From the Blog

Do you worry about the future? Do you ever wonder if God is really in control when the world seems chaotic? Maybe you feel uncertain about your job, your health, or your family. Maybe you're looking at the state of our nation or the world and wondering, "Where is this all going?"

The people of Israel in Haggai’s day had similar concerns. They were a small, struggling remnant in a land that once flourished under King David and Solomon. Their temple was in ruins, their enemies were strong, and they wondered if God's promises to them were still true. But through Haggai, God gave them assurance that they could trust Him with the future.

In Haggai 2:20-23, God spoke through the prophet Haggai to assure Zerubbabel that he could trust God with the future of Israel. We can trust God with the future.

Read more

God cautions His people to understand that worshiping God, both giving and serving, must come from a heart that is pure and devoted to Him, not just outward religious activity. God cares more about the attitude of our hearts than the amount of our giving. He cares more about our motive than our money. He desires that we worship with a right heart.

In Haggai 2:10-17, God told the prophet Haggai to help the Israelites to understand that what really matters to God is that they worship Him with a right heart.

Read more

Do you worry about success? At work? For your family? In other words, do you worry about how things are going to turn out? Sure, we can put the work in, but how do we know it will be successful in the end? Is there a more trustworthy way to live?

In Haggai 2:6-9, the Lord told the prophet Haggai to tell His people that if they would persevere in building His house, they could trust Him for the end result. We can join God in His kingdom work and trust Him for the end result.

Read more

Discouragement is one of the greatest obstacles to faithfulness in serving God. When things don’t seem to be going the way we expected, we can easily lose heart. The people in Haggai’s day faced this same struggle. They had begun rebuilding the temple, but it didn’t compare to the former glory of Solomon’s temple. Many became disheartened, and some questioned whether their efforts were even worth it.

How are you doing today? Are you facing some obstacle or difficulty that has you feeling discouraged, even feeling like giving up, or quitting? We all have feelings of discouragement from time to time. How can we find encouragement during times like this?

That’s what today’s message is about. How to be encouraged in the Lord! In Haggai 2:1-5, the people of God were encouraged to overcome their discouragement and to persevere in His work. We can be encouraged to persevere in God’s work.

Read more

Have you heard God’s call on your life? For some, it’s a call to come to faith in Jesus. You’ve never responded to the call of salvation. You’re still trying to live life according to your own priorities and purpose.

For others, you’ve answered God’s call to come to Jesus. You’ve trusted Him as your Lord and Savior. But lately, you’ve been feeling stuck spiritually, you’ve lost the joy, the fire that you once experienced in Christ. Could it be that Jesus has called you to more? Could it be that you’ve gotten your priorities out of order and forgotten your true purpose?

Jesus hasn’t left you nor forsaken you, but He can’t fully bless you and lead you until respond in faithful obedience to His call. That’s where the people of God in Haggai were. They had been stuck, but now they’re ready to move on with God again! In the book of Haggai 1:12-15, the people of God faithfully responded to God’s call to rebuild His house. We can faithfully respond to God’s call.

Read more

Isn’t purpose one of the most basic questions we ask ourselves? “Who am I? Why am I here? What’s my purpose?” Some look around them and find purpose from the external sources. This is the traditional approach: My family and my community give me my identity and purpose. The post-modern approach is more common today: I look within to find my identity and purpose. But both of these approaches, the outward and the inward, fall short. They both lead to false identities and meaningless lives without real purpose and fulfillment.

In the book of Haggai 1:7-11, God challenged His people to consider their ways to bring them into alignment with God’s ultimate purpose for their lives. We can consider our ways to bring them into alignment with God’s ultimate purpose for our lives.

Read more

The pressures, demands, expectations, and tasks that push in from all sides assault our schedules. Do this! Be there! Finish that! Respond to that email! Answer that text! It seems as though everyone wants something from us—family, friends, employers, school, church, children’s sports and activities… Soon there is little left to give, as we run out of energy and time.

We find ourselves rushing through life, attending to the necessary, the immediate, and the urgent. The important is all too often left in the dust. Our real problem is not the volume of demands or lack of scheduling skills, but our priorities—what is truly important to us?

In Haggai chapter 1:1-6, the prophet challenged the Jews who had returned from Babylonian exile to consider whether they were giving God and His house priority. We can consider whether we’re giving God and His Kingdom priority.

Read more