Calvary Chapel Birmingham

Verses 1 to 4 of Joshua 3.  Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing.   Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp,   giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move o...

Verses 3 to 6 of John 11.  So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.”   So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus,   he stayed where he was for the next...

Verses 14 to 24 off Joshua 2.  “We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land.”   Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window.   “Escape to the hill country,” she told them. “Hide there for three day...

Verses 1 to 2 of John 11.  A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha.   This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick.

Verses 8 to 13 of Joshua 2.  Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them.   “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror.   For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og,...

Verses 30 to 42 of John 10.  The Father and I are one.” Once again the people picked up stones to kill him.   Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?” They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.” Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God...

Verses 1 to 7 of Joshua chapter 2.  Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night. But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here...

Verses 22 to 29 of John 10.  It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication.   He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’...

Verses 10 to 18 of Joshua 1.  Joshua then commanded the officers of Israel, “Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He told them,   “Remember what Moses, the s...

Verses 14 to 21 of John 10.  “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,   just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.   I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.   “The Father loves me because I sacr...

Verses 2 to 8 of Joshua 1.  “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.   I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you—   from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates...

Verses 11 to 13 of John 10.  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.   A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock.   The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really...

Verses 2 to 5 of Joshua 1.  After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said,   “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.   I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I hav...

Verses 6 to 10 of John 10.  Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant,   so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.   All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them.   Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and...

An introduction to the book of Joshua

Verses 1 to 5 of John 10.  “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber!   But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  ...

Verses 35 to 41 of John 9.  When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to th...

Verses 24 to 34 of John 9.  So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once...

Verses 15 to 23 of John 9.  The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them. Then the Pharis...

A topical study exploring where we get our identity from.

Verses 6 to 14 of John 9.  Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes.   He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”   Some sai...

Verses 1 to 5 of John 9.  As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.   “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.   We must quickly carry out the tasks a...

A topical study following chapter 8, on how relevant the Pharisees are to our lives today.

A topical teaching exploring how we should be making decisions.

Verses 51 to 59 of John 8.  I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!” The people said, “Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, ‘Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!’   Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” Jesus answered, “If I want glory f...