Author: Greg Teats

1 Peter Chapter 2

You know that moment when you open the fridge and you’re hit with that smell? Something expired, something you kept meaning to toss but just kept pushing to the back? Peter opens chapter 2 with exactly that kind of moment. He names it plainly; deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, unkind speech. That’s the sour milk. And his point isn’t just ‘throw it out’, it’s ‘go replace it’. Get something fresh. Something worth consuming. Because you can’t grow on stuff that is rotten.

Verse 5 says, “He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God”.  Jesus is the cornerstone, in other words, the anchor of the foundation that God has set forth.  If you build your life on Him, you are secure.  If you ignore Him, you will trip over Him.  Typically if we have tripped, it means we have not obeyed God’s word.

Growing up, my Dad tested me with the ‘game’ called MERCY that I would go on to ‘play’ with my buddies in high school.  You know the one, you lock fingers, twist, bend, apply as much pressure as you can until the other person can’t take it anymore and finally cries out ‘mercy.’ The whole point of the game was to make someone surrender. But here’s what’s funny, the mercy in 1 Peter 2 works completely backwards from that game. Nobody twisted God’s arm. Nobody applied enough pressure to earn it. He just… gave it. Freely. And that changes everything about how we’re supposed to pass it on.  Peter reminds us who we actually are.  We are chosen, God’s very own possession.  Without Him we are nobody, but with Him we receive His mercy.

5 Ways we can show mercy today:

1. See people the way God saw you

2. Don’t Retaliate – Absorb

3. Live well toward people who dismiss you

4. Use your freedom to serve, not to protect yourself

5. Show up for people in low-status moments

The mercy in this chapter isn’t sentimental; it is costly and active.  It cost Jesus everything.  What Peter is describing is a community of people who received something they didn’t deserve and then turned around and passed it on.  Not because people earned it, but because that’s what mercy is.  The most natural place to start is usually the relationship closest to you where it’s hardest to extend.  That’s almost always where the chapter is pointing to.

Hebrews Chapter 4

Just 2 weeks ago I was reflecting on Moses coming down the mountain after a harsh discussion with God about the people asking for new gods.  Because of their behavior and unwillingness to share the faith of those that actually did listen to God, they were denied the ‘rest’ that was promised them.

For those of us today, God’s promise of rest is still very much on the table.  What we need to do, though, is figure out if we are really taking it seriously.  We can all HEAR the message but are we LISTENING??  Do we BELIEVE the words that we are listening to??  Our faith has to connect with the message for it to do anything.

Let’s think about this….God finished His work at creation and rested on the 7^th day.  This rest wasn’t just for Him, it was always meant for us as well.  If Joshua had fully delivered on that rest when he led Israel into the Promised Land, God wouldn’t still be talking about “a day called Today.”  But He is.  Which means the rest is still out there where we stop striving to earn everything and simply rest in what He’s already done.  BUT, don’t just simply coast along on this.  We still must make every effort to actually enter that rest.  We cannot follow the same pattern of stubborn unbelief that tripped up those before us.

Let us also never fall numb to the Word of God just being text on a page.  It’s alive, active, sharper than any blade ever made.  It cuts through all the noise, past our emotions, our rationalizations, right to the core of who we actually are.  Sometimes we may really despise this truth but we know deep down it exposes our real thoughts and motives.  Nothing is ever hidden.

Now,  that all might sound like a little bit of bad news, and it is, but here is the good news….there is someone in all of our lives who sits at the top, the Son of God!  He knows exactly what it feels like to be us.  He was tempted in every way we are, the full human life experience, and He never broke.

So don’t let yourself fade in the shadows.  We must continue to walk straight into God’s presence with confidence, the kind of confidence of someone who knows they are welcomed.  What you will find is NOT a judge waiting to lower the hammer, but instead the grace and mercy when you need it most!

I believe this chapter is essentially saying, stop white-knuckling life by trying to earn your way.  The rest God offers isn’t laziness, it is trust.  We all have a Savior that has been in those trenches, and we have all been given the roadmap to our spot on the bench right next to Him.

