This week we see that confession of sin is lead by the genuine recognition of the holiness of God. God's people had promised to be faithful, but following their return from exile, the people turned to being unfaithful to God and disobeying His commands. Yet God remained faithful. The people saw the greatness of God which led them to repentance.

Ezra was approached by the nations leaders who shared the negative behaviors and lifestyles of the people. It was as if they had forgotten God. Ezra's response of honest confession before a holy God ought to teach us something about his character and about our need to do likewise. Ezra confessed the sins of the nation to God through prayer and sought forgiveness. Ezra took his sin seriously, asked for repentance and celebrated God's grace .

Anger and bitterness are common reactions to bad news. However, Nehemiah responded in the right way by recognizing God's faithfulness. He asked God to hear him. He showed his reliance on God even in hard times. Nehemiah's response demonstrated a deep love, trust, and confidence in God.

Mordecai was faithful. He was faithful to take in Esther, his cousin. He was faithful to sit, wait, and watch every day at the gate of the king's palace to see what God would do. He was faithful to speak up, and when he stepped into power he helped the king in an honorable way. He could have chosen to do wrong, but he didn't.

Life circumstances can be hard at times. It is in those hard times that we need to remember God's promises. God's promises remind us to trust Him. Ahaz was reminded by the prophet Isaiah of these promises. God is present!

Daniel's past faithfulness opened the door for future opportunities. His faithfulness to God showed his character and whom he served. This character was evident to those around him by Daniel's name being known as someone who served God. See how Daniel's faithfulness to God was able to serve others.

Daniel was faced with the decision to either honor the Lord or follow the cultural customs of Babylon that dishonored the commands of God. No matter what, Daniel had a deep confidence in the Lord and his story with his friends is one that we can learn from.

This final week of our Breaking News series, we learn how God is faithful in the book of Isaiah. Our video will go live Sunday at 8am.

This weekend no matter what or how you celebrate, know that we can always celebrate Jesus conquering death for us on the cross!