The Whole Counsel With Pastor Thom

As we come into chapter 4 we find a man named Zerubbabel. A descendent of King David and leader of Israel after their captivity in Babylon. He finds foundation of the temple had been laid, but the task before Zerubbabel seemed far greater than the strength he or the people of Israel possessed to complete it. And honestly, as we study Zechariah 4, we cannot help but see how relevant this passage st...

The book of Zechariah opens during one of the most difficult and discouraging periods in Israel’s history. The people had returned from Babylonian captivity with excitement and expectation. They believed they would quickly rebuild the temple, restore the nation, and once again experience the blessings of God. Yet years had passed. The work had slowed. Discouragement had settled heavily upon the pe...

About six hundred years before the coming of Christ, the kingdom of Judah was carried away into Babylonian captivity. Jerusalem was devastated. The walls were broken down. The temple — once filled with worship, sacrifice, and the presence of God among His people — was plundered, burned, and left in ruins. But God had not forgotten His people. After seventy years, the Lord stirred the heart of Cyru...

The prophet Zephaniah preached during a moment of choice in Israel’s history. For more than fifty years the nation had drifted spiritually under the leadership of Manasseh and Amon. Idolatry filled the land and complacency filled the hearts of the people. Then God raised up King Josiah, a ruler who desired reform and repentance. During his reign the Lord sent Zephaniah to call the nation back befo...

Habakkuk is not a record of sermons preached to the people. It is a record of a conversation between a prophet and his God. It is one of the most honest conversations recorded anywhere in Scripture. It reminds us that faith does not become silent in the face of questions. Faith brings questions into the presence of the Lord.

One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is not always open rebellion against God. Often the greater danger is believing lies that make sin appear acceptable. Throughout history people have convinced themselves that wrong things were right. They have justified greed, pride, and selfishness while still claiming to follow God. The prophet Micah was sent by God to confront a nation that had...

There are moments in life when we find ourselves in places we never imagined we would be. Sometimes those places are created by the brokenness of this world. Sometimes they are the result of the choices of others. And sometimes, if we are honest, those places are the result of our own decisions. The story of Jonah reminds us that even when we find ourselves in dark places,  God is still present, G...

The heart of the book of Jonah is not about a fish but a fleeing prophet and a faithful God. Jonah is about a heart that drifted from obedience. It is about a man who allowed something else to define him more than his calling. It is about compromise, discipline, identity, and mercy. And if we are honest, we will find ourselves somewhere in this story. Because all of us have had moments when the Wo...

Before we ever step into the book of Jonah, we must understand something foundational. The story of Jonah is not ultimately about a storm, a ship, or even a sea creature. It is about the  Gospel . It is about the heart of God toward sinners.

The book of Obadiah is small enough to miss if you are turning too quickly, but it is strong enough to shake you if you are listening carefully. This little book, only twenty-one verses long, carries a weight far heavier than its size would suggest. It is not filled with narrative drama. It does not record miracles. It does not introduce us to a towering personality like Elijah or Isaiah. Instead,...

The final words of Amos remind us that judgment is real, but judgment is not the end. God always has restoration in view. God always has a future planned. Even in the darkest warnings, there is hope on the horizon. Amos ends his prophecy by lifting the eyes of the people forward and saying, in effect, “It will be bad, but it will not end bad. A new day is coming.”

In Amos we see that one of the most dangerous spiritual conditions a person can be in is not rebellion, but routine.  It is possible to be surrounded by the things of God while remaining distant from the heart of God. One can sing the songs, bow the head, give the tithe, attend the services, and yet never truly encounter the Lord. The prophet Amos was sent to a nation that believed itself secure,...

Amos shows us something that most people would rather avoid. It is uncomfortable. It interrupts routines. It challenges assumptions about what faith looks like in ordinary life. It is the overlooking of the afflicted and poor and the responsibility of those who know God when they encounter it. We live in a world that is both connected and distracted. We can see suffering across the globe in second...

Amos prophesied during the reigns of  Uzziah king of Judah  and  Jeroboam II king of Israel . Both kings presided over long reigns marked by military expansion, economic growth, and political stability. Trade flourished. Borders expanded. Religious activity increased. Yet Scripture reveals that justice was perverted, the poor were exploited, and worship was reduced to empty formality. God sent Amo...

The book of Joel confronts us with a truth we often try to forget. God is not distant from the affairs of His people. He is not a silent observer who merely watches history unfold from a safe distance. He is actively involved. He speaks. He warns. He disciplines. He restores. There are seasons when God speaks softly through His Word. There are moments when conviction comes quietly in the stillness...

There are seasons in life when hope feels unreasonable. People reach a point where they believe the story is finished, that the damage done cannot be undone, and that restoration is no longer possible. Many people project human behavior onto God. We assume He becomes tired of forgiving. We think grace has a limit. We believe mercy eventually runs dry. But Scripture reveals something altogether dif...

Have you ever been somewhere so lost, so isolated, that you wondered if you’d ever make your way back? In Hosea we can look at how God promised that exile would  not  be the end of Israel’s story. Even when their rebellion was great, His restoration would be greater.

Have you ever been called out for something? There is nothing quite like that feeling. Being called out for something you did not do is embarrassing but being called out for something you did do is far worse. The book of Hosea is God calling out His people, not for something imagined, not for something exaggerated, but for something painfully true. Israel had run out on God. They had worshipped ot...

Names matter. They say something about who we are, where we come from, and sometimes even what our family hoped for when they named us. Some of them make us proud. Some make us cringe. But every name has a meaning. Hosea 1:3-11, we meet three children whose names were given not by their parents but by Almighty God. God used the names of these children to preach a message to a nation that had wande...

Have you ever had a job that was really difficult? A truly hard job or task is one that asks you to take  risks , to put your life, your reputation, or your comfort on the line. In the Old Testament, there was another job that was equally difficult, that was being a prophet of God.  God had given the Israelites a nation and promised that if they obeyed Him they would be protected and blessed. But...

The true measure of a life is not found in how many years a person lives, but in how that life is lived for God and the influence it leaves behind. Many people live long lives, yet their memory fades quickly because they lived only for themselves. But when a person lives fully devoted to God, that life echoes far beyond their time on earth.

Just as the statue of Venus de Milo and other treasures can be buried and forgotten, the Word of God can be ignored and left unopened in our lives. Yet when rediscovered, it brings life, direction, and transformation. God's Word is the hidden treasure that brings life and transformation

King Josiah, one of the most remarkable kings Judah ever had. Remember he was only 8 years old when he became king and started his rule.  But by the time he turned sixteen, something began to stir deep inside him. The Bible says in  2 Chronicles 34:3 “For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to...

History records that some of the greatest leaders arose in the bleakest hours. Josiah’s “tap on the shoulder” came when he was only eight years old. Imagine that, just a child, yet placed on the throne of Judah, surrounded by corruption, idolatry, and national decline. The Word of God says in  2 Kings 22:1–2   "Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one y...

The story of Elisha is one of power, miracles, and faithfulness to God. But what is remarkable is that his influence did not stop when his life ended. His bones still carried a testimony, still carried power, still carried a legacy. This passage challenges us with a sobering thought:  What will outlive you when you are gone? Hebrews 11:4  reminds us of Abel:  “By faith Abel offered unto God a more...