As Thanksgiving approaches I’m reminded of how grateful I am for my parents, Prof Steeger, Mrs. Watson, Gary C., Poppy and Grammy, Michael B., and especially, my wife. If it weren’t for these and others I’m not sure where or what I would be doing today. Throughout the different stages of my life – the good and the bad – these individuals have been on my side. In a similar way, God has been on our side, but imagine if He hadn’t been on our side. Where would we be today? Make plans to join us Sunday as we conclude our series to discover the encouragement found in the truth that through the good and the bad, God is On. Our. Side

Our TBC staff occasionally does a team building exercise called “going below the line.” This activity gives our team permission to share with one another how they genuinely feel about themselves and other areas in their life, like their faith, their finances, their health, and their ministry. This is always a healthy activity. There’s something about being honest and not pretending that helps foster unity with others. This Sunday, you and I have an opportunity to "go below the line.” We have an opportunity to study a Scripture that’s referred to as an exile Psalm and learn how to express to God how we really feel in times when He seems to have left us alone.

Tuesday evening millions will be glued to their television or device to see who will serve as our next president. Many have expressed the significance of this election including Franklin Graham who described it “as the most critical election of our lifetime.” The stakes are high, and so many will be watching. However, there is another kind of watching we as Christians must not neglect. We see it in the life of Ezekiel as he seeks to warn God’s people about their spiritual condition.

It’s one of the most popular and most searched Bible verses on the Internet, and yet most misused. Do you know what verse? It’s Jeremiah 29:11, and it’s found in the passage of Scripture that we will study this Sunday as we continue our series. I hope you make plans to join us online or in person as we look at Jeremiah 29:11 in its context to discover what it meant for the original hearers and how it applies to us today.

The year is 586 BC. God’s city (Jerusalem) is captured, God’s house (the temple) is destroyed, and God’s people (the Jews) are exiled. How did this happen? Why did it happen? And why does something that happened in 586 BC matter to us in 2020? It matters because when we look back, we discover warnings to heed, promises to remember, hope to cling to, and actions to follow that will help us live as “exiles” in today’s culture.