small groups

Religious Affections: Joy & Thanksgiving

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In his work on religious affections (desires & emotions of the will), Jonathan Edwards asserts, “True religion, in great part, consists in holy affections” Cultivating affections that are shaped by Scripture is essential for maturing and growing in Christlikeness. Through Easter, we will be diving into a variety of Psalms to consider the spectrum of affections experienced by the Psalmists and how they allowed the truths about God to shape and fuel their affections.

[Read a helpful summary of Edwards’ work here.]

For the first week of the semester, we got to Psalm 95 and find an overflow of joy and thanksgiving.

Psalm 95

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
when your fathers put me to the test
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
and they have not known my ways.”
Therefore I swore in my wrath,
“They shall not enter my rest.”

What are the big takeaways from this Psalm?

The Psalmist teaches us two important points concerning the affections of joy and thanksgiving.

1. Joy and thanksgiving flow from an understanding of who God is.

We see this throughout the first 7 verses of the Psalm. The writer overflows with joy and thanksgiving as he reflects on his relationship with God. Lasting joy and thanksgiving develops through growth in our relationship with God. As we experience God’s goodness in the ups and the downs of life, we will develop a depth of joy and thanksgiving that transcends our circumstances. We may not always be gleeful. In fact, we may go through extended seasons in which happiness seems far away. But even during those seasons, when we come to reflect upon who God is and what He’s done for us, God will fuel a lasting joy and thanksgiving within our souls.

2. Joy and thanksgiving should lead to and be the motivator for our obedience to God.

Rather than calling us to work up our willpower to obey God, the Psalmist calls for obedience that flows Christ-centered affections. So when temptations seem to be hitting from every direction and obedience to God feels impossible, meditate upon who you know God to be (Good, faithful, loving, powerful, etc.) and what He’s done for you in the Gospel.

From Fear to Peace

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Can you imagine what it must have been like? Pouring everything you have for three whole years into one single endeavor and suddenly it all seems to be a wash. Everything you have been working for has just been swept right out from underneath your feet.

Overwhelming angst—emotional numbness—excruciating anxiety—debilitating depression—paralyzing fear.

Right now, I’m working on a PhD, and I don’t say that to brag in any way… I’ve barely hung on most of the way. In fact, exhaustion and many of the above feelings have come and gone through this process, but the reason I bring it up is that if I were to suddenly flunk out, or even worse, if I were to get to the end—defending my dissertation—and I lost the whole thing, I’d be utterly devastated. Every single one of those would crash over me one after another. I wish I could say that wasn’t the case, but after all the work and effort that has gone into this degree, failure would be devastating.

In the whole scheme of things though, a PhD is relatively meaningless compared with what the disciples had been pursuing with Jesus for about three years. They were under the impression—rightfully so—that they were witnessing first hand the setting up of God’s kingdom on earth and the Messiah accomplishing our salvation.

Maybe, you would have been like John sitting at the foot of the cross with some last bit of hope that Jesus would break loose of the nails and finally set up his kingdom in the way you imagined it. But no one, not even John, had a hint of hope after Jesus was shut up in that tomb. Fear overwhelmed each and every one of Jesus’ followers.

All this effort, all this excitement, and all this suffering… for nothing!

BUT THE STORY DOESN’T END THERE!

Praise God, there is more to this story! Jesus defeated death. He overcame the evil one. And He defeated sin once and for all. Jesus rose from the dead, and it’s in the hope of Jesus’ resurrection that we find both the disciples’ fears and ours turned upside down.

In John 20, the fear of the disciples is evident. Peace is nowhere to be found, that is, until Jesus arrives on the scene. Each encounter he has with his followers (Mary, the eleven minus Thomas, and Thomas) comes with profound joy and peace. Jesus proclaims peace over His disciples that is firmly grounded in the clear power of the resurrection.

As we read this story, we find our hope for salvation secure and we can look forward to the day when our bodies are restored to perfection like Jesus’.

But on top of all that, as we face chaos in this world, situations that seem hopeless, adversity that strikes overwhelming fear in our heart, we can look to the resurrection to remind us that Jesus brings us ultimate peace. He has overcome the greatest of obstacles, and we can count on his omnipotent presence with us from now until eternity.

Jesus’ Stories

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I really love a good story, and I’d venture to guess that you do, too. Whether it’s on Netflix or Youtube, our culture loves to binge watch stories. Long before the digital age, Jesus was the master storyteller. He told tons of stories called parables in order to teach his followers about himself, his Father, and the kingdom of heaven. A focus on Jesus’ teaching would not be complete without at least a short look at his parables.

