Drippings from the Honeycomb: The sweetness of God’s Word one verse at a time.

Another12 Ministries

Do you think Bible is boring? King David, in one of his psalms, said the Scriptures were so sweet they were like "drippings from the honeycomb." Perhaps it's time that we take a few minutes out of our busy lives and look at the Bible through fresh eyes! Join us on a weekly journey to find these "sweet drippings" as we walk through the books of the Bible by studying selected key verses through which we can glimpse the whole theme of each book! We will look at stories you might not have heard before, talk about the real people and places behind each of these verses, see how one verse can connect to many others across the entire Bible, and learn to see the beauty of God's sovereign plan which is woven through every page of His Word. read less

Religion & SpiritualityReligion & Spirituality

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Look Beyond the Fear and Confusion (1 Peter 4:7)

Look Beyond the Fear and Confusion (1 Peter 4:7)

Nothing calms the anxiety and fear of the human heart more than knowing the end of the story. Some of us, and you know who you are, read the end of every book before reading the book from start to finish! However, joking aside, it makes sense that we, as humans, want to know the end of every story. We want to know how it will all turn out. Will it be a happy ending or a sad ending? Will the suffering and trials experienced by the protagonist be worth it or will the story just end in hopelessness and despair? God, in His infinite mercy, grace, and wisdom, understood that we as humans need to have a concept of where we are going. He understood that we needed to know something, and He gave us the end of the story. Through the Scriptures, He showed humanity that He will be victorious in the end, and He will give a part in that victory to everyone who loves Him, serves Him, and is faithful to Him. Humanity has been shown that our story has a good ending for those who follow Jesus. To take a line from the old hymn, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.”Peter understood that believers, both at the time he wrote to his church and in the future, would often forget this reality. He knew that just as he looked down at the waves instead of at Jesus’ face when He stepped out of the boat and walked on water, believers through all time would forget to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus and would look at this world and sink under the waves of anxiety and fear about the future. Peter wanted Christ-followers to have their gaze fixed on Jesus Christ so that no matter what was going on around them, they would remain effective at being a witness for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

Look Beyond the Fear and Confusion (1 Peter 4:7)

Look Beyond the Fear and Confusion (1 Peter 4:7)

Nothing calms the anxiety and fear of the human heart more than knowing the end of the story. Some of us, and you know who you are, read the end of every book before reading the book from start to finish! However, joking aside, it makes sense that we, as humans, want to know the end of every story. We want to know how it will all turn out. Will it be a happy ending or a sad ending? Will the suffering and trials experienced by the protagonist be worth it or will the story just end in hopelessness and despair? God, in His infinite mercy, grace, and wisdom, understood that we as humans need to have a concept of where we are going. He understood that we needed to know something, and He gave us the end of the story. Through the Scriptures, He showed humanity that He will be victorious in the end, and He will give a part in that victory to everyone who loves Him, serves Him, and is faithful to Him. Humanity has been shown that our story has a good ending for those who follow Jesus. To take a line from the old hymn, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.”Peter understood that believers, both at the time he wrote to his church and in the future, would often forget this reality. He knew that just as he looked down at the waves instead of at Jesus’ face when He stepped out of the boat and walked on water, believers through all time would forget to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus and would look at this world and sink under the waves of anxiety and fear about the future. Peter wanted Christ-followers to have their gaze fixed on Jesus Christ so that no matter what was going on around them, they would remain effective at being a witness for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

It's in Everything (1 Peter 3:15)

It's in Everything (1 Peter 3:15)

Do you have hope? Hope is a powerful force. It can give us strength to push through trials, endure suffering, and overcome hardships. Hope can ground us even in the darkest of days. When nothing seems to be as it should be, where is your hope? What is it that you look forward to that keeps you going even when everything seems hopeless? The Christians Peter wrote to in his letters were going through such a dark time. They were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. In the midst of that persecution, Peter wanted to remind them that they had an overwhelming hope, the hope of eternal life on the new earth in perfect fellowship with Jesus Christ. To the world, suffering with joy makes no sense because the world does not possess a hope that is focused outside of the boundaries of this sinful world. Peter knew that when believers cling to their hope, they exude a joy through their suffering that baffles even their persecutors, and, as a result, opportunities are opened to share the good news of salvation with the lost. Peter wanted these Christians, and all those who would follow Christ in the future, to know that they were responsible for being prepared with a defense for their hope to the world. Peter wanted them to be able to articulate the reason for their hope because he understood that only the truth of the Gospel could bring joy in suffering, hope in hardship, and confidence in a future reward that transcends even the darkest night on this fallen earth.Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

Different Yet Equal (1 Peter 3:7)

