Tag: Bible; Reading Guide

A Note from Pastor Justin:

With God’s help, king David and his son king Solomon led the nation of Israel to tremendous wealth and influence in the ancient world. But this legacy did not endure. The people in the Northern part of the nation revolted against God and those who lived in the South. As a result, the nation of Israel divided into two separate kingdoms. 

The Northern Kingdom, known as the Kingdom of Israel, strayed far from God. Even though there were prophets and others who remained faithful, the nation as a whole faltered. As a result of their unfaithfulness, they were completely overwhelmed by the Assyrian Empire in 722 BC, with the majority of the people killed or taken into captivity by the Assyrians. 

The Southern Kingdom, known as the Kingdom of Judah, also had a number of faithless kings. Yet there were others who continued to trust God in even the darkest of circumstances, and God rewarded their trust by protecting them from the Assyrian Empire. 

We may think we have little in common with these kings of old. But as we read through their stories, we will continue to see that God can use people who are seemingly insignificant to accomplish extraordinary things. 

My hope throughout the remainder of 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. Additionally, my hope is that you will grow in becoming a person who truly follows God with your heart, soul, mind and strength, and continue to grow into the person God has made you to be. 

As we continue this 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. 

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.