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Trust in Pastors is (Way) Down
In my lifetime, the classic image of the devoted parish pastor who could be trusted to rightly preach the word, diligently care for souls, and wisely lead the church has shifted dramatically. With maj... -
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Staying in our Christian Bubbles
I was in London browsing one of the ubiquitous British tabloids and an advertisement for a new health club grabbed my attention. The picture was of a magnificent gothic church sanctuary that had been ... -
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Has Religion been a Force for Evil in Human History
A major stumbling block for many earnest seekers is the compelling evidence throughout history that terrible things have been done in the name of religion. This applies to virtually all faiths at some... -
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Christian Persecution & The Real Power
What is the witness of the church in times of persecution? The historical record demonstrates that persecutions of Christians were regular and prolific in the first centuries of the church, especially... -
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The church desires to change the surrounding culture. The truth, however, is that the church has been infected by the very culture it seeks to transform. -
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The Age of Suspicion
There are many titles that historians of the future may give our era, but one that they are certain to consider is "The Age of Suspicion." People are suspicious of political authorities beca... -
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Sometimes Integrity Costs Big
I spent a considerable amount of time with a guy I’ll call Martin. As a brand-new follower of Christ, Martin felt guilty for having previously embezzled a lot of money from his employer. After discuss... -
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The Good News Isn’t Sounding Good to Some
In Vanishing Grace , Philip Yancey examines the growing negative perceptions of evangelicals. Although the book was written in 2014, these dynamics have only intensified in the era of MAGA and Ch... -
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A Jubilee Church
From the outside Calvary Church in Holland, Michigan, looks like a typical large church that many Americans attend. The church developed the typical way: it started small and then began to grow. As th... -
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Many in the church have turned their back on serious study, and have embraced an anti-intellectualism which refuses to learn anything from scholarship at all lest it corrupt their pure faith. It is ti... -
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In no other arena is the church at greater risk of losing its calling than in the public square. -
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Christians: The crisis is not that you are politically homeless. The crisis is that we ever thought we could make a home in politics at all. -
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We have seen some gatekeeping or fencing-the-table language already beginning to rear its head in this context. One needed to be baptized to take the meal; one needed to repent to take the meal; one n... -
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History shows that when the church uses the tools of the world's kingdom, it becomes as ineffectual, or as tyrannical, as any other power structure. And whenever the church has intermingled with t... -
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Christians in Politics: Often Our Own Worst Enemies
Though American Christians do have genuine opponents in the public square and in elite institutions, they have often been their own worst enemies, making disastrous political compromises and looking t... -
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Six Factors Impacting our Understanding of Christ and Culture
We have the same biblical texts that earlier generations of Christians thought their way through, of course, but our reflections are shaped by six unique factors. (1) Especially in the Anglo-Saxon wo... -
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Caught on Camera
Several years ago I saw a television show called Caught on Camera . It featured clips of people being secretly filmed doing all manner of horrific things, precisely because they thought they were... -
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He’d Be Wrong!
Reporters Alex Alston and James Dickerson tell a sad story about a church that sought to integrate its ranks: The Mississippi Delta was in a tizzy over rumors that blacks might show up at white church... -
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What We Preach
A strong church once inscribed these words on an archway leading to the churchyard. Over time, two things happened: the church lost its passion for Jesus and His gospel, and ivy began to grow on the a... -
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But He’d Be Wrong!
