In the Fire

For our third episode in the Nehemiah series (and seventh in the Ezra-Nehemiah series), we skip ahead to the fourth chapter of the Book of Nehemiah, where we see Nehemiah and the people in Jerusalem directly dealing with threats and opposition from enemies nearby. Nehemiah's response to this opposition leads us to a very interesting question and discussion on how we are to love our enemies even if they pose a significant threat to us. This gives way to an hour of discussion where we compare the state of God's people on earth in the Old Testament to the state of the Kingdom in the New Testament and beyond, all revolving around how we are to treat and feel about our enemies.

On this Easter Sunday, we are continuing along with our trek through the books of Ezra and Nehemiah! In this episode, we read and talk through the events that are laid out in Nehemiah Chapter 2, where we learn more about Nehemiah as a faithful follower of God and about his relationship with the Persian king Artaxerxes. And because everything ultimately points to the Savior, we have some notes that link the story of Nehemiah to the death and resurrection of Jesus, which we celebrate on Easter weekend. Hopefully you enjoy learning more about Nehemiah!

We continue our series on the return of God's people to Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile, this time flipping from the book of Ezra to that of Nehemiah! In this episode, we recap the big lessons and takeaways from Ezra before diving into some leftover questions and concerns from our previous episode. After wrapping up Ezra's account of the return to Jerusalem, we turn to the account Nehemiah, who followed in Ezra's shoes as one of the many great individuals raised up by God to lead His people. Jump on into the fire as we discuss the context of Nehemiah and read the first chapter of the book bearing his name.

We're back! After a little break, we are here again for the final installment in our series on the Book of Ezra. In this episode, we read the final chapters of Ezra and learn more about the state of the people of Judah as they rebuilt and reentered Jerusalem. These chapters tell us of ongoing sin and unfaithfulness among God's people, but also tell us of the work of Ezra in reaching those in Jerusalem and helping turn their hearts back to God. Listen and read along as we wrap up the history written by Ezra and prepare to turn next to the Book of Nehemiah.

As you may be able to tell by the name of the episode, this week we are continuing our series on the Book of Ezra! In this episode, we read the next few chapters out of Ezra (chapters 6-8), where we see the Temple finished in Jerusalem following the return of God's People from the Babylonian Captivity. We also get some more history and find out more about the timeline of events after the Judeans returned to Jerusalem, and we finally meet Ezra! Learn more about this fascinating time in history by listening to this episode of "In the Fire."

This week, we continue our series on the Book of Ezra as we talk more about the return of God's People from the Babylonian Exile. This episode brings a lot of historical notes as we read Ezra 4 and 5 and go through the timeline of events as the people of Judah finish rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. These chapters tell us of the adversity that the Judeans faced as they started the Temple project and the opposition they continued to face in the following decades, as they rebuilt Jerusalem and its walls. We also briefly read through the book of Haggai, the name of the prophet sent by God to encourage the people of Judah through the the adversity they faced. 

We have an exciting group of episodes coming, starting this week as we begin a series on the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah! Taking place at the conclusion of the Babylonian Captivity, Ezra tells the story of the return of God's people to Jerusalem. This week, we take a look at Ezra 1-3, where the first group of people returning to Jerusalem gets off to a surprisingly positive start, aided by King Cyrus of Persia. We start off this series by taking a look at some key themes, ideas, and pieces of history presented to us at the beginning of the Book of Ezra.

Jesus is not only the greatest leader in the history of the world, but he is also the most humble person to ever walk on earth. As Scripture reveals again and again, it was Jesus's humility in his interactions with others that made him such a strong leader. For this episode, we take a look at a few specific instances where the New Testament shows us the importance and value of humility. Jesus preached, practiced, and admired humility, which makes it a virtue that all Christians and all people should strive to act with every day. Listen in as we discuss the significance of being humble before others and under God.

It may be a few days after Christmas, but it's still Christmas in our minds! For this year's Christmas episode, we take a look at the different ways that God communicated with the people involved in the narrative of Jesus's birth. From Mary to the Shepherds (to Simeon), God sends messages and talks to all of these different people in unique and impactful ways. From these individual communications, we learn about the various ways that God communicates with us. So, what stands out about God's methods of communication and how we can best respond to them? Come on into the fire and find out.

What do you know about the book of Habakkuk? If your answer is "not much," then it's your lucky day! In this episode, we take some time to talk about the context, importance, and prevalent themes of the book of Habakkuk. As one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament, Habakkuk provides us with an interesting look at the nation of Judah just before the Babylonian Exile. In the end, the book gives us a view of God's sovereign justice and mercy.