I. They Had to Let Go of the Past

• Older men remembered the grandeur, gold, and glory of the first temple.
• But living in the past blinded them to what God wanted to do next.
• Acts 2:17 reminds us: God still has a future work!

➔ As long as their minds stayed on the past, they had no hope for the future.

II. They Had to Embrace the Present

(Ezra 3:11)

• Living in the past robbed them of today’s blessings.
• Story of William Randolph Hearst: sometimes we already possess the treasures we’re seeking!
• The people’s mixed emotions sent a confusing message (Ezra 3:13, 1 Corinthians 14:8).

➔ They squandered the opp ...