Humbling the Proud
God is Sovereign over the world, both nations and individuals, and is able to humble the proud and exalt the humble.
Daniel 4 (Daniel 4:1-3, 34-37)
Standing Strong In Fiery Trials
To stand strong in the fiery trials of exile, God’s people must walk by faith – displaying humble confidence in God, trusting in His Sovereign Power, and obeying God and His Word regardless of the consequences.
Daniel 3 (Daniel 3:16-18)
The God of Wisdom and Power
God is the source of wisdom and power, His kingdom is everlasting, and He will give wisdom and power to His exile people as they walk with Him.
Daniel 2
Standing Strong In Exile
To stand strong in our land of exile we must remember our true identity as God’s people, trust in His Sovereignty, and walk with wisdom and humility as we are in the world but not of it.
Daniel 1
Strangers In A Strange Land
To stand strong in trying times, we must know that God is Sovereign and faithful, even in the land of our exile.
Daniel 1:1-2
The Way – Trusting In God’s Sovereignty
To walk in God’s Way while surrounded by those who reject it, God’s people must learn to trust in His Sovereignty, knowing He rules all things and will fulfill His Word.
Psalm 1 – 2
The Way – Embracing God’s Rule
Those who walk in God’s Way must embrace His Kingship, submitting to His wise, loving rule in every area of life.
Psalm 2
The Way – Meditating on God’s Instruction
Those who walk the way of Jesus Christ embrace God’s Instruction, meditating on His Word day and night so they understand and obey it, knowing this is for their own good.
Psalm 1
The Way – Jesus Christ
Jesus Himself is the Way, the promised Messiah, King, and Son who rules over God’s people to bring them into the way of blessing.
Psalm 2
The Two Ways
There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways.
Psalm 1
Freedom, Limits, and the Nature of Sin
Sin promises freedom and fulfillment if I will reject God’s limiting commands and design, but this always produces deadly results rather than life, freedom, and flourishing.
Genesis 2:15-17; Genesis 3
Freedom – Embracing the Limits of Marriage and Sex
Freedom is found in embracing the truth that marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman, and it is the only proper context for human sexual activity.
Genesis 1:28; 2:20-25
Freedom: Embracing Feasting and Fasting
True freedom is found in a proper relationship with food, neither despising nor idolizing it, but rather rejoicing in it as God’s good gift which points to our ultimate need for God Himself.
Genesis 1:29-30; Genesis 2:15-17
Freedom – Embracing the Rhythm of Work and Rest
True freedom embraces the rhythm of work and rest, for body and soul, that God built into creation.
Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:1-3; Genesis 2:15
Embracing the Limits of Body and Soul
True freedom is found in recognizing humanity as including both body and soul, and embracing the inherent identity and limits of both.
Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:7
The Key to Human Freedom
The key to human freedom is recognizing and embracing our inherent nature as we were created by God, including both the God-given dignity and limits of that nature.
Genesis 1:26-31
Our Long War Against God’s Image
In our rebellion against God, humanity has consistently demeaned, degraded, and attempted to destroy other humans because they are created in God’s image.
Genesis 4:8-10
The Advent of Hope in Christ
In times of distress we need to expectantly wait upon God, knowing we can have hope because He is the Sovereign God Who has fulfilled all of His promises in Christ.
Isaiah 40
He Is There and He Is Not Silent
The fundamental reality is that God exists and He is speaking to us through creation and the Scriptures, and we are called to respond in prayer and personal relationship with Him.
Psalm 19
The Lion, the Lamb, and the Little Child
Man and nature are vicious and brutal, but Isaiah tells us a great cosmic reversal is coming and it will be led by a little child.
Isaiah 11:6
The Lord Will Provide
The LORD sees me and provides for me, even sacrificing His own Son so that I might be spared and blessed.
Genesis 22:1-18
RESET: Redeeming the Quarantine
Like the exile, our current time of disruption should be used as a divinely appointed season to reset our priorities and practices, redeeming the quarantine to make beneficial changes to our lives.
Deuteronomy 4:27-31
Finding Hope In Hard Times
In hard times we can easily give in to despair, but God uses times like this to call us to look to Him for mercy, salvation, and hope, knowing that He is the faithful God.
Lamentation 3:17-26
The Obedience of Faith
True faith leads to a life of growing obedience to God’s covenant and commands.
Genesis 17 (17:1-14; 23-27)
Embracing The Covenant Promise By Faith
God’s Covenant is given in order to confirm His promises so that we might embrace them by faith.
Genesis 15