Matthew 6.6 NLT 'But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.' Jesus was reacting against the people who made a great show of...
Matthew 6.3-4 NLT 'When you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.' Is there anything worse than hypocrisy? ...
Psalm 68.28 NLT 'Summon your might, O God. Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.' There’s a Russian proverb which says, “Dwell in the past and you’ll lose an eye. Forget the past and you’ll lose both eyes.” That’s a wise saying ...
Psalm 66.1-2 NLT 'Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is.' When we think about worship we will naturally focus on the church community with which we meet regularly. That...
Psalm 65.9 NLT 'You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so.' These days less than two percent of the populati...
Psalm 63.1 NLT 'O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.' This psalm was almost certainly penned by King David after he had...
Psalm 62.10 NLT 'If your wealth increases, don’t make it the centre of your life.' It’s interesting how often the issue of wealth comes up in the Bible. Psalm 112 gives an attractive picture of the person who follows the Lord. Such a person t...
Psalm 62.1-2 NLT 'I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will neve be shaken.' What’s the biggest challenge that you have faced in life? It may have been an illn...
Acts 17.32-34 NLT When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” That ended Paul’s discussion with them, but some joined him and became believ...
Acts 17.22-23 NLT Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription...
Acts 17.17-18 NLT 'He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers....
Acts 17.16 NLT 'While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city.' We have no reason to think that Paul intended to spend time in Athens. He was merely there for a few days whils...
Acts 17.11 NLT 'The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.' Every preache...
Acts 16.25-26 NLT 'Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations.' The ministry of Paul and...
Acts 16.15 NLT Lydia and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed. Paul’s first convert in Eur...
