RG AUDIO 051517   Daniel 3:1-12 Daniel 3 tells of King Nebuchadnezzar’s gargantuan pride and the triumph of humble faith. The king constructed a great monument–to himself! He wanted everyone to worship him as the god he believed himself to be. What a silly and pretentious affair: the guest list of high officials compelled to […]

RG AUDIO 051417   Psalm 91:1-16 Shelter can be defined as anything from a concrete bunker to a cardboard box. I once had the opportunity to know and help a man who had lived for three years in a wooded area within a major Midwestern city. He lived alone in a shelter made of branches, […]

RG AUDIO 051317   Esther 8:11-17 What a relief! The annihilation decree crafted by Haman was countered with another decree by King Xerxes. Both became effective on the same day. The Jews were allowed to assemble, arm, and defend themselves. The celebration and joy the Jews experienced was not simply because King Xerxes had protected […]

RG AUDIO 051217   Esther 8:1-10 Haman’s planning, position, and power were formidable. Having been promoted over all the other nobles, Haman seemingly held the keys to Xerxes’ vast kingdom. However, skillfully hidden behind all Haman’s accolades was a fatal flaw–pride. In the end Haman lost his influence with the king along with his life, […]

RG AUDIO 051117   Esther 4:1-17 Even though Esther was King Xerxes’ queen, she realized her position was powerless to deliver her people from the just-imposed death decree. She was equally sure, once the kingdom discovered her Jewish heritage, that she too would fall under the scope of the Jewish annihilation proclamation inspired by the […]

RG AUDIO 051017   Esther 3:1-9 Haman’s hasty promotion in the Xerxes’ kingdom was not without concern for the Jews living in Persia. Haman’s hateful disposition toward Jews was seated deep in a national memory spanning hundreds of years. It stemmed from a time when God commanded King Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites, including […]

RG AUDIO 050917   Esther 2:5-18 Three times in Esther 2:5-18 it says of Esther that she “won the favor” of Hegai, who was head of the king’s harem. Everyone who saw her, even King Xerxes himself, saw Esther had an inner beauty. Even though we do not have a portrait of her, we can […]

RG AUDIO 050817   Esther 1:1-12, 21-22 Job applications give applicants an opportunity to share facts and personal history relevant to the context of employment. Name, date of birth, address, and work history are important information employers need to know before they hire. Usually, in addition to facts, references are requested. This allows the potential […]

RG AUDIO 050717   Luke 4:18-30 Ever notice how the same news can be interpreted “good” by some and “bad” by others? For example, on hearing the news of the birth of Jesus, King Herod was “disturbed” and began a plot to kill Him (Matthew 2:3). The shepherds’ reaction, however, was quite the opposite. They […]

RG AUDIO 050617   Lamentations 3:25-42 Funerals seem so final. When the last “amen” is spoken at the graveside service, it represents more than an end to the service. That last “amen” expresses what seems to be a permanent finality from the human perspective. The collection of poems called “Lamentations” in the Bible is often […]