What is humanity's greatest problem?

Is it our circumstances? Our environment? Our lack of knowledge? Or do we need something much deeper?

In Jeremiah 31:31–34, God makes an extraordinary promise to His people:

“I will make a new covenant.”

Israel had God's Law, but possessing God's commands could not change the human heart. Something greater was needed. God promised a day when His Law would not merely be written on tablets—it would be written on the heart.

He promised a restored relationship with His people.

And He promised: “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Centuries later, on the night before the cross, Jesus took the cup and declared: “This cup... is the new covenant in my blood.”

The promise of Jeremiah 31 ultimately leads us to Jesus. In this message from our Jesus Before Bethlehem series, we'll discover why we need more than outward religion, better behavior, or another chance.

We need God to change us from the inside out.

And through Jesus Christ, God offers what sinners desperately need: forgiveness, reconciliation, transformation, and a new relationship with Him.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when the Bible truly takes center stage among the people of God?

In Nehemiah 8:1–12, Jerusalem's walls have been rebuilt. The gates are restored. The people have returned. But the greatest rebuilding project is just beginning.

God is rebuilding His people.

And it begins with His Word.

The people gather together and ask Ezra to bring out the Book of the Law. For hours, they stand and listen as God's Word is read and explained. They worship. They weep. They respond.

And eventually, their sorrow gives way to joy.

“The joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8 reminds us that God's people don't merely need better circumstances, stronger walls, or successful programs.

We need the Word of God.

When the Bible takes center stage, God's people hear His voice, understand His truth, see themselves clearly, respond in worship and repentance, and experience the joy that comes from His grace.

The wall has been rebuilt.

Now God begins rebuilding the people.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nehemiah 7 contains more than 70 verses filled with gates, guards, leaders, genealogies, names, and numbers. It's the kind of chapter we're tempted to skim.

But God included every name for a reason.

The wall around Jerusalem was finally finished. After prayer, sacrifice, opposition, ridicule, threats, and exhaustion, Nehemiah could have said, “We're done.”

But he didn't.

The wall was finished—but the mission wasn't.

Nehemiah immediately began guarding what God had allowed them to build, appointing faithful leaders, organizing the people, and preparing Jerusalem for what God would do next.

And when we reach that long list of names, we discover something important:

Behind every number was a name.

Behind every name was a person.

Behind every person was a family.

And every person mattered to God.

In this message from Nehemiah 7:1–73, we'll discover what it means to Count What Counts.

We'll learn why we must:

Keep moving forward after accomplishment.

Guard what God has entrusted to us.

Value faithfulness more than talent.

Remember the people behind the numbers.

And make sure our own names are counted where it matters most.

Because one day, many of the things we're counting now won't matter.

The eternal question is:

Is your name written in heaven?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Psalm 23 begins with one of the most beloved statements in all of Scripture:

“The Lord is my shepherd.”

But who is this Shepherd—and how does Psalm 23 ultimately point us to Jesus?

Israel's history was filled with failed shepherds. In Ezekiel 34, God confronted leaders who fed themselves instead of caring for His sheep. They neglected the weak, abandoned the wandering, and left God's people scattered.

Then God made an incredible promise:

“I, I myself will search for my sheep.”

He also promised that He would place over them “one shepherd, my servant David.”

Centuries later, Jesus came declaring:

“I am the good shepherd.”

In Jesus, both promises meet.

He is God the Son who came personally to seek His scattered sheep, and He is the promised Son of David—the Shepherd King.

In this message from our Jesus Before Bethlehem series, we'll see that Jesus is the Shepherd who:

Seeks and rescues the lost.

Provides, restores, and leads His sheep.

Walks with us through the valley.

Lays down His life for His sheep.

Rules as our Shepherd King.

And leads His people safely home forever.

The Christian life does not promise that we'll never enter the valley. It promises something better:

We will never enter the valley alone.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you do when the enemy can't stop the work God is doing?

Sometimes he simply tries to distract the worker.

In Nehemiah 6:1–19, the wall around Jerusalem is almost finished. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Nehemiah's enemies have tried ridicule, threats, intimidation, internal conflict, and fear—but the work continues.

So they change tactics.

They invite Nehemiah to a meeting designed to pull him away from the wall. They spread false accusations about him. They attack his reputation. They even use spiritual-sounding counsel to tempt him to disobey God's Word.

But Nehemiah refuses to come down.

His response becomes the heartbeat of this message:

“I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.”

The same battle continues today. Not everything that demands our attention deserves our attention. Sometimes the enemy doesn't distract us with something sinful—he simply keeps us occupied with something less important than what God has called us to do.

In this message, we'll see how Nehemiah teaches us to:

Fight distraction.

Forsake the fear of false accusations.

Follow God instead of fake counsel.

