A Hard Rain

calendar_today September 13, 2026
menu_book Ezra 10:9-17 , 
person Rev. T. J. Campo
view_list After Exile , 

I have to say, there are some parts of the Bible that might not be my first choice for a sermon series and yet, what I’ve often found is that these lesser-known sections are made of the same “stuff” as the better-known parts. AND because they’re unfamiliar to us they have the ability to sneak up on us and surprise or even shock us… into thinking differently.

And sometimes these sections are there, among other reasons, to show that the God of the Bible is NOT a tame lion… He is not our sweet little, manageable “Robot God” whom WE design to affirm us and agree with all our opinions and never resist our will…as he remains passive in his designated area and behaves himself.

This section definitely shows that He will not take His place among our pursuits and will not orbit around anything (not us, not our goals, our work, our families, our plans). Everything orbits around Him because any other arrangement would be a lie.

This passage offends our modern sensibilities and YET there ARE some surprises here that we really need to integrate into how we think about and relate to God. Let’s look at:
#1 Progress and Regress
#2 A Tempest in a Teapot?
#3 Issues and Answers.

Back to All Sermons