Different Yet Equal (1 Peter 3:7)

What is the evidence of ultimate love?Is it affection?Is it romance?Is it loyalty?Is it commitment? Something else?The answer can be found in one person. He was the only person to exemplify ultimate love in all of its beauty and radiance. His name is Jesus Christ, and with His life, or perhaps more accurately, His death, He demonstrated the evidence of ultimate love with His SACRIFICE on the cross. God calls husbands to look to the image of Jesus Christ in loving their wives. He expects husbands to love their wives sacrificially. He calls them to go against the tide of sin, which causes husbands and wives to each see their own positions as more important than the other. He calls them to put aside their desires and serve their wives, honoring them as treasures entrusted to their keeping by a good and loving God. Peter wanted the marriages in his churches to thrive, and he challenged husbands to follow the example of Christ in their marriages, something he knew they could only do through the power of the Holy Spirit. Join us as we consider a husband's responsibility from God's perspective through the writing of Peter and gain an understanding of the immense importance that God places on the role of "husband."Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

Worth It! (1 Peter 3:1-4)

Worth It! (1 Peter 3:1-4)

Obedience to God is not easy, specifically because it requires self-sacrifice. However, obedience to God is always worth it. God is good. Please do not misunderstand that statement. God does not just do good things or act in good ways; God is good. We know what good is because of God. Without God, there is no good and nothing good. Since this is true, we know we can trust God to reward those who obey Him! Why? Because He IS good! God has laid out specific instructions for husbands and wives to live obediently in their marriage relationship roles. His call is not always easy to follow; in fact, when it comes to marriage, it is often difficult to follow because we are so sinful. However, when we obey God's will for our marriages, He blesses our marriage relationships far beyond anything we could ever imagine. Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

Purposeful Suffering (1 Peter 2:20-21)

Purposeful Suffering (1 Peter 2:20-21)

The truth of the matter is that no one enjoys suffering. Suffering is uncomfortable, inconvenient, painful, and discouraging. In fact, humans take incredible measures to avoid suffering. Humanity will exert effort, spend money, and invoke creativity, going to nearly any length to remove potential suffering from life. However, Jesus and His disciples talked a great deal about suffering in the New Testament. The reason for this is that suffering is part of the Christian life. It is that way because suffering is one of the major tools that God uses to effect the sanctification of His children. Peter wanted his churches to understand that there was a proper way for Christ-followers to suffer. He wanted them to glory in their sufferings for Jesus Christ, rather than being discouraged or defeated. Suffering for Christ is something that is a “gracious thing” in the eyes of God because it strips away worldliness and brings believers into a closer relationship with Him.Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

The Freedom Paradox (1 Peter 2:16)

The Freedom Paradox (1 Peter 2:16)

Is it possible to be free AND a servant? Is it possible to gain more freedom through deeper service? In humankind's darkened thinking, the answer seems to be, "No!" However, God's ways are not man's ways, and His thoughts are higher than man's thoughts. The Apostle Peter understood the "freedom paradox," and he wanted his churches and all the generations of believers that would follow to understand that true freedom is only found when humans give themselves wholly to the service of God. Paul would take it a step further. He would refer to himself as a "slave" to God. He understood true freedom was not total self-serving living but selfless service to God. For Paul, the greatest manifestation of freedom he could ever attain was to be a slave, bound by divine love to Jesus Christ. This flies in the face of all human thinking. Like everything else about Jesus' Kingdom, it is upside down to this broken and sinful world. It has to be because the Kingdom of God is perfect, and this world is broken. Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

Sojourners and Exiles? (1 Peter 2:11)

Sojourners and Exiles? (1 Peter 2:11)

When God raises someone who was dead in their sins to life, He gifts them with a new heart, a living heart! At that moment, the affiliation of the believer's soul is forever changed. As the redeemed sinner begins to walk with God and learn about who God is, this living heart causes the believer to understand that the earth they have always known as their home is no longer home for them. They begin to long for a new place, a place where they truly do belong. God has recreated them from a dead person to one who is alive; therefore, a dead earth cannot be their home. They have been given eternal life and require an eternal home to live in. Humans are indeed made for the earth, and the earth for humans; however, since the fall, spiritually dead people have been residing on a dying and decaying earth, awaiting the end of their lives or the end of the earth. Jesus understood that the people He was going to call to Himself could not live forever on a dying earth. That is why He said He was going to prepare a new place for His people. Those who die cannot inhabit the lands which are deathless, nor can those who are deathless inhabit the lands that die. Christ's church would require a new earth to live out their new lives in fellowship with their Savior. This is the idea that Peter was driving at when he called the believers “sojourners and exiles.” Believers cannot go back to paradise lost, but through the work of Jesus Christ in the resurrection of their souls and, eventually, bodies to eternal life, believers will go forward into the new paradise. One designed for the never-ending pursuit of life and the worship of God.Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

