Author: joemarino (Page 22 of 52)

Joshua 15:20 – 19:51 | The Size of Your Inheritance

February 16, 2020 / joemarino

These four-and-a-half chapters of Joshua cover a significant portion of the distribution of the Promised Land to Israel. I have chosen portions of the text to look at today but I would encourage you to read this text in its entirety as you are able. Let’s start in Joshua 15…

Joshua 14:6 – 15:19 | Leadership, Land and the Man

January 26, 2020 / joemarino

As we turn our attention to this passage today we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of the center section of the book of Joshua. For the most part this section (Ch. 13 – 22) is a slightly boring and hard to read section of scripture.

Joshua 13:1 – 14:5 | Your Inheritance

January 19, 2020 / joemarino

Joshua 13 is a description of Israel’s physical inheritance of the Promised Land. Two and a half tribes receive the land that is on the Eastside of the Jordan River and nine and a half tribes receive a plan for the distribution of the land on the Westside of the Jordan River. So the Eastside receives the land and the Westside receives a plan.

Joshua 12:1 – 24 | Celebrating The Win

January 9, 2020 / joemarino

Joshua chapter 12 is basically a transitional chapter in the book that helps to move the narrative from one major section of the story to the next. It’s kind of like a bridge from one main body of land to the next main body of land. It can be helpful if you can envision yourself standing on the middle of that bridge looking back at the land you just left with an eye towards not only what lies behind you but also what lies ahead of you.

Joshua 11:1 – 23 | Wartime Strategy

December 31, 2019 / joemarino

The book of Joshua is an exciting book that is full of stories about war. Reading this book can be similar to watching a movie like Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers or Pearl Harbor or even the Lord of the Rings.

Luke 2:1 – 20 | Unto Us A Child Is Born

December 22, 2019 / joemarino

The passage in front of us today has often been referred to as the Christmas story. Many Christians over the years have made a tradition out of reading this story on Christmas Eve or Christmas day. It’s a beautiful story of the birth of Jesus. But let’s not forget that Jesus wasn’t born into an American cultural context.

Luke 1:56 – 80 | Lord Have Mercy

December 14, 2019 / joemarino

The Christmas season is a beautiful time of the year. It’s probably my favorite season of the entire year. All of the lights, laughter, joy, Christmas movies, family get-togethers, food and gift giving… Christmas really is a beautiful season. But it’s also a season where some of our deepest unmet desires and struggles are brought to the surface.

The Magnifying Glass | Luke 1:39 – 55

December 6, 2019 / joemarino

My heart is like a magnifying glass. There are many small things that have a tendency to consume the attention of my heart.

Joshua 9:1 – 27 | The Invisible War

November 23, 2019 / joemarino

The Christian life is about spiritual advancement in a physical reality. One author says that, “there are no spiritual advances, personally or corporately, (that will happen) without challenge and conflict” (Jackman 2014: 104). In other words, if you want to follow Jesus in this world then you should expect to face opposition and deception.

Joshua 8:30 – 35 | Under the Rule of the Rescuer

November 15, 2019 / joemarino

A lot of things have happened in the first eight chapters of Joshua that make these verses feel like a lull in the action. Looking back we remember God’s commissioning of Joshua to lead his people into the Promised Land.