Here are my thoughts and highlights from Nahum as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• "God is serious business. He won’t be trifled with." We tend to only think about the "loving" God when in reality he’s also powerful and just.
• "God doesn’t lose his temper. He’s powerful, but it’s a patient power."
• When it feels like no one is there, God is. "God is good, a hiding place in tough times. He recognizes and welcomes anyone looking for help."
• When Kayla first started playing soccer, we thought it would be funny if the team was nicknamed the juggernauts. She convinced her teammates to do it. Because of that, I smiled when I read, "The juggernaut’s coming!" in chapter two.

Here are my thoughts and highlights from II Thessalonians as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• "Our God gives you everything you need, makes you everything you’re to be."
• I admire how often these Bible guys were willing to encourage their friends and say stuff like, "We’re so proud of you."
• God uses our ideas and actions for his purposes. "Pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something."
• "May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech." Don’t you just love it that God does that in our lives? I do.
• God doesn’t want me to get lazy or refuse to work. "If you don’t work, you don’t eat."
• "May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways."

Here are my thoughts and highlights from Micah as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• "The villagers of Bittertown wait in vain for sweet peace." I think I know some citizens of Bittertown.
• There’s a typo on page 1672. The word "at" should be "as." Thought it was funny that there was a typo in the Bible.
• As Christ-followers, we are filled with God’s power.
• "God will give you new life again." No matter what our past, we get a fresh start with Jesus.
• "Keep all God’s salvation stories fresh and present." We should share our stories of life change.
• "Don’t take yourself too seriously–take God seriously."
• "You’ll plant grass but never get a lawn." I thought I was the only one with that problem.
• "Don’t nurse your anger and don’t stay angry long."

Here are my thoughts and highlights from Joel as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• "Make sure you tell your children, and your children tell their children, and their children their children. Don’t let this message die out." I have a responsibility to make sure my kids hear about my faith. And, I’m glad NewSpring has age-appropriate ministry for my kids.
• Did you know there’s a verse about Clemson football in the Bible? It’s in the second chapter of Joel. "When it leaves, it is Death Valley. Nothing escapes unscathed."
• "God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, this most patient God, extravagant in love."
• "I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people." God intended for his church to be a diverse gathering.
• "God is a safe hiding place."

Here are my thoughts and highlights from I Thessalonians as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• Paul, Silas and Timothy modeled doing ministry in teams.
• "Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word." Sometimes our actions really do speak louder than our words.
• "Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts." Evangelism is more than preaching God’s Word.
• Some people hear encouragement louder when it’s whispered. I may be one of those people.
• "We ask you–urge is more like it–that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance."
• "God hasn’t invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life…" I’ll bet God doesn’t have a junk drawer in his kitchen.
• "So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart." I love it that my faith is a thinking-person’s faith.
• Yes, we’re supposed to point people in the right direction, but we’re also supposed to bring encouragement and hope. "Speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind."
• I’m supposed to honor my leaders. "Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!"
• "Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out." I’ll be honest. It takes more work and intentionality for me to do this than to point out someone’s shortcomings.
• "Greet all the Christians there with a holy embrace." Where exactly is there? I’d like to avoid going there. They hug each other there.

Here are my thoughts and highlights from Daniel as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• Daniel turned down the royal diet for vegetables and water. I don’t think I could have turned down the royal burger.
• I think it’s pretty cool that the King acknowledged God’s people were more knowledgeable and skilled than "all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom put together." Wouldn’t it be something if God’s people had that reputation today?
• Not to boast, but my god can do the impossible. That’s one of the reasons I follow him.
• God raises up people in power. And, sometimes he also brings them down. Leadership is a privilege.
• "There is a God in heaven who solves mysteries."
• Among the instruments used for worship were trumpets, trombones, tubas, drums, cymbals and baritones. I’m glad to hear the baritone is a sacred instrument for worship.
• Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were prepared to be thrown in the fire. They were confident they would survive. There are days when I don’t have that kind of courage.
• "Make a clean break with your sins and start living for others. Quit your wicked life and look after the needs of the down-and-out. Then you will continue to have a good life." It appears that when I focus on others, it helps me stay out of sin.
• Daniel was faithful to the king, but he was more faithful to God. God was always his priority.
• When the king threw Daniel to the lions, God shut the mouths of the lions. When needed, God still shuts the mouths of lions.
• "His body was hard and glistening, as if sculpted from a precious stone." People often say this about me.
• "From the moment you decided to humble yourself to receive understanding, your prayer was heard." Prayer is more about the acknowledgment of who God is (and who I’m not) than it is the words I say.
• "Don’t be afraid, friend. Peace. Everything is going to be all right. Take courage. Be Strong."
• "Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly." Actions, both good and bad, have consequences. Most times, we get to choose the consequences.

