God fulfills His promises and restores His people.
Scripture: Ezra 1:1–2
Central Truth
When God sent His people into exile, He promised He would one day lead them out of it—and He did. Whether the Israelites expected it or not, God used the Persian King, Cyrus, to fulfill His promise. Through Jesus, God fulfilled another part of this promise by offering us a way to have a restored relationship with Him. We can wait with confidence on the promises yet to be fulfilled, living fully surrendered to the God who always does what He says He will do.
Key Question
What do Cyrus’s actions teach us about God’s sovereign power to fulfill His promises?
Keep in Mind
Students may struggle with the idea that some people—maybe even friends or family members—won’t spend eternity in heaven. This could lead to questions like: Why didn’t God just save everyone? Does this mean God isn’t loving? Using the Essential Doctrine and Christ Connection from this section, assure students that from the very first sin in the garden of Eden, the pattern of sin has continued, and all people have needed rescue and restoration. Because God is holy, sin requires an answer. Because God is love, God provided the answer in Jesus. He will not go back on His promise to save those who trust in Him, and the invitation to salvation extends to all people—some just choose to ignore it.
APPLICATION
The exiles had to learn to live as free people in their new home. Why do we struggle with living in sin when we’ve been set free to live in Christ Jesus?
THE WIN
FOR THE STUDENT: The truth of the matter is, the house you live in, your hometown, and your home state aren’t really your home. When you become a part of God’s family, your home is ultimately in heaven with Him. But while you’re living out God’s plan for you here on earth, it’s easy to be distracted from heaven by everyday things. What we want seems closer than what we know is coming, so we tend to reach for that. Choose to reach for Christ instead.
FOR THE LEADER: Help students understand how freedom in Christ is better than freedom to do whatever we want. Freedom in Christ means freedom from death, sin, and spiritual poverty. It also means receiving the freedom of eternal life, righteousness, and never-ending blessings as children of God.
