Dear Redeeming Grace,

As we began our new sermon series in Ezra-Nehemiah last week, we considered this question, "How do we build our lives around God's purposes?" And, we saw that the two purposes reflected in these books are the worship of God and the people of God.

You might say that God's plan of redemption has always included a "worshiping community." By God's grace that is what his people are now and what we will be into eternity. We look to the book of Revelation and see there a people from every tribe, language, people, and nation engaged in the worship of God.

Since this is where we are headed and what God is doing in the world even now, what a joy it is to center our lives around Jesus Christ and the work he is doing as he builds his church, for his glory.

Throughout this coming season as we make our way through these two books, let's be intentional to pray and ask God to give us grace to see where our lives are not centered on his purposes, that we might conform our desires to his and live in the good of this worshiping community.