Here are my thoughts and highlights from John as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• God created everything.
• After meeting Jesus, Andrew and Philip went and told others. Both encouraged their friends to come and see for themselves.
• The first miracle Jesus performed was to turn water into wine. Apparently Jesus hadn’t met the deacon board yet.
• "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed: by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life."
• God is truth.
• "The Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship."
• Jesus claimed to be God.
• "A prophet is not respected in the place where he grew up." Sometimes ministry requires a move.
• Jesus broke the religious rules. I wonder what rules he’d break today?
• Jesus said, "You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees." Maybe too much knowledge is actually a bad thing.
• Do you think bloggers ripped Jesus for having crowds with thousands of people gathering? You think he was watering down his message?
• "Once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go." It’s good to know God doesn’t let go.
• When trouble comes, I shouldn’t try to place blame. I need to "look instead for what God can do."
• God’s plans for me are better than I could ever dream of.
• Jesus frequently attacked the religious leaders. "When push came to shove they cared more for human approval than for God’s glory."
• "Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples–when they see the love you have for each other."
• "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me."
• Jesus said, "The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things." Wow! That’s an incredible promise.
• God wants my obedience. "The person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that’s who loves me."
• God expects my life to bear fruit. I’m guessing he expects the same of the Church.
• It’s interesting that a woman found the tomb was empty. If it was a man, she would have sent him back to look again.

Here are my thoughts and highlights from Ezekiel as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• God wants his Word inside me.
• "Roll up your sleeve, shake your bare arm, and preach against her." I’m thinking God wouldn’t tell me that if he saw my bare arms.
• Obscenities will "boomerang on you."
• When you’re gripped by fear, you can’t move.
• "Realize that I am God" is a phrase that was repeated over and over in this book. God’s God. And I’m not.
• The theme of "changed lives" is all over God’s Word. That must be important to him.
• God calls out the sins of pride, gluttony and laziness. Funny…churches don’t talk about these sins very often.
• There are some things that God does in our lives that will probably just leave us speechless. It would probably help if I was speechless more often.
• There’s instruction not to pile up bad debts. Of course, that suggests there’s room for good debt.
• When God forgives, he doesn’t keep a list of the things we did wrong. I’m glad God has selective memory.
• In this book, "breasts were fondled," there was "provocative lingerie" and "sluttish sex." These folks were getting freaky.
• Sin usually destroys from the inside out.
• Wisdom can lead to corruption when pride creeps in. Good thing I’m not too smart.
• I love the fact the God is ready to "stir up fresh hope."
• "When good people turn back from living good lives and plunge into sin, they’ll die for it. And when a wicked person turns away from his wicked life and starts living a just and righteous life, he’ll come alive." There’s that hope thing again.
• God said, "I’m going after my sheep. I’ll rescue them… I’ll go after the lost." I’m thinking we should do the same.
• "God is right there watching, right there listening."
• The Temple was tricked out with palm trees. I’m thinking churches need more palm trees.
• God wants offerings "without blemish." In other words, he wants my best.

Here are my thoughts and highlights from I Peter as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• "We’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven–and the future starts now!" Looks like God saved me from Hell, but he also has a purpose for me on earth.
• Here’s another challenge to remain disciplined: "Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing."
• "Let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness."
• God won’t let me get by with "sloppy living."
• One thing that should differentiate Christ-followers from anyone else is a commitment to "love one another."
• Part of my mission is "to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made" in my life.
• God wants me to respect the government…even the part of the government from the other political party.
• "He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing."
• Sarah would address Abraham as "my dear husband." Emily just calls me "my guy." I think I prefer that.
• "Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them." I really like that "delight in them" part.
• God wants me to "run after peace." I wonder if that also applies to fathers with four children?
• "Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy." God must have known Christians would have trouble with "utmost courtesy." You wouldn’t think he’d have to make that clear, would you?
• God wants me to learn to think like him.
• I need to continue to learn and implement generosity in my life. "Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help." Sometimes that generosity doesn’t involve money or possessions–it involves encouraging words and actions. There are times when that’s harder for me than giving money.
• Difficult circumstances create opportunities for "spiritual refining."
• "God has had it with the proud, but takes delight in just plain people."
• Peter closes this letter by asking folks to "Give holy embraces all around!" I’m sure that’s a typo. Don’t you be thinking I’m going to start hugging anyone. And, whatever you do, don’t touch my skin!

Here are my thoughts and highlights from II & III John as I continue my journey through the Bible:

• I need to be "diligent in living out the Truth."
• "Love means following his commandments, and his unifying commandment is that you conduct your lives in love." What if Christians really lived life that way?
• I need to constantly be in God’s Word. "Anyone who gets so progressive in his thinking that he walks out on the teaching of Christ, walks out on God."
• Communication is best when it’s face-to-face.
• My faith becomes visible when I extend hospitality to others.
• "The person who does good does God’s work." I need to model good.