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In today’s episode we spend some time looking at three of Israel’s kings and Pastor Matt tells us his favorite trash-talking Bible story.

The Old Testament closes with the words of the prophet Malachi - that a prophet, like Elijah, will come and turn the hearts of the people. And then is biblical silence - for 400 years. But God remembers his promise - and at just the right time - by the power of the Holy Spirit, God the Father sent God the Son to save humanity.

Throughout their history, God has spoken to the nation of Israel through prophets. Prophets are individuals who are called by God to share messages of encouragement, correction, judgment and restoration. As the prophets shared messages from God - they laid the foundation for understanding the coming Messiah and all of the things still to come.

To be a kingdom requires there to be a king and that King was always meant to be God. Israel called out to have a king, missing the truth that they had a King all along. Rejecting God as their King sent Israel on a path that would eventually cause them to be driven from the promise.

In today’s episode we dive deeper into the book of Judges, elaborating on signpost #8 in our sermon series “Long Story Short.” In this book, Ehud stabs King Eglon in his bathroom, Sisera dies by tent peg via a brave woman, and Samson’s eyes are gouged out…Welcome to the Judges.

Unfortunately, we all know the simple truth that history seems to repeat itself. For Israel - there was an unfaithful generation that rebelled against God and died in the wilderness. Their children learned...obeyed God...and reaped the benefits of their covenant relationship with God. But after a generation of blessing...with a new generation leading the nation - history will repeat itself.

We pushed pause on our "Long Story Short" series on Sunday, and spent some time looking at the story of Bartimaeus in the book of Mark. What are we asking Jesus to do for us?

In episode 68 we dive deeper into the Wandering & Conquering sign post in our sermon series, “Long Story Short.”

After rescuing his chosen people...and entering into a covenant with them - God brings the Israelites to the land they have been promised. With God's help - they will conquer it. But they don't trust him...they rebel - and he disciplines them in the wilderness. A generation later they find themselves in the same position - at the doorstep of the promised land. This time around they obey and find that God's covenant is true - obedience = blessing.

God has saved the Israelites from slavery. God is taking them to the place where he will meet with them at Mount Sinai. But they’re not interested in meeting God. They want Moses to go for them, so God gives Moses the Ten Commandments and the law. God had saved his people and had set up the way in which they would order their lives, their government and their worship. Was that the purpose of the Covenant?