A Note from Pastor Justin:
Throughout the Old Testament, the people of God were set apart to be different. God — who had rescued them from being enslaved in Egypt and led them to a new, fruitful land — provided His people with guidelines in which to live. These guidelines were not intended as restrictions on life, but were instead a way in which His people could live and experience life to the full.
However, some of God’s people rejected His way of living, leading them to be enslaved. Not enslaved as they were in Egypt. But enslaved to their own self-centeredness. Instead of God being the ruler of their hearts, the people asked for a king. And over the next 500+ years, various kings ruled over the people of Israel. Some of these kings followed God with their hearts, soul, mind, and strength. Many did not.
Today, there is much we can learn about these kings of old. As we begin this message series, we will see that our lives may not be so different from these ancient kings. We will see that God can use people who are seemingly insignificant to do extraordinary things. And we will see that our life decisions don’t only impact our own lives, but the lives of countless others.
My hope for this message series is that you will read, journal, and pray about your life and the daily decisions you make. That you will reflect on how these decisions impact not only your own life, but the lives of countless others. May you also grow in becoming a person who truly follows God with your heart, soul, mind and strength. May you continue to grow into the person God has made you to be.
As we begin this new message series, we encourage you to:
- Commit to joining us every week of this series.
- Commit to reading through this Reading Guide, reflecting and journaling through the questions provided within each daily reading.
- Use a good Study Bible and/or other resources as you read through this Reading Guide. Refer to https://southridgeblog.com/study-bible-info for more information on many excellent Study Bibles available today.
- Write down questions you have about what you’re reading, and take opportunities to seek out answers to those questions.
south ridge blog 