Category: CONNECT THE TESTAMENTS

  • A LONGSUFFERING GOD

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 18:1-20:8; 2 Timothy 2:1-13; Psalm 85 God is longsuffering, but sometimes we take this for granted. How often have we given into temptation, expecting to be obedient at a later date? Psalm 85 gives a testimony of God’s faithfulness in the past: “O Yahweh, you favored your land. You restored the…

  • LONGING & BEING

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 16:1-17:27; 2 Timothy 1:3-18; Psalm 84:1-2 The general sense of what worship “is” is widely known, but the specifics of what it means are a little vague. Aside from obedience (i.e., avoiding sin and following what God asks of us), there are specific ways to show God admiration. In 1 Chronicles,…

  • ON A MISSION

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 14:1-15:29; 2 Timothy 1:1-2; Psalm 83 We’re on a mission from God.” Whenever the Blues Brothers delivered this line, they were met with a less-than-enthusiastic reception. While they had a different “mission” in mind, their famous line summarizes Paul’s ministry, and their reception is strangely related to a pressing problem in…

  • THE FIGHT AGAINST IT

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 12:1-13:14; 1 Timothy 6:11-21; Psalm 81:1-82:8 Fear is poisonous. When it drives our decisions, it will slowly destroy us—causing us to make moves that are against God’s will and detrimental to ourselves and others. The antidote to fear is complete reliance on Yahweh, our God, and His work through the Spirit.…

  • MOTIVE IS EVERYTHING

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 11:1-47; 1 Timothy 6:3-10; Psalm 80:1-9 It’s not often that we take an honest look at our motivations. But it’s important to reevaluate them regularly. When our sight is not fixed on God, we might become entranced with goals that conflict with godliness. Even though we might initially be performing the…

  • THE POWER OF WORDS

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 9:1-10:14; 1 Timothy 5:18-6:2; Psalm 79:1-13 Gossip kills churches. And gossip is always painful, especially when disguised as concern. A request to “pray for so-and-so because of this thing they did” is not asking for prayer; it’s gossiping. If you know some personal detail about someone’s mishap, don’t share it with…

  • FROM CONCEPT TO CAUTION TO CAUSE

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 8:1-40; 1 Timothy 5:10-17; Psalm 78:53-72 Some things in the Bible are downright surprising, including several passages in Paul’s letters. Sometimes his words are so personal or they’re addressed to such a specific person our group, that it’s hard to understand why that particular passage is there. But God uses people…

  • A HIGHER CALLING

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 6:1-81; 1 Timothy 4:6-16; Psalm 78:13-29 It’s easy to get self-absorbed when we’re criticized—or when we think others are criticizing us. Because of our real or imagined defects, we start to believe other people don’t take us seriously. It’s easy to get off course in an attempt to defend ourselves. As…

  • CONNECTING HISTORICAL DOTS

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 4:24-5:26; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; Psalm 78:1-12 Biblical lists can be annoying, but they’re also a testament to God’s faithfulness. It’s a true gift when someone in a faith community records the history of the group and their work—particularly when God has answered prayers. By looking through a recorded history, like a…

  • DYSFUNCTIONAL PROBLEM SOLVING

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 3:1-4:23; 1 Timothy 3:8-16; Psalm 77:1-20 When I locate a problem, I often fixate on it. I think that if I analyze it enough, I can solve it. This is a problem when I come to difficult issues that require someone else’s expertise. Stubbornly, I want to figure out the problem…