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Hope, Restoration, and the Promise of God (Isaiah 65:17–25 Reflection) “For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth…”— Isaiah 65:17–25 The Passage Isaiah speaks these words to a weary people: For I am about to create new heavensand a new earth;the former things shall not be rememberedor come to mind. But […]

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married,

Reflections on Joel 2:23–32 26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,    and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,    who has worked wonders for you;never again will my people be put to shame.27 Then you will know that I am in Israel,    that I am the Lord your God,    and that there is no

Hope and a Future of Formation and Letting Go We love to quote Jeremiah’s familiar line: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 People say it’s their favorite verse. We see

The Old Testament clearly gave us the Law. But the strange thing is, we were never intended to live by the Law, but by the Spirit. So why did God give us the Law? Some say it revealed our need for grace, and that sounds true. But here’s the mystery: while revealing our need for

Psalm 95 was written for public worship in Israel, and its structure shows two distinct purposes: 1. Invitation to Joyful Worship (vv. 1–7a) The opening half is a processional hymn of praise. It calls God’s people to gather, sing, shout, kneel, and bow before the Lord. The psalm highlights: This part of the psalm was

When Paul urged Timothy to pray “for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:1-2), he was writing to believers who lived under hostile rule. Roman officials weren’t protecting Christians, they were often trying to erase them. Yet

What happens when people trade the fountain of living waters for broken cisterns that cannot hold water? Jeremiah’s words still echo across time, calling us to examine where we have exchanged God’s abundance for emptiness. Whether we do this as a community, a church or as individuals, we all get off track from time to

In Luke 4 when Jesus reads Isaiah 61 in Nazareth and says “Today this is fulfilled,” he confronts our desire for glory without a cross. Isaiah’s promise isn’t favoritism; it’s about taking on a life of justice, loving neighbor, and embarrassingly foolish mercy that God causes to spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61 in