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"The Spirit vs. the Flesh" September 26 Readings: Galatians 5-6

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Galatians 5-6 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Galatians 5 is one of those mountaintops of the Bible and one of the formative texts for my ministry. It begins with a strong rebuke to the Galatians who had begun so well, being saved by grace, but had now turned toward the law of God to try to live in the flesh. Verse 12 is probably the strongest thing Paul says in any of his letters, wishing those who pushed circumcision and the Jewish law would just go all the way - emasculating themselves. It shows how strongly Paul feels abo...
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"The Curse of the Law" September 25 Readings: Galatians 3-4

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Galatians 3-4 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Galatians 3 contrasts the way of the law and the way of grace. Paul confronts the false reliance of the circumcision party on Jewish law and rituals, demanding they come to God through faith and faith alone. Galatians 4 continues the argument of chapter 3, the superiority of grace over the law, but here there is a series of metaphors related to our standing as sons and heirs of God through that grace.  Daily Devotional:   The Curse of the Law It seems a strange statement...
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"Drifting from Grace" September 24 Readings: Galatians 1-2

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Galatians 1-2 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Figuring out when Paul wrote his other epistles is generally easier than setting a date for Galatians, which has been much debated. The issues have to do with the identity of the Galatians and are likely not of interest to many of our readers - a basic Bible dictionary or encyclopedia would explain those issues for those who wish to go deeper. It seems best to identify the Galatians with the churches Paul visited on his first missionary journey and to place the book sometimes in a...
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"Greatest Church Ever!" September 23 Readings: Acts 13-14

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Acts 13-14 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Acts 13-14 records Paul's first missionary journey. It is a true turning point in the life of the church. It begins in Antioch in a worship service when the Spirit called Barnabas and Saul to go out as missionaries. They did, traveling to the Galatian region. A funny thing happened there. The process which began with Cornelius came to full fruition. Chased out of the synagogues and rejected there, they found a hearing among the Gentiles, and many came to Christ. This brought to a hea...
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"Jealous God" September 22 Readings: James 4-5

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   James 4-5 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     James did not get the memo that "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar," nor did he understand that those who proclaimed God's word were to be unfailingly positive and encouraging. In James 4 he blistered his hearers for their spiritual adultery and their friendship with the world. As they got away from Jerusalem and from the center of worship, they tended to adjust to the ways of the world and adopt the practices of the peoples with whom they lived. Two other key teaching...
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"Satan's Greatest Servant" September 21 Readings: James 3

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   James 3 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     James 3 deals with two topics. First, James transitions from a warning about the high responsibility of teachers to a discussion of the power of the tongue. He then reflects on the wisdom of God and contrasts the wisdom from above and the wisdom that is from below. Daily Devotional:   Satan's Greatest Servant When I look back on my 6 decades of Christianity (I was saved at age six - you do the math), I would surmise that the highest percentage of my sins have been sins of the tongu...
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"The Joy of Suffering?" September 20 Readings: James 1-2

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   James 1-2 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     An Introduction to the Book of James We interrupt our reading of the book of Acts to read what is often believed to be the first of the epistles of the New Testament, James. New Testament scholars are not uniform in their opinions of the timing and setting of the Book of James. Still, it seems likely that the book was written by James, the brother of Jesus, who became the leader of the church of Jerusalem and was a key figure in the Council of Jerusalem. He addresses his book to the "...
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