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Ezra

Wise Counsel for Troubled Times

Charting a course through the stormy, uncertain seas of our lives can be difficult. It’s impossible without a reliable compass, an accurate set of maps, and some sturdy examples of faith and courage.

In this series, Chuck Swindoll introduces you to many of these courageous and stronghearted individuals. With each message, Chuck invites you to look closely into their lives and discover how to carefully apply to your life what they learned about overcoming challenges. As you fasten yourself to the mainstay of God’s Word, you, too, will stay upright through whatever storms come your way.


Navigating the storms of life is impossible without a reliable compass and examples of those who have successfully sailed through similar seas. In this 13-part series, Pastor Chuck Swindoll draws from the lives of courageous biblical figures to provide “wise counsel” for modern challenges. By studying their victories and struggles, we discover practical principles for sustaining enthusiasm, overcoming failure, and maintaining integrity, ensuring we stay upright no matter how troubled the times become.

Message 1. Sustaining Enthusiasm (Joshua 1:1–9)

  • Overview: Explores how Joshua maintained his drive and focus after the death of Moses. It addresses the danger of complacency and the need for courage rooted in the Word of God.
  • Key Fact: Enthusiasm is sustained not by a lack of fear, but by a consistent immersion in God’s promises and commands.
  • Scripture: Joshua 1:8 – “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth… then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

Message 2. Overcoming Failure (Jonah 1–3)

  • Overview: Uses the story of Jonah to show that failure is not final. God is the God of the second chance, capable of redeeming our most stubborn rebellions.
  • Key Fact: God’s “severe mercy” is often used to bring us back to our knees and back to our original calling.
  • Scripture: Jonah 3:1 – “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh…'”

Message 3. Never Quitting (Selected Scriptures)

  • Overview: A call to perseverance. This message examines what it takes to stay the course when the pressure to give up becomes overwhelming.
  • Key Fact: Persistence is a spiritual discipline; it is the refusal to allow circumstances to dictate the direction of your faith.
  • Scripture: Galatians 6:9 – “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”

Message 4. Thinking Biblically (Romans 12:1–2)

  • Overview: Addresses the battle for the mind. To survive troubled times, we must reject the “mold” of the world and be transformed by the renewal of our thinking.
  • Key Fact: Biblical thinking is the prerequisite for discerning God’s “good and acceptable and perfect” will.
  • Scripture: Romans 12:2 – “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Message 5. Demonstrating Wisdom (Proverbs 3)

  • Overview: Practical insights from Solomon on the value of wisdom. It highlights the peace and protection that come from trusting God’s understanding over our own.
  • Key Fact: Wisdom is not just intellectual knowledge; it is “skill in living” that begins with a total reliance on the Lord.
  • Scripture: Proverbs 3:5 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”

Message 6. Taking Responsibility (Selected Scriptures)

  • Overview: Challenges the “blame-game” culture. This message emphasizes the character and growth that come when we own our choices and their consequences.
  • Key Fact: Maturity begins when we stop making excuses and start taking responsibility for our spiritual and relational health.
  • Scripture: Galatians 6:5 – “For each one will bear his own load.”

Message 7. Standing Alone (Daniel 1, 3, 6)

  • Overview: Uses the life of Daniel and his friends to illustrate the courage needed to maintain biblical convictions in a pagan culture.
  • Key Fact: Standing alone is possible only when we have already “determined in our hearts” whom we will serve before the crisis arrives.
  • Scripture: Daniel 1:8 – “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food.”

Message 8. Respecting Authority (Romans 13; 1 Peter 2)

  • Overview: Explores the difficult biblical command to respect and submit to authority, even when those in power are flawed or difficult.
  • Key Fact: Respecting authority is ultimately an act of trust in God’s sovereign control over human systems.
  • Scripture: Romans 13:1 – “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God.”

Message 9. Cultivating Humility (1 Peter 5:5–7)

  • Overview: Peter’s advice on the “clothing” of humility. This message shows how humility is the key to receiving God’s grace and being lifted up in His timing.
  • Key Fact: Humility is the antidote to anxiety; we “cast our care” on Him precisely because we recognize His “mighty hand.”
  • Scripture: 1 Peter 5:5 – “And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Message 10. Studying Hard (Ezra 7:10)

  • Overview: Based on the life of Ezra, this message emphasizes the importance of being a “student of the Word” who practices what they learn.
  • Key Fact: Ezra’s success was built on a threefold commitment: to study the Law, to practice it, and to teach it.
  • Scripture: Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes.”

Message 11. Modeling Integrity (Job 1; 31)

  • Overview: Using the life of Job, Chuck explores the definition of integrity—being the same person in the dark that you are in the light.
  • Key Fact: Integrity is not perfection; it is a consistent heart-orientation toward God that remains steady even under immense suffering.
  • Scripture: Job 2:3 – “He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”

Message 12. Extending Grace (Selected Scriptures)

  • Overview: A call to be “grace-givers” in a judgmental world. This message explores how to treat others with the same unmerited favor we have received from Christ.
  • Key Fact: Grace is the lubricant of human relationships; it allows us to love those who are different or who have failed us.
  • Scripture: Colossians 4:6 – “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt.”

Message 13. Encouraging Others (Acts 4:36–37; 9:26–27)

  • Overview: The series concludes with the life of Barnabas, the “Son of Encouragement.” It highlights the power of coming alongside others to champion their growth.
  • Key Fact: Encouragement is a “life-giving” ministry that can turn a rejected Saul into a powerful Apostle Paul.
  • Scripture: Hebrews 10:24 – “And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.”

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God’s Masterwork, Volume Two

In this practical series, covering the books of Joshua through Esther, Chuck Swindoll will provide a close-up look at the heights and depths of living in this world. From the heights of Joshua’s entrance into the land of promise to the depths of exile from the land, this series will trace the threads of faithfulness through the often faithless existence of God’s chosen people.


