Romans 1:17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. I once heard about a group of rowdy young people who had too much time on their hands and decided that it would be great f...
Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes – the Jew first and also the Gentile. We are told that the apostle Paul had a particularly unimpressive appearance. According...
Romans 1:9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. Prayer is a blessing in every way. It is how we communicate with God...
Romans 1:7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. Paul’s letter to the church in Rome is sometimes described as the Gospel according to Paul. It’s not a bad description because in this let...
Proverbs 20:29 The glory of the young is their strength; the grey hair of experience is the splendour of the old. Tension between the generations is not new. Aristotle, in the fourth century, commented: “When I look at the younger generation, I de...
Proverbs 20:20 If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness. Family relationships were of central concern to the writer of Proverbs. The incredibly harsh language that he uses in this particular proverb sho...
Proverbs 19:28 A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. Justice is a persistent theme throughout the Bible, because it is one of the characteristics of God. He loves justice. This is beautifully descr...
Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives. The word ‘discipline’ has a harsh ring to it, but the writer of the Proverbs is clear that it is absolutely essential for every parent to know how t...
Proverbs 18:4 Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook. If you look at the history of many communities, you will find that settlements originally grew up in close proximity to a river, brook or spring. The...
Proverbs 17:5 Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished. Every society has poor people and Jesus affirmed that that would always be the case. But that doesn’t mean that we should be...
Proverbs 17:4 Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander. The book of Proverbs was written more than 2,500 years ago, but the issues that it tackles are so up to date that you could easily imagine it was written yest...
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. It has been estimated that as many as 20 per cent of the paintings held by Britain’s major museums may...
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. On the face it, we are looking at three impossible commands here. Being continually joyful...
1 Thessalonians 5:14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. Although the leaders of the church in Thessalonica had a particula...
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 Dear brothers and sisters, honour those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. Leaders were a...
