March 13, 2022
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Zechariah 7-8
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exposition
God cares more about heart transformation than He does our traditions. If our religious traditions come from hearts that have been transformed by the love of Jesus, then they are pleasing to Him. But if we’re just going through the motions and doing what we’ve always done without any heart change, then they do not please Him. God is looking for transformed hearts.
In Zechariah 7-8, the Lord turned the Jewish exiles’ question about their tradition of fasting into an examination of the real spiritual issue, namely, that their religious traditions were worthless without transformation of the heart. What God was really looking for was heart change. God is still looking for people who will humble themselves in repentance and submit their hearts to His transforming power.
March 6, 2022
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Zechariah 5:1-6:15
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exposition
Do you think things in the world have gotten better or worse over time? How about in our nation? Do you feel that we are becoming more godly and pleasing to God or are we straying further and further from God? Does it seem to you that God doesn’t really seem to care about the growing lack of shame and open immorality we see in our world today? The truth is, God does care about sin. And He is already responding to it and has a plan to overcome it.
In Zechariah Chapter 5 and 6, we encounter the last three of Zechariah’s eight night visions. In these last three visions, Zechariah saw God’s righteous response to humanity’s sin. We can understand God’s righteous response to our sin.
February 27, 2022
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Zechariah 4:1-14
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exposition
Who among you here today would admit that you’re discouraged and grieving over a loss? You’re overwhelmed about an obstacle that you don’t know how to overcome? You’re feeling small and inadequate about situation you’re in? Maybe, you’re even a little angry at God about something today? Zechariah and the Israelites probably were feeling these same feelings. They had returned from 70 years of Babylonian captivity and had begun rebuilding the Temple, but now a decade without any work. They were small, overwhelmed, and discouraged. But…
In Zechariah chapter four, the prophet saw his 5th night vision. Similar to chapter three, which was a vision of a contemporary of Zechariah’s, the high priest Joshua, this vision was of another contemporary, namely the governor of Judea, Zerubbabel. Both visions seemed primarily aimed at encouraging both Joshua and Zerubbabel to rebuild the Temple and reinstate worship. Both visions also have strong Messianic messages for the people of God. In this 5th vision, God told Zechariah to tell Zerubbabel that he would have to rely on God’s Spirit and not his own strength to accomplish his God-given calling.
February 20, 2022
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Zechariah 3:1-10
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exposition
Have you ever really considered how the whole Bible points to Jesus? Sure, it tells us a lot about ourselves and about the world we live in, but it is primarily a book about God, especially His Son, Jesus.
The exiles returning to Israel are restless. They’ve returned to the land, but now they wonder, when will their Messiah finally come and deliver them? God doesn’t answer their “when” question, but He does give His prophet Zechariah a vision for “who” they should look for and how they can prepare themselves for His coming.
In Zechariah chapter three, the prophet saw his 4th night vision, this time of a real person, Joshua, the high priest. Yet, as the vision continued, Zechariah learned that the vision of Joshua was also a “sign” pointing to the coming Messiah and His work of salvation
February 13, 2022
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Zechariah 1:7 - 2:13
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exposition
Have you ever asked the Lord, “How long?” How long must I be stuck here? How long must I endure this pain? How long must I feel so alone and lonely? How long will the wicked be allowed to prosper without justice? How long before Your return? How long, Lord?
In Zechariah chapter 1 and 2, the prophet saw three visions from the LORD that offered gracious comfort to him and the people of Israel.
February 6, 2022
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Zechariah 1:1-6
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exposition
How close are you to God today? If I were to ask you to rank your closeness right now on a scale of 1-10, what would you say?
Even before God sent Jesus, He was already at work calling His people to return to Him. In the book of Zechariah, God spoke through the prophet to the Jewish exiles who had returned from Babylonian captivity. When they first returned, they were passionate and excited to be back home and had started to rebuild the Temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians. Yet their passion had grown cold when they faced the difficulties of rebuilding and the work had ceased. Years had gone by since any work had been done. So God sent the prophet Haggai, who encouraged the people to get back to work on the Temple. And He sent the prophet Zechariah, who called them to an even deeper purpose. In Zechariah 1:1-6, God told the Jewish exiles that had returned to Jerusalem that it was even more important that they recognize how He had called them to return to Him.
November 21, 2021
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Romans 12:9-21
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exposition
How do you want to be known? Or another way to consider this is to ask, how do you want to be remembered? What kind of a legacy will you leave when you die? Will they talk about the business you built? Or the job you did so well? Maybe the possessions you passed on to your family? How will you be known and remembered?
What if you could be known for the greatest thing of all? What if you could be known for your genuine and sincere love? While 1 Corinthians 13 might be considered the most beautiful description of love found anywhere, Romans 12:9-21 is the most practical and succinct. Paul taught how we can be marked by God’s genuine love! In the 12th chapter of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, having called believers to be transformed by the renewing of their minds, he described how God’s genuine love would transform all their human relationships. We can let God’s genuine love be the mark of all our relationships.
November 14, 2021
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Romans 12:3-8
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exposition
How are you getting through the day? Have you believed the lie that you belong to yourself, that you’re responsible for discovering the meaning of your own life? The beginning of wisdom and of self knowledge, is to first know God and then know ourselves. And to know God, we must give ourselves fully to him. As we learned in Romans 12:1-2, Paul called believers to give themselves fully to God and be transformed by the renewing of their minds, so that they might discern and know the will of God.
Now in Romans 12:3-8, Paul instructed believers to think with this transformed and renewed mind, so that they might rightly discern and know themselves. We can rightly know ourselves.
November 7, 2021
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Romans 12:1-2
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exposition
Would you say that you have given your life fully to the Lord Jesus and experienced the transformed life that the gospel promises? Do the people around you, family and friends, take note that your life is different than it was before you placed your faith in Christ? If not, why not? The truth is that many Americans who call themselves Christians are more apt to share the beliefs and practices of the secular culture than they are the beliefs and practices found in the Scriptures. They aren’t leading transformed lives and therefore, those who are outside the faith see no attraction to the faith.
Yet Paul saw that believing and receiving Christ as Lord would mean giving ourselves completely to Him in order to truly experience the transformed life–– the life that reveals Christ in us for His glory. In chapter 12 of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he appealed to believers to give themselves completely to God, so that they might experience a truly transformed life. We can give ourselves completely to God and experience a truly transformed life.
October 31, 2021
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Romans 11:25-36
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exposition
Not all mysteries are fun. Sometimes the unknown causes fear and anxiety. Or it can cause some to avoid thinking about it or even to reject it. That’s how some respond to the mystery of God’s mercy. Some are apathetic about it. Some say they don’t see God’s mercy at work in the world today. Some feel they don’t need it.
When Paul uses the word “mystery,” he doesn’t mean it like the novels, movies or games mean it. It’s not something we can put on our Sherlock Holmes hats and deduce on our own. He means a divine truth previously hidden that can only be known by God’s revelation. God revealed the mystery of His mercy to Paul and in chapter 11 of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he wanted believers to understand the mystery of God’s mercy towards all people, both Jew and Gentile alike. We can understand the mystery of God’s mercy.