Reporters Alex Alston and James Dickerson tell a sad story about a church that sought to integrate its ranks: The Mississippi Delta was in a tizzy over rumors that blacks might show up at white church... -
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I Am Baptized
If you’ve read or watched any of the biographies of Martin Luther, you will already know that he struggled at times with bouts of anxiety, self-loathing, and perhaps even depression. Shortly after his... -
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The Good News or the Bad News
I read in a book recently about a young pastor who was fired from his church over a theological controversy. When he went to share the news with his wife, he said, “I’ve got good news and bad news, wh... -
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Choosing a Hymn (Is Not as Easy as You Might Think)
From the Hayes Parish Church on 18 March 1749: The Clerk gave out the 100th Psalm, and the Singers immediately opposed him, and sang the 15th and bred a disturbance. -
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“Christians:” Worshiping God in Equality
Christ followers were first called Christians at Antioch—about fifteen years after the birth of the church at Pentecost. There must have been something remarkable about this particular group of believ... -
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The Birth (or Re-Emergence) of Evangelical Social Action
In 1947, budding theologian Carl F. H. Henry wrote a short book titled The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism. In it he surveys the American fundamentalist movement’s engagement with the most ... -
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The Handicapped (White) Church
We are handicapped in the white church. If I preached Jesus’ first sermon (Luke 4:14–30) and gave it the social emphasis that He gave, our church has no vehicle for doing anything about the problem. P... -
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Defending the Truth
I once had the opportunity to speak briefly to a large Mormon audience at the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. I told them that I feel badly about the fact that we evangelicals often tell Mormons what th... -
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40 Million People Dechurched in 25 Years
[R]eliable quantitative research around this has brought some helpful insights to light. Jim Davis, Michael Graham, and Ryan Burge have released the largest study ever done on dechurching in America i... -
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Christ has not only ordained that there shall be such officers in his Church - he has not only specified their duties and prerogatives - but he gives the requisite qualifications, and calls those thus... -
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The Church Losing its Place as the Center of Attention
The Church was the one institution whose mission depended on galvanizing attention; and through its daily and weekly offices, as well as its sometimes-central role in education, that is exactly what i...
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Top Level Categories by Topic
A
- A Meaningful Life
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- The American Dream
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B
- Balance
- Baptism
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- Beauty
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- Being a Good Neighbor
- Being Enslaved To Sin
- Being Humbled
- Being Lost
- Being vs. Doing
- Beliefs
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- Beyond Understanding
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- Birth
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- Blindness
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- Breaking Down
