Category: CONNECT THE TESTAMENTS

  • 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…

  • SMALL STARTS

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 2:1-55; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Psalm 75:1-76:12 In Paul’s qualifications for overseers, he mentions a necessary trait for anyone who wants to lead in a community: “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household,…

  • A SENSE OF HISTORY

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 1:1-54; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Psalm 74:1-23 When I was in sixth grade, my teacher assigned our class a family genealogy and history project. At first it was frustrating. It seemed like unnecessary work. But eventually I became obsessive over it as I discovered our family stories. Many of us share this…

  • SHIPWRECKED

    Connect The TestamentRuth 3:1-4:22; 1 Timothy 1:12-20; Psalm 73:1-28 “I am setting before you this instruction, Timothy my child, in accordance with the prophecies spoken long ago about you, in order that by them you may fight the good fight, having faith and a good conscience, which some, because they have rejected these, have suffered…