Author: joemarino (Page 16 of 54)

Ezra 7:11 – 28 | God Provides

February 13, 2022 / joemarino

We are a little over halfway in our study of the book of Ezra. The first six chapters covered a period of roughly eighty years of history from the time of the first exiles returning to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem to the day when Ezra actually steps onto the scene in Jerusalem.

Ezra 7:1 – 10 | A Man Like Ezra

February 6, 2022 / joemarino

The text in front of us describes the day when Ezra arrives in Jerusalem nearly eighty years after the first group of exiles had returned; eighty years of history have gone by since the original exiles returned to Jerusalem in the beginning of this book.² That day, the day that Ezra arrived in Jerusalem was probably a day of historic significance.

Colossians 3:12 – 17 | New Clothing New Behavior

January 16, 2022 / joemarino

In this passage the apostle Paul is challenging the Colossian church to put on new clothing and new behavior; putting on new clothing and new behavior is a vital component of spiritual growth.

Colossians 3:5 – 11 | Off With Old On With New

January 12, 2022 / joemarino

In this passage the apostle Paul is challenging the Colossian church to take off the old and put on the new; getting rid of the old junk and embracing the new life in Christ is a vital component of spiritual growth. Look at the text with me…

Colossians 3:1 – 4 | Get Your Mind Set Right

January 9, 2022 / joemarino

In this passage the apostle Paul is challenging the Colossian church to get her mind set right; getting your mind set right is a vital component of spiritual growth. Look at the text with me…

Ezra 6:16 – 18 | 91 Years

January 2, 2022 / joemarino

In this passage, Ezra describes the dedication of the newly built temple in Jerusalem. There is not a lot of fanfare, and the entire event is captured in only three verses of Scripture.

Matthew 2:1 – 23 | Contrast and Provision

December 26, 2021 / joemarino

The passage before us today is full of contrast and provision. The contrast between the wickedness of King Herod and the worshipful obedience of the wise men and Joseph is a stark and sobering reality that we see being played out in the world around us on a daily basis.

Matthew 1:18 – 25 | With Us And For Us

December 24, 2021 / joemarino

This passage of Scripture is Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus; it is the perfect Christmas Eve passage because it clearly outlines some of the most important things about Jesus’ first advent or his coming to this earth.

Matthew 1:1 – 17 | The Family Tree

December 19, 2021 / joemarino

Have you experienced the tension of the family tree at Christmas? One of the things I both love and hate about the Christmas season is the gift of family! Please catch my drift, it’s not that I hate family at all; it’s that I hate some of the drama and the disfunction and the negative emotions and experiences that come with being part of a family.

Ezra 6:1 – 15 | The House Of God

December 12, 2021 / joemarino

The work of restoration and rebuilding is a long process; it’s never a short process and it typically takes longer than you hope, and it usually costs more than you expect it to.