If You Build it… I. The Temple Lies in Ruins (Haggai 1:1-11)A. A Decision about God’s Will… (1:2)B. … becomes a Question of Priorities (1:4)C. The Forgotten Art of Considering
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Lent 2024 – Four Post-Exilic People – Part 4 | Selections from Nehemiah 8-13
Nehemiah: The Wall Builder (Part 2) I. A STORY of spiritual RENEWAL. (Neh. 8-12)A. Humbly LISTENING to the WORD of God. (Neh. 8)B. RESPONDING and REMEMBERING. (Neh. 8-9)C. The PROMISES
Read moreLent 2024 – Four Post-Exilic People – Part 3 | Selections from Nehemiah 1-7
Nehemiah: The Wall Builder (Part 1) I. Nehemiah: PASSIONATE for a CAUSE. (Neh. 1-2)A. The GENERATIVE power of DIFFICULTY and PAIN. (1:1-4)B. Our PRAYERS shape us over TIME. (1:5-2:9)C. Nehemiah
Read moreLent 2024 – Four Post-Exilic People – Part 2 | Selections from Ezra 7-10
Ezra: The Teacher of the Law I. A CONTEXT grounded in “THREES”. (Ezra and Nehemiah)A. ZERUBBABEL, EZRA, and NEHEMIAH.B. The TEMPLE, the LAW, the JERUSALEM wall.C. A KING, some CONTROVERSY,
Read moreLent 2024 – Four Post-Exilic People – Part 1 | Selections from Ezra 1-6
Zerubbabel: The Temple Building Governor I. The JOY of coming HOME. (Ez. 1-3)A. The FULFILLMENT of the PROPHECY . (1:2-4; Jer. 25:12; Is. 45:13)B. It’s the EXODUS all over AGAIN.
Read moreResurrection Sunday (Easter) 2023 | Matthew 28:1-10
He is not here, He is risen, just as He said I. The tomb: A PLACE of IMPOSSIBILITY. (v.1-6)A. The INTERSECTION of two REALMS, (v.2-3)B. The “POWERFUL” are rendered POWERLESS.
Read moreSixth Sunday of Lent – Palm Sunday 2023 | Matthew 26:17-30
Stopping at a Table on the way to the Cross I. From TRIUMPHAL ENTRY to a TABLE. (Mt. 21-26)A. NOT your usual “APANTESIS”. (Mt. 21:1-11; I Thes. 4:17)B. Jesus CONTROLS
Read moreFifth Sunday of Lent 2023 | Isaiah 61:1-11
Meeting Jesus in Lent I. LESSONS of the LENTEN journey.A. Our TENDENCY to look ELSEWHERE. (Is. 30)B. God’s RESPONSE to HUMBLE need. (Is. 37)C. The FUTILITY of IDOLS. (Is. 44)D.
Read moreFourth Sunday of Lent 2023 | Isaiah 58 & Matthew 6
The Fasting God has Chosen I. The Trap of Religion (Is. 58:1-5; Mt. 6:1-21)A. It becomes an Act (Mt. 6:2,5,16; Amos 5:21-23)B. It becomes a Transaction (Is. 58:3; Mt. 6:2,5,16;
Read moreThird Sunday of Lent 2023 | Isaiah 44:1-28
Watch What You Worship I. FOLLOWING the FLOW of the text. (v.1-28)A. A PROMISE filled with HOPE. (v.1-5)B. One KING over EVERYTHING. (v.6-8)C. Idols: A PRACTICE of FUTILITY. (v.9-20)D. REMEMBERING
Read moreSecond Sunday of Lent 2023 | Isaiah 37:1-38
Hezekiah: Praying under Pressure I. The King RESPONDS to the THREAT. (Is. 36; 37:1-13)A. Acts of REPENTANCE and HUMILITY. (v.1)B. A TURNING toward GOD. (v.1-4)C. God’s COMFORTING words in RESPONSE.
Read moreFirst Sunday of Lent 2023 | Isaiah 30:1-31:1
Running toward Egypt I. The WORLD Isaiah is SPEAKING into. (Is. 36-37)A. Israel is AFRAID of ASSYRIA. (Is. 28-31) B. They are LOOKING for a DEFENDER. (30:1-7)C. And UNWILLING to LISTEN.
Read moreLent 2022 – Longing for Justice – Part 5 | Joel
The Day of Justice Will Come I. PAIN that brings PERSPECTIVE. (Chapter 1-2) A WORLD that has been DECIMATED. (1:1-12) Loss makes SPACE for REPENTANCE. (1:13-20) SEEING a larger PATTERN.
Read moreLent 2022 – Longing for Justice – Part 4 | Zephaniah
Transformed by God’s Justice I. The DAY of the LORD… AGAIN (1:2-3; 14-18; 3:8)A. The REVERSAL of CREATION (1:2-3)B. The PRIDE that Comes Before the FALL (1:12; 2:10,15; 3:2,11) 1. A
Read moreLent 2022 – Longing for Justice – Part 3 | The Book of Amos
The Target of God’s Justice I. God has set His SIGHTS on ISRAEL (Amos 1-2)A. A List of the USUAL SUSPECTS (Amos 1:3-2:3)B. Chosenness doesn’t mean EXEMPTION, but EXPECTATION (Amos
Read moreLent 2022 – Longing for Judgement – Part 2 | Micah
Hoping in the Justice of God I. Three cycles of JUDGMENT and HOPE. (Micah 1-7)A. First DESTRUCTION, then the SHEPHERD. (Micah 1-2)B. The sin of the LEADERS and PROPHETS. (Micah
Read moreLent 2022 – Longing for Justice – Part 1 | Book of Habakkuk
Questioning the Justice of God I. LONGING for justice in an UNJUST world. (Hab. 1-3)A. Habakkuk speaks FOR us as well as TO us. (1:1-4,1:12-2:1)B. We QUESTION the reality we
Read moreLent 2021 – I am broken, but loved by God | Jeremiah 45
Week 5 – “I’ll give you your life…” I. Who is BARUCH?A. Jeremiah’s SCRIBE (36:4, 32; 45:1)B. Jeremiah’s STUDENT (36:5-8)C. Jeremiah’s FRIEND (36:17-19) II. A Legitimate COMPLAINT (45:3)A. SORROW upon
Read moreLent 2021 – I am broken, but loved by God | Selections from Jeremiah 38-44
Week 4 – What to do when the world falls apart I. The story of the END and a new BEGINNING? (Jer. 38-42)A. Telling the KING to SURRENDER. (Jer. 38)B.
Read moreLent 2021 – I am broken, but loved by God | Jeremiah 35:1-19
Week 3 – An Old Testament Real Life Parable I. An unusual STORY, to say the LEAST. (v.1-11)A. WHO are the RECABITES? (2 Kings 10:23-26)B. An INVITE from the PROPHET.
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