(Because of technical problems there is no podcast for the message this week)

Strength When You’re Stuck
Ezra 4:6-24

“Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.”  Ezra 4:24  NAS

1.  There Will Be Times in Life When It Seems Like

Forward Movement Has Ceased!

2. We Feel “Stuck” For Various Reasons”
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3.  God Will Supply Strength When We Feel Stuck

James 1:2 –

Psalm 23 -

Psalm 147 -

Application/Prayer:

Download | Duration: 00:30:48

Download | Duration: 00:25:50

Enemies, Opposition and Frustration
Ezra 4:1-5

“Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle…”
Psalm 144:1 NASB

1.  When We Follow __________________________________, We Will Encounter Enemies.  Verses 1 & 2

 

2.  We Need _______________________ to Determine Who is For Us and Who is Against Us.  Verse 3

 

3.  People Will Actively __________________________ Us From Doing God’s Work.  Verses 4 & 5

 

Application/Prayer:

Download | Duration: 00:28:50

Responding With Worship
Ezra 3:10-13

From Last Week:  Understanding Resulted in Worship
The purpose of worship is to come before the Lord in obedience and praise Him, to hear from Him, to confess to Him, to commit our lives to Him.
The subject and object of worship is God:  Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People Respond with Worship in ___________________Ways
“Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy…”  Ezra 3:12 NASB

Differences Test ____________________

1.  Be _____________________ to One Another.  Ephesians 5:21

2.  Elders ___________________ the Youngers.  Titus 2, 1 Peter 5

3.  Youngers _________________ the Elders.  1 Timothy 5, 1 Peter 5

Application/Prayer:

Download | Duration: 00:26:13

Giving, Ministry and Worship
Ezra 3:7-13

_____________________________________ Resulted in Giving
 “Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food, drink and oil to the Sidonians and to the Tyrians, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at Joppa, according to the permission they had from Cyrus king of Persia.”  Ezra 3:7 NASB

 

_______________________________________ Resulted in Ministry
“…all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites from twenty years and older to oversee the work of the house of the LORD.”  Ezra 3:8 NASB

 

_______________________________________ Resulted in Worship
“They sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying, “For He is good, for His loving-kindness is upon Israel forever." And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.”  Ezra 3:11 NASB

Application/Prayer:

Download | Duration: 00:34:24

Download | Duration: 00:30:21

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

 ¹In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ²(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³And everyone went to his own town to register.

 ⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

Download | Duration: 00:28:59

 “Exalt God Always!”

Luke 1:39-56
“And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.”  Luke 1:38 (NAS

Mary’s Response: ________________________________________

And Mary said:  "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Luke 1:46-47 (NAS

 

My Response:

 

My Application:

 

My Prayer:

 

What is God asking you to do today?

Download | Duration: 00:33:48

Unsung Heroes
Ezra 2

Unsung Heroes Live Lives of ___________________________

Now these are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city.  Ezra 2:1 (NAS)

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  Hebrews 11:1 (NAS)

Unsung Heroes Live Lives of ___________________________

Some of the heads of fathers' households, when they arrived at the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to restore it on its foundation.  Ezra 2:68 (NAS)

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” 
Romans 12:1 (NASB

Application/Prayer:

 

1.  Continue to read “The Treasure Principle” by Randy Alcorn
2.  Complete the “Steps” on the “Discovering Our Gifts, Skills and Abilities…” worksheet.

 

Download | Duration: 00:30:45

Ezra 1:7-11

7Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods… 11Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.  (NAS)

1st Corinthians 1:10 - Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.  (NAS)

True Ministry is Always a Team Effort

Galatians 2:1 - Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. (NAS)

True Ministry Always Involves Preparation and Feedback

1st Corinthians 9:22 - To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.  (NAS)

True Ministry Considers the ____________________________

Luke 19:10 - For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.  (NAS)

 

True Ministry Centers On ______________________________

Application/Prayer: