City of God - Pt. 1: A People unto God
The opening message of the City of God series introduces the story of Ezra and Nehemiah as God’s work of restoring a people, a temple, and a city through His sovereign plan. It emphasizes that Israel’s exile was the result of rejecting God’s compassionate warnings, yet their return reveals His mercy, faithfulness, and initiative in redemption. God stirs both pagan leaders like Cyrus and His own people to act, showing that He alone is the source of direction, provision, and restoration. This message also calls believers to be a set-apart people—fully devoted to His kingdom.
City of God - Pt. 2: Ezra 2
This week, Shawn Stutz walked through Ezra 2 to show what spiritual restoration really looks like. He emphasized that God’s restoration is personal, often difficult, but always purposeful. The return from exile was not just about a nation, but about real people, families, and generations being restored, making the story feel closely connected to everyday life. He highlighted that although people were free to return home, many chose to stay because it was more comfortable, revealing the tension between comfort and obedience. The message challenges listeners to consider whether they may be choosing what feels safe rather than stepping into what God is calling them to do. It ultimately points to the larger story of redemption in Jesus, who brings true freedom and restores people to God.
City of God - Pt. 3: First things First
This sermon centered on what it means to put first things first as God’s people, using Ezra 3 to show that before anything else was rebuilt, the people gathered to build the altar. Even amid fear and uncertainty, and before the temple’s foundation was laid, they chose to prioritize worship, sacrifice, and the realignment of their hearts with God. The altar was not merely a physical structure but a picture of trust and dependence, and a reminder that what we prioritize is ultimately what we worship. Throughout Scripture, the altar points to both God’s provision and the need for atonement, ultimately leading to Jesus as the final and perfect sacrifice. That same idea carries over into the Feast of Booths, which reminded the people that God Himself is their true dwelling place, the one who provides for, protects, and sustains them. Together, these themes show that before anything is built in our lives, we are called to come back to God first, trusting Him in both fear and faith.
City of God - Pt. 4: Former Glory
This passage reminds us that God is not calling His people to admire the work, but to join it. As the foundation of the temple was laid, the people worshiped in the middle of uncertainty. While some grieved the loss of former glory, God was inviting them to release the past and step into the new thing He was building. In the same way, we are called to follow Jesus, be shaped by Him, and actively participate in His mission— trusting that what He is building now will carry a greater glory.
City of God - Pt. 5: Set apart and Surrounded
This week, Krystal walked through Ezra 4 and the opposition the Israelites faced as they rebuilt the temple, showing that the resistance was not simply political but spiritual. Zerubbabel refused to let the surrounding pagan nations join in the building because God’s people were being called back to a life of holiness, devotion, and being set apart unto the Lord alone. She emphasized that God was not interested in outward success mixed with compromise, but in a purified people whose worship and lives belonged fully to Him. Just as Israel struggled under pressure from the surrounding culture, the church today faces the temptation to blend in with the world rather than remain distinct and shaped by Christ. Krystal challenged believers to examine where compromise, fear, influence, or divided loyalty may be shaping their lives more than devotion to God. Even though choosing holiness creates opposition and contested ground, God calls His people to trust Him as their protection and presence, just as He promised to be a wall of fire around Jerusalem. The message ended with an encouragement to live boldly set apart, displaying the love and glory of God in a world that desperately needs a true picture of Jesus instead of a reflection of itself.
City of God - Pt. 6
This week, Shawn Stutz teaches on Ezra 5: 1-5 and explored how the Israelites stopped rebuilding the temple for 16 years because comfort, distraction, fear, and spiritual disengagement slowly replaced obedience to God. Through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, God called His people to return to Him, reminding them that obedience is not about striving harder but about living a “with God” life empowered by His Spirit. True obedience flows from a relationship with God, affects the people around us, and becomes possible “not by might nor by power, but by God’s Spirit.”
City of God - Pt. 7: A Compassionate Gift
In Ezra chapter 5, after a 16 year stoppage, God’s people obey His call to get back to the construction of the Temple. They face immediate opposition to this work, but due to God’s faithful presence and His word of assurance through Haggai the prophet, the people find the courage to continue the work. By God’s grace and through a surprising and often painful process, the obstacles we face become a compassionate gift that exposes our fears, sins, and idols. Our God will redeem and use these difficulties to help us realign in faithful obedience, so we learn to entrust the things we cannot see or control into the hands of the One who is always Faithful.
City of God - Pt. 8: Dedicated
In Ezra chapter 6, we see the conclusion of this long journey of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. This leads to a time of dedication, being set apart as God’s people, and worshipping Him in joyful celebration. Now, because of the salvation we have through Jesus, God’s Presence resides with and in us. We are His Temple. May we be dedicated to Him - cleansed, set apart, and full of joy in His Presence!
