Pastor Adam Chandler has led and recorded his devotions through the Bible since he came to Hope Lutheran Church in 2020. These reflect on the scriptural text, its meaning for us, and its application to the world today. They can also serve as Bible studies. Framed as worship services and meditations, they include prayers and psalms to lead you into the Bible. If you are seeking a way to assist your meditations on God’s Word, this is a good way to begin. All devotional studies can be found on Hope Lutheran Church’s YouTube channel.

In Progress: 

Numbers – The history of God’s people journeying through the wilderness to the Promised Land. God is faithful but the people are proved time and again to be unfaithful. This mirrors our lives in faith where, in the wilderness of this sinful world, we journey by the grace of God unto the promised paradise to come.

Psalms – The prayer book of the Bible which spans the whole of Christian life from blessing to suffering.

James – James the Just instructs Christians how we should live properly in the faith. Roughly, he is saying, “You are a Christian, so act like it.” This letter is useful for understand the necessity of works in the Christian life and their relationship to faith. Faith precedes works and receives salvation, but faith can only live where works exist.

Completed: 

Old Testament

Genesis – The history of the world starting with the creation, humanity’s fall into sin, and God raising up faithful people to lead His people. While those people are themselves sinners and need salvation, we find the promises of God given to them point forward in time to Christ who saves them and us from our sin.

Exodus – God’s demonstration of love, grace, and judgment through His deliverance of His people into proper worship of Him. Our salvation from sin through faith is mimicked by Israel’s salvation from oppression.

Leviticus – The book of holiness in the Old Testament which regulates the worship lives of God’s people. Its whole text points to Christ as priest and atoning sacrifice for our salvation.

Job – A historical account of a man who strives to approach God and struggles with faith. Most people misunderstand the book to think it is about suffering. Suffering is merely the background. The main theme is how we pursue and understand God in light of suffering that we may finally rest in His grace.

Joel – A prophecy of coming invaders to Israel and a plea for repentance to receive God’s grace. Joel also includes the promise of Pentecost where all believers may receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Obadiah – God’s prophecy against Edom for the part that nation played in Babylon’s conquest of Israel. This mirrors Esau (forefather of Edomites) and his hatred of Israel (Jacob, who fathered the Israelites) as well as the plight of Christians who face the world trying to take God’s blessings from them.

Jonah – The prophet Jonah is tasked to go into enemy territory and preach destruction, so he flees the other way. There is many rich themes in the short book such as: fleeing from God likened to entering hell, God’s love for unbelievers, the importance of repentance, and the faithfulness of creation (e.g. the fish, the worm, the shady plant).

New Testament

John – The fourth gospel account with the most unique material. John takes a different angle than the other three gospel biographers by highlighting Jesus’ divinity and emphasizing salvation as life itself in Christ. The glory of God is most evident at the cross where Christ gives life to the world.

1 Timothy – A letter for the Christian Church looking to what should be done in our worship and practice, including the roles of pastor, deacon, and laypeople. Written to Timothy who was established by St Paul

2 Timothy – Paul’s final letter, written while awaiting execution. He cautions Timothy to hold to the word of God in the scriptures to guide himself and the Christian Church.

Titus – A letter to Titus who Paul established as overseer of Crete. There are words of caution against heresy, promotion of roles within the Church, and reliance on the promises of Christ and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit in baptism.

Hebrews – This sermon can be summed up as: Jesus is greater than the angels, Moses, and the high priest of Israel because he offers a greater covenant and sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins and salvation. The former things could not fully take away sins but Christ’s blood forgives us completely.

Epistles of John – The Apostle John’s letters to the Christian Church. The theme of fellowship with only those who properly confess and believe in Jesus Christ runs through all three letters. The first letter, though, can largely be summed up as “love” since God’s love in Christ’s sacrifice has saved us and leads us to love everyone else.

Jude – Jude, the brother of our Lord, instructs the Church to live properly and not fall into error.

Revelation – The Apostle John’s book of hope. This is the prophecy leading to the end times where great tribulation lies before the Church, beginning from when Christ ascended into heaven. But our Lord will descend and bring an end to all evil so those in the faith will join Christ in the resurrection into the new heavens and new earth.

Devotion Series on Festivals in the Church Year

Feast and Festival Devotional Services – Throughout the Church Year, there are numerous feast days and festival occasions. This series goes through some of them.