Almost everyone has been left in charge of something while the person who trusted them was away. Some rise to it, and some let things slide the moment the door closes behind them. Jesus ends his longest teaching about the future not with a chart of dates, but with a picture of ordinary life.

This week, we will discover what Jesus wants filling our days in the long stretch before he comes back.

Almost nobody you passed on the road this week gave Jesus of Nazareth a second thought. He was not on their minds, not in their plans, and not a factor in a single decision they made. Two thousand years ago a room full of powerful men looked at Him and reached the same conclusion, and as far as the world can tell, their ruling has held ever since. So what do you do with a Savior most of the world has quietly moved past?

This week, we will discover what Jesus said about the day that question finally gets answered.

When the disciples ask Jesus what signs will signal His coming and the end of the age, He describes a time of confusion, tribulation and persecution. In addition to providing some preliminary signs of the sorrows that will characterize the end of the age, He provides exhortations for facing each challenging situation.

Our study this week will focus on the attitudes necessary for us to successfully endure the sorrows of a world bent on self-destruction and headed for final judgment.