Exodus 32

I would be lying if I said I couldn’t relate.  All the Israelites that had been saved from bondage in Egypt, endured months of hard travel, boring food and uncertainty about where they were going, had on this night decided to rave like party animals.  They asked Aaron what was taking Moses so long on top of the mountain and they were getting a bit anxious.

So Aaron thought it was best to play into all their foolishness.  They asked him to make new gods for them to follow.  He knew that was wrong and tricked them into bringing all their gold to him instead.  So they did.  Then he just threw it all in a fire.  And a golden calf ‘came out of it’.  Then the crowd grew out of control.  Guess who saw this….yea, God.  He was pretty stinking upset.  He basically tells Moses how these people no longer need to exist.

Moses pleads to God to let them be and that he will handle this.  So, he heads back down the mountain to alert them of their insane behavior.  Mind you, he is also carrying two stone tablets with commandments written on them from God himself.  Ten to be exact.  Moses gets to the bottom and now HE is pretty stinking upset.  He throws the tablets smashing to the ground. After getting the ‘facts’ from Aaron, Moses gathers those who believe in God and sends to rest to kill their friends and families.  He certainly thinned the herd but the next day God told Moses how he will take care of the rest who had sinned against him via a plague.

Like I said at the beginning, I can relate, to some of their actions.  It was a long road.  We have all been there.  Then we start to look for a good steak instead of all the bologna and hotdogs we had been eating.  We are looking for a place to call home instead of all the traveling and renting we had been doing.  Then we get a little anxious and loose and decide to party a little hard one night and make all these silly demands.  I mean, what is one night going to hurt, right?  Wrong!

When we are at our weakest, pushed to our limits, we let our guard down and become fools.  Sometimes we may forget why we are all here.  Sometimes we forget the purpose of our existence.  Often this is when we are given a test.  Sometimes it is as simple as a pass or fail.  Thank God that today when we FAIL those tests we don’t get the plague put on us the next day.  Maybe, though, that is how we need to live our lives and remind ourselves of our purpose.

Takeaways –

Impatience leads to substitutes – The people didn’t stop believing in God, they just wanted a version of God they could see and control.

Aaron is a cautionary tale – He had authority, he had access to God, and he folded under social pressure in about five minutes.  The “it just came out of the fire” excuse may almost be funny, but the consequences were deadly.

Moses is a picture of intercession – He stepped between God’s wrath and guilty people, willing to sacrifice himself.

God holds individuals accountable – His answer to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out” established a clear principle.  Personal responsibility, not collective punishment by proxy.

1 Corinthians Chapter 2

Paul starts off by saying that he didn’t come to everyone to try and WOW them with intelligence and eloquence.  He was relying on slick messaging, persuasive sales tactics, or trying to sound like the smartest guy in the room.  He was simply keeping the focus on Jesus, and what He did on the cross.  Faith should not be built on how convincing someone is rather, how God’s power actually works in one’s life.  In other words, if someone chooses me as a realtor only because of my flashy marketing and not trust or substance, then that relational foundation is already off to a shaky start.

Then Paul shifts a little.  Reading this chapter I was introduced to the term ‘Mature Christian’.  Also, ‘mature saints are easily edified’.  Essentially, just because something isn’t spoken or presented in an intelligent or eloquent manner, us ‘Mature Christians’ use our spiritual maturity to find nourishment in the simplest truths of the scripture rather than requiring exceptional preaching or production.

There are deep truths and insight in Christianity but not the kind you arrive at through status, education, or worldly success.  It is something God reveals, not something you figure out on your own.  “No eye has seen, no ear has heard….what God has prepared….”.  None of us can fully grasp God’s plans using just human perception.

Toward the end of the chapter Paul gets right down to it.  I think what he is trying to drive home is that pure human perspective like logic, experience, and culture can’t be relied on to get Christians across the finishing line. Instead, we need to be spiritually tuned in to be able to distinguish the deeper meaning.  We must have the mind of Christ.  Believers begin to think, see, and evaluate life the way Jesus does.