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- Bureaucracy
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- The Beatitudes
- The Bible
- The Blood Of Christ
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- The Bread of Life
C
- Called by God
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- The City
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D
- Daily Life
- Danger
- Dangers of Religion
- Dangers of Technology
- Darkness
- Darwinism
- Deacons
- Dead In Christ
- Death
- Death of a Loved One
- Debt
- Deception
- Decision-Making
- Decisions
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- Dedication
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- Depression
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- Dialogue
- Difficult People
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- Disasters
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- Diversity
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Divine Intervention
- Divine Love
- Divinity of Jesus
- Division
- Divisions
- Domestic Abuse
- Doubts
- Drawing Near to God
- Dreams
- Drifting
- Drought
- Drugs
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- Dying to Self
- The Digital World
E
- Economics
- Education
- Elderly People
- Elders
- Election Day
- Elections (Political)
- Embrace
- Emotions
- Empowerment
- Encouragement
- Enemies
- Energy
- Environment
- Equality
- Eschatology (End Times)
- Eternal Life
- Eternity
- Eternity of God
- Ethics
- Evangelism
- Everyday Life
- Evil
- Evolution
- Example
- Excellence
- Exclusion
- Exploitation
- Expressing Emotions
- Eyes
- The Early Church
- The Earth
F
- Face of God
- Facing your Fears
- Failure
- Fairness
- Faith
- Faith and Doubt
- Faith in Action
- Faithfulness
- Fame
- Family
- Family Dysfunction
- Famine
- Farming
- Fatherhood of God
- Fatigue
- Favor of God
- Fear
- Fear of Death
- Fears
- Feelings
- Financial Struggles
- Fire
- Floods
- Following Jesus
- Food
- Foolishness
- Football (American)
- Forgetfulness
- Forgiveness
- Freedom
- Friend of God
- Friend of Sinners
- Friendship
- Friendship with Jesus
- Fruit
- Fullness of Life
- Future
- The Fear of God
G
- Gardening
- Gathering
- Generations
- Generosity
- Getting What You Want
- Gifts
- Giving
- Giving Freely
- Giving God the Glory
- Giving to the Poor
- Global Church
- Glory
- God
- God with Us
- God's Character
- God's Creation
- God's Faithfulness
- God's Gifts
- God's Goodness
- God's Judgment
- God's Justice
- God's Law
- God's Love
- God's Name
- God's Nearness
- God's Omnipresence
- God's Omniscience
- God's Plans
- God's Power (Omnipotence)
- God's Protection
- God's Provision
- God's Reign
- God's Sovereignty
- God's Sufficiency
- God's Throne
- God's Unfailing Love
- God's Voice
- God's Will
- God's Word
- God's Works
- Going to Church
- Good Intentions
- Good News
- Good Samaritan
- Good Works
- Goodness
- Goodness of God
- Gospel
- Government
- Grace
- Grandparents
- Gratitude
- Greatness of God
- Greed
- Grief
- Growth
- Guidance
- Guilt
- Guilty
- The Glory of God
- The Good Shepherd
- The Great Commission
H
- Habits
- Half-Truths
- Hands
- Happiness
- Hard Work
- Hard-Heartedness
- Harvest
- Hatred
- Having A Wake-Up Call
- Healing
- Healing Blindness
- Healing the Past
- Health
- Healthcare
- Hearing God
- Hearing our Prayers
- Hearing What We Want to Hear
- Heart
- Heart Change
- Hearts
- Heaven
- Hell
- Help
- Helping Others
- Helping our Neighbors
- Helping the Poor
- Heroes
- Hiding from God
- Hiding Our Sin
- History
- HIV/AIDS
- Hoarding
- Holiness
- Holiness of God
- Holy of Holies
- Home
- Homelessness
- Honesty
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- Hope
- Hopelessness
- Hospitality
- Hospitals
- Human Condition
- Human Development
- Human Judgment
- Human Life
- Human Nature
- Human Qualities
- Humanity
- Humble Leadership
