Nehemiah 13 // How to Experience Lasting Change
This week we are wrapping up our series on Ezra and Nehemiah. The story of Ezra and Nehemiah is epic, if it was adapted to a screenplay, the obvious place to end would be found in Nehemiah chapter 10. The camera would pan out as the entire community boldly promises: “We will not neglect the house of our…
Read MoreNehemiah 9 // A Sinning People and A Saving God
The ancient Greeks had a saying: cabbage served twice is death. Leftover cabbage was hard to revive. But stale cabbage is not the only thing had to revive. Our souls can grow stale. Our prayers can stall out. Our spiritual vitality can decay. All of us, if we are honest, know the experience of lifelessness that can…
Read MoreNehemiah 8-10 | Delight in the Lord
Nehemiah 8-10 tells us about one of the more remarkable times of revival in all of history. Throughout the long, dark days of exile, days of longing and languishing, Nehemiah’s ambition and Ezra’s calling is not simply to reconstruct the city’s defenses but to revitalize the spiritual community. And chapters 8-10 show how that revitalization can happen. God’s…
Read MoreEzra 7 & Nehemiah 8 | Devoted to God’s Word
As we make our way through Ezra and Nehemiah, we are finally introduced to our title character: Ezra. This week we will meet Ezra, the man, and his mission. His pedigree is impressive, tracing all the way back to Aaron, the first High Priest. He is a skillful expert in the Bible and a first-rate…
Read MoreEzra 4 & Nehemiah 4 | Battling Discouragement
Life can be hard. Even the best life is filled with discouragement. Ezra 4 and Nehemiah 4 teach us how to battle discouragement, especially when it comes to those who are committed to doing good. Ezra 4 is about the discouragement that comes through persecution. It is persecution that is public and political. It chronicles…
Read MoreWorshiping in the Ruins | Ezra 3
The big idea for the week: Worship is central to life with God. In worship, we are called to look beyond our present difficulties, celebrate what Jesus has done for us in the past, and look forward with hope to what he will do for us in the future. The Bible says that when Christian’s come…
Read MoreMatthew 28 | Bad Coffee and Missing the Main Thing
Why is it so easy to miss the main thing? In February of 2008, an email was leaked from Starbucks headquarters. It was sent from Howard Shultz, who was transitioning back into the CEO role after an eight-year absence, to the current CEO, Jim Donald: “as we prepare for the 2008 strategic planning process, I want to…
Read MoreEaster Sunday!
Isn’t It Ironic | Matthew 27:27-56
As we prepare for Holy Week, we will examine Matthew’s crucifixion account. Matthew gives us very little information about the physical sufferings of Jesus. There is little about blood, beatings, or flayed flesh. We can imagine it, but Matthew’s focus is elsewhere. He focuses primarily on the mockery Jesus endured. And the primary way he…
Read MoreGood Lord, Deliver Us | Matthew 27:1-26
The Lord’s prayer paints a vision of life in God’s family. That life has three parts: a life of devotion, a life of dependence, and a life of danger. Jesus teaches us to pray daily that we will be delivered from evil. This is a plea for protection. But in our comfortable routines of life, we do…
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