The Takeaways:

• Don’t rely on hype, intellect, or image
• God’s wisdom is real, but is not discovered the same way as worldly knowledge
• The Holy Spirit is what makes spiritual truth make sense
• WITHOUT it, it sounds foolish. WITH it, your entire perspective shifts.

How to Apply it:

• Authenticy > Performance
• Clarity > Complexity
• Truth that lands > Words that impress

Remember, you don’t have to ‘over-sell’ truth, whether that’s your faith or your value as a person.

Psalm 136

If you read Psalm 136 you will quickly notice that all 26 verses in the chapter end with the same words every time.  “His faithful love endures forever.”(NLT Version)  I see purpose throughout this chapter right away.  The psalmist is repeating one truth and driving it deep into our souls.  This chapter is equivalent to a training manual in a sense.  I feel like the author is telling the reader, “Whenever you think you have failed beyond recall or you feel that there is no path to becoming one with God, remember, His love endures forever!”

• No matter who’s in charge politically, culturally, or economically – God is still sovereign. His love doesn’t expire.
• The God who made the stars is the same God who watches over your daily life. He is not overwhelmed by your everyday stresses and worries.
• You can’t physically see it, but He sees the wrong. He intervenes.  He breaks the chains.
• When you have no clue what direction to go, there appears to be no progress, and you don’t understand what God is doing……remember He has not abandoned you.
• He knows when you are at your lowest. He supports you every day.  He sees you battling on the inside.

Just like in Psalm 136, after you read each of those bullet points you should be reminded, “His faithful love endures forever”.  Repeat it often.  Engrave it into your soul.  I am not even upset if you tattoo on your arm!?   Look at everything He has created for you and in you and remember most of all, His faithful love will never run out.

I leave you with an excerpt from the most recent Bible I was recently gifted, “Every Man’s Bible”(NLT version)……

“At times, moving through life can be like a lonely walk through the wilderness.  But God is able to lead us out of the wilderness if we are willing to surrender our lives to Him.  He will never abandon us, because “His faithful love endures forever”.

John 3

This chapter is one of the most renowned chapters in the bible.  There are millions of people that have never even opened the Good Book, but they have heard or seen one of the most repeated verses ever to come from it in the book of John.

Before we get to that, let’s visit what else this chapter lays out for us.

Nicodemus is a highly educated, church-going leader.  He pulls Jesus aside to affirm that He is who He is because no one else could fake such things He has done.  Jesus says how, unless you are born again, then you can’t see the Kingdom of God.  Nicodemus at first is assuming this in the literal sense and is confused.  Jesus proceeds to explain it further, just having knowledge of God is not the same thing as knowing God.

Aren’t there routes that some of us take and can get lost on?  It’s not, nor has ever been about just reading the bible, attending Sunday sermons or choosing a lesser of two evils in our decision making.  It has always been about truly knowing Him and walking the path alongside Him.  John 3:16, “For God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”  It is about the belief in God, the trust in Him, understanding that He didn’t send advice, rules, or a moral upgrade, He sent Himself.  Jesus goes on to clarify why people reject Him.  It’s the uncomfortable truth that none of us want to speak out loud.  People often avoid Jesus not because of lack of evidence, but instead because the light exposes the things that we don’t want to change.  It is not always disbelief, sometimes it is simply our resistance.

Further reading you hear that John’s followers worry that Jesus is getting more attention.  They haven’t quite grasped it.  This is the way it is meant to be.  John explains to them that none of this was ever about him(John), his job was solely to point the people to Jesus.  Jesus wasn’t sent down to condemn the already broken person; He came to save us.

At the end of the day, YOU don’t need to become better – you need to become new, and only God can do that through faith in Jesus.

What John 3 still does to us in 2026:

• It contests self-made spirituality
• It strips down religion as a performance
• It proposes hope without pretending we are fine
• It says it starts with God, not us

Today’s reading – Ruth 3

Which human weakness highlights God’s faithfulness?

Let’s cut to the chase and answer this question first, then we can discuss further.  What human weakness best highlights God’s faithfulness?? It is the inability to keep promises!  At first, I wasn’t sure what the appropriate answer was.  In 2 Timothy, chapter 2:13, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful”.  So what exactly makes us faithless to Him??  We could go on all day listing out things that can make us faithless to God.  But I get it and agree, it’s the empty promises we tell ourselves and share with God.

