This week, we read in Ezra 5 how the prophets Haggai and Zechariah restarted and finished the Temple building project after it had been abandoned for many years. Dean talks about how the Temple, as well as it’s restoration, was meant to put God at the center of the Israelite’s lives, and how we should do this today.
As we continue in Esther we find Esther and Mordecai in a difficult situation as they try to save the Israelites from Haman and Xerxes. Dean talks to us about the importance of knowing who you serve and how to remain steadfast in times of difficulty.
As we begin in Esther, we read about the introduction of Esther, or Hadassah, to the court of the King of Persia. Johnny talks about the importance of good stories, life in the king’s court, and how God often works in simple and unremarkable ways through simple and unremarkable people.
In the last chapters of Nehemiah, once the city is complete, Nehemiah returns to Persia for a while, and when he returns to Israel, he finds it in sin once again. Dean highlights three actions of Nehemiah in this chapter: how he leads the people in thanksgiving, how he kicks Tobiah out of the temple, […]
