Nearly everyone, in some area of their life, takes a leadership role. That’s why learning to be a strong leader is important for us all. The book of Nehemiah provides us with one of the clearest biblical examples of what leadership looks like when it is properly dedicated to fulfilling God’s kingdom.
The great Hoover Dam produces enough energy for three states: California, Nevada and Arizona. You might think of this dam as an example of power under control. If all the water held back were to be released at once, it would bring disaster to the very areas it was designed to help.
It is important that we understand the truth if we are going to live in the truth. The church in the city of Colossae was dealing with some of the same issues we struggle with today: deep and dangerous confusion about who Jesus is and the kind of life He calls us to live. The apostle Paul, who was in prison for his testimony about Christ, heard about the many heresies that were circulating among the Colossians and wrote to them so they might understand the real truth about Jesus Christ.
My mom used to tell me and my siblings if we complained about something she was cooking and we didn’t want to eat it, that it was because we just weren’t hungry enough. We would excuse ourselves from the table and head elsewhere in the house only to hear her say, “You’ll be back. When you get hungry enough, it’ll be here.” This is because my mom knew, like many moms know, that hungry people who are truly hungry aren’t that picky. They just need food. And they won’t let their own preferences keep them from pursuing the nutritio...
The book of Ezra is about spiritual restoration. It is focused on the restoration of the temple after God’s people returned from their captivity in Babylon. Their persistent disobedience and idolatry had resulted in the destruction of the temple and the enslavement to a foreign nation. But God had made them a kingdom promise—that if they would return to Him, He would bring them back to their own land. As always, God kept His promise.