Let’s get back to the reading, Ruth 3.  Naomi knows it is time for Ruth to secure her future, and Naomi has a plan.  She sends her off to Boaz to present herself appropriately and let him see her as a potential wife, not just a worker.

Ruth waits until he is asleep and lies down next to him.  He wakes up and she explains her being there.  None of this was inappropriate but more so the legal and covenant-based way to do things back then.

Boaz praises Ruth for her character and is honored she chose him instead of some younger and richer man. But there is a problem, another man has the legal right to redeem Ruth.  In turn, Boaz shows integrity, patience and respect for the law to see that the correct steps are taken and no shortcuts are made.

Boaz sends Ruth back to Naomi but not empty handed.  When Ruth returns, Naomi knows that Boaz is a man of action and of his word and will do what is necessary and right.

Let me break down everyone in this story.  Ruth is bold, respectful, and intentional.  Boaz is honorable and decisive.  Naomi is strategic and wise.

How will we respond in trust and obedience?

God is working quietly throughout our lives and with normal decisions and integrity.  Ruth chapter 3 is about trusting His timing, doing things the right way, and courageously stepping into our futures without manipulation.  How will I respond in trust and obedience in the day to day??  Well…I have an idea how I have been doing it.  Half the time I don’t think about it, I just DO.  The other half I talk with God and trust that I am making the right decisions, and He will help guide me the rest of the way.  The fault in that statement is the word HALF.  HALF the time is not how often He wants me to trust and obey Him.  He wants ALL of me and you, not just a part, not just 50%, ALL.

The more we could all be like Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz the better.  The faith and trust they have in God is what we should desire.  The promises that we give Him and the promises that He gives us all we need to help us make sure our footsteps align with His until we see him in Heaven.

Genesis 28

Where do we see God keeping His promises?

In this chapter of Genesis, Jacob is basically on the run.  Isaac tells him to get out of dodge and go marry one of his uncle Laban’s daughters, not a Canaanite woman.  On his way to Paddan-aram when the sun is going down he finds a good spot to close his eyes and a stone to rest his head.  Once asleep, he has a dream of a staircase that begins on earth and extends all the way up to heaven, with angels moving up and down.  God is at the top and speaks to him.  Most importantly, He says, “I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go.”

Notice, God promises His presence to Jacob, but doesn’t promise his life to be easy.  He says, “I will not leave you”.  You see, His main promise is not comfort and assurance throughout Jacob’s life, but instead, it’s companionship along the way.   Jacob wakes up and treats that encounter more like, ‘If God takes care of me, then the Lord will be my God’.  That isn’t the way God necessarily intended it, but I believe is more proof that God works with people who are still figuring things out.

What promise are we invited to trust today?

Genesis 28 is a perfect example of showing us how we are expected to be ‘perfect’ Christians and followers of God.  We can never be perfect.  We don’t have to always say the perfect prayer.  We shouldn’t worry that we never experience a divine encounter with God.  Any ordinary place can become a sacred place to us with Him.  God doesn’t have to meet us always in the steadiness of our faith, it could be in the evolution of it.  God’s presence is always with us, even when we don’t know where we are going.

This chapter shows that God shows up when we are uncertain.  He promises to walk with us rather than fix everything instantly.  Often, He turns ordinary, uncomfortable moments into turning points.  He promises to always be with us no matter what.  You can certainly trust that.

Psalm 113

I can’t put a number on how many times the family and I go to church on Sundays and am either reminded by the pastor or simply sitting in my seat reminding myself how it isn’t just on Sundays for an hour or so that I should be talking with Him and praising Him.  We all know the correct answer…..it’s ALL THE TIME.  All the time, whenever we have a second, put the phone down and tell Him, Thank You! I Love You.  I Have Nothing Without You in my Heart.  That is what Psalm 113 describes.