We’re going to focus on one parable today: The Parable of the Sower – Matthew 13:1-23.

In this story, Jesus helps us visualize a farmer that is throwing seed out on his field. This guys field isn’t the best, and so there are lots of different kinds of soil that the seeds are falling on. Some land on the path the farmer is walking on, others on rocks, still some land in the midst of thorns and weeds, but some do end up falling on good, tilled soil.

So why does a story about a farmer have anything relevant for us today?

Jesus explains that the seed is like God’s Word, and the soils like our hearts as we are receiving it. The results of the seed on the first three soils aren’t so great, but the fruit of the final soil is massive. So Jesus is teaching us not only why some people don’t receive the Gospel, but also ways in which we allow obstacles to get in the way of embracing God’s Word and experiencing the blessings He longs to produce within us.

Three specific obstacles to receiving God’s Word:

1. Confusion or Hardness of Heart (v. 19)

The first unfruitful soil is connected to a lack of understanding that Satan takes advantage of. This could certainly come from poor teaching, but it also comes from a hardness of heart and mind resulting from sin. Paul explains that this is a consequence of sin in Romans 1, so we should not be surprised that our sin can get in the way of us receiving the Word of God.

2. Persecution (v. 21)

The second unfruitful soil is connected to persecution. The one who hears the Word initially enjoys it and embraces it, but they have not counted the cost and have not grounded themselves in God’s Word deeply enough to be able to overcome the fear of man that so many of us struggle with.

3. The Distractions & Allure of the World (v. 22)

Finally, lacking long term fruitfulness is directly connected to the distractions and allure of the world around us. Jesus says that the things around us that are constantly calling for our time and desires will “choke the word.” Living in a world full of distractions, we must be careful to cultivate focus and desire upon the things God’s Word points us to.

Let’s fight to avoid these obstacles and allow God’s Word to take deep root in our lives, for the results will be beyond our wildest imaginations.

The Beatitudes: Promises Received & Experienced in Christ

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Last week, Jesus kicked off his ministry in Matthew 4, and in Matthew 5 we find his most famous teaching: the Sermon on the Mount. We’ll be checking out the promises of blessing that Jesus gives in the first section of that sermon.

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
-Matthew 5:1-12

The Beatitudes, maybe the most famous of all of Jesus’ teachings, are eight incredible promises. Anyone who reads this text longs for these to be true in his life. Yet, simultaneously, we get the gut-wrenching feeling that we don’t measure up to most, if not all, of these. I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly not pure in heart, more often than not I’m not hungering for righteousness, and humility and meekness are often hard to come by. I’m certainly not the poster child for these things, and I’d venture to guess that neither are you.

Even the one that is a bit more passive—those who mourn shall be comforted—I have a hard time believing at times. I’ve mourned a good bit in my lifetime, but sometimes comfort is hard to come by.

So what’s the deal with these promises?

First, these promises are fulfilled in Jesus.

Jesus is perfectly humble, meek, pure, and merciful. He embodies each of these promises and has fully experienced their fulfillment through his death, resurrection, and ascension. He did what we couldn’t do so that we might experience these blessings that he longs to give us. He has inherited the kingdom of heaven and the entire earth. He now reigns over all. He alone can see God because of his own holiness, and it’s truly an amazing grace that he invites us to experience these things through faith in Him.

Thus the second point: we experience these promises through Jesus.

One day we will be perfect and complete in Christ, and it’s at that moment that we will finally experience the fullness of these promises. But we can experience the fruit of these promises now as we grow in Christlikeness.

These promises are ours now and forever. The question is: will we cultivate these characteristics of Christ in our lives or will we avoid these things that the world often scoffs at?

So how do we cultivate Christlikeness?

We look at Christ over and over and over again. We do this through reading His Word to see who He is, hearing His Word preached, taking the Lord’s Supper, and living in close community with the Church and recognizing Christ in one another. Each of these shapes us little by little into the image of Christ. We need them all.

May the promises in the Beatitudes spur us on to pursue Christlikeness in this way.

Jesus’ Ministry & Our Call to Follow

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After preparing for ministry through his baptism and time in the desert being tempted, Jesus begins his ministry.

In Matthew 4:12-25, He prioritizes three things in his ministry that should be present in ours and we learn what it looks like to follow him in that.

