Good Morning!
Let’s focus our day by spending some time with Jesus before it begins.

WORSHIP | 5-15 Minutes
Worship can be as simple as thanking God for who He is & what He’s done.
Start by playing some worship music you love, or choose from one of our Spotify Playlists.
Journal or say out loud 3-5 things you’re thankful for in the last 24 hours.
Further Focus: Read Psalm 122. Focus on one truth about who God is & thank Him for it.

PRAYER | 5-15 Minutes
Prayer is a conversation that involves both talking and listening to God.
If you’re just starting out, simply pray the prayer Jesus taught his followers: the Lord’s Prayer.
Further Focus: Pray through the Lord’s Prayer using this Lord’s Prayer guide.

SCRIPTURE | 5-25 Minutes
Our scripture focus for this study is Ezra 3:11. Try memorizing it!
Today’s reading is from Ezra 2:1-67
Ask the following SOS Questions & journal your thoughts…
S = Say. What is the main point? What does it teach about God (Jesus) & yourself?
O = Obey. What can you apply (practice) from this passage today?
S = Share. Who can you share what you’re learning with today?
Further Focus: One of the best ways to learn more about the Bible is by discussing it with others.
Work through this week’s Lifegroup Discussion Guide and meet up with a Paradox Lifegroup. *Coming Soon!

A THOUGHT FROM TODAY’S READING
I am certain Dave plans these focuses out such that Tuesday frequently ends up being the day that it is impossible to draw deep meaning out of. He either loves messing with me, or really respects me.
Anyway, as I was reading through the lists of people who retuned from Babylonian exile to Jerusalem, I was reminded of a thought I recently had about the Old Testament. The Jewish people of that time were incredible at documenting their history, as evidenced by today’s reading, and so many other spots throughout the OT. So…if these people have proven themselves to be meticulous documenters of historical facts, doesn’t it make it easier for us to trust the historicity of the amazing, super-natural occurrences recorded by the same people? Next time you are reading through a tough patch of the OT and are like “why are they telling me they brought 435 camels with them out of Babylon?”, recall this thought and praise God that he chose a people to work with who were so good at recording ALL his works, big and small. - Mike Nank

SHARE | 1-5 Minutes
Text someone a prayer/encouragement, or share a thought/question with us in the Forum.
Going Deeper: Invite someone to read the Focus with you. Text “FOCUS” to (586) 200-6277.

That’s all for today.
Stay focused on Jesus, and make it a great one!