Ryan Rose

Self Examination

"But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." Paul had…

1 Corinthians 11:31 (NLT), 1 Corinthians 11:32 (NLT)

God's Passion

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you…

Matthew 23:37 (NLT)

A Grave Mistake

Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God...haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? (Matthew 22:29, 31) If the Gospels had been…

Matthew 22:29 (NLT), Matthew 22:31 (NLT)

The Faith Hope Paradox

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." (Hebrews 11:1) ..."If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it.…

Romans 8:24 (NLT), Romans 8:25 (NLT), Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

Successful Living

"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything…

Joshua 1:8 (NLT)

Never Say Never (Hebrews 13:5-6)

"...He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6 ESV) Never say never when it comes…

You're Killing Me Smalls! (Matthew 20:17-19)

"As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will…

Matthew 20:17 (NLT), Matthew 20:18 (NLT), Matthew 20:19 (NLT)

God Delivers

God's promises are true by themselves with or without our belief in them. God promises are, however, sometimes conditional upon our response. For instance, Galatians 6:9 "So let’s not get tired of doing…

Galatians 6:9 (NLT)

Fake Prayers

Have you ever prayed a fake prayer? We all probably have at some point. We say stuff we don't really mean and make promises we hope God doesn't really require us to keep. That's what we find here in this…

Jeremiah 42:5 (NLT), Jeremiah 42:6 (NLT)

A Tale of Two Preachers

Jeremiah was sent by God to deliver His rebuke the kingdom of Judah and to turn them from their sins. Unfortunately one of his biggest obstacles were the false prophets who consistently spoke blatant…

Jeremiah 28:9 (NLT), Jeremiah 28:15 (NLT), Jeremiah 28:16 (NLT), Jeremiah 28:17 (NLT)

Haters

This is one of the most bewildering statements anyone has ever said. In many translations Jesus is literally saying, "if you don't HATE your family you are not worthy of even being called by my name."…

Matthew 10:37 (NLT), Matthew 10:38 (NLT), Matthew 10:39 (NLT)

When God Uses The "F" Word

At this point in the story God has decreed that King Jehoiachin, the last reigning king in Judah is about to be invaded by Babylon and conquered as he and his unjust kingdom comes crashing down to destruction.…

Jeremiah 22:30 (NLT)

Dirty Underwear

(Disclaimer: this is a bizarre illustration that I don't take credit for and not necessarily one I would have picked, but then again I wasn't asked to be part of the Bible Writing Team and therefore all…

Jeremiah 13:1 (NLT)

The Perfect Storm

In chapter 7:24-28 Jesus teaches His disciples about the importance of hearing and applying God's Word as the central method of weathering and enduring the storms of life. Here in chapter 8 He gives His…

Matthew 8:23 (NLT), Matthew 8:24 (NLT)

Jesus Struggled

As Jesus arrives in the Garden of Gethsemane just before He is about to be betrayed, falsely accused, rejected, and executed, He stops to pray. In desperation He falls on His face and prays asking for…

Matthew 26:44 (NLT)

Commanded Victories

I love that the sons of Korah wrote this song to God given their ungodly heritage. Their ancestor led a rebellion against Moses and therefore against God Himself by seeking to exalt themselves against…

Psalm 44:3 (NIV)