1. Jesus preached the Gospel (12-17)

Jesus verbally proclaimed the good news of the Gospel. That’s not all He did, but it was an essential part of His ministry from the very beginning. He didn’t simply expect people to view His life and be transformed. Certainly, if anyone had a life that exhibited what true love was, it was Jesus. But He knew that showing others true love required the powerful, life transforming words of the Gospel. We should learn from Jesus’ example that our lives must include sharing the message of the Gospel, for even the one with the perfect life still proclaimed a clear message to be received.

2. Jesus made disciples (18-22)

Jesus intentionally poured into others that they might follow in His way. Though He had a ministry that engaged the crowds, had a wide, inclusive audience, and certainly made a significant impact, Jesus focused his time and attention on a few select relationships that he might reproduce himself in their lives. Are we satisfied with a scatter shot approach that may or may not have a significant impact on particular individual lives, or are we intentionally making disciples of specific people? Let’s follow Jesus’ example that we might not allow our lives and ministries end with us.

3. Jesus cared for the sick and oppressed (23-25)

While Jesus knew words were required, he also exhibited that true holistic ministry involved tangible acts of love that manifest the love and grace of the Gospel message. They cannot be divorced from one another. We should be careful to minister the Gospel in both Word and Deed rather than swinging to either extreme of Word only or Deed only (Let’s be real, we’ve all been on one end of that pendulum or the other at some point in our lives.).

**Following Him Involved Immediate & Drastic Priority Change**

The reaction of the disciples in this passage always hits home for me. Their immediate response to follow Jesus humbles me as I recognize the slowness of my heart to heed Jesus’ call on me. Jesus is calling every single one of us in specific ways to follow him, to emulate his ministry, to show and share His love and message with others, and to multiply disciples. Are we responding immediately? Are we realigning our priorities with His that we see in the passage above? Or are we holding onto our current, comfortable, and safe status quo?

Jesus wants to use each one of us in significant ways. The question is: will we follow Him?

Jesus Preps for Mission

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As we’ve been working through the story of Scripture over this past year, we now come to the New Testament. Since we last left off with prophets foretelling the coming of a Savior, the first chapters of Matthew share the miraculous birth story of the one they were foretelling: Jesus Christ. Now, we’re jumping ahead a few chapters into Jesus’ preparation for his mission.

In Matthew 3:13-4:11, we see Jesus baptized and tempted in the wilderness, and there’s a ton to learn from these passages. But three things stick out here that not only characterize Jesus’ life and ministry but should characterize ours as well.

1. Jesus gets his identity from the Father (3:17)

As Jesus emerges from being dunked the Jordan river, the Father declares His approval and His Sonship. We often read right past this as a simple truth about who Jesus is, but it’s this identity affirmed by the Father that gives Jesus the security to fight temptation, suffer persecution, undergo the torture of the cross, and ultimately die on that tree. Knowing he is God’s Son gives him the confidence to go wherever He leads, for he knows the Father will always work for the good of His children, especially His Son with whom he is well pleased.

The incredible thing is that in Jesus, we have the same identity and security. Unfortunately, the culture around us calls us to find our identity in so many other things: careers, relationships, success, etc. As a result, we experience fear, anxiety, anger, or insecurity. We need to follow our Savior and trust in the identity that he has given us through the Gospel by reminding ourselves of our adoption as children of God.

2. Jesus follows the direction of the Spirit (4:1)

Not only is finding our identity in God essential to life in this world, but Jesus also exhibits how we must be led by the Spirit. Jesus, as God himself, could have very well sought to do it all on his own, but instead, he followed the loving, gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit. And clearly, following the Spirit doesn’t mean we will always be led from one joyous, comfortable situation to the next. Jesus was led right into battle. But the Holy Spirit always leads to the good. In this case, Jesus was led to overcome temptation in the wilderness in contrast to the failure of our oldest parents: Adam and Eve.

Jesus sent us this same Spirit for our good, and it’s as we follow him into the difficult places that we will find life and victory just as Christ did. How do we do this? Primarily through the Word, prayer, and community, and it’s to the first of these that we now turn.

3. Jesus fights temptation with the Word (4:4, 7, 10)

The Holy Spirit led Jesus into battle, but it was a battle he was prepared for. Satan attacked with a variety of temptation that we all encounter in various forms throughout our lives: fame, success, power, etc. But Jesus overcame these strongest attacks even while at his weakest physically (He had just fasted 40 DAYS!!!), and he did this through the power of God’s Word.

