Bobby Dagnel

“For I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offerings; and I will faithfully give them their recompense and make an everlasting covenant with them” (Isaiah 61:8). While denying justice is a moral wrong, a greater sin might be our silence in the face of injustice; having the opportunity, position, influence and power to be an advocate for those who have no voice and choosing to do nothing....

MISSIONAL ADVOCACY “For I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offerings; and I will faithfully give them their recompense and make an everlasting covenant with them” (Isaiah 61:8). While denying…

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day” (1 Chronicles 16:23). As disciples, the song of our heart emerges not from the the shakiness of our ever-changing senses but the abiding certainty of our never-changing Savior. Ours is a song of salvation that transcends our circumstances. Whether or not we sing is never the result of a stylistic issue but a spiritual condition.

A SONG OF SALVATION “Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day” (1 Chronicles 16:23). As disciples, the song of our heart emerges not from the the shakiness of our ever-ch…

“I thank my God in all remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3). When they come to mind, good memories should invoke us to pray and offer thanks for the source of those remembrances (v.4). While sitting under Roman guard, we learn from Paul that such a discipline as this becomes a ministering resource in times of uncertainty. It is this spirit of thanksgiving in all things (1 Thess. 5:18), that any one troublesome thing is placed in proper perspective.

THANKS-FILLED MEMORIES “I thank my God in all remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3). When they come to mind, good memories should invoke us to pray and offer thanks for the source of those remembrances (v.4). While sitti…

“For this purpose I also labor, striving according to His power which works mightily within me” (Colossians 1:29). While the Greek word translated as “labor” is normally associated with a task that brings about physical exhaustion, Paul says that he, nonetheless, keeps going forward by the power of God’s indwelling Spirit. The apostle is living out the promise of Jesus, that you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (...

A PROMISED MEANS “For this purpose I also labor, striving according to His power which works mightily within me” (Colossians 1:29). While the Greek word translated as “labor” is normally associated with a task that…

“We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28). The two strategic fronts of the church, necessary to the fulfillment of her missional task, are the proclamation of Jesus, and the discipleship of those who commit to following him. Knowing that those who endure to the end shall be saved (Mt....

TWO FRONTS FOR EVERY PERSON “We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28). The two strategic fronts of the…

“that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints” (Colossians 1:26). What was once a mystery, veiled in covenants, feasts, festivals, temples, and sacrifices, has now been made fully evident in the person of Jesus Christ; Christ himself being the true knowledge of God’s mystery (Col. 2:2…...

CHRIST BRINGS CLARITY “that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints” (Colossians 1:26). What was once a mystery, veiled in covenants, feasts, fes…

“I was made a minister of this church according to the commission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God” (Colossians 1:25). From Jesus (Mt. 28:19-20) to Paul, the commission from God to the church gives priority to the proclamation of God’s word (...

COMMISSIONED TO PROCLAIM “I was made a minister of this church according to the commission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God” (Colossians 1:25). From …

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). The enduring and future-oriented character of God’s word is made evident in the lives of his disciples. While most see, understand, and respond to things on the basis of personal bias, favoritism, preferences, current thought or popular opinion, our worldview is shaped and being shaped by the dynamic activity of God’s word being made alive in us. It is the very thing that distinguishes us as the community of faith.

FOREVER ALIVE “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). The enduring and future-oriented character of God’s word is made evident in the lives of his disciples. While mos…

“You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end” (Matthew 24:6).

EXPECTING MORE “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end” (Matthew 24:6). For the return of Christ to be truly…

“You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end” (Matthew 24:6). For the return of Christ to be truly appreciated it must be understood as the anticipation of God doing more. This spirit of expectancy begins when we no longer want what we currently want....

EXPECTING MORE “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end” (Matthew 24:6). For the return of Christ to be truly…

“And all the believers were together and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44).

UNITED ON ALL FRONTS “And all the believers were together and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44). While our tendency is to read scripture and think the early believers were people like us, and in circumstances like …

“Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles” (Acts 2:43).

AN AWE-SOME FAITH “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles” (Acts 2:43). Just as signs and miracles served to proclaim the in-breaking of the Kingdom o…

“They were continually devotion themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

A NECESSARY DEVOTION “They were continually devotion themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). With Peter’s first sermon and the proclamation of the go…

“not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25).

A PLACE OF TRUST “not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25). Those who would be the peop…

“and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24).

A CHALLENGING ENCOURAGEMENT “and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24). The word “encourage” is translated from “paroxymos,” a word that also means to stimulate, provoke,&nbs…

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper…that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).

ADVOCATE FOR TRUTH “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper…that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He ab…

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper...that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). Though the Spirit cannot be seen, he is evidenced through the lives of his disciples as his work his executed in their inner lives....

ADVOCATE FOR TRUTH “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper…that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He ab…

“Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear” (Isaiah 40:9).

WOUNDED HERALDS “Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear” (Isaiah 40:9). Isaiah 40 is a source of com…

“Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear” (Isaiah 40:9). Isaiah 40 is a source of comfort to a broken, disheartened, exiled people. Even in such despair, when the intuitive desire is to lock the door, draw the curtains, and pull the covers over our head, we are challenged to get up on a high mountain, a place that is visible, a place where our voice will carry, and proclaim that the bad news of our present circumstances is but a precursor to the forthcoming good news God is accomplishing....

WOUNDED HERALDS “Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear” (Isaiah 40:9). Isaiah 40 is a source of com…

“Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

A FIRM HOPE “Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). To hold firmly in the life of faith is made evident in the continual pursuit of …

“Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). To hold firmly in the life of faith is made evident in the continual pursuit of drawing near to God (v.22), a pursuit grounded in the knowledge of Christ and his sufficiency in the fulfillment of God’s redemptive purposes. His sufficiency is the guarantee of the hope to which we hold. Thus, the motivation for our persevering faithfulness is the faithfulness of the One who has repeatedly proven himself faithful.

A FIRM HOPE “Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). To hold firmly in the life of faith is made evident in the continual pursuit of …

“let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).

A WORSHIPFUL APPROACH “let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22). Having a great…

“By a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh” (Hebrews 10:20).

NEW AND LIVING By a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh” (Hebrews 10:20). While the former covenant was itself inaugurated by blood (9:18), Moses initiating…

By a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh” (Hebrews 10:20). While the former covenant was itself inaugurated by blood (9:18), Moses initiating the earthly tent of worship with animal blood, Jesus has established something totally new. No longer is God interested in the blood of dead bulls and goats as an expression of the life He desires for His people....

NEW AND LIVING By a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh” (Hebrews 10:20). While the former covenant was itself inaugurated by blood (9:18), Moses initiating…

“and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:16).

THE GOSPEL STANDARD “and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:16). A first! After 432,334 words, thi…

“Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming’” (2 Peter 3:3-9)?

HATERS GONNA HATE “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming’” (2 Peter 3:3-9)? Mockers mock…

“So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God” (Acts 12:5).

UNLOCKING THE SHACKLED “So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God” (Acts 12:5). Praying for one another is no small thing in congregational life. The exchange of Sunday…

“You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

HOUSE CALLS “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). With Christ…

“Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3)

JESUS IN PERSPECTIVE “Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3). Besides putting one’s suffering in proper perspective, to co…

“looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2)

WHERE TO LOOK “looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (H…