The Reminder We All Need (1 Peter 2:2)

The Reminder We All Need (1 Peter 2:2)

The Apostle Peter, like all great pastors and teachers of the Word, took every opportunity to remind his audience what was truly important. Peter understood that the cares of this world often overwhelm and distract believers, causing them to focus on things that are not of eternal value. Peter wanted believers to grow in their faith, to be strong, steadfast, and faithful through the trials of this life. He knew that with the spiritual food of God's Word, the believer would grow, but without this spiritual food, the believer would be spiritually starved and remain immature and unable to withstand the day of testing.Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

When Everything Is Gone (1 Peter 1:24-25)

When Everything Is Gone (1 Peter 1:24-25)

We live in a crumbling world. Everywhere around us, we are reminded of the decay that started when man first rebelled against God. People and animals age and die, buildings crumble, nations fall, and empires are destroyed. This cursed world is in a constant cycle of ruin, destruction, and decay. Throughout history, humans have tried to create something that will last forever, but no one has ever accomplished it. The simple reason for this is that nothing can be eternal unless it has an eternal foundation. The problem is that even the earth is not eternal; therefore, nothing built on the earth can be eternal. We know from the Scripture that God will destroy this earth and remake it. The Apostle Peter quoted the persecuted church by showing them that God’s Word is eternal. He rested on the words of the prophet Isaiah to show the believers that, even though the world was persecuting them, the church would stand forever - because God’s Word stands forever. Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

The Pursuit of H____ness (1 Peter 1:14-16)

The Pursuit of H____ness (1 Peter 1:14-16)

When someone becomes a Kingdom follower, the power of God raises them from eternal death to eternal life. This supernatural change also carries with it a God-given command for the Kingdom follower to pursue holiness. The apostle Paul would put it like this, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19b-20)Peter wanted the churches to know that God expected this of them. They had been saved, called out, set apart, and given the hope of a glorious future! They had been called to be witnesses of God’s Kingdom in thought, word, and deed.Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

One God, One Plan, One Salvation, One Kingdom (1 Peter 1:10-11)

One God, One Plan, One Salvation, One Kingdom (1 Peter 1:10-11)

Christianity is not a new religion. In fact, it's not 2,000 years old. The truth is that Christianity is as old as the world itself. It has been the only true faith since the creation of the world. It has had different names, but Christianity's core principles have never changed since its inception, recorded in Genesis 3. Faith in God to provide a Messiah who would bring about salvation for sinners in a lost and fallen world. The apostle Peter understood this reality and wrote about it to the church in his letters. The prophets had faith in the Messiah, though He was not yet revealed. Their faith drove them to seek the Scriptures diligently, even their own prophetic writings so that they would have a firm understanding of who the Messiah would be and when He would appear. Peter was showing the new believers under his care, and us today, that faith in the Messiah is the basis for salvation. The Old Testament saints looked back at the promises with faith and forward to the Messiah with hope - just as we look back at the cross of Jesus with faith and forward to His return with hope!Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

Hope Not Fear (1 Peter 1:3)

Hope Not Fear (1 Peter 1:3)

Peter wrote to churches that were enduring the scourge of persecution. He wasted no time in pointing them back to what was important; the hope that Christ-followers have in the finished work of Jesus Christ, especially His resurrection. Peter wanted the Church to understand that it makes no difference what trials, tribulations, persecutions, or hardships are happening to believers on this earth because they have an eternal hope that can never be taken away. Why can it never be taken away? Because it is secured by the finished work of Jesus alone, and He will see it through to its completion. From the first words of his letters to the Church, Peter was reminding them that their faith was worth it, that following Jesus was worth it because of the great hope of salvation they had been given. He was preparing them to persevere in obedience until God's work for their lives was finished. He was refocusing them on the only thing that matters; Jesus.Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

Who was the man believers know as the Apostle Peter? Before we dive into his letters of teaching, reproof, and exhortation to the church, we wanted to pause and learn more about this man who Jesus Christ chose to be the earthly foundation of the Church. Peter would go on to become the Church's first pastor, a fierce defender of the gospel, a fearless missionary, and a martyr. Join us as we look into the life of this incredible man and the letters that he wrote to the Church he loved so much!Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

A Future Hope (Ruth 4:13-14)

A Future Hope (Ruth 4:13-14)