If we hope to overcome temptation in our life and experience the fullness of abundant life that Jesus offers us right now, we must emulate him and know God’s Word so when we are faced with temptation, we have the means to overcome Satan’s lies with God’s truth.

May we be a people that emulate Christ for His fame and our good!

The Promises of Christian Community

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Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
-Psalm 133

What a cryptic Psalm! What in the world is David talking about when he uses the images of oil dripping down Aaron’s beard and the dew of Hermon?!?

While this Psalm is short and uses some obscure references, it is actually an incredibly rich Psalm about the community of the people of God. David begins by praising God for unity. Now, in Christ, we have been blessed with community in the church even richer than David could have imagined.

In the following verses, David gives two images that show us why he is so excited about this community. Each image comes with a promise and a product.

Oil of the High Priest

–The Promise – The Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit

The anointing oil poured on the high priest represented the pouring out of presence and power of the Holy Spirit upon the priest for the service he would be performing for the people of God. David is rejoicing that the community of the people of God comes with this same promise. As we live out the community that Christ has made possible, we will experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and this will lead to something specific in our lives…

–The Product – Growth in Personal Holiness

The anointing oil also set the priest apart as holy. As we experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit through community, we will be able to love one another well by pointing out sin and reminding one another of the Gospel. True community in Christ will lead to growth in holiness as a result.

Springs of Life

–The Promise – Sustainment of Life in All Circumstances

Second, David makes reference to a mountain called Hermon. The water from this mountain provide life in the midst of a normally harsh environment. Not only did life flourish on Mt. Hermon, but the water also provided life throughout the surrounding areas as the Jordan river found its source in this spring. Whether fertile valleys or harsh deserts, life could be sustained along the Jordan river due to the water source at Mt. Hermon. In the same way, David explains that community is one of the primary graces from God for sustaining us in both the good and the bad seasons.

–The Product – Cascading Life

But the product isn’t mere sustainment. Cascading from the springs at Hermon down hundreds of miles along the Jordan, life was produced and thriving. In the same way, Christian community has the power to bring life not only in the lives of those who are part of the community, but also in the lives of those who are closely connected to that community. The ripple effects of community living as Christ calls us to (loving God, loving one another, and love our neighbors) leads to significant impact for the fame of Jesus and the good of man both in our local communities and eventually throughout the world. Just imagine what God could do through your Christian community.

At the Gallery Church, small groups are the best place for us to experience the community that David talks about to the fullest degree. In order to do that, we must recognize that small groups can’t be merely a place or event we go to once per week but rather a people we commit to and love day in and day out.

As we launch into small groups for the fall semester, may we pursue growing and multiplying gospel-centered community for the fame of Jesus and our good. And may we remember that small groups aren’t a place we go to, but a people we commit to.

Resisting God’s Leading

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When God saves us, we’re given an incredible stewardship. We are to carry the single greatest message of hope for all the world to the nations. God has mobilized his people to do this very thing throughout human history. One huge example of that from the Old Testament is Jonah.

The only problem is that Jonah resisted God’s mission for him with everything he had. As we read Jonah this week, I began thinking about all the obstacles that get in the way of us sharing the Gospel. Most of the time, we think of obstacles as external things, but I find that the primary obstacles to evangelism are internal. While many exist, I suggest four primary obstacles below with the first two coming from Jonah’s story, and the last two from personal experience.

Obstacles to sharing our faith:

1. A Perceived Offense (and/or Elitism)– Jonah has no desire to share a message of hope with the people of Nineveh. They have been an antagonist to the people of Israel for some time at this point, and he wants nothing to do with them. How many of us allow grudges against particular people or whole people groups from faithfully sharing the Gospel? Maybe we don’t intentionally avoid them, but are we allowing our pride to keep us from humbly sharing the Gospel?

2. A Compassion Shortage – Often, the root of the above obstacle is a lack of compassion. We likely don’t even realize it or would never put it in those terms. The Gospel is the message of hope for humanity. Apart from a saving faith in Jesus, no one will experience eternal life. If we have been given this tremendous gift to steward, and we don’t, I think we have to ask: do we really have compassion for the lost? Or are we like Jonah, self-centered and self-consumed?

3. A Desire for Man’s Approval – Nothing in Jonah gives us an indication that this was a struggle, but I know that I often shrink back from sharing the Gospel due to fear of offending others or a concern of what they might think of me. Certainly, offending others is a possibility when the Gospel is shared… Jesus said it would happen. But the risk is worth the reward. Consider the fact that the payoff of someone hearing and receiving the Gospel is an eternity with Jesus (an infinite good), then the risk of momentary offense or a loss of esteem seems incredibly small—infinitesimal—in the end.

