2005 Fort Worth Impact Partners' Message
Ezra 7:10
Overview of the Book of Ezra
- Two parts of the Book of Ezra:
- Chapters 1-6: Rebuilding the temple
- Chapters 7-10: Rebuilding the people
- 58-year gap between chapters 6 and 7
Significance of the 58-Year Gap
- Major events in Grecian history occurred
- Focus on the grooming of Ezra for spiritual leadership
Ezra's Life and Mission
- Ezra's preparation to seek the law of God
- Importance of living and teaching God's statutes
Personal Anecdote
- Childhood memory of watching baseball games
- Comparison of the "peephole" view to understanding Ezra's focus in Chapter 7, Verse 10
Ezra's Objectives
- Setting clear objectives to determine outcomes
- Fear of succeeding in the wrong pursuits
Ezra's Commitment
- Passion for seeking the law of God
- Need to possess knowledge before imparting it
Relevance to Modern Christians
- Critique of lack of excitement about doctrinal truths
- Paul's teaching on love and following God
Balance of Knowledge and Practice
- Knowledge alone leads to pride; practice alone can lead to perversion
- Integration of knowledge and practice for revolutionary life change
Modern Application
- Skepticism of words without actions
- Importance of teaching through personal experience
Qualities of a Teacher
- Mastery and transformation by the subject
- Teacher's effectiveness measured by students' actions
Current Need for Biblical Teaching
- Famine of Biblical teaching globally
- Role of Dallas Theological Seminary in addressing this need
Personal Reflection
- Privilege of influencing others for 54 years
- Global impact of the seminary's graduates
Example of Russia
- Visit to Russia and observations of change
- Women’s ministry founded by seminary graduates
Conclusion
- Testimony from students about the impact of Biblical teaching in their lives
*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.
About the Contributors
Howard G. Hendricks
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks, known simply as “Prof,” directly or indirectly touched millions of lives in the evangelical community and beyond. For more than sixty years Prof served on the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), where he taught more than ten thousand students. He served as the chairman of the Center for Christian Leadership for over twenty years. He also ministered in person in more than eighty countries. Through speaking engagements, radio, tapes, films, the sixteen books he authored and coauthored, countless journal and popular-market articles, his service on numerous boards, and his work as a chaplain to the Dallas Cowboys (1976–1984), his reach was and is worldwide.
His legacy, in partnership with Jeanne, his wife of more than sixty-five years, includes four children and six grandchildren. Holding large audiences enthralled at venues such as Billy Graham’s conference center or Promise Keepers’ stadium rallies, Prof would confide, “It’s wonderful to be here with you, but I have a group of delicious students waiting for me back at the seminary.”
Contributors
