Coastal Church Podcast

<p>The Old Testament gave us many Kingdom images. God created the world with just a word. He commanded the flood to come, commanded the Israelites to leave, commanded the sea to open, sent His children into exile, and pulled them out of exile, and pulled them out of exile. King Nebuchadnezzar encountered God and honoured Him who lives forever, for His dominion is an everlasting dominion and His kingdom endures from Generation</p>

<p>John the Apostle used two characters in this week’s chapter of The Story to “sandwich” the best-known verse in the whole Bible - John 3:16.</p>

<p>After hundreds of years and many glimpses of the Messiah, we finally arrive at the birth of Jesus. John in his gospel doesn’t give an account of the birth of the King, but rather states several key facts to introduce his readers to Christ.</p>

<p>Nehemiah served as the cupbearer for King Artaxerxes of Persia. Esther is Artaxerxes’ stepmother, and it is possible that she was instrumental in his appointment to this position. Nehemiah was granted permission by the king to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls. Once the rebuilding begins, so does the opposition. At stake was the promise made to King David that his royal descendants and nation would never end. To put it another way, God’s promise-keeping ability was at stake. In spite of opposition the task is completed in fifty-two days, a feat even the enemies of Israel attribute to God. With both the temple and the wall restored, the messianic line is once again protected.</p>

<p>Guest speaker Carl-Gustav Severin shares a great message for fathers!</p>

<p>Fifty years after the first group of exiles returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, the rest of the Jewish people are scattered throughout the Persian Empire. The book of Esther reveals a threat to destroy all the Jewish people, and ultimately God's divine plan to save them.</p>

<p>The time of the 70-year exile of the Israelites in Babylon had come to an end. God would use Cyrus, king of the Persian Empire, to send His people back home to rebuild the temple. This was prophesied over 150 years earlier by Isaiah, even mentioning Cyrus by name!</p>

<p>Exiled as a young man, Daniel’s wisdom and character would earn him a significant advisory role with the kings of Babylon. Daniel was committed to serving the kings without compromising his values and allegiance to the God of Israel.</p>

<p>In this message we look at the story of Jeremiah. God had tried everything to encourage the people to return to Him. After they had repeatedly broken the covenant, God could not continue to bless His people. God had to bring correction but He would also give them a fresh hope for the future.</p>

<p>In about 700 B.C. King Hezekiah of Judah found himself under siege by Sennacherib, King of Assyria. Hezekiah's strategy against the ploys of his enemy is an example of how we can walk in victory today.</p>

<p>Jochebed, the mother of Moses, had just a few short years with her son, yet the impact she left is still felt today.</p>

<p>Despite the fact that Israel was in desperate need of repentance because of corruption and social injustice, God loves them too much to let them continue down a path of destruction. During the time of the kings God sends His messengers, the prophets, to point them back to Him and to the coming Messiah. Elijah was one of the prophets who spoke to the nation of Israel during the reign of King Ahab. He had to put his complete trust in God to provide him with strength, protection and guidance. Even Though Elijah went through a faith rollercoaster, He still finished strong and accomplished God’s call on his life.</p>

<p>During the divided kingdom there were 38 kings, and only five of them chose to leave a legacy of following God. We can be like one of those five and choose to leave a legacy of faith.</p>

<p>King Solomon had a lot of stuff, but it didn't make him any happier. He had an abundance of wisdom from God, and through his experience, we can learn that we need to not only start strong, but also finish strong.</p>

<p>God reaches down to us, even in our messes. The life of David began humbly as a shepherd boy, but he rose to a position of power, prosperity and popularity. Then came a pivotal moment in his life that caused all this to be threatened. That moment was the affair with Bathsheba, which became a royal scandal. This event would shape David's life and history.</p>

<p>Easter is about the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the story of the greatest rescue mission ever, where God comes to earth in the form of Jesus Christ to resolve all of humanity.</p>

<p>Guest speaker, Dr. Ray Bakke, shares on Palm Sunday.</p>

<p>Guest speaker Peter Pretourious continues to story series on David.</p>

<p>As we follow God in a broken world, He is at work in the upper story of our lives to keep us from falling.</p>

<p>Ruth is a love story on a number of levels, but most of all it is a story that shows we are accepted and loved by God the Father.</p>

<p>In the book of Judges we find a repeating cycle of God rescuing and restoring His people after they refuse to acknowledge Him. This cycle is broken when we live surrendered to Him.</p>

<p>After 600 years from God’s promise to Abraham to make him a great nation, the children of Israel are ready to advance into the Promised Land. In order to overcome the huge obstacles ahead of them, they will need to courageously trust and obey God.</p>

<p>Following God requires us to place our absolute trust in Him. If we rebel we will find ourselves in the desert, but even here God continues to mercifully watch over us.</p>

<p>The big idea of the whole Story is God's declaration, "I want to come down and dwell with you." We see this in the story of Moses and the Israelites when God draws near to them so they could experience His presence.</p>