Good Morning!
Let’s focus our day by spending some time with Jesus before it begins.

WORSHIP | 5-15 Minutes
Worship can be as simple as thanking God for who He is & what He’s done.
Start by playing some worship music you love, or choose from one of our Spotify Playlists.
Journal or say out loud 3-5 things you’re thankful for in the last 24 hours.
Further Focus: Read Lamentations 3:55-60. Focus on one truth about who God is & thank Him for it.

PRAYER | 5-15 Minutes
Prayer is a conversation that involves both talking and listening to God.
Read one of today’s scriptures and pray using the P.R.A.Y. acronym.
Pause to be still, Reflect on the verses, Ask God for help, and say Yes to Jesus.
Further Focus: Reading and praying scripture to hear God in this way is called Lectio Divina. Learn more about Lectio Divina here and practice using one of these apps.

SCRIPTURE | 5-25 Minutes
Our scripture focus for this study is Ezra 3:11. Try memorizing it!
Today’s reading is from Ezra 4:1-23
Ask the following SOS Questions & journal your thoughts…
S = Say. What is the main point? What does it teach about God (Jesus) & yourself?
O = Obey. What can you apply (practice) from this passage today?
S = Share. Who can you share what you’re learning with today?
Further Focus: One of the best ways to learn more about the Bible is by discussing it with others. Work through this week’s Lifegroup Guide and meet up with a Paradox Lifegroup. *Coming Soon!

A THOUGHT FROM TODAY’S READING
This chapter immediately begins with opposition. In verse 1 it begins with, “Now when the adversaries (enemies) of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity (exiles) were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel, then in verse 2 they (adversaries, enemies) came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrifices to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here,” (NKJV). When God’s people respond to the call and focus on God’s work, the enemy will quickly rise up in opposition. The tactics of the adversaries can be recognized and combated as long as one has discernment and conviction to stand on biblical convictions. But that does not mean that the road will be easy or painless. But the opposite will often happen. There will be short-lived victories by the enemy that is designed to discourage God’s people and distract them from persevering from the task at hand. We are called to battle the enemy, trusting in the faithfulness of our conquering God.  Deception offers cooperation that really leads to compromise. God’s enemies like to disguise themselves as God’s friends by employing sly approach, seductive appeal, and seamless aspiration. Zerubbabel and the leaders of Judah and Benjamin refused to cooperate with the adversaries and this led to more intense opposition in verses 4-5, “then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah; discourage literally means “to weaken the hands” the enemy troubled the people of God in building and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. This caused a 16 year delay to the building of the Temple and the walls around Jerusalem. Opposition to the work of God did not begin with nor ended with Ezra and Nehemiah. While this opposition was accompanied by lies, pressures, and persecutions. God’s work succeeded because it is from the infinite God and not finite humans. Even in our day, Christian leaders should always be on guard and ready to confront opposition, being mindful that Christians do not spend our lives on a playground; but on a battlefield. - Lawrence Payton

SHARE | 1-5 Minutes
Text someone a prayer/encouragement, or share a thought/question with us in the Forum.
Going Deeper: Invite someone to read the Focus with you. Text “FOCUS” to (586) 200-6277.

That’s all for today.
Stay focused on Jesus, and make it a great one!