• It is dangerous to just pine for the good ol’ days.
  • I Kings 5:13-18 - Solomon’s resources for building the temple
  • Looking back is not productive. We must look forward.
  • Ecclesiastes 7:10-14
• How do we develop optimism?
  • Draw enthusiasm from God’s word (Ezra 6:14
  • Realizing “it could be worse”
  • Discerning between physical and spiritual glory

• Genesis 1:1- “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
  • If there is no God and the universe started with a big bang, we have no greater purpose in life. We have no moral obligations.
  • If God does exist and He created the universe, we are obligated to obey Him.
• Isaiah 59:2- “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”
  • Our sin gives us a problem that we cannot fix on our own.
• Matthew 1:21- “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
  • Jesus was the perfect example and teacher for us.
• Matthew 22:37- “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ”
  • This is our purpose in life!
• I Peter 2:24- “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”
  • Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
• II Corinthians 5:10 - “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

[Sorry, no notes available for this lesson.]

• Topic 4: Work Ethic, continued:
  • Nehemiah 6:15-16- God will bless work that we do with Him and for Him.
    • Some of the work that Christians need to busy themselves with today:
      • Teaching others (Acts 8:1-4
      • Keeping God’s commandments (Colossians 3:5-10
• Topic 5: Optimism
  • Ezra 3:8-13 - Although many of the Israelites were discouraged that the new temple was not as majestic as the original temple, they had much to be optimistic about.