Thy Strong Word From Kfuo Radio

Have you ever cried in worship? Maybe it was a familiar hymn that carried you through a dark valley, memories of loved ones who once sat beside you, or seeing your children receive the faith you once received or lamenting that they've strayed from it. Ezra 3 reveals a moment when an entire congregation experienced both sorrowful tears and shouts of joy so intermingled that no one could distinguish between them. The people are returning from exile, the work of rebuilding the Temple has begun, and foundations are being laid—not just of stone and cedar, but of a renewed life with God.  The Rev. John Lukomski, co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Ezra 3. Find Wrestling with the Basics at kfuo.org/wrestlingwiththebasics.  The Persian king Cyrus issues an astonishing decree: the exiles may go home. Among them are the Jews—God’s chosen people—whom this pagan ruler not only repatriates, but commands to rebuild the temple of the Lord. Ezra 1–4 tells of their r