This week, we looked at what Israel lost in their exile and how this affected their hope and expectations of the Messiah. When Israel received a human king they started to behave like the cultures around them, and not like a “set apart” nation (exactly as God said they would). Through this assimilation, their disobedience continued to grow.

This Week's Gospel Statement: “The Gospel is the good news that our God has called us out of the slavery we have placed ourselves in and given us a calling, an identity, and a new hope centered in the person of Jesus Christ.”