The Word & Our Walk

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdu

Genesis 1:1-25 Summary Genesis opens with the Creator (God), not with us (the created). “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (v. 1). Before there is the material universe, there is the Creator God. The first scene is not “nature,” but this God speaking. The earth is “without form and void” and covered in darkness (v. 2), but it is not outside God’s rule; the Spirit of God is “hovering” over the waters (v. 2). Then God speaks light into darkness: “Let ther

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a chance to read last week's Shepherd's Corner (you can find it here: https://www.riversidepeople.org/post/shepherd-s-corner-december-24th-2025). If you are curious about what's going on at our church, you will often find I share my thoughts through the Shepherd's Corner. And, when I do share, please be mindful that I am not announcing something after the fact. I will often let you know about challenges I do not have quick answers to. I sha

Psalm 149 Summary Psalm 149 calls God’s redeemed people to praise that is both joyful and faithful. Like Psalm 148, it begins with a summons to praise, but here the focus narrows from all creation to the covenant community: Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! (v. 1) This is not private devotion but communal worship. God’s people rejoice because the LORD is both Maker and King (v. 2). Praise is expressed with singing, music, and embodied joy (

Psalm 148 Summary Psalm 148 is a call to praise the Creator of the Universe. Unlike many psalms that begin with our need or personal confession, this psalm begins with a call to praise the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights! (v. 1) It moves downward to angels, stars, skies, seas, animals, nations, and finally to God’s covenant people. Praise is not first an emotion but a response to reality. Everything th

Grace of our Loving Lord Jesus Christ to you. Due to other pressing work, I have not been able to upload daily meditations for the past week. So, here I am uploading a meditation for the entire book of Micah. (Remember, even if I am unable to upload a meditation, the daily reading is posted with a link.) Let the Word of God richly dwell in the midst of us! Book of Micah Summary: the covenant God who refuses shallow religion Micah (whose name means "Who is like Yahweh?") speak

Micah 6:6-8 The Most Important Question in Life? It's not academic advancement, vocational success, financial stability, or anything else. It's this: What does the Creator (God) want from you? If you get that wrong, you’ll end up in one of two places: Pressure: “I must do enough.” (Religious) Drift: “It doesn’t really matter.” (Secular) Most people live by the "Golden Rule"--i.e., "Being good,” but no one seems to fully agree on what good actually means. Is goodness, being ni

What is the book of Micah all about? I am sharing a summary video by Bible Project with the transcript. Let's get to know the book for the Sunday worship service. Summary: The book of Micah presents a powerful movement between judgment and hope . Micah, a prophet from the rural town of Moreshet in Judah and a contemporary of Isaiah (Micah 1:1; Isaiah 1:1), speaks into a time when both Israel and Judah had broken their covenant with the Lord (Micah 1:5). He announces that God

John 1:1-14 Why Did God Become Human? Introduction: How well do we really know the meaning of Christmas? It depends on how we answer the question: "Why did God become human?" Three things I would say to answer that question: Reparation. Righteousness. Relationship. God became human to make reparation for sin , to provide righteousness we lacked, and to restore the relationship we lost. 1. Reparation — God Became Human to Make Things Right We often think of sin as mistakes ,

(No Audio. Please read.) Merry Christmas! On this Christmas Eve, I wish you and your family the happiest and most meaningful Christmas ever! May Heaven's riches abound in you and everyone in your life. Soon, I will be the only ordained pastor serving at Riverside Community Church. I did not imagine this situation when I accepted the call. I had hoped and prayed that at least the first year would be as stable as possible and as non-eventful as possible. Boy, was I in for a sur

Micah 1:1–16 Summary Prophet Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea (roughly 735-690 BC). His work is recorded in the twelve minor prophets section of the Old Testament. When the twelve minor prophets are viewed as one continuous scroll, Micah serves as a bridge between the local judgment of Israel/Samaria (Hosea/Amos) and the global judgment of Nineveh (Jonah-Nahum). Let's take a look. “The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth” (v. 1). That brief detail mat

Luke 2:1-7, 2:8–20 Introduction Quick question—be honest. Have you ever opened Instagram and thought, “Wow… everyone is doing amazing except me.” Some people are "winners" at school. Some are "winners" at sports. Some are even "winning"  genetically, according to some Jean commercial. Now, here's the crazy thing about Christmas: When God entered the world, He did not announce it to the so-called "winners." 1. God skipped the VIP list. Luke says the first people to hear about

Jude 1-16 Summary Jude identifies himself in verse 1: Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James Although Jude does not explicitly say he is also a brother of Jesus, he most likely is. Now, rather than that relationship, Jude chooses to emphasize the relationship between the King and the servant. Jude writes to a church that is loved, called, and kept by God (v. 1). He writes because, even though the church is "kept by God for Jesus Christ," it is not immune to dang

Psalm 147 Summary Psalm 147 calls God’s people to praise the LORD not because life is easy, but because God is faithful to rebuild, restore, and sustain His people. The psalm opens with a simple yet profound invitation: “Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God” (v. 1). Praise flows from who God is as well as what God does. He gathers the outcasts of Israel and heals the brokenhearted (vv. 2–3). This restoring God is also the Creator who counts the stars and

Living on "Stage," Rooted in Our Identity “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2 & 3) As we close out 2025, I am reminded that Scripture directs our attention not first to events but to identity. What we do (fruit) is very important, but who we are (tree) is more import

Psalm 145 Summary Psalm 145 is David’s song of praise to the LORD as King. Praise is not treated as a mood but as a daily posture. Praise happens when God's people see the character of God and place their trust in the life of the covenant community: One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts (v. 4). At the center stands God’s character: The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (v. 8). This Kin

Psalm 144 Summary In Psalm 144, David "blesses" the LORD as his warrior-God, yet immediately confesses the frailty of humanity. The psalm moves from personal dependence to national hope, and finally to a vision of true blessing that can only come from covenant life under God’s rule. David begins not with strategy , but with doxology : Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle (v.1). Yet this is not a confidence in power or force. Dav

Psalm 142 Summary Psalm 142 is a type of psalm known as "Maskil," which is a prayer that teaches. It's a carefully crafted, Spirit-inspired meditation meant to shape how we think, feel, and live before God. This particular Maskil was attributed to David “when he was in the cave”. He was likely hiding from King Saul. David was cut off from human help and was feeling abandoned. This psalm is a raw, honest lament that turns a suffocating cave into a sanctuary of prayer. With my

Psalm 141 Summary Psalm 141 is David’s prayer for protection from both external evil and internal temptation. Perhaps, David was tempted by the prosperity of the evil men. Why does God allow evil to succeed while the saints suffer? This is an age-old question that often makes the saints stumble. O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you! Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice

Psalm 140 Summary Psalm 140 is David’s prayer for deliverance from violent and deceitful men. He begins with urgency: Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from violent men (v.1). Who were David's enemies? They were: Violent men, who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually. They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's, and under their lips is the venom of asps* (vv. 1b-3). (*NIV translates this as "poison of vipers," which is better here.) They us