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  Read Exodus 18 Exodus 18 NIV - Jethro Visits Moses - Now Jethro, the - Bible Gateway   Exodus 18:17-18, 24-25- Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone." Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.     Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, wisely urged his daughter's husband to avoid burning out by surrounding himself with much needed help and guidance. Being on fire is a good thing but burning out not so much. The only good news about burning out is that we know we've actually been on fire in the first place. Jethro pointed to the power of team-based ministry to both sustain Moses and have a better system for accomplished God's dream for His people. Moses wasn...

  Read Exodus 12 Exodus 12 NIV - The Passover and the Festival of - Bible Gateway   Exodus 12:23- When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.   To review- there have been a series of consequences for Pharaoh's unwillingness to let God's people go, and we now finally arrive at the moment when Pharaoh will let the people of God go, but not without significant loss and deep pain. God instructed Moses to have the people prepare a Passover meal (the Jewish Passover celebration was last week on Palm Sunday) and then place the blood of a slaughtered lamb over the door as protection from the devastation the Egyptians would experience.    This is a foreshadowing of the offering of Jesus on our behalf in death on a cross. He covers our sin an...

  A House of Prayer written by Jamie Westlake, Senior Pastor Luke 19:45-48- When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.   In this scene from Monday of Holy Week after Jesus' Triumphal Entry the previous day we see Jesus clearing the Temple of the moneychangers, and this story is told in all four Gospels. The practice of money changing probably began as a service of convenience to pilgrims coming such a long way into Jerusalem to make a sacrifice to the Lord, but it turned into a way to financially take advantage of the pilgrims, and it was done in the Court of the Gentiles, whi...

  Hosea 9:1, 10, and 17- O people of Israel, do not rejoice as other nations do. For you have been unfaithful to your God, hiring yourselves out like prostitutes, worshiping other gods on every threshing floor. When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved. M y God will reject the people of Israel because they will not listen or obey. They will be wanderers, homeless among the nations.   The truth is people consecrate themselves to all kinds of things and experiences all the time. An Olympic contestant sets him or herself apart to pursue excellence in some form of athletic endeavor. This is an act of consecration. A person who passionately pursues pleasure sets themselves apart, too. They are making a decision. The prophet Hosea told t...

  Ezra 8:24-30- Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, and I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. I weighed out to them 650 talents[ c ] of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, 27 20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics, and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold. I said to them, “You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.” Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the ...

  Lenten Daily Devotional (via Daily SOAP) • March 23, 2025 Decisions Precede Our Consecration written by Jamie Westlake, Senior Pastor This past Tuesday I had the privilege of leading a morning devotion for a group of young people who were working at the Orlando Eagles, a UC partner in ministry, soccer camp. As I walked into the Epicenter, there were around 20 young people spending time in God's Word and reflecting on His goodness as they prepared for the day with kids. It was inspiring to see, and I thought any words I had to share would pale in comparison to the words from God's Word they were already devouring. It made me remember Jeremiah 15:16: "When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies."    A decision precedes our consecration- really a series of decisions. For instance, people "consecrate" themselves to things all the time. Great athl...