Word of God Communities

Path 1: New Testament and Psalms

In Psalms 58-60, David appeals to God’s righteous judgment amid injustice, national turmoil, and military threat. He trusts that the Lord judges corrupt rulers, disciplines His people for their good, and restores strength after defeat. These psalms anchor hope in God’s covenant faithfulness rather than human power or strategy.

Path 2: Old Testament Pentateuch/History

In Numbers 21-23, Israel advances toward the land as God brings victory, healing, and unbreakable blessing. The bronze serpent reveals mercy for repentant sinners, while Balaam’s repeated oracles show that no curse can overturn God’s purpose. The Lord sovereignly protects His people despite weakness and external threat.

The Bronze Serpent as a Type: In John 3:14–15, Jesus says: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” John’s Gospel uses “lifted up”…

Path 1: New Testament and Psalms

In Psalms 55-57, David cries out amid betrayal, violence, and relentless threat. Surrounded by chaos and treachery, he entrusts his soul to the Lord as refuge and defender. Lament gives way to praise as David confesses that God’s steadfast love rules above fear, opposition, and human schemes.

Casting Burdens on the Lord: These psalms teach God’s people to resist panic, revenge, or flight when pressed by hostility. Instead, burdens are deliberately placed upon the Lord, forming communities shaped by prayerful trust. Stability is found not in any particular type of response but in resting under God’s faithful care.  The will of God will become evident to those who trust.

Path 2: Old Testament Pentateuch/History

In Numbers 18-20, the Lord orders Israel’s worship and leadership while exposing the cost of unbelief. God provides for the priests, brings water from the rock, and yet disciplines Moses for failing…

Path 1: New Testament and Psalms

In Psalms 52-54, we return to David’s Psalms as he contrasts arrogant self-reliance with humble trust in the Lord. Those who deny God and boast in power are exposed as fools, while the righteous find refuge in God’s steadfast love. These psalms affirm that deliverance and stability come from acknowledging God’s rule rather than rejecting it.

The Folly of Godless Confidence: Psalm 53 exposes unbelief not as ignorance but as a moral rebellion. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God,’” describing both people and societies that suppress divine authority to justify their own sin and corruption. Scripture calls God’s people to resist this by ordering their thought, worship, and public life around God’s revealed truth.

Path 2: Old Testament Pentateuch/History

In Numbers 15-17, the Lord restores covenant order after rebellion by reaffirming His law, clarifying authority, and confirming the priesthood. Tassels…

Path 1: New Testament and Psalms

In Psalms 49-51, wisdom exposes the emptiness of wealth and power, while worship is measured by obedience rather than ritual or song. The section culminates in David’s confession, where true repentance is shown to flow from God’s mercy. God desires hearts made clean, not sacrifices offered without faith and humility.

Path 2: Old Testament Pentateuch/History

In Numbers 12-14, Israel’s unbelief reaches a crisis point as fear overwhelms trust in God’s promise. Despite witnessing His power, the people refuse to enter the land, preferring safety over obedience. God responds with judgment tempered by patience, preserving His purpose while disciplining a faithless generation.

Fear That Distorts God’s Promises: Israel’s reaction to the spies’ report warns against reading God’s promises through circumstances rather than faith. When fear governs interpretation, obedience collapses. The church is reminded that covenant faithfulness requires trusting God’s word even when obstacles appear greater…

Our final reading of the year! New reading plans for 2026 are on the board at church.

Path 1: New Testament and Psalms

In Psalms 46-48, God is proclaimed as refuge, fortress, and sovereign king over all the earth. Though nations rage and creation trembles, the Lord remains present with His people. Zion stands secure as a testimony to God’s reign, teaching confidence rooted not in power but in His faithful rule.

Confidence Under God’s Kingship: These psalms ground cultural and communal stability in God’s rule rather than circumstances. Because the Lord reigns from His holy dwelling, His people may labor, build, and worship without fear, trusting that history and nations are ordered toward His righteous purposes.

Path 2: Old Testament Pentateuch/History

In Numbers 9-11, Israel is guided by the Lord’s presence through cloud and fire as the wilderness journey begins. Yet complaint quickly replaces gratitude. God responds with patient…

Path 1: New Testament and Psalms

As we come to end of the first book of Psalms with Psalms 39-41, David wrestles honestly with human frailty, divine discipline, and enduring hope in the Lord. He learns to number his days, confess his sin, and entrust his future to God’s care. These psalms commend compassion toward the weak and confidence that the Lord upholds the righteous.

Wisdom Shaped by Mortality: By reflecting on life’s brevity, these psalms train leaders and communities to pursue wisdom rather than short term gain. A message that echoes what we just finished reading in Ecclesiastes. Numbering our days fosters humility, repentance, and sober dependence on God, shaping households and churches that value faithfulness over speed, and righteousness over short-lived success.

Path 2: Old Testament Pentateuch/History

In Numbers 5-6, the Lord orders Israel’s communal life through laws of purity, restitution, and covenant faithfulness. The Nazirite vow illustrates focused devotion, while the priestly blessing reveals God’s…

Path 1: New Testament and Psalms

In Psalms 37-38, David contrasts the fragile triumphs of the wicked with the secure future of the righteous who trust God’s steadfast rule. He urges patient obedience, warns against envy, and models humble confession. These psalms anchor hope in the Lord’s covenant faithfulness, even when His discipline and affliction press heavily upon His people.

Path 2: Old Testament Pentateuch/History

In Numbers 3-4, the Levites replace Israel’s firstborn as those wholly set apart to guard and carry the holy things. Each clan receives ordered duties so Israel may approach God without carelessness. This structure reveals the gravity of His presence and the need for sanctified labor within the life of His covenant community.

Ordered Service and Holy Offices: The Levites’ carefully assigned tasks provide a pattern for ordered ministry within Christ’s church. Their roles show that reverent worship does not arise from improvisation but from…

Path 1: New Testament and Psalms

In Psalms 34–36, David praises the Lord for deliverance, urges the righteous to taste and see God’s goodness, and contrasts the love of the Lord with the corruption of the wicked. God’s steadfast love reaches to the heavens, giving refuge, light, and sure protection to all who trust in Him.

Public Praise and Righteous Witness: David frames gratitude as a public confession of God’s saving power. Praise is not merely private devotion, but a form of testimony that strengthens the faithful and confronts the wicked. When households and churches bless the Lord openly, they shape culture through visible allegiance to His goodness.

Path 2: Old Testament Pentateuch/History

In Numbers 1–2, the Lord orders Israel for life in the wilderness by numbering the tribes and arranging them around the tabernacle. The census emphasizes readiness for battle and covenant responsibility. The camp’s formation places God’s dwelling…

Path 1: New Testament and Psalms

In Psalms 32–33, David celebrates the blessing of forgiven sin and the joy of trusting the Lord’s steadfast love. Psalm 32 highlights the relief of confession, while Psalm 33 proclaims God’s sovereign word that creates, commands, and preserves His people. Together they call for glad submission to the righteous King.

The Joy of Forgiveness: Confession restores strength and clears the fog of deceit. Psalm 32 shows that forgiven people walk in renewed honesty, humility, and communion with God. Families and congregations flourish when sin is confronted and grace is received, creating communities marked by clarity, unity, and steadfast thanksgiving.

Path 2: Old Testament Pentateuch/History

In Leviticus 25–27, God institutes the Sabbath year and Jubilee to restore land, release debt slaves, and guard households from generational collapse. These commands reveal His concern for rest, mercy, and covenant stability. Vows, tithes, and redemption laws reinforce that…