Bible References:  Ezra 10:1-44; 1 Peter 2:9; Romans 7 Ezra confronted the people over their sin especially with their marriages to foreign women.  Why?  Because unlike Ruth, who had chosen “You God will be my God and Your people, my People”, these foreign women had brought their gods and culture into the homes of the Jewish people. They did not live in the ‘temple’, which we today are called to live in.  So Ezra had to confront the problem which took a lot of courage.  God didn’t want the people to just confess their sin, He wanted them to repent.  When someone confesses they say “I’ve done the wrong thing” however, unless a person repents, they will eventually repeat the sin.  Repentance is about turning away from what you are doing wrong and going God’s way. The men listed in Ezra Chapter 10 had to not only confess their sin of marriages of foreign women, but they had to divorce the women and send them and any children from that marriage away!  This seems a harsh decision, bu

Last week we talked about our starting point and the difference our view of the world will be when it starts with God the Creator, so let us find out or for some review the Word of God and find out more as to how, why and what of being “Right with God is about.” 1. We learn from our own experience read Romans 5: 1-5 Because we are made “right” by faith - with God we have the following: Peace with God- knowing right from wrong through His Word. Access to God’s grace- help given to man by God Joy in the hope of sharing God’s glory – our destiny is to be in heaven with Him for eternity. God’s love poured out into our hearts - the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. 2. We learn this because of what Christ has done for us – showing us God’s great love.  While we were: Weak: Christ died for the ungodly v6 Sinners: Christ died for us v8 Enemies: we were reconciled by His death v 10 (reconciled = to cause to be friendly or harmonious again – establish harmony, in this case us

John 17:20-25 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.  -o0o- Bible references:  John 17:20-25; Acts 4:34-5:11; 1 John 1:10; Psalm 63; Luke 14:27; Luke 14;33; Luke 9:23; John 8:31-32; James 1:22; Psalm 143:5; 1 Cori