LFSTL

In Ezra 7, Ezra leads a second return from Babylon to Jerusalem and reveals what faithful leadership shaped by God’s word looks like. As a ready scribe, he is not only skilled in the law of Moses but deeply formed by it, showing that spiritual heritage is not something to inherit passively but to embrace personally and faithfully. The chapter highlights how the hand of the Lord was upon Ezra as he prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to do it, and to teach it in Israel.

The message traces how true spiritual strength is rooted in a heart that is intentionally prepared before God. Ezra’s life shows a progression from devotion to obedience and then to instruction, where knowing the word of God naturally leads to living it and passing it on to others. Even his success before the king is attributed not to strategy or skill alone, but to the gracious hand of God.

Ezra 7 calls God’s people to examine whether their hearts are prepared before the Lord, to pursue His word with sincerity, to obey what He reveals, and to depend fully on His hand for strength and fruitfulness.

Thanks for listening to the Living Faith St. Louis podcast. This episode is part of our weekly sermon ministry from Pastor Blade Sbisa, with occasional guest speakers and special series.
 For more information, visit the LFSTL website.

In Ezra 6, the long delayed work on the temple is finally completed after years of opposition and spiritual drift. What began with foundation laying and immediate resistance eventually gave way to distraction, as God’s people turned to building their own lives while the house of God remained unfinished. Yet through the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, the people are stirred again, and the temple is completed.

Following this restoration, the children of the captivity gather to keep the Passover in accordance with Exodus 13, where God commanded His people to remember His deliverance from bondage and to pass that remembrance on to every generation. This moment in Ezra is not only a return to obedience but a return to identity, as a purified people, including priests and Levites, come together to observe what God had commanded from the beginning.

The emphasis of the passage is clear. When God restores His people, He also restores their worship and their memory. The Passover becomes a corporate act of obedience and gratitude, anchoring them again in the truth that their history is defined by God’s saving power, not their delay or failure.

The passage calls God’s people to remember rightly, to return to faithful worship, and to let restored obedience lead to renewed reverence for the God who delivers and sustains His people.

Thanks for listening to the Living Faith St. Louis podcast. This episode is part of our weekly sermon ministry from Pastor Blade Sbisa, with occasional guest speakers and special series.
 For more information, visit the LFSTL website.

Ezra 5–6 records the restart of a work that had been abandoned for over 16 years after opposition halted the rebuilding of God’s house. What begins as spiritual neglect is interrupted when the word of the Lord comes again through Haggai and Zechariah. Their message confronts misplaced priorities and calls the people to “consider your ways” (Haggai 1), exposing how they had focused on their own comfort while God’s house lay in ruins. The result is renewed obedience as the work begins again.

As rebuilding resumes, God’s people must also navigate outside scrutiny. Tatnai’s inquiry becomes a test of wisdom and integrity, yet “the eye of their God was upon the elders” (Ezra 5:5), showing that God’s presence sustains His people even in pressure. Ultimately, God moves through King Darius to not only permit the work but provide for it, demonstrating that what He commands, He also secures.

The passage calls believers to trust God’s word to reignite what has grown cold, to walk with discernment under pressure, and to finish what He has started, confident that He completes every work He begins.

Thanks for listening to the Living Faith St. Louis podcast. This episode is part of our weekly sermon ministry from Pastor Blade Sbisa, with occasional guest speakers and special series.
 For more information, visit the LFSTL website.

In Ezra 4, as the rebuilding of God’s house continues, the focus shifts from unity to opposition. The adversaries of Judah initially approach with friendly language, offering to build alongside the people of God. Yet beneath their words is deception, and the leaders discern that not all who speak in religious terms share God’s purposes. What begins as subtle influence turns into open resistance—discouragement, hired counselors, accusations, and ultimately a decree that halts the work. 

