Books : Saints & Scoundrels of the Bible : Excerpts

Introduction

Part One: Winners and Whiners
Extreme Exit -- Part 1: Enoch Is Taken by God (Genesis 5:21-24)
Sibling Rivalry: Miriam and Aaron Whine About Moses's Leadership (Numbers 12)
Learning the Hard Way: The Israelites Whine About Entering the Promised Land (Numbers 13-14)
Grim Results of Grumbling: Korah, Dathan, and Abiram Whine About Moses's Leadership (Numbers 16)
A Wanton Woman Wins: Rahab, the Prostitute, Chooses the Hebrews' God (Joshua 2)
Finding Faith: Ruth Stays with Naomi and Chooses Loyalty and Faith (Ruth 1-4)
A Fool and His Honey Are Soon Parted: Abigail Defuses a Bad Situation and Gets Rid of a Bad Husband (1 Samuel 25)
Whining over a Winery: Ahab Whines About Wanting Naboth's Vineyard (1 Kings 21)
Extreme Exit -- Part 2: Elijah Is Taken to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire (2 Kings 2:1-18)
For Such a Time as This: Esther Risks Her Life for Her People (Esther 4-5)
Woman on the Edge: Job's Wife Whines About Her Pain (Job 2:9)
The Lion Sleeps Tonight: Daniel's Faithfulness to God Earns Him a Place in a Den of Lions (Daniel 6)
An Unjust Jonah: Jonah Whines When the Plant Wilts and Nineveh Isn't Destroyed (Jonah 4)
Hunt for the Magi: The Magi Escape Herod's Clutches (Matthew 2:1-12)
The Whole Truth: Apollos Learns the Full Gospel Message (Acts 18:24-28)

Part Two: Big Shots and Mug Shots The First Fratricide: Cain Murders His Brother Abel (Genesis 4:1-17)
Achin' Achan: Achan's Greed Causes Him to Lose Everything (Joshua 7)
Quest for Fire: Nadab and Abihu Die After Offering Unauthorized Fire to God (Leviticus 9:1-10:7)
She Nailed It: Jael Kills Sisera and Fulfills Deborah's Prophecy (Judges 4:17-24)
Curse for a King: Shimei Curses King David (2 Samuel 16:5-14; 19:9-23)
North versus South: The Two King "Boam's" (Reho- and Jero-) Ruin Their Respective Nations (1 Kings 11-12)
The Siege: King Hezekiah of the Tiny Nation of Judah Versus King Sennacherib of the Assyrian Empire (Place Your Bets) (2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chronicles 32; Isaiah 36-37)
A Taxing Situation: Zacchaeus, a Tax Collector, Finds All He Needs in Jesus (Luke 19:1-10)
Nick at Night: Nicodemus, a Religious Leader, Comes to Jesus at Night (John 3:1-21, 7:50, and 19:39)
We Three Kings -- and Paul: Paul Pleads His Case before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa (Acts 24-26)
Divisive Diotrephes: Diotrephes's Pride Causes Problems (3 John 9-11)

Part Three: Leaders and Laborers
An Ark in the Park: Noah Builds an Ark on Dry Land (Genesis 6:9-22)
Tower of Trouble: Some People Try to Build a Tower to Heaven (Genesis 11:1-9)
Say Uncle! Abram (Abraham) Amasses an Army to Pursue His Captured Nephew Lot (Genesis 14:1-16)
Death on the Nile: Midwives Labor Against a Bad Leader -- and Save the Hebrew Boys (Exodus 1)
The Burden of Bricks: The Hebrew People Slave Away in Egypt (Exodus 1-6)
The Gift That Keeps on Giving: Bezalel and Oholiab Use Their Gifts (Exodus 31:1-11)
Only the Lonely: Caleb and Joshua Stand Alone Against the Crowd (Numbers 13-14)
Just Do It: Joshua Steps into Really Big Shoes (Joshua 1:1-9)
A Monumental Task: As They Enter the Promised Land, the Israelites Celebrate with Twelve Stones (Joshua 3-4)
Under Construction: Solomon Drafts Workers to Build Israel's First Temple (2 Chronicles 2-3)
Extreme Makeover: Interior Edition: Zerubbabel and Jeshua Start from the Inside Out While Renovating the Temple (Ezra 3)
Extreme Makeover: Exterior Edition: The People Rebuild the Wall of Jerusalem in Fifty-two Days (Nehemiah 3)
The Man Who Stunned Jesus: A Roman Centurion Amazes Jesus with His Faith (Matthew 8:1-10)
An Equal Share: Jesus Tells the Parable of the Laborers and Their Wages (Matthew 20:1-16)
Pilate Procrastinates: Pontius Pilate Can't Make Up His Mind About Jesus (Matthew 27:11-26; Mark 15:1-15; Luke 23:1-25; John 18:28-19:16)
A Labor of Love: Friends of a Paralyzed Man Lower Him Through a Roof (Mark 2:1-12)
A Brother in Arms: Jesus' Brother James Becomes a Leader of the Church (John 7:1-10; Acts 15:13-21; the book of James)
A Pearl Among the Poor: Dorcas, aka Tabitha, Leads the Field in Kindness (Acts 9:32-42)
A Voice to the Gentiles: Peter Changes His Tune in Regard to the Gentiles (Acts 10)

