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From Dispersed To Exile

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God allows 'life pauses' where moments that we are stopped dead on our tracks while he accomplishes His will.  It's not a comfortable place, but yet necessary.    There are many examples of this in the Bible, but it is one that we do not enjoy.  One key reason for this moment is God's expression of "tough love" (Prov. 3:11-12, Hebrews 12:4-11).    The Divided Kingdom of Israel and Judah sinned against God and they went to the place of no return (Isaiah 28-33; 2 Kings 17:16-20).  As a result, the Divided Kingdoms were shattered.   The Northern Kingdom Israel was dispersed by the Assyrian in 722 B.C. and the Southern Kingdom Judah was exiled by the Babylonians in 587 B.C.    In the midst of Israel's and Judah's life pause, God encourages three things:    Come back to God and renew your relationships with him.   Endure and thrive in the time of your exile. Look forward to the hope that is in Jesus.   DIDISCUSSI...
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From Disoriented to United to Divided

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Lessons from the Old Testament Survey Class.   Today's lesson is about learning to understand that God has better plans for our lives.  That sometimes, our plans, no matter how good they are, are no better than God's plan.   Isaiah 55:8-9 says,  Let's consider three eras in our study today.  ERA # 1:  Disoriented People This was during the days of judges when God raised deliverers or judges in order to save His people.  The problem is that they kept on disobeying God and God was teaching them a lesson to trust Him.   The cycle of sin and repentance were lessonsyou will find in the book of Judges.   Another problem is that God's people were never content.  They wanted a king like the rest of the world.   This leads us to the next Era.   ERA # 2:  United Kingdom God granted Israel's request for a King despite His warning.  There were three kings that ruled one after the other and their live...
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Tips To Keep Guests Coming Back especially after Easter

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Jesus was never known for making people comfortable but He was really good at holding on to people as long as He can enough to give them enough of God.  Every pastor desires to have that happen to their guests.  Come back once more so they can hear enough of the gospel and just a little longer to be with God's people - the odds are your guests will understand the grace of God more than before. After reading Caroline Cooper's 7  Tips To Keep Guests Coming Back, it dawned on me that we are not much different from hotel owners. Hotels live by an oath, "We want to see you back." I sure hope we have the same heart.  Here are some similarities worth thinking about. 1.       Ask for feedback.  " If what you have provided fails to meet expectations, wouldn’t you rather know about it before the guest leaves?" writes Cooper.  A friend of mine who is a renowned international speaker asks this question before he leaves any site, "Wa...
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