• January 7th-Wednesday Night Ministries Resume
• January 17th- New Year Game Night
• January 25th-Annual Business Meeting-Teens Join Meeting-No ABF
• January 31st-Awana Grand Prix (Snow Date 2/7)
• February 21st-Church Family Skate Night

Return From Exile

Ezra 1:1–11

This study opens at the end of the 70 year captivity period, when God promised that His chosen people would begin to return to Jerusalem to rebuild His chosen city. The Babylonian Empire had collapsed and was absorbed by another powerful empire: Persia, under the Rule of Cyrus "the great" in year 538 BC, and he allowed the return of the Jews.

Exploring the text:

God keeps all His promises. 

God holds sovereign control over all human affairs, and He can raise up an empire or throw it down as He sees fit. Whatever the case, God always keeps his promises.  Deut. 28:1, 15, 41

The Lord sends discipline to help us, not to harm us.

The Lord sent the Babylonian army into Judah to carry His people into captivity when they turned away from Him. Pastor MacArthur writes the whole reason the Lord sent His people into captivity was to turn their hearts back to Him.  2 Chron. 36:15, Jeremiah 29:10-15

This world is not our home.

The Lord does not want us to lose our eternal focus. The things of eternity are what matter most, not the things of this world. "Set your mind on things above."  Col. 3:2-3

- PRAYER NIGHT -

Reflection, Commitment, and Worship

Psalm 90

(1) Reflection – God has been our dwelling place (Psalm 90:1–2, 12)

• God has been faithful through every year; our lives are brief, but His faithfulness is not.
• “Numbering our days” means seeing time as a gift to use for Him, not just ourselves.
• Discussion questions:
• Where have you seen God’s faithfulness this past year?
• If you looked at your last year’s “screen time” of life, what did you give most of your time and heart to?

(2) Submission – Laying down my will (Psalm 90:8, 12–14)

• God sees our hidden struggles and misplaced loves; New Year is a time to bring them into the light.
• Wise hearts do not just make “goals”; they surrender their plans to God.
• Discussion questions:
• What habits, attitudes, or secret struggles do you sense God asking you to surrender this year?
• How is true surrender different from just “trying harder”?

(3) Trust – Hopeful dependence (Psalm 90:14–17)

• God satisfies us with His steadfast love; our joy and security come from Him, not from how the year goes.
• When God “establishes the work of our hands,” ordinary things (school, friendships, sports, work) gain eternal weight.
• Discussion questions:
• What are you anxious about in the coming year?
• What would it look like to trust that God will “establish” your steps in those areas?

Prayer, Praise, and Worship

• “Write 3 things from this past year you are thankful for.”
• “Write 2 hard things that God met you in or is still meeting you in.”    
• “Where did you run to other ‘gods’ for comfort, validation, or control?” (phones, approval, achievement, etc.)
• “Write down a sin, habit, or misplaced priority you are surrendering as you enter the new year.”
• “Finish this prayer: ‘Lord, I submit my ________ to Your will this year.’”
• “Write down 2 areas where you need to trust God this year (school, family, mental health, friendships, future, etc.).”
• “Write a short ‘dependence prayer’: ‘God, I cannot ______ without You; help me trust You with __________.’”