class and is based upon the Lads to Leaders PEARLS book, lesson 1. Glenn and Cindy Colley wrote the first lesson.

A short while ago, we reviewed the Lads to Leaders PEARLS book for 2007-2008, entitled Hold Fast to That Which is Good. Currently, I am teaching from this book on Wednesday nights, and I am trying to make a PowerPoint presentation for each of the 13 lessons. I am uploading them all to SlideShare for people to see. I am also trying a new feature from SlideShare that lets me “post” these slideshows as articles on my blog. I hope this works where you can see these shows. (Please note that, in the transfer process, SlideShare moves certain things or even changes colors of fonts, so there are often some…

1. This psalm is a tribute, in some ways, to God’s love. The poets–the sons of Korah–realize that God is currently angry with His people, but has been patient and merciful in the past. From this, they write that God will be merciful again by restoring His people. 2. Verses 1-3 are an historical reminder of God’s past dealings with Israel. While they sinned previously, God was always willing to forgive and protect them. Verse 3 shows us that the poets knew that God could be greatly angered. 3. After that short “review,” the prayer for restoration begins in verse 4. In some way God has shown His people that…

This article is an “unfinished” list. There are literally dozens of reasons to read the Bible. To help you get a list started, and, hopefully, to motivate all of us to read the Bible more, I offer the following reasons. 1. It is how God speaks to us today. The time of miracles has past (cf. First Corinthians 12-14), but God still communicates with His children. Hebrews 11:1-2 reminds us that God has “in these last days spoken to us through His Son.” If we want to hear the Message from God, we will open His Word and “listen.” 2. It contains the story of the greatest life ever lived.…