An emphasis on Bible engagement is the number one need for Christians and the church today, as we are becoming Biblically illiterate. All Ezra Project messages and seminars inspire people and church families to recommit to reading or listening to the Bible, then doing and sharing God’s Word. According to Barna Research:
- 75% of Christians overlook the Bible when shaping their worldview
- Only 40% of men and women say they read the Bible either weekly or daily
- Only 14% of born-again adults rely on the Bible as their moral compass
Like in the days of Ezra, an Old Testament priest who brought God’s Word back to the Israelites, people today need to come back to the Word of God. Ezra Project messages will improve Bible reading in your personal life and in the church family. Below are various Ezra Project messages and seminars available to you and your church. Contact us to schedule one today.
CHURCH, RETREAT, OR CONFERENCE MESSAGES
If You Love Me
What did Jesus mean when He said, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15? What commandments? How can we demonstrate our love for God and how does He demonstrate His love toward us in our lives today? This message reminds Christians, we have a responsibility to demonstrate our love for God by knowing His Word and obeying it.
The message is a personal walk through Deuteronomy 28:1-15 based on my 50-year Christian journey demonstrating obedience=blessings! It is an engaging challenge to folks to engage in Scripture and take God at His Word!
Truth
Truth is evasive today in media, business, government, education, and even the church. When did truth leave the public square and can we find it today? We define truth, truthlessness, and the benefits of truth by sharing 2 Kings 22 and 23, when the boy king Josiah discovered the Book of the Law in the temple ruble. Truth changed the course of Josiah’s life and reign as King of Israel. It can change our lives as well. Truth will encourage church folks to get back to the truth of God’s Word, now, not later.
Sweeter Than Honey
Only about 15% of Americans read the Bible daily; about half do not read the Bible at all anymore. Sweeter than Honey convicts the Body of Christ of its neglect and indifference toward God’s Word, then encourages believers to re-connect with the Bible by making it appealing to the soul as honey is to the palate. Scripture texts include Psalm 19:7-11, Psalm 119:103, and 2 Timothy 4:3-5.
Sweeter than Honey is a dynamic message showing Christians how to enjoy God’s Word. The message is a most pleasant way to encourage congregations to get back to enjoying the Bible again. We normally see about 65% of those in attendance commit to daily Bible reading. That is good for them, and your church!
Living Power: Basic Instructions Before Life Everyday
Most Christians have no plan for intentional spiritual growth; we grow accidentally. Living Power will inspire Christians to take powerful steps toward personal, intentional, and spiritual growth. Where do you turn for spiritual power to fuel your physically and spiritually demanding life? God’s power supply! Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Living Power is a power-packed message demonstrating the power of God’s Word. This message is virtually guaranteed to raise personal, family, and church-wide Bible reading. Only about 15% of Christians are currently daily Bible readers. The Body of Christ is becoming Biblically illiterate. Living Power successfully challenges Christians to commit to the Word of God again. Living Power will show how to become a 21st century Ezra, based on Ezra 7:10, and plug into God’s power supply in Hebrews 4:12.
Redeeming The Time
What keeps people from reading the Bible? Busyness. Redeeming the Time is a powerful and practical message addressing the time issue for Christians. Because busyness is an issue in people’s lives, they struggle to find time for Bible reading and prayer. Though most claim God is the highest priority in their lives, they have no time for their highest priority.
Scripture texts include Ephesians 5:15-18, select verses from Exodus, Matthew and more. We look at Moses and Jesus and how they managed their time filtering their stories through four “busy barriers”, reasons Christians are too busy to make time for their highest priority—God, and too busy to find time for Bible reading and prayer.
After this message, people will make time for God, Bible reading, and prayer. They will understand and conquer the “busy barriers” and commit to redeem the time, thanks to four action steps offered to tackle the “busy Barriers” and redeem time to spend on our highest priority—God.
SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS
Relevant Christianity in a Post-Christian World
Our most popular seminar is a three-part series, about three hours in length, entitled Relevant Christianity in a Post-Christian World. It is vital for Christians to understand what others believe and why, and how to share our faith in a post-Christian world. It can be done on a Saturday morning, or arranged as a special mid-week or Sunday evening service. The three sessions are:
- Origins of the Sacred Writings: God’s Word or Man’s? Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus now live in American neighborhoods. Discover what books they read. A comparison of the origins of the Qur’an, Teachings of Buddha, Bhagavad-Gita, and the Bible. A visual presentation on the major “sacred writings” of the world, showing they are not the Word of God, only the Bible. It helps participants understand what others believe in the world, even their neighbors. I quote from the all the books and have them to pass around for people to see. It has always been very well received.
- Finding God in a Post-Christian World. Today people are looking for God in all the wrong places. A visual presentation on where people look for God in today’s world (creation, other people, church, themselves) but come up short. The best place to find God today is the Bible. I share why and how, so people can share with others searching for God.
- How to Share Your Faith Without a Fight. After understanding what other people read and believe, learn to share the Christian faith with others. A visual presentation on how to share one’s faith without getting into an argument. Based on Bill Faye’s book Share Jesus Without Fear, I share my experiences with witnessing (some good and some not so good), teach six questions people can use to get into conversations about faith, and offer others the chance to share their experiences in witnessing.
