The people of God in Jeremiah were on the precipice of judgment. The Babylonians would soon come and take them into captivity. In the face of difficulty the word of the Lord through Jeremiah once again confronts Israel as to their faith. Will they trust in themselves, or will they submit to the Lord? By contrasting two types of tree, the prophet Jeremiah points to the reality of the choices we make in regard to trust, as well as the outcomes of that choice.

One of Jeremiah’s key themes is that of tearing down and building up. In this passage the prophet Jeremiah seeks to tear down Israel’s inappropriate attraction to idols while building up their vision of God. God, unlike the useless idols of the world, is the unique, living, and eternal king who is worthy of Judah’s worship, as well as ours.

One of the great challenges of every age is understanding how we relate to and enjoy a relationship with the God of the universe. One of the most common responses to this desire is to be religious. Religion is an attempt to engage with and practice devotion to God. But is religion helpful in this pursuit? What is the way to engage with God? In Jeremiah 7 we get a strong warning about the dangers of being religious in pursuit, but being devoid of a relationship with God in practice. In this section of Scripture God gives us a strong warning about the folly of religiosity without a genuine relationship with him.

We live in a world that is full of despair. At a personal, community, and global level our world is full of hardship and difficulty. Our situation, of course, is nothing new. It is in a similar context that God called a prophet named Jeremiah to speak words of judgment and hope. In the opening of the book of Jeremiah we see God’s calling of the prophet and are reminded again, that no matter how difficult our circumstances God’s presence brings us confidence.

At the end of God’s great redemptive story is the promise of eternal life in heaven with him. But what is the nature of that eternal life? For my people heaven appears boring, mysterious, and vague. In this section of Revelation we get a great vision of God’s glorious plans for his children.

As the Scriptures unfold the picture of God’s plans become clearer. With the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, Christians now have a message to proclaim. It is not a message of self-help, its a message of God’s wonderful offer of forgiveness which now comes through Jesus.

In God’s unfolding story we continue to see God’s plan coming to pass through ordinary people. In 2 Samuel we see David graciously engaging with king David through promising to establish through him the one who will bring about God’s eternal plans.

There are not many topics that are more interesting yet less clear for us than Angels and Demons? Do they exist? If so, what do they do? Should I be afraid? What role if any should the unseen realm play in my day-to-day life? How do we think about Angels and Demons in light of the good news of Jesus?

An often thankless task, Motherhood and motherly love are wonderful gifts God gives. In Luke 1, we reflect on the announcement of Jesus’s birth given to Mary. In this passage we will see that God uses ordinary everyday faith and obedience to change the world.

The Bible is the most influential book in History. Though containing 66 books, and written by over 40 authors, the Bible actually reflects one larger story, the story of God and his purpose for his creation. In Genesis 1:1–2:3 we have a big picture of not only who God is, but who we are as his creation, and the purpose for our being. Genesis 1:1–2:3 provides us with the opening act of the unfolding good and perfect plan of God.

Before his ascension Jesus commissioned his followers to take the good news message out to the world. But what does that look like? What does it look for a modern follower to be a disciple of Jesus? What is our mission as the people of God. In Matthew 28:16–20 Jesus calls not only the eleven disciples, but all of us who know him to take his good news to the world.

The resurrection of Jesus is central to Christian hope. Three days after the brutal arrest and death of Jesus the most glorious of statements is made by angelic hosts. ‘He has risen!’ The resurrection of Jesus changes everything. Hope in the midst of chaos, life in the face of death, victory over the powers of sin and death. All of this comes, ‘just as he said.’ Because Jesus’s word is sure we can trust his promises for our futures.

Rejection and betrayal hurts deeply. In this account Jesus is rejected by a friend, his disciples, and a large crowd. This betrayal, however, is part of God’s larger plan that will bring not rejection, but reconciliation for rebels.

The second coming of Jesus Christ is the subject of interest to many. When will he return? Are we living in the last days just before his return? What should we expect when he returns? In Matthew 24 Jesus assures his disciples of his return and shapes both our expectation of when that will occur and how we should live in the meantime.

There are no more significant questions that we should think about than ‘where we will spend eternity?’ In this account Jesus gives us certainty as to how we can enter into his Kingdom.

In the chaos and noise of the world it is easy to become overwhelmed, distracted, and confused. In the midst of this how can we remain connected with God and cultivate a relationship with him. In this unique section of Matthew’s gospel we get an astonishing vision of Jesus that calls us to awaken from spiritual slumber as we see his majesty revealed.

Central to our nature is the desire to be valued and known. In this section of 2 Corinthians the Apostle helps us re-frame how we think about the location of our worth and value. This value is not found inherently in our efforts or achievements, but in recognizing God’s power shown in our short-comings.

We live in a world that raises serious questions about truth. People are skeptical about news on social media, news from sources of authority, news that is ‘fake'. In 2 Corinthians 11:1–30 Paul strongly defends the importance of truth, and in particular he defends the truth of the gospel as the basis for genuine Christian ministry. In this sections he condemns falsehood and then reveals the surprising nature of what true gospel ministry looks like, namely, weakness.

In a world of such chaos it is easy to become overwhelmed, sad, and despairing. Yet into this broken chaotic world God entered and took on flesh. In the angel’s announcement in Luke 2:10–11 we find reasons why we can have joy, even in the midst of our broken world.

In the Bible having a good relationship with God is described in a few ways. God’s people are ‘redeemed’ reflecting the idea of payment. God’s people are ‘justified’ reflecting the idea of justice. In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul is going to emphasize a new idea of ‘reconciliation’ which reflects the idea of restoring a broken relationship. In this passage we have the astonishing good news that we can have a good relationship with God and are called to share this news with others.