Curated Reading for August 9 – 15
Sermon Series: Real Stories Week 7Sermon Title: Homecoming delivered on August 9, 2026
View Sermon Notes →
Day 1 READ: Ezra 1 and Psalm 126:1-3. This is a story about a homecoming of a whole people group from exile in a distant land. Where do you see God’s fingerprints on the events as they unfold? What details in this story would have filled God’s people with wonder? What do you think would have touched them the most about what God did and how He did it?
Day 1 PRAY: Reflect on your own life. Where do you see God’s fingerprints on your story? Where has He shown up in your life, rescued you, provided for you, led you, comforted you? Take some time to thank Him (you can use salm 126:1-3 as a model to praise Him yourself).
Day 2 READ: Jeremiah 25:1-7. This is the backstory of Ezra 1. It explains why the people of Jerusalem were in exile in Babylon in the first place. How many years had God been calling out to His people through Jeremiah? What was God saying to His people and how were they responding?
Day 2 PRAY: Set aside some time this week to be alone with God. Ask Him if there is any area in your life that He has been wanting to speak to you about but you haven’t been listening. Tell God you are listening now and wait in the silence for Him to answer, and when He does, trust Him and do what He says (if it’s from God, it will always line up with God’s Word and Jesus’ life). If you aren’t sure about what you heard, run it by a mature Christian friend or a leader or pastor at Shoreline to help you discern.
Day 3 READ: Ezra 1:1 and Jeremiah 29:10-14. The first verse in Ezra 1 tells us that the homecoming of God’s People was prophesied in the book of Jeremiah and that everything that happens in that chapter is a fulfillment of that prophecy. What does that tell us about our God, His plans, His promises, and His ability to not only know what will take place, but His power to make things happen in His way and in His timing? God lets His people know that He has good plans for them even as they are being hauled away to Babylon. How could that give you hope for the next 70 years in exile? How might you struggle to believe Him?
Day 3 PRAY: Is there a promise God has given you, but you are losing hope or have already lost it because you’ve been waiting so long? Ask Him to encourage you and renew your hope (He is a faithful God, and He always keeps His promises, but in His way and in His timing).
Day 4 READ: Luke 15:11-24. What parallels do you see between the story of God’s people you’ve been reading this week and the parable Jesus told of the Prodigal Son? What more do you learn about God (the Father) in Jesus’ parable and His heart for His child who had turned his back on Him but was now turning back to Him?
Day 4 PRAY: If you have been trying to live life without God, out on your own and all alone, why not turn around and run to the Father who is running toward you with open arms? Has anything been holding you back from doing that? If so, how do you think it holds up against Jesus’ invitation to you to return to Him and receive His forgiveness and His unconditional love?
Day 5 READ: John 14:6. The way back home to God has a name: JESUS. What are the implications of Jesus telling us that He is THE WAY to the Father? What does that tell us about “other ways?” What do you think Jesus meant when He intensified “I AM the Way” with “I Am the Truth” and “I AM the Life?” How might you share these realities, found exclusively in Jesus, with someone who is searching?
Day 5 PRAY: Ask God to bring someone to your mind who you can share these good news truths with. Ask Him to go before you to prepare their hearts for a conversation. Continue to pray for that person and be on the lookout for an opportunity to share (and don’t forget, you aren’t alone; the Holy Spirit is with you to guide you and help you share what is helpful).
Memorize and Reflect
Jeremiah 29:13
“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
Real Stories Weekly Challenge
Real Stories Challenge:
- There is more to the Story: Take time this week to read the full story of the Homecoming of the Exiles (Jeremiah 29:1-14, Ezra 1:1-11)
- Love your neighbor: Connect, reconnect, or make a friend with a neighbor.
- Take a next step: Begin Prayer walking in your neighborhood and beyond.
Previous Readings
August 9 – 15
Homecoming from the sermon series Real Stories
August 2 – 8
A God With Us in the Fire from the sermon series Real Stories
July 26 – Aug 1
The God of Hidden Fields from the sermon series Real Stories
July 19 – 25
A Wall-Breaking God from the sermon series Real Stories
July 12 – 18
Loving God and Loving People from the sermon series Real Stories
July 5 – 11
God’s Pathway to Freedom from the sermon series Real Stories
June 28 – July 4
Grace, Patience, and Promises from the sermon series Real Stories
June 21 – June 27
The Battle for Your Peace from the sermon series Real War
June 14 – 20
The Battle for Your Joy from the sermon series Real War
June 7 – 13
The Battle for Your Treasure from the sermon series Real War