When Nehemiah wanted to discern God's will and to place himself at God's feet, he did so through prayer and fasting. We don't hear a lot about fasting in the contemporary church, but it's not a discipline that should be forgotten. I have personally found that God speaks very clearly to me at those moments when I am most dependent on Him, and ... [Continue Reading]
Truly sorry (Ezra 8:15-36; 9-10:17)
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I want to highlight what happened when the Israelites were confronted with their sin of marrying foreign women (a danger that brought foreign gods into their homes... a reason why Christians should not marry non-Christians). For repentance to be real, it has to include a change of lifestyle. In fact, the word ... [Continue Reading]
The whole scheme of things (Esther 6-10)
The ending of this story of Esther serves as a reminder that God will accomplish what He is going to accomplish no matter how people try to get in the way. Haman obviously was trying to exterminate the Jews (an effort also made in the 20th century by Hitler), but the Jews are God's chosen people, and they are not to be destroyed. It's easy sometimes ... [Continue Reading]
For such a time as this (Esther 1-5)
I think the title of this post is one of my favorite lines from the whole of Scripture. Mordecai's challenge to Esther when she was faced with a tough decision was simple: maybe God has you in the place you're in for a reason. Does anything happen by accident? Does God put circumstances in our lives for no purpose? Or perhaps we are ... [Continue Reading]
On that day (Zechariah 11-14)
Zechariah tells us that on that day "the Lord will be king over all the earth," (14:9). There will be a battle, and it will be good versus evil. Darkness will be gone, and light will remain. God will win and Satan will lose. On that day it will not matter how good you were but the one in whom you put your trust. Not all roads ... [Continue Reading]
The Good Fight: Behind Enemy Lines
The latest sermon from LifePoint High School Student Ministry. In this third message of the series we are taught that our relationship with our parents is up to us. Download behind_enemy_lines.mp3 ... [Continue Reading]
A message of hope (Zechariah 6-10)
Zechariah's message came to Israel at a time when of emotional depression. As a nation, they were facing discouragement, but the message spoken through Zechariah brought hope. The house of Judah would no longer be a byword among the nations, but it would be a blessing. God's plan always was and always has been restoration for His people. ... [Continue Reading]
Who draws near first? (Zechariah 1-5)
In this passage there appears to be a different message about how we come into a relationship with God than what is spoken of in the New Testament. When Jesus walked the earth, He pursued those people who were going to be His disciples. Even the Apostle Paul was struck on the Road to Damascus and brought into a relationship with God. Here in Zechariah, ... [Continue Reading]
Ezra ‘ s source of wisdom (Ezra 5-7)
What made Ezra so special? Why was he unique? Why was he sent to teach the people? Two things: Ezra set his heart to study the Law of the Lord AND he put the Law of the Lord into practice. Both are required for wisdom. I sometimes hear the students I work with say that they can't figure out what God wants them to do. The first ... [Continue Reading]
Finding contentment (Haggai)
Haggai reminds us that we can seek out all kinds of stuff, but ultimately none of it brings contentment. This is an important message in our culture today because people look for happiness by seeking out relationships, buying stuff, seeing their kids succeed, etc. Ultimately, true contentment can only come through the Lord. "You looked for much, ... [Continue Reading]
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