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Isaiah was used by God as a prophet to a rebellious people. However, Isaiah himself struggled with his value before God. His own sin and shame left him wondering if God could use him at all. But God revealed the power of restoration to Isaiah through a vision which changed everything. It is in this vision that we get a glimpse of the power of Jesus to restore what is most certainly of no value to a holy God.

Jonathan Falwell serves as the Campus Pastor for Liberty University and the Senior Pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church.

The story of creation in Genesis reveals a God who makes all things without compulsion or violence, but freely, by the breath of His own Word. Too often, however, the story is read as simply an illustration of God’s immense strength and the power to create. But deeper reflection reveals that from the very opening pages of Scripture, the power of God, as evidenced in creation, is the same power of God that is later evidenced in and through the work of Jesus. The same God who will later be described toward the end of Scripture by the Apostle John as a God who is love, is the same God at work in Genesis 1 and 2.

Josh Rutledge serves as the Vice President of Spiritual Development for Liberty University.

In 1 Kings 19: 1-8, we are introduced to the prophet Elijah who is experiencing one of the lowest moments of his life. Elijah had just stood for what was right amid others who were standing for what was wrong. But because of his stance, he faced a threat on his life from the queen, Jezebel. This led Elijah to a broken place where he wanted to give up on life. It was at this place of brokenness that God blessed Elijah greatly by encouraging him in His struggle. As strange as it may sound, brokenness is a divine opportunity forGod to shower us with his expedient grace, extravagant mercy, and eternal love. The story serves as a foreshadowing of the rescuing power of Christ to those who have been broken by sin. As those who have been created in the image of God, we are never broken beyond repair, nor abandoned beyond rescue.

Dr. Al Hollie serves as the Director of Urban Ministry for the Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University.

Following the death of Moses, the children of Israel have been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. But now, they have finally come to the edge of entering the land that God promised them through Abraham over 400 years earlier. Joshua has been named as their new leader, and they are ready. But there is a problem. The land is inhabited by powerful enemies and protected by fortified cities. The first major hurdle is the mighty city of Jericho. It will take an unusual amount of faith and the assistance of an unlikely ally to conquer this city. And although their victory in battle is a powerful miracle, perhaps the greater miracle is how God uses Rahab, the harlot, as a key figure in bringing this victory to the children of Israel. Not only that, but for us today, we also see how God uses this same amazing woman as a key figure in the lineage of Christ.

Charles Billingsley serves as a Teaching Pastor for Thomas Road Baptist Church.

In Scripture, Abraham is depicted as a man who trusted in God’spromises and obeyed Him, even when the circumstances around him didn’t make much sense. There is no better example of Abraham’s obedience than in the story told in Genesis 22, when Abraham obeys God’s seemingly odd request to sacrifice his own son, Isaac. What Abraham’s obedience illustrates, however, is a lesson in what true obedience to God looks like, and how faith inGod is grown and developed through periods of testing. But more than that, the story also reveals a God who tests His people for their own good but never tempts His people for evil. Most of all, the story reveals a God who is willing to go beyond what He asks any of His people as He models in the life of Jesus the ultimate example of obedience and trust.

Robby Gallaty serves as Senior Pastor of Long Hollow Church.

In Numbers 21, God’s people choose to sin, and God sends venomous snakes into their camp as a result. But God provides a way of escape for the people. He instructs Moses to construct a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole in the middle of the camp. God tells Moses that if anyone in Israel will believe God and take a step of faith by looking at the snake on the pole, they will be healed. Over 1,000 years after this story, Jesus was born in Israel. He knew this story well, and He used it to illustrate His purpose for coming into the world. Like the serpent on the pole, Jesus himself would be lifted on the cross; this time as the true and lasting healing from the venom of sin.

Jimmy Scroggins serves as Lead Pastor of Family Church.

Jonah had clearly disobeyed God by running in the opposite direction. God told him to go to Nineveh, and he chose to get as far away from there as possible. But, as is always the case, when people run from God they end up in a difficult place. Jonah found himself in a position he knew would result in certain death. So, he did the only thing he could think of doing…he prayed. And in this prayer, he revealed the power of Christ. That same power is what we all desperately need in our own lives today.

Jonathan Falwell serves as the Campus Pastor for Liberty University and the Senior Pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church.

In many respects, the story of Samson is comparable to the life of Jesus. Both are the product of miraculous births, and both are tasked with the mission to save their people from slavery. In this respect, Samson serves as an example of what Jesus will later offer to the world. And yet, Samson’s life ultimately proves to belike anything but the life of Jesus. Instead of reliance on God and the prophecy over his life, Samson ignores the path of wisdom and becomes consumed with his own fame and celebrity, leading to his own demise. Still, even for Samson, the mercy of God is evident in his life as the consequences of his own sin become the means for him to remember who he is and more importantly, to remember God.

Dr. David Wheeler serves as a Professor of Evangelism for Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University & Senior Executive Director of the LU Shepherd through the Office of Spiritual Development.

Throughout the history of God’s people, the body of Christ has experienced seasons of rebellion. One generation builds a heritage of godly obedience; another generation leaves a nation spiritually damaged. For example, between King Hezekiah and his great-grandson, King Josiah, were two kings, Manasseh and Amon, who both refused to honor or even listen to God. But in contrast to them, another great-grandson of King Hezekiah, Zephaniah, announces God’s powerful judgment, followed by His amazing grace and love. Today, many of us often live our lives with the weight of past decisions and their consequences. But, like Israel, God ultimately declares the fierce love of a warrior king and pours out His grace on us because He is with us, He is for us, and He celebrates over us.

Dr. Troy Temple serves as the Dean of the Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University.

The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth and known to be one of the saltiest bodies of water, in which no form of life can live. Ezekiel, a prophet of Judah exiled to Babylon, prophesied of a future new covenant and the restoration of the people of Israel. In a vision from the Lord, Ezekiel saw a river flowing from the temple down into the Dead Sea, and everywhere the river flowed it brought new life. Just like transforming one of the saltiest seas on the planet into a body of water abundant with life, God broke into human history in an astounding way to transform humanity from death to life. Jesus, who said, “the water that I give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” is God’s answer to the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s vision.

Wes Franklin serves as the Executive Director of the LU Shepherd through the Office of Spiritual Development.

Jeremiah is one of the most well-known prophets of the Old Testament, known as the weeping prophet for his consistent lament over the ongoing refusal of the people of Judah to repent and turn to God. In Jeremiah’s prophecy against Judah, he teaches us the true nature of sin and the consequences of it. Judah’s sin as a nation serves as a mirror of how sin works in the individual lives of all humans. But in his prophecies of judgment, Jeremiah also teaches us about the true nature of God’s mercy, and what is available to all who repent and turn to God. In Jeremiah, we see a prophetic picture of the hope that is found in Jesus, the One who reveals Himself as the final and only answer to our shame.

Josh Rutledge serves as the Vice President of Spiritual Development for Liberty University.