Verses 1-3: Praise the Lord at all times, from everywhere

Verses 4-6: God is above everything, yet still cares about us

Verses 7-9: God lifts people up and gives hope to the hopeless

This Psalm is pure worship.  It reminds us that we cannot even begin to comprehend how amazing He truly is. He should be admired for His greatness and worshipped for His compassion as well.  To continue to worship Him at times when we don’t NEED something is so important, not just when we have a request following shortly after.  I am absolutely guilty when it comes to taking those many moments throughout the whole day and not once thinking about using those moments to give Him at least a little praise.  Sure, I spare some time in the morning before the day starts, then again at night when my head hits the pillow, but I am truly missing out on all those opportunities.

So many times, my mom calls me at whatever point in the day.  She asks me what I am doing.  Without thinking, I tell her I’m busy.  Half of the time, I am probably not.  I am either driving to the next stop or sitting in front of my computer working on something that can be put on hold for 5 minutes.

What if God called me on my cell phone?!  Think about this….what if God started calling you on your cell phone tomorrow??  What if he called you a few times a day, even during a work meeting, just to check in.  I don’t know what the reason could possibly be that we don’t answer that call every time. Can you even grasp at the idea to have the opportunity to hear his voice and get a chance to have a few words with Him just once?!

Psalm 113, God deserves nonstop praise at all times, from everywhere, because He is both incredibly powerful and incredibly caring and beyond anything we can comprehend.

1 Timothy Chapter 5

In this chapter, Paul is giving his mentee (Timothy) some practical advice for guiding the church.  Upon reading through the chapter, my mind went straight to the 10 commandments.  Honor your Father and Mother.  Then it was, treat those as you wish to be treated.  Paul gets a little more specific with Timothy here, though.  He brings attention to the older man, the widows, and the elders and how we and the church should be caring and treating them.

THE OLDER MAN – Don’t rebuke the older man but treat him as if he was your father.  This is easy isn’t it?  Look around, do you see everyone else doing this??  If we aren’t, we need to start.  The world today needs to get back to showing a little more respect to one another and not just the ‘older man’.  I am sure we call all agree some of that has been lost in translation of late.  So let us listen to Paul here and work harder at treating people like family, older men and women like fathers and mothers and younger men and women like brothers and sisters.  Start on Sunday mornings at church and carrying it into the beginning of the week at work with those around you.  Continue to treat everyone with dignity, care and genuine love and not favoritism and partiality.

THE WIDOWS – In versus 3-16, Paul is talking about caring for widows and those in need like family.  He goes more into detail on what types of widows and who is someone that is really in need.  He describes that the certain care that should be given based on the relationship you have with that person.  We need to make sure that we are caring for our immediate family first and foremost if we can do so, family should not be our neighbor’s sole responsibility.  It becomes the church’s responsibility more so when someone doesn’t have anyone else to help them.  He also warns against those who are taking advantage of the system, aka those who live carelessly and are more than capable of taking care of themselves.  Basically, be generous, but also wise and fair.  Help those that truly need it, family first, and pay close attention to those who have lived faithfully and have served others when they had the chance.

THE ELDERS – When Paul talks about ‘the elders’ he is not referencing Grandma and Grandpa.  This is directed to leader in and of the church.  Those who teach and preach.  If there is a rumor being spread about an elder, don’t be the one to just continue the gossip.  But if the gossip is true and witnessed by others, then they need to be corrected publicy and held accountable.  I am not sure if this is really happening in 2025 like Paul means it here, but honestly I think it needs to make a comeback.  Interpretation and division have grown vast over time and there is some type of correcting that needs to take place to re-center many churches today.  Just because someone is an elder in the church today doesn’t necessarily mean they deserve it or should be.  Elders should be chosen without bias or favoritism and they themselves should keep these instructions moving forward.  So, support good leaders, handle conflicts fairly, and don’t let gossip or bias cloud your judgment.  Everyone’s true character eventually will show through.

As you go forward, keep in mind the integrity, responsibility and respect we should be expressing toward those in our lives.  Treat others like you want to be treated.  Take care of those in need, especially those you know who need it and can’t do it on their own.  Honor the faithful and hold leaders in the church accountable and just.  And live in a way that reflects wisdom and truth and remember, what’s done in the dark will be brought to the light.