Truly ‘ground-breaking’!
Ezra 1 1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: 2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be...
Read MoreNow that actually was encouraging!
Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: “I am with you,” declares the LORD. Click here to listen to this sermon. Click here to download this sermon’s study guide.
Read MoreThanks For The ‘Encouragement’
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the LORD. 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the...
Read MoreYou saved the receipt, right?
“The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. 4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.” Click here to listen to this...
Read MoreEzra/Nehemiah Series
“Viewed historically, the restoration of Jerusalem and Judah was piecemeal, dogged by setbacks and reversals, and proceeding without any coherent plan. However, the theological perspective of Ezra-Nehemiah invites us to see the guiding hand of Israel’s God in seemingly disconnected events.” 1[Bimson, “Ezra,” in TIOT, 135] Click here to download Daniel’s sermon notes. Click here to download the Old Testament Timeline. Click here to listen to this...
Read MoreRolling Out The Red Carpet
Imagine a famous person was coming here to visit us. How would we prepare for them? You would most certainly not do this if a first-time, important, guest came to your home: pull the door open while walking away saying, “oh hey, c’mon in.” Not taking their coat, not telling them where the bathroom was, etc. Just going back to whatever you were doing. Of course not. You’d go out of your way to make them feel welcome, to wait on them “hand and foot”. You’d do your best to make them feel as special as you think they are. Hence the title, “roll out the red...
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