The passage reveals a consistent biblical pattern: the enemy often disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14–15) and also prowls as a roaring lion seeking to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Therefore, believers are called to discernment, not assuming every voice of help is faithful. Spiritual opposition is not ultimately against people but against the schemes of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). The call is clear: remain sober, vigilant, and continue the work God has given.

Thanks for listening to the Living Faith St. Louis podcast. This episode is part of our weekly sermon ministry from Pastor Blade Sbisa, with occasional guest speakers and special series.
 For more information, visit the LFSTL website.

This message from Ezra 3 centers on the call to “not divide what God bled to unite,” emphasizing the pursuit of unity among God’s people. As Israel returns to rebuild, Ezra 3:1–13 reveals that unity is not automatic, it must be intentionally maintained. The passage highlights three anchors for preserving unity. First, the worship of God (Ezra 3:1–5), where the people gathered “as one man,” offered sacrifices, and gave freely, showing that shared focus on God realigns hearts away from self. 

Second, the word of God, seen in the repeated phrase “as it is written” (Ezra 3:2, 4), demonstrating that true unity is shaped by obedience to God’s revealed will. Third, the work of God, as the altar is built before the foundation (Ezra 3:2–3, 10), pointing to surrender at the altar before engaging in the mission. Even as the foundation is laid, Ezra 3:12–13 exposes tension between generations, some rejoicing, others weeping, reminding us that perspective can threaten unity if not surrendered to God’s greater purpose. 

Ultimately, unity is preserved when believers fix their eyes on God, submit to His Word, and labor together with a surrendered heart.

Thanks for listening to the Living Faith St. Louis podcast. This episode is part of our weekly sermon ministry from Pastor Blade Sbisa, with occasional guest speakers and special series.
 For more information, visit the LFSTL website.

This message examines the virtue of volition through Ezra 1–2, emphasizing the significance of a willing heart before God. In Ezra 1:5, we see that “everyone whose spirit God had raised” rose up to go and build—highlighting that their obedience began internally, with a stirred and willing spirit. This theme continues in Ezra 1:6, where others gave freely to support the work, demonstrating that generosity, like obedience, is most meaningful when it is voluntary. As the passage moves into Ezra 2, the detailed record of those who returned underscores that each individual choice mattered. These were people who willingly identified themselves with the work of God, stepping out in faith and submission. The message ultimately presses the idea that God values not just action, but intention. True obedience is not coerced or mechanical, it is chosen. A surrendered life is marked by a will that is aligned with God, responding freely and fully to His call.

Thanks for listening to the Living Faith St. Louis podcast. This episode is part of our weekly sermon ministry from Pastor Blade Sbisa, with occasional guest speakers and special series.
 For more information, visit the LFSTL website.

In this message from Living Faith St. Louis, Pastor Blade opens the book of Ezra by drawing attention to Ezra 1:5 and the phrase “to build the house.” What begins as Israel’s return from exile to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem is used as a framework for understanding the New Testament calling of the Church.

This sermon traces the continuity of God’s work across Scripture: while Ezra points to a physical temple, the New Testament reveals a greater spiritual reality—God building a “house” made up of His people. Drawing from passages in Ephesians, 1 Peter, 2 Corinthians, and 1 Corinthians, the message emphasizes that believers are living stones in a spiritual house, founded on Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone.

Pastor Blade develops the theme that God is not only a Creator but a Builder, actively forming His Church throughout history. This “building project” is not about a physical structure, but about the formation, maturity, and faithfulness of God’s people in Christ. The sermon also points to the accountability of believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ, where works are tested and evaluated based on what has been built on the foundation of Christ.

This message challenges listeners to examine what they are building with their lives—whether temporary pursuits or eternal work aligned with God’s blueprint—and calls the Church to labor faithfully together in what God is constructing through His Spirit.

Thanks for listening to the Living Faith St. Louis podcast. This episode is part of our weekly sermon ministry from Pastor Blade Sbisa, with occasional guest speakers and special series.
 For more information, visit the LFSTL website.