Rebuilding Through Opposition - Ezra 4:24 –6:22 | August 7, 2026
Release Date: 08/07/2026
Rebuilding Through Opposition - Ezra 4:24 –6:22 | August 7, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome to today's edition of One Single Story. Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream for a conversation from the book of Ezra, exploring how a stalled building project was reignited by the power of preaching, how God can turn opposition into a launching pad for His purposes, and why public celebration matters after a long season of resistance. Scripture Focus: Ezra 4:24-6:22 - After the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem is halted by royal decree and years of opposition, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah call the people to restart the work. What...
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The Foundation Before the Walls - Ezra 3:1–4:23 | August 6, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome back to One Single Story! Today Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream for a conversation on Ezra chapters 3 and 4, exploring what it means to lay a spiritual foundation before anything else can be rightly built - in our churches, our families, and our own hearts. Scripture Focus: Ezra 3:1 –4:23 - The remnant of Israel returns to Judah under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. Before rebuilding the temple walls, they rebuild the altar and restore worship, even in the face of fear and local opposition. When the foundation is laid,...
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Trusting God's Sovereignty - Ezra 1:1 –2:70 | August 5, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome to the August 5th edition of One Single Story. Today Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream to open the book of Ezra, exploring what it means to trust God's sovereignty over volatile political landscapes and what kind of faith is required to leave comfort behind and rebuild what has been broken. Scripture Focus: Ezra 1:1 –2:70 - Seventy years after the fall of Jerusalem, the Persian king Cyrus issues a decree allowing the exiles to return home. Ezra opens by linking directly to the close of 2 Chronicles, and chapter two records the detailed...
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When the Heart Has No Remedy - 2 Chronicles 35:1–36:23 | August 4, 2026
One Single Story
Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream to explore the final chapters of Judah's story - a hardened heart, missed Sabbaths, and God's surprising use of an unlikely king to move history forward. Scripture Focus: 2 Chronicles 35-36 traces Judah's rapid decline through its last kings, ending in exile - but closes with the decree of Cyrus of Persia, pointing toward restoration. In This Episode: What it means for a heart to reach "no remedy" Why rest is a matter of trust, not a reward How God used a pagan king, Cyrus, to fulfill his purposes...
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The Lost Book of the Law - 2 Chronicles 33:14–34:33 | August 3, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome back to One Single Story. Today Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream for a conversation on how the authority of Scripture can quietly get lost inside our ministries and our personal lives, and what it looks like when a heart finally responds to God's Word with real conviction instead of casual familiarity. Scripture Focus: 2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33 - This passage covers the collapse and restoration of the southern kingdom, from Manasseh's idolatry to young King Josiah's discovery of the lost Book of the Law and the last great revival before...
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Guarding Your Eyes and Ears as God's Gift - Proverbs 20:12 | July 31, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome back to One Single Story! Today Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Wendy Korbusieski for a candid conversation about our eyes and ears as God-given gates to the heart and mind. As they close out this section of Proverbs, the team unpacks what it means to steward our senses well in a media-saturated world, and how to move from merely seeing and hearing to truly perceiving with spiritual clarity. Scripture Focus: Proverbs 20:12 - Solomon closes this section of Proverbs by pointing to the hearing ear and the seeing eye as things the Lord has made,...
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Known by their Actions - Proverbs 20:11 | July 30, 2026
One Single Story
Join Pastor Stephen Mizell, Pastor Jay Rivenbark, and Pastor Wendy Korbusieski for today's edition of One Single Story as they dig into Proverbs 20:11 and explore why our actions, not our words or potential, are the truest indicator of who we really are. Scripture Focus: Proverbs 20:11 - Solomon teaches that even children are known by their actions, whether their conduct is pure and right. This verse challenges us to evaluate character not by charisma or potential, but by consistent, observable behavior. In This Episode: Why behavior is a more reliable metric than potential, personality, or...
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The Path to a Clean Heart - Proverbs 20:8-10 | July 29, 2026
One Single Story
Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Wendy Korbusieski to unpack Proverbs 20:8-10 and its warning against self-righteousness and double standards. Scripture Focus: Proverbs 20:8-10 - A king who scatters evil with his eyes, and the piercing question, "Who can say, I have made my heart clean?" In This Episode: Why no one can honestly claim a fully cleansed heart How bias shapes judges, juries, and everyday decisions Why we excuse ourselves by intentions but judge others by actions How self-awareness and humility lead to fairer judgment and greater grace Key...
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Integrity and Legacy - Proverbs 20:7 | July 28, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome back to One Single Story! Today Pastor Stephen Mizell and Jay Rivenbark are joined by Wendy Korbusieski for a candid conversation about integrity, legacy, and what it really means to live a whole life in a culture obsessed with image and online personas. This episode digs into why what we build in private always finds its way into public, and why that matters for every parent, leader, and follower of Christ. Scripture Focus: Proverbs 20:7 - This standalone proverb declares that the righteous walk in integrity, and blessed are their children after them. The hosts unpack this...
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Laziness, Discernment, and True Loyalty - Proverbs 20:4-6 | July 27, 2026
One Single Story
Welcome back to One Single Story. This week, Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Wendy Korbusieski for a study in Proverbs 20:4-6 - three verses that diagnose laziness, hidden motives, and loud loyalty. The team talks about why problems we discover "at harvest" were actually planted, or neglected, much earlier - in marriage, parenting, friendships, finances, and ministry. They dig into how genuine curiosity, not manipulation, is what draws real wisdom out of people. And they close on the difference between loud, self-promoting loyalty and the quiet faithfulness...
info_outlineWelcome to today's edition of One Single Story. Pastor Stephen Mizell and Pastor Jay Rivenbark are joined by Pastor Alyssa Bream for a conversation from the book of Ezra, exploring how a stalled building project was reignited by the power of preaching, how God can turn opposition into a launching pad for His purposes, and why public celebration matters after a long season of resistance.
Scripture Focus: Ezra 4:24-6:22 - After the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem is halted by royal decree and years of opposition, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah call the people to restart the work. What follows is a picture of restoration through prophetic preaching, an investigation that backfires into royal funding for the temple, and a joyful, community-wide dedication once the work is finished.
In This Episode:
- How different spiritual gifts and personalities work together to accomplish a shared vision
- Why restarting a stalled effort is often harder than starting it in the first place
- The power of praying and speaking God's Word out loud to break discouragement and stagnation
- How an official investigation meant to shut the temple down ended up funding its completion
- Personal stories of obstacles God repurposed for good, from imprisonment to painful life transitions
- Why public celebration and gratitude are essential after completing a difficult, resistance-filled assignment
- The healing that comes from pausing to acknowledge and give thanks for what God has done
Key Quote: "When you stand firm in your calling, God will ensure that the very hands that tried to hold you back are the ones that have to watch you succeed."
About One Single Story: One Single Story is a weekday podcast from Open Door Church offering a brief, conversational lesson from that day's reading in the One Year Bible. Each episode brings together pastors and voices from the Open Door community to dig into Scripture and apply it to everyday life and faith.
Open Door Church is located in Edenton, North Carolina. Learn more at visitopendoor.com or onesinglestory.com.
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Coming This Week: Join us as we continue moving through the One Year Bible reading plan, uncovering fresh insight and practical encouragement from Scripture each weekday with the One Single Story team.
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