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.

In Jeremiah 31, there is a phrase that is repeated by the Lord to the hearer of these words. The phrase "The LORD's declaration" occurs 10 times in these 40 verses. These words even appear at times in the middle of a thought or sentence, uniquely placed to garner attention. The message is repeated to ensure a message is known: that God can be trusted.

During the Prophet Ezra's time, the work had begun to rebuild the temple. There was an eager desire among God's people, leading them to anticipate what that place would afford them upon it's completion. As the people worked and waited, even in the midst of their exhaustion, they made time to worship.

Zechariah was a prophet who encouraged God's people to finish rebuilding the temple. He also encouraged people to rebuild their relationship with God and Worship Him. He pointed people towards God's promises. It is in Him we can have true rest and security.

In Ezra, God's remnant is instructed to recover from their exile with....work. This work would be costly, demanding, and long; but this work actually aimed to bring rest. This rest would be found ultimately in encountering God. At times, we may be exhausted, but Ezra's story can remind us to dwell and rest in a relationship with God.

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.

The prophet Jeremiah tried to warn the king and people to stop sinning and to turn back to God, but they didn't listen. So God sent His judgment by bringing the king of Babylon to Judah. Even in the midst of hardship, God still shared encouragement by reminding His people that He has a saving plan.

God is always working in all times and seasons. And though we may wonder about His purpose in certain circumstances, we can trust that they are always ultimately for His glory and our good, even when that is hard to understand or believe. This is what we'll learn about in this weekend's lesson covering 2 Chronicles 36.

The prophet Nahum sought to wake up the people to turn from their wicked ways, and warned of a coming judgment and devastation as a consequence of the people's sins. Through Nahum, God told the people of the urgency to listen to these warnings and to turn to Him for hope, joy, and peace that can only be found by His grace.

The Book of Jonah demonstrates the mercy and grace of God. This grace and mercy is shown to Jonah, but also to a group of people who didn't have a relationship with God. Even though punishment was due, God relented and chose to save. We also may think we are too distant or too far gone to be accepted by God, but He is always there, ready to receive and love those who turn to Him.

This weekend we look at the Book of Zephaniah, which serves as a stern rebuke of God's people and a warning regarding a failure to return to Him faithfully. It also serves as a reminder of God's expectation of holiness and a description of what that looks like when faithfully lived out among God's people.

This week, we read about God’s messenger Isaiah who would share a strong message to remind His people of the consequences if they did not turn from their sinful ways.

Many of the miracles performed by Elisha in 2 Kings 4-6 come in moments when the human dilemmas of sin, death, fear, worry, and lack are realized and people are overtaken with doubt. It is often in these moments that we are reminded of just how self-reliant we try to be, and just how God-dependent we need to be.

Elisha's incredible loyalty to the prophet Elijah is recorded in 2 Kings 2. He followed Elijah wherever he went. He committed to Elijah even when others told him Elijah would soon die. Elisha saw something in Elijah that he himself wanted: his spirit. Let's see how Elisha made a request of Elijah.

We are continuing this week in 1 Kings chapters 16-18 with Elijah. Elijah was a prophet sent from God to speak truth, and he lived with boldness in the midst of a desperate and depraved generation. His story shows how he followed God when many others didn’t.