What are we to make of Paul's joy that selfishly ambitious teachers are proclaiming the gospel? And, what can we learn from his famous statement "to live is Christ, to die is gain"?

Paul's opening prayer in Philippians reflect what he hopes and confidently expects God to do in the lives of his readers and it introduces the main theme of his letter. From this short prayer, we can

Paul's message in Philippians is essentially the same as Moses in Deuteronomy 30:19-20: Choose life by loving the lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him. He opens the letter express

Years later, Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem to find the people have broken all their vows. His reaction is ruthless -- to make a point.

The history told in Nehemiah is a historic witness to the restoring work of God in people's lives. Now in chapter 12, at the what should be the end of the story, Nehemiah is once again going to make

The people vow to keep God at the center of their lives as they move back into Jerusalem both by choice and by draft.

If all the generations prior to you have been people who listened to God and eventually rejected him, what is the likelihood that your generation is going to be different?

In chapter 7 the wall is finished. The city is safe, but not yet “alive." In chapter 8 the people long to know God so they ask Ezra the priest to teach them the Law.

In chapter 5, the problems Nehemiah and the Isrealites encounter are inflicted from within the community itself. In Chapter 6 Nehemiah is tested. Is he the kind of leader who fears God? Or is he the

Chapter 3 paints a picture of community, including the main point that we should begin serving the body by working on “the broken wall in front of our own house.” Chapter 4 records the opposition they