We can't lose our faith the way we lose our car keys. We either give it away or we let it decay

because we don't use it. Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz. And in my new book, Unshakeable,

building a life of virtue in a world of chaos, I tell faith-filled stories that inspire you

to live a life of virtue that flows from the unshakable power of God.

Although we're surrounded by a culture that mocks virtue, we can feed ourselves stories

that really do uphold what is good and promote a virtuous life.

When we live this way, we experience freedom and joy like never before.

It's my prayer that the stories in my book, Unshakeable, will inspire you

to fight the battle for a virtuous life and win through trust in an unshakable God. Order your

copy at ascensionpress.com.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of scripture.

The Bible in a year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we've into that story today. It is day 267. We are in a new time period, the period of the return.

You might have heard Jeff and me, Jeff and me, Jeff and I, Jeff and I, no, Jeff and me, talk about this new time period. We have the return. The people of Israel have been in exile

in Babylon, and they

are now going to be set free heading back to the promised land. Now remember that Cyrus, King

of Persia, you're going to hear his name today, Cyrus King of Persia, they had conquered the Babylonians,

and because in the book of the prophets, it talked about a Cyrus would be raised up, and he would send his people back to their homeland, back to the promised land. And so Cyrus does this. So we're reading Ezra chapter 1 and 2, which is our historical book, as well as Hegai chapter 1 and 2, which is a prophetic book. We're also reading Proverbs chapter 20 verses 1 through 3. As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the revised standard version, second Catholic edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Rival from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on subscribe, and then you would be subscribed. As I said, it's 267. We're reading Ezra, chapters 1 and 2, Hegai, chapter 1 and 2, which is the

entire book, as well as Proverbs chapter 20, verses 1 through 3. The book of Ezra, chapter 1. The

end of the Babylonian captivity. In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the

Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished,

the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, King of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout

all his kingdom and also put it in writing. Thus says Cyrus, King of Persia, the Lord, the God of

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