It is difficult to fathom the devastation that fell upon God’s people when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. The physical ruins were but a fraction of the sorrow. The deeper pain lay in the crumbling of hopes, dreams, and the very identity of Israel. Their place of worship, the symbol of God’s presence among them, was gone. How could they move forward?
It’s difficult to process the devastation that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple had on God’s people. Surely, the physical disaster was only a small part of the pain that was felt. The hopes and dreams of Israel also crumbled with Jerusalem’s walls. So many of us face periods of crisis and even devastation.…
The prophets were certainly concerned with the world, but they were also concerned with the hearts of God’s people. We prophetically demonstrate God’s word when we serve the marginalized, but we must also teach prophetic messages within our congregations. Remember, prophecy is not about predicting the future, but rather, an honest look at the current state of affairs through the lens of God’s Word.
Despite being young and surrounded by a nation lost in idolatry, King Josiah demonstrated incredible humility when he rediscovered God’s Word—and responded with a heart ready to listen, learn, and lead. There are a few things we can learn from his example: How to truly hear God’s Word: Rediscover the power of the Bible in…
God has always dreamed for justice in society and we’ve already seen visions of justice in the Law. Prophets, like Amos and others, radically remind people of the heart of God from the Mosaic covenant. As leaders in God’s kingdom, we too should remind people of God’s heart and give them opportunities to respond. Depending on the makeup of your group, this can be difficult because of the disunity in our world.
In this new Thread series, we’re looking at a topic that many of us are unfortunately all too familiar with: division. Division isn’t just something we read about in the Bible. Fellowships, churches, small groups, and even families must often face the consequences of humanity’s impulse to divide instead of unite. This impulse makes the lessons of the three centuries of history that we call the Divided Kingdom invaluable for us.
Many ministers, shepherds and teachers are heading toward the second half of life if they aren’t there already. After such a promising first half, Solomon, even with all of his wisdom, failed in the second half. It’s not all negative though. We can have a great impact for many years. What opportunities do you see when you think about what’s ahead as a Christian?
We are never going to be perfect, as Christians. Sometimes, we can feel like the people around us expect us to be perfect. We are never going to be perfect, but we should strive to have the responsive humility of David when we do make mistakes. We need true friends and advisors (see the…
Take a moment to ponder about the state of your relationships. What does it, or would it, mean for you to have relationships that will be committed to you no matter what is going on in the church or in leadership? How might you go about developing these types of relationships?
Saul was quick to make up his own plan when it was difficult to follow God’s. poHe had a hard time even recognizing that he was off course. Where have you made your own plan? Where do you need to surrender to God again regardless of how scary, or difficult, or unpopular your surrender may be?
