Chapter 6 of Nehemiah:The wall has been completed and they’re working on the gates. So Israel’s enemies from the surrounding areas make three attempts to destroy Nehemiah or destroy his effectiveness. First they invite Nehemiah (four times!) away from the protection of Jerusalem to their own territory to “talk.” Nehemiah replies with wisdom, “I’m engaged…
In chapter 5 of Nehemiah’s memoirs, all outside obstacles to rebuilding have been surmounted. It’s then that the people cry out against one another, because of usury and worse by the nobles and priests. Nehemiah answers the cries, first by allowing his anger to subside, then rebuking those taking advantage of their fellow Jews. His…
In chapter 4 of Nehemiah, the wall-builders begin to face significant opposition. They’re weary and discouraged, and political enemies from the surrounding regions are preparing to stop the work with brute force. Nehemiah responds with tremendous wisdom, calling on the community to sacrifice for each other in a way that prefigures the loving attitude Jesus…
In leading the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls God used Nehemiah to redirect the trajectory of a whole people nationally and spiritually. From an engineering perspective, a political perspective or even a human resources perspective, what Nehemiah managed to do was nothing short of amazing. And yet like anything else, that wall went up brick by brick,…
This week we look at Mary Magdalene. Trusting in Jesus gave her a new identity, free of the shame and skeletons of her past. This new relationship freed her and led to her being the first to learn of Jesus’ resurrection. The only way out of shame is forgiveness, and God’s forgiveness in Jesus Christ…
This week we examine doubt. Specifically, we see that the disciples were filled with doubt after Christ’s crucifixion. In the same way, we find doubts in our faith from time to time as well. Instead of condemming these doubts, Jesus meets us where we are and instructs us to believe. It is important to note…
We all keep secrets for one reason or another. Sometimes, for good reason. surprise birthday parties are fun and it would be terrible to share this secret and ruin the surprise. Joseph of Arimathea is the subject of today’s story. As a leader, Joseph didn’t speak up against Jesus’ crucifixion. In this story though, we…
Today’s Easter sermon focuses on what we might consider, “The Problem of Easter”. In the final moments of Jesus’ life, the two criminals crucified near him have very different responses. The first criminal chooses to mock Christ. The second asks that Jesus would remember him when he enters the Kingdom. In response, Jesus says that…
The story of the Prodigal Son is one that many are familiar with. Today, we examine the younger brother, the older brother, the father and what the story teaches us about God. In the midst of this story, Jesus is challenging us to consider whether or not we are withholding forgiveness from others. For the next couple of weeks, we are going…
This week we focus on the Parable of the Lost Coin. A woman has ten silver coins and loses one. She begins an exhaustive search to find the coin. When she finds it, she throws a party to celebrate. We put effort and search for things in our life that we value. This woman valued the coin and dedicated her time and…