avoid difficult conversations not listening avoid your own

avoid difficult conversations not listening avoid your own pain

encouragement that heals in deep places

a movie from your childhood that you are nostalgic about

a movie from your childhood that you are nostalgic about

nostalgia

how does God breathe encouragement and life into a nostalgic moment

Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 & 2 Samuel 1 & 2 Kings 1 & 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms

I’m going to bring you back there You are going to end up back there

Ezra 3: 6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.

Ezra 3: 8 In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work.

Ezra 3: 10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel.

Ezra 3: 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever. ” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

Ezra 3: 12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.

Ezra 3: 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

why are you weeping? why can’t you just be joyful?

what is your holy ground?

joy mixed with sorrow

identity

Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

Haggai 2: 3 Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?

Precursor to Encouragement acknowledge the pain

Encouragement 1. Always inspired by love

Haggai 2: 4 ‘But now be strong, Zerubbabel, ’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, ’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you, ’ declares the Lord Almighty.

Haggai 2: 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear. ’

I love you I am for you

Encouragement 1. Always inspired by love 2. Free you from what you afraid of

Haggai 2: 6 -7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, ’ says the Lord Almighty.

Haggai 2: 8 -9 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine, ’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house, ’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace, ’ declares the Lord Almighty. ”

fear

Haggai 2: 6 I will … shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.

Haggai 2: 9 The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house

kavod glory shekinah

Eugene Peterson Shekinah is a Hebrew word that refers to a collective vision that brings together dispersed fragments of divinity. It is usually understood as a light-disseminating presence bringing an awareness of God to a time and place where God is not expected to be – a place… God’s personal presence – and filled that humble, modest, makeshift, sorry excuse for a temple with glory.

living in the good old days

God shows up

I’m not done yet I can build a new temple

1 Corinthians 6: 19 -20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

shekinah shikon to dwell

breathe life and encouragement into…

Pirque Aboth Jesus: Matthew 18: 20 where two or three are gathered around Torah, the Shekinah rests upon them where two or three are gathered in my name there I am in your midst

In order to speak hope, life, truth into our efforts at following God, we need a community

who do you need to speak encouragement to

God shows up

manifest the Shekinah presence of God in our relationships encourage people in deep places bring freedom where God wants to bring freedom