Luke 1:67-80: The Way of Peace

Luke 1:67-80, Ephesians 3:1-13, Psalm 119:33-40, 1 Kings 8 Luke 1:67-80: Now is Zechariah’s song, and it is structured around the “visitation” (1:68, 78) that Zechariah saw that God was bringing about through his prophet John, and was in fulfillment of the Old Testament promises and prophecies (Genesis 50:24, 25). Christ shall be a “horn of salvation” (1:69:…

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Luke 1:57-66: The Hand of the Lord

Ephesians 2:11-22, Psalm 119:25-32, Luke 1:57-66, 1 Kings 6-7  Luke 1:57-66: Now it is Elizabeth’s turn to give birth. Her neighbors hear of the extraordinary birth—to one so old (Luke 1:18)—and they rejoice with her (1:58). Note when someone else has great mercy shown to them, some extraordinary blessing or other, our response is to be joy…

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Luke 1:39-56: God My Savior

Luke 1:39-56, Ephesians 2:1-10, Psalm 119:17-24, 1 Kings 4-5 Luke 1:39-56: Mary is so excited about the news that she has to go and tell Elizabeth. As soon as she enters the house—crying out eagerly for Elizabeth—the baby in Elizabeth’s womb hears the greeting and leaps for joy. John the Baptist, in Elizabeth’s womb, is already performing his…

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Luke 1:26-38: Incarnate

1 Kings 2-3, Luke 1:26-38, Ephesians 1:15-23, Psalm 119:9-16 Luke 1:26-38: How different is the response for Mary than for Zechariah! Mary is a virgin and is favored by God. The Lord is with her. When the angel comes to her and speaks these words, the young woman is understandably “afraid.” When she is told that the…

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Luke 1:1-25: The Certainty

1 Kings 1, Psalm 119:1-8, Luke 1:1-25, Ephesians 1:1-14 Luke 1:1-25: The Gospel of Luke is written by a medical doctor, who was a companion of Paul’s, for a specific purpose: “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (1:4). In other words, the point that Luke is making, and seeking to establish, is…

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The 4 Loves of a Healthy Church

by Dr. Josh Moody What makes a church healthy? This is importantly distinguished from what makes a church a true church. That would be a subject for another article. But if we assume that the church we are attending, or thinking about, is a true church, then what is it that makes a church more (or less) healthy?…

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May 26-31, 2025

In keeping with the Bible reading plan we are using, the last days of each month are designated as “free days.” May 26-31 then are intended to allow you to catch up on reading you may have missed or to study passages more in depth that intrigued you during the first 25 days of the month.…

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Mark 16: Go, Tell

2 Samuel 23-24, Psalm 118, Mark 16, Galatians 6 Mark 16: The end of Mark’s Gospel is famous for the second half of chapter 16 being—as the modern translations put it—“Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9-20.” We will focus on the first half of the chapter, therefore, show why it holds its own integrity on…

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Mark 15:42-47: Dead and Buried, but Not the End of the Story

2 Samuel 22, Psalm 117, Mark 15:42-47, Galatians 5:13-26 Mark 15:42-47: This passage informs us of the burial and the burial place of Jesus, showing us where he was buried. It helps us with the apologetic that perhaps the disciples went to the wrong tomb when we realize that his burial place was known. Joseph of Arimathea, a…

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Mark 15:33-41: The Curtain of the Temple

2 Samuel 20-21, Psalm 116, Mark 15:33-41, Galatians 5:1-12 Mark 15:33-41: Every part of this final ultimate moment is filled with significance. The darkness all over the land signifies the momentous event about to take place—the disturbance in the heavens, the wrath of God being displayed against the sin of man, and the atoning sacrifice that Christ is…

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