We see the story of Peter and experience the smell of charcoal on a beach while Jesus is cooking fish. We see that Jesus restores us where we have failed, and from there, He sends us out to where He is already working.

Saul sees his job as one of purity. He is trying to hunt down this new strand of idolatry, those followers of Jesus (this so called “The Way”) and imprison them. His job is done so well that those in “The Way” have left Jerusalem and have begun spreading to the ends of the earth. His job is not done yet; he chases them to Damascus to imprison them. However, as he is pursuing purity, he discovers that their spreading has already happened.

Nehemiah feels a burden, a burden to rebuild his city, God’s city. He cries out to God and goes down to Jerusalem and begins an incredible adventure of wall building and shaping people into Godly servants. But this book asks a difficult question, “What if Nehemiah’s plans don’t work out the way he hopes?”

The level of messeanic expectation runs thick through the story of David, which can drive us to believe David was more holy than he actually was. However, when we look beyond the story of his infidelity we see someone who fell and was just an ordinary sinner who leads us to the messiah.

He started out with such promise. Tall and handsome, the new king would be a servant of God and the people. But this cautionary tale would not end well as we see him fall into the tradition of his people and do what is right in his own eyes.

Samson is the famous story of God’s gladiator who constantly shows his incredible acts of strength and will to the glory of God. Or is all this done for Samson’s own glory?

When God asked Joshua and his people to take the city of Jericho, he did not ask them to be like the incredible gladiators from the past. No, he asked them to be like Rahab the prostitute.

Let my people go! So many other acts of righteousness by Moses, so he was something special, right? But why is he not allowed in the promised land after hitting a rock?

Have you ever wondered how great the world would be if all those “badies” would just go away? Well, it already happened once, and God chose the only one righteous to continue the line. But what happens when that does not work?

Why in the world did Adam and Eve mess everything up for us? The Garden of Eden seemed so nice, and we would be there right now if it were not for them. Or would we?