Join Ryan Hanley, Pastor at the Williamsburg campus of Immanuel Baptist Church, as he continues the "New Beginnings" series, exploring Ezra chapter 3. This sermon addresses the profound question: How do we rebuild our lives and spiritual foundations after seasons of wandering or sin? Hanley draws parallels between Israel's return from 70 years of Babylonian exile and our own journeys of repentance and renewal, emphasizing that "you're never too far from the love and the mercy and the grace of God."

Hanley reminds us of our identity as God's chosen people, made by God and for God, with a purpose to proclaim His excellencies to the world. He highlights that forgetting this purpose can lead to drifting, but God, in His immense patience and mercy, continually offers second chances. The sermon emphasizes that true rebuilding begins with repentance and leads to genuine worship.

Discover how the returned exiles in Ezra prioritized rebuilding the altar and laying the temple's foundation, even amid fear from surrounding peoples. This serves as a powerful reminder to prioritize God's presence and His Word in our lives, building upon the "cornerstone of Jesus." Hanley challenges listeners to allow Scripture to shape their perception of life, hope, and worship more profoundly than worldly influences.

Experience the mixed emotions of worship, a blend of joy for God's new work and sorrowful repentance for past failures, all united by God's steadfast love that "endures forever." This sermon is a heartfelt call to respond to God's continuous invitation to return, rebuild, and live faithfully for His glory, recognizing that even a "heap of ruins is a foundation of God's great work."