Joshua 2:1-24 | Andrew Murch | Joshua 2 introduces us to someone, who is quite honestly, unexpected as someone God would use. Her name is Rahab. She is mentioned alongside towering figures of the faith such as Abraham, Moses, Noah, Gideon, and King David in Hebrews Chapter 11. How is this possible? Why is it so shocking and unexpected? It’s surprising because Rahab is a prostitute. And almost every time her name is mentioned in the Bible she is known as Rahab the prostitute. Not a religious giant as you would expect but a person most people would be ashamed to be associated with. But God saw things differently. God saw a heart of faith and someone who believed in Him wholeheartedly.

In this first chapter of Joshua, God calls Joshua to lead the people into the land, the land he has given them. But it will take strength, courage, and commitment to follow God’s law as well as trust that God is with them always. The Israelites will need this as they conquer the land.

Luke 17:11-19 | Nathan Noorlun | “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?" In this week's passage, Jesus encounters and heals 10 men afflicted with leprosy. When only one man returns, we discover all the men were healed, but only one was truly healed.

Isaiah 40:12-17 | Todd Miles

1 Timothy 1:12-17 | Andrew Murch | "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" (v. 15). The good news of Christmas is that God himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, came to rescue and redeem sinners to his own eternal glory!

John 9:1-41 | Stephen Collins | "Jesus said, 'For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind'" (v. 39). Some of the sayings of Jesus can be difficult for sinful human beings to understand and—often—even harder to accept. However, the idea of judgment is critical to understanding the person and work of Jesus Christ. For the one who trusts in Christ, there is great hope in the final Judge.

Luke 19:1-10 | Andrew Murch | "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” The story of Jesus and Zacchaeus is familiar to those who grew up in the church. Zacchaeus, a wee little man and swindling tax collector, climbs because he simply must see Jesus. Despite the grumbling of the crowd, Jesus goes to his house and declares good news: good news for Zacchaeus then and good news for us today.

Mark 10:35-45 | Andrew Murch | "But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all" (vv. 43b-44). How are the people of God supposed to interact with one another? Here, we see that they are to love and self-sacrificially serve.

Matthew 5:17-20 | Nathan Noorlun | "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them" (v. 17). In the Old Testament, God gave His people the Law and the Prophets so they would know what is required for them to be in right relationship with Him. Sadly, Israel rejected, distorted, and fell short over and over again. Something needed to be done for God's people to be forgiven of their sins and counted righteous before God! Here, we see that Christ is the one who does what sinful people could never do in the face of God's perfect law.

Colossians 4:7-18 | Andrew Murch | Sitting on the floor of a Roman prison and bound in chains, Paul concludes the dictation of his letter to the church in Colossae. In his usual format, Paul closes the letter by extending his greetings to the complex network of leaders connected with his churches across the Roman world. After all that Paul has written to the Colossian church, this is what he wants to leave them with. Also, this means that after all that the Holy Spirit has inspired Paul to write to His people, this is what He wants to leave His people, us, with. It’s easy to neglect these greetings and skim through them, but they matter just as much as every other word of Scripture - let’s see why!