The guy in whom the book is named finally bursts onto the scene. Unfortunately Ezra finds a people of God far from God. A calling from God brings the man of God to recapture the hearts of the people far from God. Thankfully God is still doing the same thing today.

It's not a time issue, it's a priority issue. Once again we're on the topic of the rhythms of your life. Seems to be a continuing trend. 

Distress. Disappointment. Disinterest. Disregard. This is the regression that happens to Israel, and also us. It takes a couple of preachers to wake them up out of their 16 year slumber to finish the job God called them too. God completes the work, and we focus on His will, not our circumstances.

We're not worthy. It's about Jesus, not politics. Control your calendar. 

Our past doesn't define us, but satan wants us to think it does. It's how he operates. The remnant are reminded of their past and so is the king, causing a halt to their plans of rebuilding. Jesus conquered our past, and we are united under Him, and He casts out our fear.

We recorded from our iPhones in sunny SoCal. What if we actually lived out what we believed? Our lives would look different and so would our worship. 

They're finally back in their homeland. Nothing could ever disappoint the Israelites now right? It's all set up perfectly, and rejoicing ensues...until expectations aren't met. Begging the question, is our worship about us and the experience, or about Christ?

We launched our new series on Sunday entitled, "Rebuild". We're diving in to some details around the books and some takeaways from the first couple chapters. 

It had been 70 years since the first of them had been exiled. Now, Cyrus has decreed them to go back to their land and rebuild their lives. What left as a broken nation, now returns as a humbled people ready to rebuild by Gods design. Sometimes God needs to break it down in order to rebuild our identity around Him.

We're a lot like the Israelites. The Israelites are a lot like us. Forgetting the promises of God, coming back to God, forgetting the promises, coming back to God. We get so comfortable in our own skin that we miss what God has for us.