The book of Ruth details the sovereign work of God in the life of Ruth that brought her from a destitute Gentile widow to the wife of a godly man who would provide for her, love her, and give her a position of honor in the nation of Israel. Through the redemption of Boaz, God also gave Ruth a hope for the future. Like Ruth, Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer, has given us a hope for the future. However, our hope is so much greater than Ruth's hope because Jesus has given us a hope that is perfect and eternal. Join us as we look at the end of Ruth's story and discover a picture of the hope that all who are saved by the work of Jesus possess because of the redemption made possible by our Redeemer. Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

One True Redeemer (Ruth 4:6)

One True Redeemer (Ruth 4:6)

Boaz, through his wise plan, revealed in an indisputable way that he was the only true redeemer that could redeem Ruth. He didn’t act carelessly or casually in regard to Ruth’s request. Instead, he took her seriously, committing all of his resources to the task of securing her redemption. Jesus showed by His incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension that He was the only redeemer capable of redeeming humankind. He showed Himself to be unique in every way; fully God and fully man. The uniqueness of His person, His work, His plan, His love, and His sacrifice is indisputable, and this picture is beautifully captured and foreshadowed in the story of Ruth and Boaz. Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

A Helpless Plea (Ruth 3:8-9)

A Helpless Plea (Ruth 3:8-9)

Ruth was helpless, yet from her position of helplessness, she humbled herself to cry out for help. She did not cry out randomly; instead, she directed her cry towards the only one who could help her situation, Boaz. Boaz, as a kinsman redeemer to Ruth, was in the position to hear her cry and answer her needs. He had already begun to assume the position of her redeemer, and her cry to him for help would not fall on deaf ears. Join us as we continue to look at the story of Jesus through the Book of Ruth and see how the story of Boaz and Ruth paints a beautiful foreshadowing of the love of Jesus for His Church.Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

Extravagant Kindness (Ruth 2:8)

Extravagant Kindness (Ruth 2:8)

Boaz showed Ruth, a widowed gentile, extravagant kindness. Ruth would have been an outcast in early Jewish society, shunned because of her ethnicity, despised for her marriage to a Jewish man, and rejected as an unsuitable marriage partner for any man in Israel. Yet, in spite of all this, Boaz showed her love, compassion, and kindness. Boaz is a picture of the true Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Jesus did not despise humanity. He had compassion for the lost, showed love for the lost, and served the lost with kindness and provision. The actions of Boaz point forward to the Messiah, and through God's sovereignty, he would be included in the line of the Messiah in a beautiful display of God's love for humanity.Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

Improbable Faith (Ruth 1:16)

Improbable Faith (Ruth 1:16)

One of the most amazing parts about the Bible is that, while it was written over hundreds of years by multiple authors, it has one main theme which is Jesus Christ! Every part of Scripture points to the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of Kings, the Savior of the world! As the calendar approaches the time of year where Christ Followers celebrate His birth, it is appropriate to look back into the Old Testament to see the prophetic foreshadowing of the Messiah. Throughout history, God revealed His plan of salvation to the human race over and over again. One of the most beautiful of these foreshadowings is found in the Book of Ruth, where readers are introduced to the idea of the “Kinsman Redeemer.” This redeemer is one who, through familial relationship, possesses the standing to alter the hopeless state of a destitute relative. The incredible relationship of Ruth and Boaz serves as a remarkable picture for all humanity of God’s love for His people. Join us as we take a deeper look at the Christmas story through the biblical account of Ruth and Boaz and strive to gain a better understanding of just how much God loves us.Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

Made for Worship (Matthew 28:5-6)

Made for Worship (Matthew 28:5-6)

Were humans made to worship? It seems that throughout history, humankind has displayed a deep need to worship something. In fact, it could be argued that there is a void within the hearts of humans that can only be filled by the act of worship. However, what is the best object of man’s worship? Observing history shows us that, while the right kind of worship brings fulfillment, the wrong kind of worship only deepens the need for fulfillment within the human heart. Join us as we examine what the Scriptures have to say about worship; both who we should worship, and how we should worship. Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!

Three Agonies (Matthew 27:46)

Three Agonies (Matthew 27:46)

The agony of the cross that Jesus suffered during His crucifixion is so much more than just the physical pain of death. In fact, while the physical pain was intense, there is evidence to suggest that this was not the primary source of Jesus’s suffering. In the Scriptures, we do not have any record of Jesus crying out in pain, however, there is a record of Jesus crying out. Matthew 27:46 records His heart-rending cry in the words, “My God, My God why have You forsaken me?” The agony of separation from His Father is clearly evidenced by this desperate cry from Jesus to the Father, and it bids us take a closer look at why this particular agony was so intense that Jesus called out in the midst of His suffering. Join us as we take a closer look at the three distinct agonies that Jesus suffered on the cross and what they mean for humanity.Support the showVisit our Merch Store to support the show!