- Humble Living
- Humble Service
- Humility
- Humor
- Hunger
- Hurry
- Hypocrisy
- The Holy Land
- The Holy Spirit
I
- Identity
- Idolatry
- Idols
- Ignorance
- Ignoring God
- Illness
- Image Bearers
- Immanuel
- Immigrants
- Immigration
- Immortality
- Impact
- Impatience
- In, But Not Of, the World
- Inaction
- Inclusion
- Independence Day
- Indifference
- Inequality
- Information
- Information Overload
- Inheritance
- Injury
- Injustice
- Innocence
- Innovation
- Inspiration
- Institutions
- Instruments of God's Love
- Insults
- Integrity
- Intercession
- Invitation
- Isolation
- Israel
- Israel-Palestine Conflict
- The Image of God
- The Incarnation
- The Internet
J
K
L
- Labor Day
- Lament
- Language
- Law (Torah)
- Laws
- Leadership
- Learning
- Legacy
- Lent
- Liberation
- Lies
- Life
- Life and Death
- Life of Faith
- Life of Purpose
- Life Satisfaction
- Life Story
- Light
- Light and Darkness
- Light of the World
- Limitations
- Listening
- Living Life
- Living Sacrifice
- Living Water
- Loneliness
- Longing
- Longings
- Loss
- Love
- Love of God and Neighbor
- Loving Kindness
- Loving Other Christians
- Loving your Neighbor
- The Lamb of God
- The Lord's Supper
M
- Magnificat
- Making a Difference
- Man of Sorrows
- Manipulation
- Manna
- Marginalized
- Marital Problems
- Marriage
- Martyrdom
- Mary the Mother of Jesus
- Masks
- Materialism
- Maundy Thursday
- Meaning
- Media
- Meditation
- Meekness
- Memorial Day
- Mental Health
- Mental Illness
- Mercy
- Military Service
- Mind
- Mind and Body
- Ministry
- Minorities
- Miracles
- Mission
- Mission of the Church
- Missionaries
- Missions
- Mistaken Identity
- Mistakes
- Modern Life
- Modern Religion
- Modern Religious Life
- Modern-Day Slavery
- Modernity
- Money
- Moral Choices
- Moral Silence
- Morality
- Moses
- Motivations
- Mourning
- Multi-Ethnic Church
- Multiculturalism
- Music
- Mystery
- Mystery of Life
- The Meaning of Life
- The Messiah
- The Military
- The Mind of Christ
- The Missional Church
N
O
P
- Pace
- Pain
- Pain and Joy
- Parenting
- Parents
- Partisanship
- Passion
- Pastors
- Paths
- Patience
- Patriotism
- Peace
- Peacemaking
- Pentecost
- People
- Peoples
- Perfection
- Persecuted Church
- Persecution
- Perseverance
- Persistence
- Personal
- Personal Agendas
- Perspective
- Phobias
- Place
- Plagiarism
- Political Freedom
- Political Leaders
- Politicians
- Politics
- Pollution
- Poor
- Poor in Spirit
- Possessions
- Possibility
- Postmodernism
- Poverty
- Power
- Power of Love
- Powerlessness
- Praise
- Prayer
- Prayers for Funerals
- Preaching
- Prejudice
- Preparation
- Presence
- President
- Presidential Elections
- Price
- Pride
- Priorities
- Prison
- Prisoners
- Private Faith
- Privilege
- Problems
- Productivity
- Progress
- Promises
- Prosperity
- Protection
- Proud
- Provision
- Public Faith
- Purity
- Purity Of Heart
- Purpose
- The Passing of Time
- The People of God
- The Prince of Peace
- The Prophets
R
- Race
- Race and Reconciliation
- Racial Reconciliation
- Racism
- Raising Children
- Real Estate
- Reality
- Rebellion
- Receiving
- Receiving Forgiveness
- Receiving Gifts
- Receiving God
- Receiving Love
- Receiving the Gospel
- Receiving the Word
- Reconciliation
- Recovery
- Redeemer
- Redemption
- Reform
- Reformation Sunday
- Refuge
- Refugees
- Regret
- Relationships
- Relevance
- Religion
- Religion and Politics
- Religion and Public Life
- Religions
- Religious Conflict
- Religious Liberty
- Religious Pluralism
- Reminders
- Renewal
- Renewing our Minds
- Repentance
- Reputation
- Rescue
- Resentment
- Resilience
- Resistance
- Responsibility
- Rest
- Restoration
- Restoring Sight
- Resurrection
- Resurrection Life
- Resurrection of the Dead
- Resurrection to New Life
- Revelation
- Revival
- Rewards
- Rich and Poor
- Riches
- Right Relationships
- Righteousness
- Risks
- Romantic Relationships
