The task. It was time for the temple at Jerusalem to be rebuilt. We aren’t told this, but do you think Ezra and Nehemiah had special training for the work God assigned them to do? Or did God simply bestow on them the skills they needed? What were their spiritual responsibilities? Do you think every … Continue reading –>
1. Arrived and weeping. His wishes have been fulfilled, and the temple rebuilt. Why is Nehemiah so filled with distress that he weeps in mourning for several days? What is the bad news? From the perspective of their neighbors, what has to happen to God’s people? Is their wish fulfilled? 2. Nehemiah receives bad news. Hanani, probably … Continue reading –>
First return of the exiles. Imagine a prophecy so precise as the one predicting that for 70 years, God’s people would live in desolation, and then they would be released. Now it was almost time for that promise to be fulfilled. Why was Daniel upset? Should he have been? Do you and I ever feel … Continue reading –>
More than a place to meet. Is the church more than a group of people who come to the church building once a week to study God’s word? What are some limitations of a church bound up entirely in meeting the needs of worshipers for a meeting place to present a weekly program of interest … Continue reading –>
Our world as a hopeless mess. Without the light of God shining on our world there would be no life worth living. We know God is not happy with the way His created world of human beings have turned against Him to transform this world into a state of spiritual darkness. You may wonder why He … Continue reading –>
Earning our salvation? Do you ever encounter Christians who honestly believe that we earn our way to heaven? If that is not your belief, how do you explain the importance of obeying God’s commands if we want to join Him in heaven? Our lesson guide places the text from Ephesians (2:8-10) at the top of … Continue reading –>
1, A new kind of community. Seven people selected from the early Christian church were assigned the responsibility for organizing members to meet the physical needs of the neediest members of the congregation. These would include housing, feeding, clothing, childcare, and many other responsibilities that some families would have difficulty meeting. Thousands of years later … Continue reading –>
The least of these. Maybe we should translate 25:40 something like this: “However you are treating the poor, the sick, and those who are suffering from other bad circumstances, well, that’s how you are treating the King of the universe, the God you claim to worship.” You may welcome such a comment, noting that you … Continue reading –>
Jesus came to show us what God is like. For four thousand years, God had revealed Himself to His people through miracles, visions, prophets and many other ways. But as marvelous as God’s revelations were, even the leaders of God’s people too often seemed oblivious to the nature and character of God. They wanted to … Continue reading –>
The main purpose for God’s creation of Sabbath. Is it hard for you to believe that the Sabbath came into being to celebrate the creation of a day of rest? Did mankind need a special time to mingle with one another in praise to God? Why? or why not? Sabbath is a time to … Continue reading –>
