Jesus has performed a ministry that was anything but ordinary. Now darkness is about to set in. In His final days Jesus pays the ultimate cost for our salvation; death for our sins. Jesus will demonstrate in a powerful way the price He is willing to pay for a relationship with us. Finally the Upper Story has synced up with the Lower Story. One question remains … will you sync your Lower Story with God’s Upper Story and pay the price that Christ asked us to pay?

The tide of public opinion is beginning to shift against Jesus. The religious leaders are plotting His death. The disciples are probably growing tired and weary of all the controversy and tension. Jesus can sense their emotions so He gets alone with them in order to regroup and refocus. The location He chose was Caesarea Philippi which in Jesus’ day was associated with a lot of religious symbolism. It was no accident Jesus chose this location. What would happen here would change the whole course of human history.

The tide of public opinion is beginning to shift against Jesus. The religious leaders are plotting His death. The disciples are probably growing tired and weary of all the controversy and tension. Jesus can sense their emotions so He gets alone with them in order to regroup and refocus. The location He chose was Caesarea Philippi which in Jesus’ day was associated with a lot of religious symbolism. It was no accident Jesus chose this location. What would happen here would change the whole course of human history.

Jesus was no ordinary man. Everything he did set the example for us, His followers. Whether it was eating with sinners, healing the physical ailments of hurting people, or reaching lost sinful people, Jesus plowed a new course of action for us. At this point in The Story, this out of the ordinary approach should not surprise us. God has always fulfilled His upper story in out of the ordinary ways through the lower story. What is he calling you to do that is out of the ordinary?

As Jesus’ ministry begins we find Him being tempted by satan in the wilderness after He had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. These events follow a spiritual high in Jesus life when He was baptized by John in the Jordan River. Have you ever noticed how that same pattern is often true in our lives? Following a mountain top experience, you soon find yourselves in the grip of temptation. It may come from within as we struggle in our spirits to do what is right. Or it may come from without such as the confrontations Jesus had with His adversaries. Today we look at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and draw out principles which can help us when we are tempted like He was.

As Jesus’ ministry begins we find Him being tempted by satan in the wilderness after He had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. These events follow a spiritual high in Jesus life when He was baptized by John in the Jordan River. Have you ever noticed how that same pattern is often true in our lives? Following a mountain top experience, you soon find yourselves in the grip of temptation. It may come from within as we struggle in our spirits to do what is right. Or it may come from without such as the confrontations Jesus had with His adversaries. Today we look at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and draw out principles which can help us when we are tempted like He was.

The pages have turned and closed on the Old Testament. God is once again residing in Jerusalem with His people. However, His relentless pursuit of us has not reached its climax. As we turn our attention to the New Testament, we are quickly met with the birth of a baby boy. This boy is different than all those who have come before. This boy is born with the purpose to save all mankind.

The Old Testament comes to an end with three building projects: (1) The rebuilding of the temple under the leadership of Zerubabbel; (2) the rebuilding of the city walls of Jerusalem under the leadership of Nehemiah; and (3) the rebuilding of the lives of God’s people. In our story today, near the end of the Old Testament scriptures, the people gather together and Ezra reads to them the Law of Moses as a spiritual exercise to refocus and remind Israel of what is truly important. That is we prayerfully hope has happened to each one of us as we have followed along in The Story; to help us refocus, remind and rebuild our lives what is most foundational: God’s Upper Story.

The Old Testament comes to an end with three building projects: (1) The rebuilding of the temple under the leadership of Zerubabbel; (2) the rebuilding of the city walls of Jerusalem under the leadership of Nehemiah; and (3) the rebuilding of the lives of God’s people. In our story today, near the end of the Old Testament scriptures, the people gather together and Ezra reads to them the Law of Moses as a spiritual exercise to refocus and remind Israel of what is truly important. That is we prayerfully hope has happened to each one of us as we have followed along in The Story; to help us refocus, remind and rebuild our lives what is most foundational: God’s Upper Story.

The Amalekites were a persistently wicked people. They were the first people who tried to stop Israel from entering into the promised land, which meant they were directly opposed to God’s upper story plan. However, God will accomplish His plan and He wanted Saul to eliminate the Amalekites completely. Because of Saul’s disobedience 400 of them survived. Today we meet one of their descendants, Haman. Looking back on history and the Jews attempted elimination of his people, it is not hard to understand the underlying grudge Haman had against the Jews.