- Rootedness
- Routines
- Rule of Life
- Running to God
- The Rich
- The Risen Lord
- The Rock
- The Roman Empire
S
- Sabbath
- Sacrifice
- Sacrificial Giving
- Sacrificial Living
- Sacrificial Love
- Safety
- Salt and Light
- Salt of the Earth
- Salvation
- Sanctification
- Savior
- Scapegoats
- School
- Science
- Science and Religion
- Screens
- Scripture
- Secularism
- Seeds
- Seeking God
- Seeking Happiness
- Seeking the Truth
- Segregation
- Self-Achievement
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Centeredness
- Self-Control
- Self-Deception
- Self-Discipline
- Self-Image
- Self-Improvement
- Self-Interest
- Self-Love
- Self-Reliance
- Self-Renunciation
- Self-Righteousness
- Self-Sacrifice
- Selfishness
- Selflessness
- Servant Leadership
- Servanthood
- Service
- Settling
- Sexism
- Shalom
- Shame
- Sharing
- Sheep
- Shelter
- Shepherd
- Shepherds
- Sickness
- Sight
- Silence
- Sin
- Sinfulness
- Singing
- Single Parents
- Sins of Omission
- Skepticism
- Slavery
- Smart Phones
- Social Justice
- Social Media
- Soil
- Soldiers
- Solutions
- Solving Poverty
- Sorrow
- Speaking Out
- Speaking Truth to Power
- Speech
- Speed
- Spending Time
- Spiritual Disciplines
- Spiritual Hunger
- Spiritual Problems
- Spiritual Thirst
- Sports
- Spring (Season)
- Staying Positive
- Steadfast Love
- Stealing
- Step-parents
- Stereotypes
- Stewardship
- Stillness
- Storms
- Storytelling
- Stranger
- Strength
- Strength of Character
- Stress
- Struggles
- Submission
- Success
- Suffering
- Suicide
- Sun
- Superiority
- Surgery
- Surprise
- Surrender
- Sustainability
- Sustainer
- The Sacraments
- The Saints
- The Sick
- The Soul
T
- Taking Up the Cross
- Talking
- Teachers
- Team
- Teamwork
- Tears
- Technological Progress
- Technology
- Temptation
- Tension
- Terrorism
- Thankfulness
- Thanksgiving (General)
- Thanksgiving (Holiday)
- The Temple
- The Trinity
- The Twelve Disciples
- Therapy
- Third Third of Life
- Thirst
- Thoughts
- Time
- TIme Management
- Tired
- Tolerance
- Tongue
- Town
- Tragedy
- Transformation
- Transgressions
- Transitions
- Trauma
- Travel
- Trees
- Trouble
- True Self
- Trust
- Truth
- Turning a Blind Eye
U
W
Top_level_categories by Reference
Genesis
Exodus
Deuteronomy
Ruth
1 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Esther
Job
Psalm
- Ps 1 (11)
- Ps 2 (2)
- Ps 4 (2)
- Ps 6 (2)
- Ps 8 (7)
- Ps 9 (3)
- Ps 10 (3)
- Ps 11 (1)
- Ps 12 (2)
- Ps 14 (1)
- Ps 15 (3)
- Ps 16 (4)
- Ps 18 (1)
- Ps 19 (8)
- Ps 20 (2)
- Ps 22 (2)
- Ps 23 (16)
- Ps 24 (5)
- Ps 25 (3)
- Ps 27 (5)
- Ps 29 (2)
- Ps 30 (6)
- Ps 31 (1)
- Ps 32 (3)
- Ps 33 (7)
- Ps 34 (40)
- Ps 37 (9)
- Ps 39 (2)
- Ps 41 (1)
- Ps 42 (7)
- Ps 46 (26)
- Ps 49 (1)
- Ps 50 (2)
- Ps 51 (23)
- Ps 52 (2)
- Ps 55 (1)
- Ps 56 (1)
- Ps 62 (1)
- Ps 63 (3)
- Ps 66 (2)
- Ps 68 (1)
- Ps 71 (2)
- Ps 72 (6)
- Ps 73 (3)
- Ps 77 (2)
- Ps 78 (4)
- Ps 80 (1)
- Ps 82 (16)
- Ps 85 (4)
- Ps 86 (1)
- Ps 89 (3)
- Ps 90 (13)
- Ps 91 (2)
- Ps 92 (2)
- Ps 96 (4)
- Ps 98 (2)
- Ps 99 (1)
- Ps 100 (4)
- Ps 101 (1)
- Ps 103 (13)
- Ps 104 (3)
- Ps 106 (1)
- Ps 111 (1)
- Ps 112 (1)
- Ps 113 (2)
- Ps 115 (1)
- Ps 116 (2)
- Ps 117 (1)
- Ps 118 (4)
- Ps 119 (22)
- Ps 121 (3)
- Ps 122 (1)
- Ps 124 (1)
- Ps 127 (5)
- Ps 128 (2)
- Ps 130 (4)
- Ps 131 (2)
- Ps 133 (4)
- Ps 136 (2)
- Ps 139 (14)
- Ps 141 (3)
- Ps 143 (1)
- Ps 145 (4)
- Ps 146 (5)
- Ps 147 (5)
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
- Isa 1 (38)
- Isa 2 (3)
- Isa 5 (5)
- Isa 6 (15)
- Isa 7 (1)
- Isa 9 (10)
- Isa 11 (1)
- Isa 25 (2)
- Isa 26 (3)
- Isa 28 (4)
- Isa 30 (4)
- Isa 32 (2)
- Isa 33 (2)
- Isa 40 (26)
- Isa 41 (17)
- Isa 42 (2)
- Isa 43 (12)
- Isa 44 (3)
- Isa 45 (2)
- Isa 47 (1)
- Isa 49 (1)
- Isa 50 (1)
- Isa 51 (1)
- Isa 52 (1)
- Isa 53 (20)
- Isa 55 (19)
- Isa 56 (2)
- Isa 57 (1)
- Isa 58 (23)
- Isa 59 (3)
- Isa 60 (3)
- Isa 61 (23)
- Isa 65 (1)
- Isa 66 (1)