Isaiah on Being Known

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Recognizing Her Own

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 49:15, John 10:14, Luke 12:6-7, Psalm 139:1-3, 2 Timothy 2:19, Isaiah 43:1, Matthew 10:29-31, Psalm 91:4, Deuteronomy 32:11, Job 39:1-2, Luke 15:4-6

The guillemot, a small Arctic seabird, nests in dense colonies on the rocky cliffs of the North Atlantic and Arctic. Thousands of these birds gather in tight spaces, with hundreds of females laying th...

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The Difference between Success & Fruitfulness

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Jeremiah 17:7-8, Genesis 41:50-52, Isaiah 53:2-3, John 15:4-5, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Psalm 1:1-3

There is a great difference between successfulness and fruitfulness. Success comes from strength, control, and respectability. A successful person has the energy to create something, to keep control o...

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Digging Down Deep

Author

Bianca Juarez Olthoff

Keywords

Scripture

John 15:5, Proverbs 12:3, Isaiah 61:3, Matthew 13:5-6, Ephesians 3:17-19

I’m more of an aboveground type of girl, as in, I like the stuff you can see. Flowers, trees, and vegetation symbolize life, growth, and transformation. The problem with focusing on external manifesta...

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Football, Fame, and Family: The Beckham Docuseries

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 52:null, Ephesians 4:null

Who is David Beckham? Is he the self-absorbed, fame-seeking, Calvin Klein underwear model, husband of a former Spice Girl, always looking to be the center of attention? Or is he something else? Were ...

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Epiphany of the Lord

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 60:1-6, Genesis 32:30, John 2:1-12, Isaiah 9:2, Matthew 4:16, Ephesians 5:8, Luke 1:78, Titus 2:11, Isaiah 49:6, John 1:5, Isaiah 60:19, Revelation 22:5

Preaching Commentary Word Study Ἐπιφάνεια: The Greek word from which the English transliterates Epiphany is a combination of a preposition and a verbal idea. Epi -upon and fainō -to shine, illumi...

lectionary

11th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Cody Sandahl

Keywords

Scripture

Jeremiah 1:4-10, Isaiah 6:null, Acts 1:8, 1 Peter 4:10-12, Mark 16:15, Galatians 1:15, Ephesians 4:12

Preaching Commentary Calling People often give me weird looks when I talk about being “called” by God. A pastor can be “called” to devote their working time to shepherding a church. A parent can be...

lectionary

Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

1 Samuel 3:1-20, Exodus 3:4, Genesis 22:1, Isaiah 6:8, 2 Kings 21:12, 2 Kings 19:3, Luke 17:2, Luke 2:12-26

Preaching Commentary The farther you go…the harder it is to return. The world has many edges and it’s easy to fall off. —Anderson Cooper, Dispatches From The Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Jeremiah 1:4-10

Author

Cody Sandahl

Keywords

Scripture

Jeremiah 1:4-10, Isaiah 6:null, Acts 1:8, 1 Peter 4:10-12, Mark 16:15, Galatians 1:15, Ephesians 4:12

Calling People often give me weird looks when I talk about being “called” by God. A pastor can be “called” to devote their working time to shepherding a church. A parent can be “called” to invest in ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Jonah 1:1-17

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Jonah 1:1-17, Psalm 48:7, Isaiah 23:1, Psalm 72:10, Isaiah 60:9, Isaiah 60:null, Isaiah 40:1-2

For purposes of practicality and relatability, this series considers the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea “oceans.” The point is to relate our present-day affinity for the ocean, seashore, and beach...

lectionary

Transfiguration Sunday (Guide B)

Author

William Rowley

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a), Luke 9:28-43, Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:19, Luke 9:22-27, Exodus 14:19-20, Numbers 9:15-16, Ezekiel 10:, Psalm 18:, Isaiah 4:, Daniel 7:9-14, Exodus 34:29-35, Deuteronomy 18:15-19, 2 Peter 1:16-18, John 1:4-9, John 1:14, Revelation 1:12-16, Exodus 13:21, Exodus 24:15-18, Exodus 40:34-35, 2 Chronicles 5:13-14, Luke 9:37

