What stops you from practicing and sharing your faith? What are you afraid of? Do you think friendships, position, or comfort are on the line? Do you think there won’t be enough time? What causes you to put your faith to the side for even a moment? I know have created a lot of excuses in my life.

This Sunday as we look at the great blazing furnace and the lions’ den in the book of Daniel, we see that there are real dangers out there, but that we don’t have to be afraid. These are only temptations trying to lead us away from our ever-faithful God, who delivers and will even use these dangers to build up His kingdom and you.

Do you ever feel like you don't belong? Or you are meant for something more? Or that this world is not what it is meant to be? C.S. Lewis says, "If we have a desire that nothing in this world can fill, it must mean that we are meant for something beyond this world". In Peter's first letter, we hear that there is a good reason for these feelings because we are all exiles. We have been separated from the home and life we were meant for.

This Sunday through the book of Jeremiah we explore this experience, the reason for the exile, and how God is redeeming it so that we might find a home, even in this world, and a restored relationship, even while we experience a distance.

It's pretty easy to blame our leaders these days. There is a lot going wrong. Bad leaders are nothing new though. In fact, the bible shows us throughout history that all of us are likely to make bad leaders. If that's true, how can we ever get out of this when someone has to lead?

Our passages this Sunday show us the problem and begin to point us towards the redemption. First, in many ways we get the leaders we ask for; second, as leaders we take the place of God; and third, we need to recognize who our true leader is. When we realize these three things and their solutions only then can we become partners in redeeming leadership.

I feel like movies are unhelpful these days. As very few people in this world are absolute villains or heroes. This leaves us to respond in our daily lives, well I still do good, I'm alright, even while resisting and neglecting the good.

What does God do with us when we are actively resisting or acting against what is good? How can he redeem our manipulation, greed and trickery. This Sunday as we watch the children's Easter pageant and discuss Jacob (whose name means trickster), we will see how God can turn even our evil, selfishness and trickery into something that builds his kingdom. In a weird way, even enemies can become coworkers in God's powerful will.