How do we hear God when He speaks? First Samuel 3 shows us a picture of God’s faithfulness to speak to us even when we have ignored Him in the past.
Read Moredisobedience
Judges 16: The Consequences of Disobedience
Samson’s story reveals a sad but common pattern: instead of celebrating the One who gave him his gifts, he preened his ego and applauded himself. Listen in to learn from the consequences of his disobedience and avoid his mistakes.
Read MoreJudges 6–7: Severe Mercy
The human tendency is to rely on our own resources instead of the Lord. Knowing this, God made it abundantly clear to Gideon that His hand alone would save Israel—it was not human might that defeated Israel’s enemies.
Read MoreJudges: In Need of a King
Civilizations and circumstances change, but the human heart does not. Every one of us has to choose whether we will rebel against God or whether we will submit to His will.
Read MoreJudges 2: A Pattern of Idolatry
The book of Judges stands as a sad, stark contrast to the book of Joshua. Whereas the people of the conquest obeyed the Lord under Joshua’s leadership, they quickly fell into rebellion after his death. Because they had set aside God’s law, their enemies were defeating and oppressing them.
Read MoreJoshua 23: Remembering God’s Faithfulness
At the end of his life, Joshua gave a farewell speech to the people of Israel, exhorting them to remember God’s faithfulness in order to trust and obey Him.
Read MoreRomans 2: The Universal Moral Law
God has made Himself known, so all people are without excuse, and we all walk in disobedience. But the good news is that He has given us Jesus to redeem us.
Read MoreDeuteronomy 28: Idolatry of the Heart
God warned the Israelites of the consequences of disobedience. But the tangible idols of this world drew their hearts away from Him, just as they do ours.
Read MoreNumbers 14: The Faithfulness of God
Have you ever idealized the past so much that you forget God’s faithfulness? Numbers 14 shows that this mindset caused the Israelites to rebel against God.
Read MoreFaith and Obedience
This article borrows heavily from Walter Henrichsen’s A Layman’s Guide to Applying the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1978).
Of these four, the one most heavily emphasized in Scripture is application.
The Bible consistently emphasizes faith as a commitment to what God says—and acting on it. Those mentioned in Hebrews 11, often called the “Faith Hall of Fame” in Scripture, illustrate this definition of faith.
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