Finish the work.

Stay on the wall. Stay in the Word. Stay on mission. Keep your eyes on Christ.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David wanted to build God a house.

But God had something much greater in mind.

In 2 Samuel 7:1–17, God made one of the most important promises in the entire Old Testament. He promised David a royal house, a kingdom, a Son—and a throne that would be established forever.

This promise, known as the Davidic Covenant, stretches far beyond David and Solomon. It points directly to Jesus Christ, the Son of David and the eternal King.

Solomon would build the temple, but Solomon would die. Kings would rise and fall. Jerusalem would be destroyed. Israel would go into exile. For centuries, David's throne appeared empty.

But God had not forgotten His promise.

When Jesus came, the promised King had arrived.

He was born in David's city.

He was called the Son of David.

He announced God's kingdom.

He was crowned through a cross.

He rose from the grave.

And He reigns forever.

Every earthly throne will eventually be empty.

But the throne of Jesus will stand forever.

In this message from our Jesus Before Bethlehem series, we will see how God's covenant with David points forward to Jesus Christ and why the reign of our eternal King gives believers unshakable hope.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the greatest threat to God's work isn't outside the walls—but inside them?

In Nehemiah 4, God's people faced ridicule, threats, intimidation, and opposition from their enemies. They prayed, stood guard, picked up their swords, and kept building.

The enemy outside the walls couldn't stop the work.

But in Nehemiah 5, the danger moves inside.

God's own people begin exploiting and hurting one another. While the wall is going up, something inside the community is breaking down.

Nehemiah reminds us that it is easy to point at everything wrong with the world while ignoring the sin in our own hearts.

Before asking, “What's wrong with our country?” maybe we need to ask, “Lord, what's wrong with me?”

Sin must be confronted rather than covered. The fear of God should govern how we treat others. Genuine repentance seeks to make right what sin has made wrong. And godly leadership must model what it expects from others.

Most importantly, Nehemiah could expose sin—but he couldn't change the human heart.

That's why we need someone greater than Nehemiah. We need Jesus.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the story of Ruth have to do with Jesus Christ?

Ruth begins with famine, death, grief, and emptiness. Naomi believes she has lost everything. Ruth is a poor, widowed foreigner with no inheritance and seemingly no future.

But God is working—even when they cannot see Him.

Through ordinary circumstances, God providentially leads Ruth to the field of Boaz, a man who is qualified, able, and willing to become her redeemer.

And Boaz points us toward someone greater.

Jesus Christ is our Redeemer.

Like Ruth, we could not rescue ourselves. But Jesus came near to us, willingly paid the price for our redemption with His own blood, and brings everyone who trusts Him into the family of God.

Ruth's story reminds us that grace is at work even when we cannot see it.

You cannot redeem yourself—but Jesus has paid the price to bring you home.

Scripture: Ruth 1–4

Series: Jesus Before Bethlehem

Message: Redeemed by Grace

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you keep doing God's work when the enemy keeps fighting back?

In Nehemiah 4:15–23, the threat against Jerusalem had been frustrated—but it had not disappeared. So God's people returned to the wall. They picked up their tools, continued building, and kept their weapons ready.

They understood something every Christian needs to remember:

We cannot stop building because there is a battle, and we cannot ignore the battle because we are building.

God has given His church something worth building—disciples to make, families to strengthen, hurting people to love, lost people to reach, and the Gospel to proclaim.

But He has also given us something worth guarding.

We need the trowel—faithfully doing the work Christ has called us to do.

And we need the sword—the Word of God that prepares us for the spiritual battle around us.

Build faithfully. Stand firmly. Stay together. And don't quit.

Scripture: Nehemiah 4:15–23

Series: Rebuilding for God's Glory

Message: A Trowel in One Hand and a Sword in the Other

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joshua was one of Israel's greatest leaders. He led God's people into the Promised Land, defeated their enemies, gave them an inheritance, and brought them rest.

But Joshua's victories were never the end of the story.

Israel still struggled with sin. New enemies arose. Their inheritance could be lost. Their rest was temporary. Even after Joshua, God's people still needed someone greater.

In Joshua 1 and Joshua 21:43–45, we discover how Joshua's life and victories point forward to Jesus Christ—the Greater Joshua.

Joshua brought Israel into Canaan. Jesus brings sinners into eternal life.

Joshua defeated earthly enemies. Jesus defeated sin, Satan, death, and the grave.

Joshua gave Israel a temporary inheritance. Jesus gives His people an inheritance that can never perish.

Joshua gave temporary rest. Jesus gives eternal rest.

The battle we could never win has been won by the Savior who will never leave us.

Scripture: Joshua 1:1–9; Joshua 21:43–45

Series: Jesus Before Bethlehem

Message: The Greater Joshua

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.