We wanted to let you know that we will be merging our channel with The Bible Study Podcast Channel here on the Mission Hills Podcast Network. We will be entering Season 4 and we have some exciting changes we are announcing! We are combining the Mission Hills Men's and Women's Bible Study Podcasts into one channel! If you aren't already, subscribe to the Bible Study Podcast Channel for all future episodes. New episodes will be released there. For the fall season of 2021, Matt Winter and Micah Harrison will be leading you through some smaller books of the Bible (Jude, 2nd and 3rd John, Philemon, and Obadiah).

We are thrilled to be able to serve both audiences by letting you hear from more voices and perspectives. Matt and Micah's episodes will start dropping in early October. Kelly Brown and Kristy Allen (the show's original hosts and teachers) will be back in early 2022 going through Jen Wilkin's God of Creation with you. In addition to the studies, we will have a new segment at the end of each podcast where a combination of us will be discussing ways to deepen your own study of the bible. As always you can find updates in our Facebook Group or on our Webpage. See you in October!

Updates to the podcast coming in Fall 2021. Neil says goodbye to Mission Hills as God calls him and his family to their next stage of life and ministry. Matt gives a short update about the future of the podcast.

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In this episode, Matt and Neil wrap up their study of the book of Ezra, with Ezra chapters 9 and 10. The book ends on a difficult narrative. After many years of living in the land, the people have fallen back into sin and Ezra calls them to repent. The leaders set the standard and deal with sin from the top down. The community gathers as a whole to purify themselves and repent. Sin can take us off our mission. What are you doing to stay accountable and keep on mission with Jesus?

Thanks for listening to the first season of the Men's Bible Study Podcast. We will be making some changes in season 2. Matt is sticking around and will be joined by a new cohost. Look for season 2 in the Fall of 2021.

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In this episode, Matt and Neil continue to nerd out in Ezra, but we give you the main points upfront! We talk about the Hebrew understanding of prophecy and give you some tips on how to interpret it in the Bible. We get to see how God provides both people and resources for Ezra to accomplish what God has called him to do. Ezra shows how important worship is to him by following the rules and regulations to the letter. He also trusts God intensely. He chooses to make hard decisions and trust God when solving problems himself would actually have been easier.

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In this episode, we finally meet Ezra, the man. Matt and Neil discuss Ezra chapter 7, where Ezra himself finally shows up. This chapter is shorter, so we get to dive deeper than usual. We see God again working in the heart of a new king to support Israel. Ezra interprets history through the lens of God's sovereignty. The king gives Ezra a crazy amount of resources and power to Ezra. And we get to spend more time this episode talking about how we live out our faith.

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In this episode, Matt and Neil discuss Ezra chapters 5 and 6. God uses people to move his plans forward. He turns around the plans of his enemies and uses them to fund Temple construction. The second Temple is rebuilt and begins a new period of Jewish history called Second Temple Judaism. The rebuilding of the temple foreshadows the greater temple that was still coming: Jesus. Now we are the Temple of God.

FYI, at 48:40 we reference the "I said yes" text number "888111", but that is changing at the end of this month to "80875".

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In this episode, Matt and Neil delve into Ezra chapter 4. The people living in the land try to discourage and slow progress on the temple construction. Are these the ancestors of the Samaritans from Jesus' time? Learn how the Israelites respond to generations of opposition. What does it look like for us to live our lives faithfully when faith is difficult? Join us for this episode of the Mission Hills Men's Bible Study Podcast.

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In this episode, Matt and Neil dive into chapter 3 of Ezra. The Temple foundation is finally laid, but the older generation starts weeping while the younger generation cheers. What is happening? Has God's promise failed? Or is this merely a step toward something greater? Find out in this episode of the Mission Hills Men's Bible Study Podcast.

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In this episode, Matt and Neil discuss the first return to the land led by Zerubbabel in Ezra chapter 2. Neil struggles to pronounce some Hebrew names. But really…we talk about why the list of names is important and what we can take away from it. We talk about taking a "step of faith"…well the Israelites walked 900 miles on faith. And we explain the mysterious role of the Urim and Thummim. The story of the Bible can be summarized as God's pursuit of us. From the Garden to the end of time, God pursues being with his people.

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After years of living in exile in Babylon, a prophecy from decades before is finally coming to pass. God has begun to fulfill his promise to restore the nation, land, and temple to Israel. Matt and Neil dive into the first chapter of Ezra. It's nations conquering nations, and God is working behind it all. Did you know God used Cyrus the Great and the Medo-Persian empire to work out his own purposes in the world? Why is Israel living in exile? Who is Cyrus King of Persia and why is he important? Can we trust God's promises?

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