Ready to Grow?

We have arrived at the Month of Elul which is a time of deep introspection and repentance as we prepare for the High Holidays. It was during this time that we find how HaShem responds when His people have been unfaithful. He responds with Mercy. Many of us have heard of the 13 Attributes of Mercy, but what do they mean? What does that mean for us practically?

What happens when God’s promise takes so long that we begin rewriting the promise? For generations, the followers of Yeshua have prayed for the coming Messianic Kingdom. Yet after nearly two thousand years of waiting, many believers have traded the biblical hope of Messiah reigning from Jerusalem for something safer, less tangible, and entirely metaphorical. But was the promise misunderstood—or have we simply grown tired of waiting? The same danger confronts us personally. When progress seems invisible and the payoff never arrives, hope can slowly become disappointment, doubt, and finally resignation. Have you abandoned something Hashem actually promised? Have you mistaken a delay for a denial? Or could you be overlooking the progress already unfolding around you? Yeshua taught His disciples to remain awake, prepared, and actively working while they waited for His return. Hillel sharpened that responsibility with one unforgettable question: “If not now, when?” In this message, discover how deferred hope reshaped Christian expectations, why the literal restoration of Israel still matters, and what zerizut—brisk and cheerful readiness—teaches us about preparing for the Kingdom today. The waiting game is not passive. The question is not merely, “When will God act?” It is also, “When will we?”

What if the biggest obstacle to your spiritual growth isn't the people around you... but you? "It’s all about me" sounds like the anthem of narcissism. But what if those words reveal a deeper biblical truth? Drawing from the surprising wisdom of Ben Zoma, Hillel, Proverbs, the teachings of Yeshua, and the season of teshuvah, this message challenges one of the most common assumptions we make about life: that happiness comes from pursuing our own desires. Why do we sabotage the very lives we're trying to improve? What does it actually mean to love your neighbor as yourself? Is self-love accepting everything about ourselves—or becoming the person God created us to be?