12 Practical Principles of Leadership According to Ezra
Discover and apply 12 fantastic leadership principles Ezra followed to lead his people back to God’s Word. He changed a nation! You can change your private and public life by following Ezra’s example. Some of the 12 practical principles of leadership according to Ezra are operate in God’s timing, operate with God’s provision, operate with God’s protection, and operate in obedience. Plus 8 more! It is tailor- made for men’s groups, home groups, Bible study, or Sunday school lessons.
Visit the contact page and ask to schedule a Sunday message or seminar/workshop today.
The Ezra Project is greatly concerned about Bible reading among men. We believe men are Biblically instructed to be spiritual leaders in their homes, churches, and occupations; yet many struggle to do so. To become Biblical spiritual leaders, men need to be Biblically grounded; yet Barna Research shows only 40% of men say they read the Bible daily or weekly. We challenge men to re-connect to God’s Word. We equip men for Biblical spiritual leadership in their personal, family, and professional lives.
Mighty Men of God Conferences
Christian men are Biblically instructed to be spiritual leaders in their homes, churches, and occupations; yet many struggle to do so. To become Biblical spiritual leaders, men need to understand their God given talents and abilities, discover their passion and purpose in this thing called life, redeem time for kingdom building not just making a living, and discover Biblical principles applicable to their work, marriages, finances, families, and ministries.
Today we need men who are trained to be Christian warriors, men who are willing to stand up for Christianity by being examples to follow in a world becoming increasingly void of Christian role models. A Mighty Men of God Conference equips men for Biblical spiritual leadership in their personal, family, and professional lives. Men will be trained to become mighty men of God.
Conference Highlights
What is a Mighty Man of God?
Personal Power–four keys to personal power–Commitment, Obedience, Discipline, and Evidence
Passion, Purpose, and What are You Good at?–features a powerful questionnaire and workshop on discovering your passion, purpose, and natural talents
Redeeming the Time–a workshop on Biblical time management
Two Essential Spiritual Principles for Mighty Men of God
Breakout Sessions with Mentors–explanation, assignments, and accountability of conference 90-day follow up plan
Conference and Follow-up Accountability Format
An 8-hour life-changing conference beginning Friday evening and ending Saturday afternoon; a time of spiritual reflection, worship, Bible study, and prayer. Each man will receive a 75-page Mighty Man of God Conference Workbook.
At the conference, each man will be assigned a mentor for follow up and accountability. There will be assignments to complete in the Conference Workbook every 30 days for three months. The first 30 days will focus on mastering the two essential spiritual disciplines learned at the conference and completion of three workbook topics: passion, purpose, and ministry. The second 30 days will focus on marriage and family. The final 30 days will focus on work and financial responsibility. At the end of 90 days, men will attend a testimony banquet with their wives who will be given opportunity to share testimonies of changes they have observed in their husbands. Each man who faithfully completes all his assignments will be recognized and graduated as a Biblical Mighty Man of God.
You may host a conference at your church, or combine men from various churches.
Conference Facilitator
Allen J. Huth is the Founder and President of the Ezra Project and former President of The Gideons International. The Ezra Project is a 20-year old non profit corporation with a mission to connect God’s people to God’s Word. He is also a Personal and Business Performance Consultant, with over 25 years of experience working with business leaders of small and midsized companies. In the Mighty Men of God Conference, he combines spiritual, personal, and business principles with practical experience to offer men a life-changing opportunity to figure out, and live out, life to its fullest.
Schedule a Mighty Men of God Conference for your church or community.
Men’s Retreats
Allen J. Huth has been the retreat speaker at several church men’s retreats. To ignite a passion for the Word of God among men, contact the Ezra Project. We will customize messages to your retreat format, or help you design your church men’s retreat. The bottom line of our participation in your men’s retreat is more men will read God’s Word.
Contact the Ezra Project about your men’s retreat.
We enjoy the opportunity to speak at your men’s ministry meeting weekdays or weekends. Our message will challenge men to rekindle a passion for God’s Word. We have touched hundreds of men with our personal experience of daily Bible reading for over 50 years—through the teenage years, college, marriage and child raising, and the challenges of the work-a-day world, because Allen Huth is not a pastor, he is a layman like the men in your men’s ministry.
Contact the Ezra Project to schedule an Ezra Project challenge to your men’s ministry.
Open Book Ministries
Open Book Ministries’ vision is to ignite a passion and impart a pursuit of intentional intimacy with God Almighty. We serve God’s people by providing opportunities to experience the Lord’s presence and truth, participate in purposeful discipleship, and receive insights to lead others into intimacy with the Lord.
Open Book is pleased to offer three avenues of helpful ministry:
Table Talks for individuals and ministry teams to explore, discover, and prepare to fulfill their dream to serve God and people.
Word Keepers to provide spoken and written teaching regarding Biblical truth and application.
“E” Vents for groups to gather for workshops and retreats with an emphasis on spiritual disciplines, Bible themes and topics, and letting our light shine as a witness for the Lord.
It is our humble honor to engage, equip, encourage, and empower God’s people to impact their corner of the world with His truth and love.
Contact Open Book Ministries to learn more