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One Minute on One Chapter, Panama City, FL (2026)

06/18/2026

One Minute on One Chapter: Judges 9 🌿

Judges 9 is a sobering portrait of what happens when people trade God’s good rule for a “bramble king.” Abimelech claws his way to power, Shechem crowns him for selfish reasons, and together they reap the ruin they’ve sown. Jotham’s fable reminds us that true fruitfulness lies in staying rooted in the quiet callings God gives, not in grabbing thrones that were never ours. In this long, dark chapter, the hope is that God still sees, still judges rightly, and still calls us to be olive trees, not brambles, in our families, churches, and communities.

And now, let’s turn this into prayer together.

Lord, search my heart for “bramble ambitions” that scratch and wound instead of bless. Forgive the Abimelech in me that grasps for status and the Shechem in me that chases whatever seems most advantageous. Teach me to be content with the olive-tree, fig-tree, and vine callings You’ve already given, bearing quiet fruit instead of chasing crowns. Give me Jotham’s courage to speak truth in love, even when it’s lonely, and anchor me in the confidence that You, not any human leader, are King. Amen.

I'm reading through Scripture one chapter a day this year---join me!

Read Judges 9 here: https://www.esv.org/Judges+9

Not a scholar, just a fellow traveler in the Word---I hope this post encourages your own study!

06/17/2026

One Minute on One Chapter: Judges 8 ⚔️

"I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you." — Judges 8:23 (ESV)

Judges 8 is not a simple victory chapter. Gideon crosses the Jordan "exhausted yet pursuing" — a phrase that captures the strange calling of faith perfectly . There are seasons when obedience doesn't feel heroic, just depleted. Gideon defuses a tribal conflict with a soft answer, defeats two kings against impossible odds, and then speaks one of the most beautiful lines in the book: the Lord will rule over you. His lips get it exactly right.

And yet what follows is heartbreaking. The gold from God's deliverance becomes an ephod. The ephod becomes a snare. The very blessings of victory quietly grow into a rival center of devotion. As Timothy Keller puts it, "Idols are not just bad things, but good things that we have turned into ultimate things." We are in the Season after Pentecost — Ordinary Time — a season that calls us not to dramatic beginnings but to faithful, daily continuation . Judges 8 meets us right there: not in the heat of battle, but in the long ordinary stretch that follows. The question this chapter presses on each of us is simple and searching — what good gift, what success, what wound or fear has slowly become an ephod in your life?

🗓️ I'm reading through Scripture one chapter a day this year---join me!

📖 https://www.esv.org/Judges+8/

Not a scholar, just a fellow traveler in the Word---I hope this post encourages your own study!

06/16/2026

One Minute on One Chapter: Judges 7 🔥

God took an army of 32,000 and trimmed it down to 300 — not to weaken Gideon, but to make the victory unmistakably His own. "Lest Israel boast, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'" The three hundred weren't the strongest men. They were simply the ones God chose. And in this Season after Pentecost, when the Spirit is poured out on ordinary, trembling people, Judges 7 reminds us that weak faith in a strong God is more than enough. Break the jar. Hold up the torch. The victory belongs to Him.

And here's something worth sitting with — before the battle, God met Gideon in his fear and said, "If you are afraid, go down to the camp and listen." Gideon went and overheard an enemy soldier dreaming of a barley loaf — food of the poor — flattening the Midianite tent. That humble loaf was Gideon. God speaks encouragement even to trembling hearts. Whatever battle feels too large for you today, the Lord who equipped 300 with clay jars and torches has not run out of ways to win.

🗓️ I'm reading through the Scriptures one chapter a day this year — join me!

Read Judges 7 here: https://www.esv.org/Judges+7/

Not a scholar, just a fellow traveler in the Word — I hope this post encourages your own study!

06/15/2026

One Minute on One Chapter: Judges 6 🕊️

In Judges 6, God meets Gideon hiding in a winepress and calls him “mighty man of valor” long before he feels brave. The Lord tears down idols at home before sending Gideon into battle, and He names Himself “The Lord Is Peace” right in the middle of fear and oppression. In this season after Pentecost, we remember that the same Spirit who clothed Gideon now clothes ordinary believers, turning hidden places into starting lines of courage and trust.

If you’d like to pray with this chapter today:

Lord, You see where I am hiding, doubting, and feeling too small for what lies ahead. Tear down every idol of security and self-sufficiency in my heart, and build in its place an altar of Your peace. Meet me in my winepress moments, speak Your courage over my fear, and clothe me with Your Spirit for whatever obedience You place in front of me today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

🗓️ I'm reading through the Scriptures one chapter a day this year---join me!

Read Judges 6 on ESV.org: https://www.esv.org/Judges+6

Not a scholar, just a fellow traveler in the Word---I hope this post encourages your own study!

06/14/2026

One Minute on One Chapter: Judges 5 ✨

In Judges 5 we hear a song that sounds like the Lord’s Prayer sung on a battlefield. God is the One who marches for His people, shakes the mountains, and even commands the stars and rivers to fight on their behalf. When we pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done,” we are asking to be like Deborah, Barak, and the tribes who offered themselves willingly, trusting that the Lord goes before them into impossible battles. This chapter also warns us about the sin of staying on the sidelines—Meroz is cursed not for attacking God’s people, but for refusing to help. Today, let Judges 5 teach you to praise first, to step forward when God calls, and to trust that the God who once flooded Kishon still acts powerfully for His people.

I’m reading through Scripture one chapter a day this year—join me!

