What's Next?

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WHAT COMES AFTER SUNDAY?

Use the next steps, Bible plan, message recap, questions & resources below to go deeper.

this week's next steps

Repent of my compromise & apathy

Put God first in everything I do

Read Nehemiah 1-2 for next week

Say yes to Jesus - click here

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This Week's Message Recap:

Ezra arrived in Jerusalem expecting to celebrate all that God had done. After generations in exile, God’s people had returned, the temple had been rebuilt, and worship had been restored. It was a story of God’s faithfulness and the fulfillment of His promises. But as Ezra soon discovered, things weren’t quite as they seemed. Despite everything God had done to bring His people back, they had slowly slipped into old patterns, allowing compromise and apathy to take root once again. The very things that had pulled them away from God before were finding their way back into their lives. After such an incredible restoration, how had they ended up right back where they started?

Ezra’s heartbreak reminds us how easy it is to lose sight of God’s faithfulness and become comfortable in our own unfaithfulness. We can experience His goodness, witness His provision, and still allow our hearts to drift. Showing up and going through the motions isn’t the same as wholeheartedly pursuing God. When Ezra confronted the people with the reality of their sin, they were faced with a choice: continue down the same path or acknowledge their unfaithfulness and turn back to God. Their story challenges us to consider whether we’ve grown complacent in our own faith and reminds us that God’s faithfulness deserves more than a passing acknowledgment. It calls for a response that changes how we live.

Questions to Consider:

1. In Ezra 9:6-9, Ezra acknowledges the people's unfaithfulness while also recognizing how much mercy God has shown them. How should an awareness of God's faithfulness change the way we respond when we recognize our own shortcomings?
2. The message challenged the idea that attending church is the same as wholeheartedly pursuing God. How can we make sure our faith shapes our lives outside of church, too?
3. Ezra was deeply grieved by the people's unfaithfulness, while they seemed to have grown comfortable with their choices. What can cause us to become less sensitive to things that once would have challenged or convicted us?
4. God had shown Israel remarkable mercy, yet the people continued to turn away from Him. How can we receive God's grace without allowing it to become an excuse to avoid change?
5. Consider Ezra 10:1-4. What stands out to you about the way the people respond, and what can we learn from it?