Ezra is put in charge… The prophet Haggai delivered a message to the people who were struggling financially at this time: the gold is mine and the silver is mine, says the Lord… Now, God proves it! I like considering how impossible this must have seemed to the people. They were barely surviving and this enormous, expensive task is given them to accomplish. ‘How can we ever do this?’ they would ask. ‘It’s impossible.’ But, as we know, nothing is impossible with God! I would love to have seen their faces when Ezra’s caravan pulls into town with more money than they ever dreamed about! Many would be broken (in a good way) for having ever doubted that God can do all things…

58m

May 24

"Faith is trusting Jesus for your soul and trusting Him with your life everyday".

52m

May 19

Ezra is about leadership. Like Nehemiah was about leadership. God always raises up leaders to do His work. When God wants to bless a people, He sends them leaders after His own heart. When a nation is deserving of judgment, well, He sends us our current crop of politicians (on both sides). God wants to bless His remnant and Ezra rides in to be used by/for God…

57m

May 17

God wants all of us to be willing to follow Him outside of our comfort zones. He wants us to let go of the patterns and habits in our lives. I think He actually likes it when we are uncomfortable! He wants us to hold our hands out to Him and let Him remove anything and everything He no longer wants there. Then He wants us to keep our hands extended and open so He can refill them for us!

47m

May 14

"Since this chapter is, in large part, about how we are saved, it is vital for each of us to understand".

44m

May 12

We simply cannot have divided loyalties. We must choose—and remain committed to—who we will serve. For whom we live. This is what we still see happen today when so many Christians (and much of the church) sees nothing wrong with dating/marrying people outside our faith. We must choose… Separation does not mean that we crawl into caves and stay away from the world around us. No, it means we understand the world is our mission field and our job is to bring light to the world! Not to let their darkness influence us. We must be influence-ers rather than influenced. Leaders not followers. Thank God for strong leaders… 

53m

May 10

It’s amazing to think how much God might do for us if we understood that we are unable to help ourselves—if we were to depend entirely on Jesus instead…

50m

May 07

Doing things, that give the appearance of spirituality, has no value in terms of our salvation

50m

May 05

We all, when giving our lives to Christ, have to be told what to do!  Then we have to recognize that we have no option—we are to obey unquestioningly whatever it is God commands us—a gift God gave me immediately and will give to all of you…

45m

Apr 30

The gospel message delivered by Paul is the only thing we ever need, and the only thing we are commanded to share.

46m

Apr 28