City of God - Pt. 9: The Hand of God
In Ezra chapter 7, we move into the period in Israel’s history when Ezra leads a new wave of returning exiles. He brings with him a sound anchoring in the Word of God and needed reforms to the people of God. All that Ezra will experience and accomplish comes through God’s good hand upon him, and his own heart posture to submit to the Lord's yoke, through his “skilled” study, application, and teaching of God’s Word. May we adopt a similar heart posture as we live under the gracious hand of God, whose yoke is easy and burden is light!
City of God - Pt. 10: Journey Of Faith
Just as Ezra was called to journey from Babylonia to Jerusalem, the Lord will often call us to risky journeys of faith. May we learn from Ezra’s example to use wisdom to plan well in preparation, while ultimately trusting in the Lord and not our own strength. It’s tempting to just leap out in faith unprepared, or give ourselves a false sense of security by trusting our own wisdom and planning. But God would have us plan and prepare, and then in prayer trust Him to guide and protect us all along the way.
City of God - Pt. 11: Genuine Repentance
Ezra is now confronted with the brokenness and sin of the people of God. Instead of blaming others or ignoring the problem, he faces it head-on. Through this story, we get a powerful example of how we should deal with the brokenness in our own lives and in the church. May we all approach sin and repentance the way Ezra did with honesty, humility, and true godly sorrow, so that through the power and grace of Jesus we may be forgiven and changed.
City of God - Pt. 12: A People Renewed
This week we wrapped up the book of Ezra by seeing how God’s people responded when called out for their compromise. Through godly sorrow, honest confession, and a holy sacrifice, we can undergo significant renewal when we have gotten way off course. May we posture our lives before the Lord in such a way that we can be corrected and changed when we lose our way.
City of God - Pt. 13: Prepared in Prayer
Nehemiah opens with the delivery of sad news. God’s people are in trouble, and the city is in shambles. Nehemiah is moved to pray and seek God on behalf of his people. Anyone can read the “news” and see the trouble around us. But will we find our hearts broken for the people of God, so that we are moved to seek the Lord in prayer? Will we allow Him to open our eyes to how we may participate in the answer to the very prayers we pray?
City of God - Pt. 14: God's Cosmic Provision
Shawn preached on Nehemiah 2:1-10, emphasizing Nehemiah's role as a cupbearer to the king and the broader cosmic significance of his mission. He recounted the historical context of the Israelites returning from exile, the rebuilding of the temple, and the need to restore the city walls. Shawn highlighted the spiritual battle between good and evil, referencing the fall of angels and their influence over nations. He drew parallels between Nehemiah's actions and Jesus' role as the Comforter, urging the congregation to hold their influence for God's kingdom and to pray and act boldly when opportunities arise.
City of God - Pt. 15: Nehemiah Carries Out God’s Vision
This week’s message focuses on the importance of having a heart open to God's vision, using the story of Nehemiah as an example. Nehemiah, upon hearing of Jerusalem's ruins, felt a weighty burden and acted on it, secretly inspecting the walls at night. He then shared his vision with the leaders, who responded positively. This message also highlighted the growing tension and inevitability of opposition when pursuing God's will.
City of God - Pt. 16: Rise up and Build
In chapter 3, Nehemiah leads the people in a large-scale project, as they work together side by side to repair the city wall. Just as they received direction together, they now link arms, each person with their own part to play in the work the Lord has called them to. What might the Lord be calling us to, with those around us? What needs repaired? May we discover that by listening to Him together, and then walking in oneness in the work. Let’s rise up and build!
City of God - Pt. 17: stand Firm
Nehemiah chapter 4 we see God’s people encountering the threats of the enemy in the midst of their rebuilding project. The very presence of the City of God, even just the hint of it established in a region, is viewed as a threat. Nehemiah, awake and aware of the danger, responds in prayer and gives strategic plans for building and warfare. When the threat of attack and sense of discouragement arose, he spoke words of truth and encouragement to protect the people who had a mind to work. Friends, in light of the inevitable attacks of the enemy, let’s be aware, be prepared, encourage one another, stand together in the fight, and above all pray!
City of God - Pt. 18: Facing Opposition To Kingdom Work
Nehemiah 4 teaches that kingdom work requires both faithful labor and spiritual vigilance. Despite opposition, God’s people kept building while remaining ready to defend the work, trusting that God would ultimately fight for them. Believers today are called to continue the good works God has prepared for them, while resisting spiritual opposition and bearing one another’s burdens. We keep building, stay watchful, support one another, and trust God to fight for His kingdom purposes.
City of God - Pt. 19: Fear of the Lord
In Nehemiah 5, after facing lots of challenges and resistance to the work of fortifying the city, the people of God now face a new challenge: the enemy in their midst. Within the family of God, people are taking advantage of one another, relationships look less like mutual sacrificial love and more like using people for their own gain. Let’s take a lesson from Nehemiah and embrace walking in the fear of the Lord. May we yield to His Lordship, so that we can live among His people in the Way of Love He calls us to.
