The Pharisees knew Jesus fulfilled every prophecy and still rejected Him. Why? Because He was not what they wanted. It is almost as if they tossed Jesus back up to heaven and said, Try again, God. That might sound unbelievable, until we understand what they were expecting, and how different Jesus was. There was a reason they felt so justified in saying, He’s not my Messiah.

The Hebrews are waiting to hear, to see, to experience what God is going to do. They are waiting for 400 years, wading through the blank pages between the Old and New Testaments. Many are doubting, many are discouraged, many are asking the question, God, where are You? Then after all those years, God answers. His answer? Immanuel – God with us. He speaks and says, I am with you! I am here! God shatters the silence through the Incarnation.

The Hebrews are waiting to hear, to see, to experience what God is going to do. They are waiting for 400 years, wading through the blank pages between the Old and New Testaments. Many are doubting, many are discouraged, many are asking the question, God, where are You? Then after all those years, God answers. His answer? Immanuel – God with us. He speaks and says, I am with you! I am here! God shatters the silence through the Incarnation.

People go through the motions in all areas of life. We look busy as we wait for the end of the work day or approaching vacation time off. We tell our kids we will play with them and the whole time we are watching a tv show or answering our emails. We go through the motions in worship, maybe doing many of the right things, but amounting to nothing. Malachi is looking at the same thing as he looks at the Hebrew people 400 years before the birth of Christ. Worship without substance, without authenticity. In the message from Malachi, we see a description of all that worship involves.

People go through the motions in all areas of life. We look busy as we wait for the end of the work day or approaching vacation time off. We tell our kids we will play with them and the whole time we are watching a tv show or answering our emails. We go through the motions in worship, maybe doing many of the right things, but amounting to nothing. Malachi is looking at the same thing as he looks at the Hebrew people 400 years before the birth of Christ. Worship without substance, without authenticity. In the message from Malachi, we see a description of all that worship involves.

Throughout 2019, we have been working our way through the entire Bible both in our Life Group studies and our sermon series. For the past several weeks, we have been looking at the prophets as we move toward the end of the Old Testament. Today we find ourselves looking at two men who were contemporaries, Ezra and Nehemiah.

Throughout 2019, we have been working our way through the entire Bible both in our Life Group studies and our sermon series. For the past several weeks, we have been looking at the prophets as we move toward the end of the Old Testament. Today we find ourselves looking at two men who were contemporaries, Ezra and Nehemiah.

What are the habits in your life? We all have some from praying to smoking to running to watching a TV show? Some make me strong, ready physically, spiritually for the day. Others at best are useless and may be a bit harmful. We all have habits in these categories: useful, useless, harmful. It is really important to know what you got in the useful category and if they will sustain you in the crisis. Turn with me today to Daniel 6 as we open up to one of the favorite stories of the Bible.

What are the habits in your life? We all have some from praying to smoking to running to watching a TV show? Some make me strong, ready physically, spiritually for the day. Others at best are useless and may be a bit harmful. We all have habits in these categories: useful, useless, harmful. It is really important to know what you got in the useful category and if they will sustain you in the crisis. Turn with me today to Daniel 6 as we open up to one of the favorite stories of the Bible.

The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah give us reason to put great hope in God and His salvation even in the midst of the judgment we have coming to us.