Preaching Commentary The Context Introduction The Transfiguration stands out like, well, a bright light on a dark mountainside in the Gospel of Luke. The customary earthiness of the rest of the go...

lectionary

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Author

Geoff Helton

Keywords

Scripture

John 10:11-18, John 9:null, Genesis 4:2-4, Numbers 14:33, 1 Samuel 16:11, 2 Samuel 5:2, Isaiah 56:11, Zechariah 10:2, Jeremiah 23:1-2, Jeremiah 50:6, Zechariah 10:2-3, John 10:11-18, Ezekiel 34:11-16, Psalm 23:, Luke 15:1-7, Matthew 18:12-14, John 13:1, John 15:13, John 9:34-35

Preaching Commentary Context Signs and Dialogue There’s a reoccurring pattern in Johns’s Gospel in which Jesus performs a sign, which is followed by dialogue and then commentary from Jesus that pr...

lectionary

Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

John 1:29-42, Revelation 17:14, Isaiah 52:13-15, Isaiah 53:, Ephesians 6:12

Preaching Commentary Summary of the Text Our lectionary text can be fairly easily broken into two major sections, with verses 29-34 concerned with John the Baptist testifying to Jesus’ ministry and...

lectionary

Second Sunday in Lent

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 13:31-35, Luke 11:51, Jeremiah 23:6, Deuteronomy 32:11, Ruth 2:12, Psalm 17:8, Isaiah 31:5

AIM Commentary Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? On the Road to Jerusalem Luke 13 begins with Jesus teaching on the nature of the kingdom of God and it concludes with ...

lectionary

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:46, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:19, Revelation 11:15, Luke 1:46-48, John 8:41, Luke 1:29, 1 Corinthians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Advent 2023: Make Some Noise! AIM commentary Ancient lens What's the historical context? Couldn’t See That Coming Powerful parents with a family pedigree derived from Judah and the David...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, John 1:29-42

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

John 1:29-42, Revelation 17:14, Isaiah 52:13-15, Isaiah 53:, Ephesians 6:12

Summary of the Text Our lectionary text can be fairly easily broken into two major sections, with verses 29-34 concerned with John the Baptist testifying to Jesus’ ministry and verses 35-42 dealing w...

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The Truth They Were Hiding

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Ecclesiastes 3:11, Exodus 33:18–23, Isaiah 55:6–9 , John 1:1–14 , Acts 17:22–31, Psalm 42:1–2

Many have heard of the polymath and famous atheist Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), whose career as a public intellectual touched on a variety of disciplines, including philosophy (he is considered one o...

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Les Misérables: A Tale of Transformative Grace

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 2:4-5, Colossians 3:10, Romans 8:38-39, Philippians 4:6-7, Psalm 23:1-4, Isaiah 40:31, Jeremiah 29:11

A Great (and Weighty) Work of Literature That Will Delight Like Moby Dick and War and Peace , Les Misérables is a hefty novel. Affectionately known as the ‘Brick’ for its formidable length, it c...

lectionary

Third Sunday of Advent

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 126:, Psalm 126:1, Ezra 3:12, Luke 19:41-44, Isaiah 40:1-5, Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 53:3, John 1:11, Isaiah 53:4, Psalm 22:null, 1 Corinthians 15:20

Advent 2023: Make some noise! Echoes of a Dream AIM commentary Ancient lens What's the historical context? A Song Celebrating the Return from Babylonian Exile The book of Ezra recount...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Luke 1:26-38

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:46, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:19, Revelation 11:15, Luke 1:46-48, John 8:41, 1 Corinthians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Ancient lens What's the historical context? Couldn’t See That Coming Powerful parents with a family pedigree derived from Judah and the Davidic line was the common narrative for how most peop...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Psalm 126

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 126:null, Psalm 126:1, Ezra 3:12, Luke 19:41-44, Isaiah 40:1-5, Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 53:3, John 1:11, Isaiah 53:4, Psalm 22:null, 1 Corinthians 15:20

