Awakened to Worship

This new series is entitled “AWAKEN.” Pastor Dan believes God led him to Ezra and Nehemiah because He wants to stir our hearts again. He wants to bring renewal and revival – waking up the sleepy parts of our faith to be ready for what He has for us in 2026.

The book of Ezra picks up at one of the lowest points in Israel’s history. For years, God’s people had drifted away from Him. They stopped worshiping Him. They started worshiping idols instead. They ignored God’s warnings through the prophets. So, God allowed consequences. Jerusalem was invaded and destroyed. The Temple – the place where God’s presence dwelled – was demolished. The people were dragged off to Babylon and lived there in exile for 70 years. Seventy years of captivity, separated from the Promised Land, from the Temple, from everything that mattered.

But here’s the thing: their physical exile was just a picture of their spiritual condition. They were far from God geographically because they’d been far from God in their hearts for a long time. They needed a spiritual homecoming. They needed to come back to God. They needed to wake up. And that’s where Ezra 1 picks up. After 70 years, God begins to stir. First, He stirs the heart of a pagan king named Cyrus. Then He stirs the hearts of His people.

Let's being in Ezra 1:1-5.