Ezekiel 24-26:Chapter 24 is divided into two parts. The first deals with the parable about a boiling pot signifying the delusion under which Jerusalem’s leaders were living. The second part of the chapter is an action sermon involving the sudden death of the prophet’s wife and his show lack of grief signifying God’s removal of the temple in Jerusalem. Chapters 25 and 26 deal with God’s pronounced judgments on those nations related to Israel (Ammon, Moab and Edom) and those neighboring nations (Philistia and Phoenician capital of Tyre).
1 Peter 2: The apostle continues his exposition of the sobriety of God’s grace in the area of spiritual growth in the believer. He then moves to the area of submission to governmental agencies and then to masters in the workforce.

Ezekiel 22-23:Ezekiel has exposed the past sins of the nation, but now in chapter 22 he brings Jerusalem into the courtroom and brings the record up-to-date. He refers to the people as defiled, doomed, debased, deceitful and disappointing. The Lord is still seeking men and women who will take their stand for the moral law of God, stand in the gap at the wall and confront the enemy with His help. The next chapter describes the end of the kingdom as the people of Judah ignore God’s warning against political alignment with its neighbors. The people of the southern kingdom sinned even more than their northern cousins and will suffer the wrath of God to an even worse degree.
1 Peter 1: Peter addresses this epistle to a scattered multitude of believers who are suffering for their faith. He reminds them of the fact that they have been saved by grace which means certain security in this world and the next and should lead to a life characterized by sobriety (self-control) in holiness, fear and love.

Ezekiel 20-21:Ezekiel continues with the theme of responsibility in chapter 20 with a message on the nation’s history of irresponsibility on the occasion of some Jewish elders coming to him to inquire of the Lord. The prophet responds to their request with a review of Israel’s history of repeated rebellion and the gracious long-suffering of the Lord. Chapter 21 concludes with a focus on the fact that God has a responsibility to punish His people when they rebel against Him because He must be true to His character and His covenant.
James 5:The final mark of a mature Christian is that of prayerfulness during times of economic, physical, national and church troubles.

Ezekiel 18-19: Chapter 18 deals with the theme of individual responsibility. The prophet answers erroneous statements the Jewish exiles were making about God and their difficult situation. They couldn’t blame their ancestors and they couldn’t blame the Lord. Chapter 19 deals with the responsibility of the leadership by using two images – the lion and the vine.
James 4: The mark of the mature Christian presented in this chapter is that he/she is a peacemaker and not a troublemaker. James describes three wars, three enemies and three admonitions.

Ezekiel 16-17: Chapter 16 traces the spiritual history of the Jews from birth (God’s call of Abraham) through marriage (His covenant with the people) and up to the spiritual prostitution (idolatry) and the sad consequences that followed (ruin and exile). The Lord takes His wife to court and bears witness of her unfaithfulness to Him. From the images of the vine and marriage, Ezekiel turned in chapter 17 to the image of a great tree, two eagles and three shoots. The prophet hoped that the allegory would awaken his dull hearers and give them something to think about and that perhaps the truth would grip their hearts and change their outlook on what God was doing.

James 3: The third mark of the mature Christian is that he has power over his tongue.  James first gives an exhortation and then presents 6 illustrations of the tongue and then follows with an application.

Ezekiel 14-15:The prophet continues to speak for the Lord to the people exposing the errors which brought the nation to ruin. Chapter 14 reveals both false piety ( hidden sin of idol worship) and false hope (self righteousness). In chapter 15 Ezekiel reveals the first of three images to teach the nation that the Lord was judging His people because He had a special relationship with them. Israel was supposed to be a fruitful vine but instead was worthless.
James 2: This chapter reveals the next mark of the mature Christian to be that of practicing the truth by combining faith with love and faith with works.

Ezekiel 11-13:Ezekiel is still having his vision of Jerusalem and the temple. The Lord reveals the leaders who have been deceived and instructs his man to prophesy against them. God does have a word of encouragement for Ezekiel that the remnant will be spared. The last scene in the vision is the departure of the glory of the Lord from the temple and then from the city never to return until Jesus is born in Bethlehem. Chapters 12 &13 has Ezekiel warning the people not to trust in illusions which lead to false confidence and subject to false prophecy.
James 1: The theme of the book is spiritual maturity. The first chapter shows one mark of the mature Christian is patience in testing resulting from trials on the inside and temptations on the outside.

Ezekiel 8-10:God revealed a remarkable vision to Ezekiel to be shared with the people of Israel. Two of the elements are contained in this section: the defilement of the temple and the doom of the people. This portion of the prophecy starts and ends with the glory of the Lord being revealed. In between these two events the idolatry of the people is exposed, divine judgment is announced, the remnant is spared and the rebellious are judged.
Hebrews 13:After presenting examples of faith in chapter 11 and encouragements to faith in chapter 12, the writer goes on to present four evidences of faith in the last chapter. Enjoying spiritual fellowship based on brotherly love is the first. Submitting to spiritual leadership, sharing in spiritual worship and experiencing spiritual Lordship round out the presentation.

Ezekiel 5-7: Chapter 5 contains the fourth action sermon depicting the destiny of God’s people. Shaving his head and beard (sign of humiliation and great sorrow) and using the hair as an object lesson the prophet took extreme measures to get the people’s attention. Chapter 6 is the first of two spoken messages of judgment from the Lord relating to the land: the high places, the remnant (God’s grace) and the means of destruction (sword, famine, pestilence). Chapter 7 contains the second spoken message relating to the devastation of the land: the announcement, the four word pictures (budding rod, business world, watchman, fugitives), discarding valuables and the disruption following the disaster.

Hebrews 12:The writer combines the two themes of athletics and citizenship and points out three divine resources that encourage the believer to keep going (endure) when going through difficult situations in the Christian life.  Those resources are: the example of the Son of God, the assurance of the love of God and the enablement of the grace of God.

Ezekiel 3-4:The prophet declares God’s Word as a messenger, as a sufferer, as a watchman and as a sign. He delivers the truth that brings conviction and cleansing that the people needed to hear. Chapter 4 contains three action sermons which convey startling news to the Jews in Babylon: the siege of Jerusalem; the judgment of Judah and the famine in the city.
Hebrews 11:20-40:The writer continues his delineation of the faithful with Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, Daniel, prophets, women and others who are unnamed. All those mentioned had a faith that sought the approval of God and not men and that looked to the future.