A Hopeful Exile- March 21, 2021

WestWay Christian Church

The 1015

Locations & Times

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WestWay Christian Church
1701 W 27th St, Scottsbluff, NE 69361, USA
Sunday 10:15 AM

About WestWay:

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Our mission is simple: we want to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. We're growing in three ways: our unity, our purpose and our love. This happens because of the power of the Holy Spirit. God is glorified. Lives are changed. People grow in their relationships with God and with others. We're glad you're here!

Learn more at www.westwaychurch.com.To make the most of your experience, we'd love for you to download our free app. Just text the word "westway" to 77977.

What To Expect:

We're currently in Phase 3 of WestWay's "re-gathering" plan. Our Nursery, Wee-Ones (toddlers), and Noah's Park (pre-k & kindergarten), and elementary age (grades 1-5) areas are open on Sunday mornings. Small groups and Sunday school for adults have begun to meet again. Learn more below.

https://www.westwaychurch.com/regathering/

We'd love to pray with you!

Click the below link and let us know how we can connect and pray with you.

https://westway.churchcenter.com/people/forms/143575

Series Overview and Additional Resources

How does the Bible “work”? What is it’s purpose? Where did it come from? How did we get it? Can we trust it? What does it mean for me? Join us as we wrestle with these (and other) questions as we survey the entire Bible together.

https://www.westwaychurch.com/how-the-bible-works/

Summary:

After 70 years, God's people came out of captivity and returned home filled with doubts: “Are we really Gods people? What if we’re not? Is that why all of these bad things happened to us?”

The genealogy at the beginning of Chronicles is a giant “yes” from God and reminder of who they are. The focus of Chronicles and Ezra/Nehemiah is on the true worship of God. The pathway to identity as God’s people is through praising God through all circumstances. Why? Because worship and praise takes our eyes off of self: self-pity and self-absorption and moves them upward to God.

This week, we'll be talking about How the Bible Works to To Remind Us of Our True Story and Hope as We Wait for the Messiah. We'll see God at work in 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel and Esther.

Haggai 1:3-6 NLT

Ezra 1:1-11 NLT

Ezra 2:68-69 NLT

Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

Questions about the Sermon or Anything Else?

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Text QUESTION to 308-252-3273 and we will address them in our Tuesday Q&A Facebook Live video on Tuesdays at 11:15. The texts are anonymous to us and the public.

Additional Questions for Your Family, Small Group or in a Bible Study:

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Note: Specific quotes are from the NLT.

1- In what ways does the genealogy found at the beginning of Chronicles remind those returning from exile who they are?

2- According to Haggai and Ezra, the rebuilding of the Temple was crucial as spiritual practices are the foundation of new life. The Ark of the Covenant is gone and will never again be returned to the Temple; the Temple they are being commanded to build will only be destroyed again in the years to come. Do you have any thoughts as to what purpose (or purposes) the rebuilding of the Temple serves?

3- Read Ezra 1. Why did King Cyrus provide a "stimulus" for the people t rebuild the Temple? What motivated him?

4- Read Ezra 2. According to verses 59-63, there was a group of people who said they belonged, but there was no evidence of this. What were the consequences of their inability to show they belonged?

5- What evidence do you offer that "proves" you belong to God's Kingdom? How does God know who "His" people are?

6- As we come out of our own version of exile, how are you demonstrating that your hope is found in God? How are you demonstrating that your heart belongs to God?