4. A Lack of Confidence – Finally, we often lack confidence. I know I do. Will I have the right words? Will I get asked a question I can’t answer? What if I say something wrong? These questions will paralyze us. The core problem, though, is less confidence in ourselves, and actually is a lack of confidence in God. Certainly, we should get equipped and seek preparation, but God promises to give boldness and words to respond when asked to defend our faith. So the question is: Do we trust that our God is big enough to work through even our weak attempts to share the Gospel?

In the end, we will always be tempted to avoid evangelism, but may we be a people that push those obstacles to the side and share our faith for the good of humanity and the glory of God.

Dry Bones Live

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In the midst of Israel’s exile, God uses Ezekiel to provide his people a message of hope, and he does this through some amazing events. One instance paints a powerful picture of several Gospel truths. Check out the story of the dry bones from Ezekiel 37:1-14 below:

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.

What an incredible picture of God’s life-giving power!

God is teaching us three primary truths through this passage:

  1. We are dead.
    -We aren’t simply broken or weak spiritually. We are dead, deader than a doornail, and there’s no doubt that we are dead because all we consist of are dry bones. We are beyond even the slightest signs of life.
    -Spiritually, we are dead. Sin has destroyed our ability to pursue God apart from a miraculous intervention, but that is just what God provides…
  2. God must act & sustain.
    -God is our only hope. Dry bones can’t move on their own, so God must act to give us new flesh, a new life, a resurrection. He must breathe into us the breath of life: this is the resurrection life we experience in salvation. God is the actor in our salvation. We simply receive and respond to the life he gives with faith and repentance. It’s totally and completely a gift from him (see Ephesians 2:1-10 as well).
    -Also, he must continue to sustain that life through his breath. He not only resurrects us but he sanctifies us as we see at the end of the chapter when God identifies himself as “the Lord who sanctifies.” He enables us to grow and continue in the holiness that he has given to us when he saved us from our sin.
    -We can’t resurrect or sanctify ourselves. God must act first and continue to sustain us.
  3. We must preach these truths.
    -God used Ezekiel as his means for raising the dry bones to life, and he has called each of us to share the gospel as the means for raising our friends, our neighbors, and strangers throughout the world.
    -If we don’t preach these truths that have the power to raise people from the dead, then no one will experience the eternal life that we have come to experience in Jesus (Romans 10:13-17).

We’ve been given a huge stewardship. May we be a people that carry this life-giving message to everyone we meet for Jesus’ fame.

Living as Exiles

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After many cycles of disobedient kings in Israel, God sent judgment, and the people of Israel became exiles under the rule of the Babylonian empire. God would eventually rescue his people once again, but until then, he called his people to live for his glory where they were. According to 1 Peter 2:11-12, as God’s people, we are now exiles, too. So we can learn a great deal from Israel during this time. But what does it mean for the church to be exiles, and what are its implications?

As exiles we are called to a…

1. Pilgrimage – As God’s people, this world is not our home. We are journeying through this life to a time when brokenness will be no more, and we will dwell with God forever. Our hope is not in what this world has to offer. So as exiles, we must keep our sights set upon our future dwelling place with God, and we do that by living for things that last beyond this life. We shouldn’t become consumed with material things, accomplishments, or fame, but instead, we focus upon bringing glory to God and sharing the hope of the Gospel with others.

2. Stewardship – As God’s exile people, we must be careful not to allow our focus upon our future home cause us to disregard the stewardship we have been given while we live in this world. We must not simply bide our time in this world as we wait for the next, but just as God called the Israelites to work for the good of Babylon while they were exiled (Jeremiah 29:7), we are called to work for the good of our cities.

Stewarding the resources we have been given for the good of our cities through building, sharing, serving, and engaging culture is part of what we’ve been made to do. As image bearers of God, we are called to create and have been sent to make culture as a reflection of our creative God. And not only will our stewardship for our cities’ good be for God’s glory, but it will also be for our good according to Jeremiah 29:7.

May we be a people that strike the balance of being on a pilgrimage and bearing a stewardship for the fame of Jesus in our city.

***To wrestle with this some more, I’d encourage you to spend some time reading and meditating upon the life of Daniel as well as Jeremiah 29:1-14.