We pray that God will forgive us as we forgive others. God did what was necessary to remove whatever divides us. God made “reconciliation” possible.

You were caught red-handed. When your trial begins, fear and dread cause sweat to roll down your back and your temples to throb. The verdict of the judge falls like a guillotine and you sense your life is over, but she declares you, “Innocent.” You’ve been “justified”... you’ve been forgiven.

Have you ever fantasized about redoing your life knowing what you know now so that you can do it better? Forgiveness grants us the opportunity for a fresh start; the Bible calls it being “born again.”

Do you consider Jesus to be your friend? Is He your Lord? Does He rule your life? Does He rule the universe? Jesus is God exalted. He sits on the mighty throne of heaven. What does this mean for you and the church?

Would you want Jesus to be someplace in particular, or every place? I’m not sure how to answer this yet, but hopefully we can flesh this out together … with some help.

Suffering is no surprise in this world. “Hell” is not an infrequent descriptor for the hardships of life. We’ve all heard someone say that they’re, “going through hell.” Jesus really did. But what does that mean?

God’s people sought to build the temple. Christ created the Church. God’s people seek to restore a city on earth. Jesus brings to earth the City of God! God’s people were scattered around the word, but the Lord brings forth all the nations.

Accompanying reading:
Ezra 7
Nehemiah 1-2; 4; 6-8
Malachi 1-4
The Story, Chapter 21

It is important to know that you were born “for such a time as this.” That is what Esther’s (aka, Hadassah) uncle reminded her. God has a purpose for you. This isn’t just a self-help book trope, but the truth God lodge in every heart that beats.

Accompanying reading:
Esther 1-9
The Story, Chapter 20

What does it mean to put God first? For the Persian province of Judah, in the sixth century Before Christ, it was to build a temple. What timeless principles might we find in this ancient text?

Accompanying reading:
Ezra 1-6
Haggai 1-2
Zechariah 1; 8
The Story, Chapter 19

Divine deliverance is one thing, but pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus are quite another! Have you ever considered the reality that Jesus exists before He was born? And, frankly, what does it matter?

Accompanying reading:
Daniel 1-3; 6;
Jeremiah 29-31
The Story, Chapter 18