Part Four: Prophets and Losses
The Prophet and the Pharaoh: Moses Takes On the Mighty Pharaoh (Exodus 5-14)
A Royal Pain: Samuel Anoints -- and Rebukes -- Israel's First King (1 Samuel 3, 7, and 12-15)
A "Tear"-ible Thing: Ahijah Tears Up His Cloak to Signify the End of the United Kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 11:26-40)
A Thorn in Their Side: Elijah Confronts the Wrongs of Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kings 16:29-21:28)
The Bearer of Bad News: Micaiah's No in the Face of Four Hundred Yeses Angers King Ahab (1 Kings 22:1-39)
The Glamour of Greed: Elisha's Godly Example Shows Up Gehazi's Greed (2 Kings 5:1-27)
Good News, Bad News: Jehu Has News for King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 19:1-3)
Ready to Go: Isaiah Sees an Unexpected Sight -- God (Isaiah 6)
A True Book Burning: Jeremiah's Scroll Is Destroyed by the King (Jeremiah 36)
A Tough Task: Ezekiel Is Told to Speak, Even Though No One Will Listen (Ezekiel 1-2)
Talk to the Hand: Daniel Interprets What the Hand Writes (Daniel 5)
Weird Wedding: Hosea Marries a Prostitute Named Gomer (Hosea 1-3)
Facing the Swarm: Joel Prophesies About the Coming of Locusts (Joel 2)
Amos, the Assyrians, and Almighty God: Amos Speaks God's Message Against Social Injustice. (Amos 1-9)
Over and Out: Obadiah Sees a Vision About the Country of Edom (the book of Obadiah)
A Fish Tale: Jonah Avoids Going to Nineveh and Finds a Fish Instead (Jonah 1-3)
Big News for Bethlehem: Micah Prophesies the Birthplace of the Messiah (Micah 5:2)
Nahum and Nineveh: Nahum Prophesies About God's Judgment on the Capital of the Assyrian Empire (Nahum 1-3)
A Heavenly Q & A: Habakkuk Complains to God (Habakkuk 1-3)
A Royal Prophet: Zephaniah Doesn't Let His Pedigree Stop Him from Prophesying Against Judah (Zephaniah 1-3)
If You Build It, He Will Come: God Promises to Show Up if the People Rebuild the Temple (Haggai 1-2)
The King Comes: Zechariah Prophesies About the Coming Messiah (Zechariah 9)
Don't Hold Back: Malachi Warns the People of Israel to Stop Robbing God (Malachi 3)
Lunching on Locusts: John the Baptist Is an Unusual Prophet for an Unusual Time (Matthew 3; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3; and John 1)

Part Five: Freaks and Greeks
King-Sized King: A Fat King Is Tricked by a Left-Handed Judge (Judges 3:12-30)
A Strong Man's Weakness: Samson's Strength Becomes His Achilles' Heel (Judges 13-16)
A Giant Problem: Goliath the Giant Is Cut Down to Size by Pint-Sized David (1 Samuel 17)
Animal Attraction: Nebuchadnezzar Goes Mad and Becomes like an Animal (Daniel 4)
Waiting on Widows: The Greek Widows in the Early Church Gain Assistance (Acts 6:1-6)
Timothy Takes a Trip: Timothy Leaves All to Follow Paul (Acts 16:1-3)
My Big Fat Greek Adventure: Paul Makes His Way Through Macedonia (Acts 16:6-20:38)
Not for Profit Prophet: Paul Is Arrested for Healing a Demon-Possessed Girl (Acts 16:16-18)
Let the Areopagus Games Begin: Dionysius and Damaris Become Believers (Acts 17:15-34)
A Gentile in the Synagogue: Titius Justus, a Gentile, Adds to the Diversity of the Church (Acts 18:1-17)
The Dynamic Duo: Priscilla and Aquila Join Paul's Missionary Entourage (Acts 18:1-3 and 18-26)
All for One and One for All: Paul Urges a Friend to Help Euodia and Syntyche Repair Their Broken Friendship (Philippians 4:2-3)
The Twelve Tasks of Titus: Titus Has a Lengthy To-do List as the Leader of the Church in Crete (Titus 1-3)

Part Six: Dashers and Vixens
"Esau" His Blessing Disappear: Esau Loses His Birthright and Blessing to His Younger Brother (Genesis 27)
The Trickster Trailed: Jacob Is on the Run from His Uncle Laban (Genesis 28-31)
Tempting Tamar: Tamar Dresses as a Prostitute to Tempt Her Father-in-Law (Genesis 38)
Dash from Danger: Joseph Runs from Potiphar's Wife to Avoid Committing Adultery (Genesis 39)
Moses, Murder, and Mayhem: Moses Runs from Pharaoh after Murdering an Egyptian (Exodus 2:11-25)
Delilah's Deception: Delilah Deceives Samson (Judges 16)
Only Fools Rush In: Saul Hurriedly Offers a Sacrifice and Loses His Crown over It (1 Samuel 13)
Band on the Run: David Amasses a Group of Fighting Men and Spends Years Running from Saul (1 Samuel 19-29)
A Hairy Situation: Absalom Winds Up on the Run after Trying to Take His Father's Kingdom (2 Samuel 13-18)
Led Astray: Solomon's Wives Lead Him Away from God (1 Kings 11)
Dashing from the Vixen: Elijah Dashes Past Ahab's Chariot -- and from the Vixen Jezebel (1 Kings 18:44-19:3)
A Not-So-Great Grandma: Joash Barely Survives the Death Plot of His Grandmother, Athaliah (2 Kings 11:1-16)
The Dance of Death: Two Vixens, a Dance, and a Grisly Death (Matthew 14:1-12)
The First Streaker: Mark Runs Naked Through the Garden after Jesus Is Arrested (Mark 14:51-52)
A Loose Woman: A Samaritan Woman Meets the Savior (John 4)
Caught in the Act: A Woman Is Arrested for Committing Adultery (John 8:1-11)
A Runaway Slave: Onesimus Runs Away and Then Must Return (Philemon 1-25)