Read Judges 5 here: https://www.esv.org/Judges+5

Not a scholar, just a fellow traveler in the Word---I hope this posts encourages your own study!

06/13/2026

One Minute on One Chapter: Judges 4 ⚔️🌿

Judges 4 reminds us that when God's people feel weak or overwhelmed, the Lord is still able to deliver. Through Deborah's steady faith, Barak's trembling obedience, and Jael's unexpected courage, this chapter shows that victory belongs to God, not to human strength.

On June 13, 2026, the church is in Ordinary Time, and Judges 4 fits that season well by calling believers to faithful obedience in everyday life. God often works through ordinary acts of courage, meeting His people in moments of hesitation and urging them to trust that He goes before them.

So here is a simple step for today: take one concrete action in an area where you have been hesitating. Make the call, offer the encouragement, begin the reconciliation, or start the task God has already placed in front of you, trusting that obedience matters more than feeling fearless.

🗓️ I'm reading through Scripture one chapter a day this year---join me!

Bible Link: [Judges 4 on ESV.org](https://www.esv.org/Judges+4/)

Not a scholar, just a fellow traveler in the Word---I hope this post encourages your own study!

06/12/2026

One Minute on One Chapter: Judges 3 🛡️
Judges 3 is a sober reminder that small compromises can grow into deep spiritual trouble, yet God still hears His people when they cry out. Israel drifted, forgot the Lord, and suffered for it, but again and again God raised up unexpected deliverers. In this season after Pentecost, the chapter calls the church to live alert, Spirit-dependent lives instead of settling beside nearby idols. God is patient, merciful, and strong enough to rescue, even when the need for deliverance has been caused by our own drift.

Take a quiet moment with this chapter. Is there some compromise, habit, or quiet drift that has become too comfortable in your life? Sit honestly before God, name what needs to be surrendered, and remember that the Lord who tests also hears, delivers, and gives grace to begin again.

🗓️ I'm reading through Scripture one chapter a day this year---join me!

Bible link: Judges 3 (ESV)

Not a scholar, just a fellow traveler in the Word---I hope this post encourages your own study!

06/11/2026

One Minute on One Chapter: Judges 2 ⚖️

Judges 2 warns how quickly God’s people can drift when compromise is left standing and His works are forgotten. Israel wept, yet tears alone did not change the heart. Still, this chapter is not only about failure. It also shows the mercy of God, who heard His people’s groaning and raised up deliverers again and again. In this season after Pentecost, we are reminded to remember God’s faithfulness, resist compromise, and ask the Spirit to form a living faith in the next generation.

Let’s pray with that in mind:

Lord, keep Your people from compromise and spiritual forgetfulness. Strengthen our elders, ministers, deacons, and missionaries with wisdom and courage. Draw near to the sick, the anxious, the pregnant, the aging, and the weary. Help us hand on a living faith to the next generation, and teach us to walk in covenant faithfulness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

🗓️ I'm reading through Scripture one chapter a day this year---join me!

Read Judges 2 here: https://www.esv.org/Judges+2

Not a scholar, just a fellow traveler in the Word—I hope this post encourages your own study!

06/10/2026

One Minute on One Chapter: Judges 1 ⚔️

"Give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water."

After Joshua's death, Israel began well by asking God, "Who shall go up first against the Canaanites?" God answered clearly, giving Judah the lead and the promise of victory. The tribe of Judah experienced stunning success, defeating 10,000 at Bezek and capturing key cities. Within this triumph shines the story of Caleb and his daughter Achsah—Caleb wholly followed the Lord, driving out fearsome giants, while Achsah boldly asked her father not just for dry land but for springs of water to make it fruitful. Yet the chapter that opens with inquiry ends in tragic compromise. Tribe after tribe—Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher—did not drive out the Canaanites but enslaved them instead, choosing convenience over complete obedience. During Ordinary Time, we're reminded that partial obedience always exacts a cost, but God remains faithful even when we fall short. Like Achsah, we're invited to come boldly asking for the upper and lower springs—trusting God as the great giver who delights to bless those who seek Him wholeheartedly.

🗓️ I'm reading through Scripture one chapter a day this year—join me!

📖 Read Judges 1: https://www.esv.org/Judges+1/

Not a scholar, just a fellow traveler in the Word—I hope these resources encourage your own study!

06/09/2026

One Minute on One Chapter: Revelation 22 🌊🌳✨

The Bible ends not with a verdict but with an invitation. A crystal river flows from the throne of God and the Lamb, and the tree of life lines its banks — fruit every month, healing leaves for the nations. No more curse. No more night. And three times in this final chapter, Jesus says: "I am coming soon." What was lost in a garden is restored in a city, and God Himself dwells at its center. In this season of Ordinary Time, here is an extraordinary promise: the door is open, the water is free, and the Morning Star is rising. 🙌

Let's be honest with ourselves. We confess we have sinned in what we have done and in what we have left undone — harsh words spoken, pride indulged, kindness delayed, prayer postponed, neighbors passed without seeing. Most of all, we confess the tendency to live as though this world is all there is, neglecting to set our hope on the new creation God has promised. But He bids us come: wash your robe in the blood of the Lamb and enter by the open gate.

🗓️ I'm reading and re-reading through Revelation one chapter a day this year---join me!

📖 Read Revelation 22 here: https://www.esv.org/Revelation+22/

Not a scholar, just a fellow traveler in the Word---I hope this post encourages your own study!

One Minute on One Chapter

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