Ancient lens What's the historical context? A Song Celebrating the Return from Babylonian Exile The book of Ezra recounts the return of 50,000 exiles and their entourage from Babylon after Cy...

lectionary

Second Sunday of Advent

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 40:1-11, Lamentations 1:2, Lamentations 1:9, Lamentations 1:17, Lamentations 1:21, Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:2-3, Luke 3:4-6, John 1:23

Advent 2020: Tear Down the Heavens Comfort My People Updated & expanded for 2023 AIM commentary Ancient lens What's the historical context? Longing created by exile While crise...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Author

Rachel Clark

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 9:9-13, Isaiah 55:8-9, Luke 10:null, Exodus 34:6

The Touch of Jesus The highlighted texts from Matthew 9 include Jesus’ call of Matthew, the tax collector, as well as two accounts of healings (the woman with the discharge of blood and the ruler’s d...

series

Oceans: 1, Jonah 1:1-17

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Jonah 1:1-17, Isaiah 60:1-9, Psalm 48:7, Isaiah 23:1, Psalm 72:10, Isaiah 60:9, Isaiah 60:null, Isaiah 40:1-2

For purposes of practicality and relatability, this series considers the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea “oceans.” The point is to relate our present-day affinity for the ocean, seashore, and beach...

lectionary

Second Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Rachel Clark

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26, Isaiah 55:8-9, Luke 10:null, Exodus 34:6

Preaching Commentary The Touch of Jesus The highlighted texts from Matthew 9 include Jesus’ call of Matthew, the tax collector, as well as two accounts of healings (the woman with the discharge of ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Zephaniah 3:14-20

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

Zephaniah 3:14-20, 2 Kings 22:, Isaiah 7:null

Check out our video discussion of the text with the author, Austin D. Hill. Click here to view! Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? Zephaniah’s Context The book of Zep...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Author

Bud Thoreen

Keywords

Scripture

1 Timothy 6:6-19, Deuteronomy 6:5, Deuteronomy 5:21, Isaiah 1:23, Joshua 1:7, Psalm 62:9-10, Matthew 7:24-25, Luke 12:15, Luke 12:32-34

Ageless Wisdom If you are reading this as a pastor, teacher or preacher, I want you to jot down how old you are here _________. If you wrote a number less than 30 know this letter and this passage...

lectionary

16th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Bud Thoreen

Keywords

Scripture

1 Timothy 6:6-19, Deuteronomy 6:5, Deuteronomy 5:21, Isaiah 1:23, Joshua 1:7, Psalm 62:9-10, Matthew 7:24-25, Luke 12:15, Luke 12:32-34

AIM Commentary Ageless Wisdom If you are reading this as a pastor, teacher or preacher, I want you to jot down how old you are here _________. If you wrote a number less than 30 know this letter...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, I Kings 18:22-39

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

1 Kings 18:22-39, Genesis 12:8, Psalm 42:null, Psalm 121:1-2, Isaiah 4:null

This scripture guide is adapted from the Summer Settings sermon guide Mountains I . Why Start with Mountains? We start with mountains because there are an abundance of Bible passages related ...

lectionary

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Bud Thoreen

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20, Isaiah 6:1-13, Isaiah 9:2-7, Isaiah 11:2-9, Isaiah 38:1-9, Isaiah 49:1-7, Isaiah 50:4-9, Isaiah 52:13-15, Isaiah 53:1-12

AIM Commentary Ancient Lens “ What’s the historical context?” Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled A contemporary commentator ends each daily program with these words, “Let not your hearts be trou...

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A Violent Man Gentled by Grace: Abba Moses the Black

Author

Bill Gaultiere

Scripture

Mark 14:36, Colossians 3:12, Matthew 6:1, Philippians 2:6-11, Romans 1:1, Isaiah 53:7, Mark 14:61, 1 Timothy 1:15, Ephesians 2:8, Luke 18:10-14, Matthew 5:23-24, Mark 7:8, Matthew 7:1-6, Matthew 16:52

Gentled by grace. That’s the incredible and inspiring story of Abba Moses the Black. He was a violent thief who became a humble and kind monk and one of the great Desert Fathers who served the Lord ...

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