As we look at the prophet Ezekiel’s calling, we will also examine our own general and specific calling from the Lord. Like Ezekiel, our calling (what God has for us to do) involves people (often rebellious people), fear that we must overcome, the task we are called to, and the realization that we are only accountable for listening to God and doing what he says; not for how people will respond!

The Lord has a plan for you. These plans of His are for you to prosper, give you hope and a future. Smack-dab in the center of those plans involves the city in which God has planted you. Whether it is for a season in life (for the Israelites in Babylon it was to be 70 years) or it may be your city for the rest of your life. Make no mistake about it, where God has you is part of His will for your life. How can we make an impact where we are living? How can we have a heart for our city and bring the light of Christ to those who are in darkness?

Isaiah saw a vision of The Lord seated on His throne with the heavenly hosts worshiping Him in vast array. Isaiah, shaken to his core, responded in two very significant ways. First, he was painfully aware that he was a man of unclean lips; his words were not set apart to God—that mattered greatly. He cried out to be cleansed! Second, Isaiah answered the call to serve his Lord. When asked, “Who will go?” Isaiah replied, “Here I am, send me!” How will you and I respond upon seeing Jesus on the throne of our life?

We all feel like sometimes God is a million miles away. During these times we ask the following questions: Why doesn’t He rescue us? Why are we allowed to continue to suffer? Why doesn’t He hear our prayers, our pleas? Why can we not hear Him? Why doesn’t He speak? The psalmist, Asaph gives us great insight in Psalm 77 as to what he brings to mind in times like this. The meditation of our heart on who God is and what He has done keeps us motivated to continue to trust Him!

A person who helps at a difficult time is a truly reliable person and a true friend. Job was a man in deep anguish with great loss and pain. We will look at his friends that came onto the scene; what they did that was helpful and what was destructive. Instead of providing encouragement to Job, they were more concerned with being right and winning a debate. How often do we fall into that trap ourselves? How can we be better friends to those in our lives? What do we say? What do we do when someone is suffering? We will look at what it means to be a better friend and how we can prepare the way for God to speak!

King Josiah has a heart toward God like his forefather David had. He tore down altars for other gods and purified the land and temple. As his men are cleaning out the temple they find the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses. When the king heard the words of the Law as they read from it, he tore his robes. He said, "Great is the Lord’s anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.” King Josiah renewed the covenant before the people and read from the law in their hearing. This speaks so well of the responsibility of "faith at home" and passing God's word to the next generation!

Because of their wholesale sinning and departure from the Lord; the Israelites are captured and exiled to Assyria. The king of Assyria then brings Gentile people from other lands to settle in Samaria in their place. The new Gentile residents began to worship the Lord, but they also served their own gods and persisted in their former practices; just as their Israelite counterparts did. Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. Is that a statement that is indicative of me and you as well?

The kingdom of Israel was torn from Saul who was rejected as king. Why? Several reasons are listed in our text: he turned away from God; he did not carry out His instructions; he valued religion over obedience; he was in rebellion; he was arrogant; and he rejected the word of the Lord. Pretty good reasons for God to remove our “kingdoms” as well!

The coming of Jesus is foretold that He will be a “prophet like Moses among the people.” We can learn much about Jesus by seeing Moses’ relationship to the people he delivered from slavery. Jesus is our mediator; Jesus rescues; He performs miracles; He leads people and intercedes for them; He models a close relationship with the Father; He is the author of grace, just as Moses was God’s author of the Law; and Jesus speaks the very words of God, words we must listen to.

The Bible talks much about a Holy God desiring, excuse me, demanding a holy people. What does it mean to be holy? Where does holiness come from and how can we pursue it? Can we even obtain holiness in this life? That’s a lot of questions to be sure; questions that need to be answered for we must long to be holy.

God calls Moses in a very dramatic way to do what appears to be the impossible. Moses uses every excuse he can think of to get out of his calling: “What if they don’t believe me or listen?” “I’ve never been eloquent,” and “I am slow of speech.”  Finally, Moses exclaims, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” Can you relate? I think we all can. When God tells us to do something we encounter fear, not the least of which includes the fear of man. How can we navigate through that?

As we embark on reading the Bible through in a year as a church, we first address the transformative nature of Scripture in a person’s life.  Specifically we focus on the importance of reading, studying, memorizing, meditating upon, praying, listening to, responding to, and teaching the Word of God. Scripture can and will change your life!