In this second volume of the God’s Masterwork survey, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explores the “Historical Books” of the Old Testament (Joshua through Esther). This era chronicles Israel’s journey from the triumphant conquest of the Promised Land to the tragic depths of exile and the hopeful return of a remnant. Through these historical accounts, we discover that while God’s people are often faithless, God Himself remains unfailingly faithful to His covenant.

1. Joshua: Triumph After Tragedy

  • Overview: Charts the transition from wilderness wandering to the conquest of Canaan. It highlights the importance of courage rooted in the Word of God.
  • Key Fact: Joshua’s leadership was successful because it was built on a foundation of meditation and obedience to the Law.
  • Scripture: Joshua 1:8 – “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth… then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

2. Judges: Recycled Misery

  • Overview: A sobering look at Israel’s downward spiral of disobedience, discipline, and deliverance. It illustrates the chaos that ensues when people reject God’s authority.
  • Key Fact: The book follows a repetitive four-part cycle: Sin, Suffering, Supplication, and Salvation.
  • Scripture: Judges 21:25 – “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

3. Ruth: Interlude of Love

  • Overview: A beautiful narrative of loyalty and redemption set during the dark days of the Judges. It highlights God’s grace toward those outside the covenant of Israel.
  • Key Fact: Ruth, a Moabitess, becomes an ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ, proving that God’s grace knows no national boundaries.
  • Scripture: Ruth 1:16 – “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.”

4. 1 Samuel: Nation in Transition

  • Overview: Records the transition from the period of Judges to the United Kingdom, focusing on the lives of Samuel, Saul, and the rise of David.
  • Key Fact: This book marks the beginning of the monarchy in Israel—a move prompted by the people’s desire to be “like the other nations.”
  • Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7 – “For God sees not as man sees… but the Lord looks at the heart.”

5. 2 Samuel: Ecstasy and Agony of a King

  • Overview: Focuses exclusively on the reign of David, showcasing both his spiritual triumphs and his devastating personal failures.
  • Key Fact: While David was a “man after God’s own heart,” the second half of the book reveals the severe domestic consequences of his sin with Bathsheba.
  • Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:7 – Nathan’s direct confrontation: “You are the man!”

6. 1 Kings: Solomon and a Civil War

  • Overview: Details the peak of Israel’s glory under Solomon and the subsequent division of the kingdom into Israel (North) and Judah (South).
  • Key Fact: Solomon’s divided heart eventually led to a divided nation.
  • Scripture: 1 Kings 11:4 – “His heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”

7. 2 Kings: From Compromise to Captivity

  • Overview: Traces the decline of both kingdoms as they ignored the prophets’ warnings, ending in the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles.
  • Key Fact: Despite the spiritual darkness, God raised up prophets like Elijah and Elisha to demonstrate His power and call the people to repentance.
  • Scripture: 2 Kings 17:13 – “Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets… saying, ‘Turn from your evil ways.'”

8. 1 and 2 Chronicles: Reassurance for a Remnant

  • Overview: Written after the exile, these books retell the history of Judah to encourage the returning remnant of their spiritual heritage and God’s ongoing plan.
  • Key Fact: Chronicles focuses primarily on the southern kingdom of Judah and the Davidic line, emphasizing the importance of the Temple and worship.
  • Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray… I will heal their land.”

9. Ezra: True Man of the Word

  • Overview: Chronicles the return of the Jews from Babylon and the rebuilding of the Temple under the leadership of a priest dedicated to the Scriptures.
  • Key Fact: Ezra’s primary contribution was not just a building, but a spiritual reformation based on the study of the Law.
  • Scripture: Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes.”

10. Nehemiah: Softhearted Hard Hat

  • Overview: The story of the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls and the restoration of its people’s security and identity.
  • Key Fact: Nehemiah models the perfect balance between fervent prayer and practical, hard-working leadership.
  • Scripture: Nehemiah 4:9 – “But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set a guard against them day and night.”

11. Esther: The Beauty and the Best

  • Overview: A dramatic account of God’s silent but sovereign protection of His people during the exile through a young Jewish queen.
  • Key Fact: God’s name is never mentioned in the book of Esther, yet His “fingerprints” are on every page of the narrative.
  • Scripture: Esther 4:14 – “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

Common Questions: God’s Masterwork, Volume Two

1. Why did God allow Israel to be taken into captivity in 2 Kings? As Pastor Chuck explains in “From Compromise to Captivity,” God is patient but also holy. After centuries of ignoring prophetic warnings and practicing idolatry, the exile was a form of divine discipline designed to purge the nation of its unfaithfulness.

2. What is the significance of the “cycle” in the book of Judges? The cycle illustrates human nature: we tend to forget God when things are going well. The “Recycled Misery” shows that without a spiritual anchor, society quickly decays into moral relativism, where everyone does what is right in their own eyes.

3. How does the book of Ruth fit into the larger story of the Bible? Ruth provides a “ray of light” during the dark era of the Judges. It demonstrates that God’s plan of redemption (the family line of the Messiah) continues even in small, seemingly insignificant acts of loyalty and kindness.

4. What can we learn from the difference between 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles? Kings was written to explain why the exile happened (judgment), while Chronicles was written to remind the survivors who they were (heritage). Kings is more “prophetic” and critical, while Chronicles is more “priestly” and encouraging.

5. Is God still in control even when He seems silent, like in the book of Esther? Absolutely. The series emphasizes that Esther is a masterpiece of divine providence. Even when God isn’t performing “parting of the sea” miracles, He is working behind the scenes through the “accidental” decisions of kings and the courage of ordinary people to fulfill His purposes.

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