Opening the conference, Mark Hitchcock walks through Isaiah chapter 50 against the backdrop of the historical crisis facing Israel and Judah under threat from Assyria. He traces how God's promise that Israel has a future, despite present judgment, unfolds through the Messianic Servant prophecies, linking Isaiah 50 to the later Servant passages in Isaiah 52-53. Along the way, he draws out the call to discipleship, attentive listening, and faith-filled obedience modeled by Christ himself as the ultimate Servant. He closes with a sobering look at coming judgment on unfaithful leaders and an invitation to learn more about missions work in the former Soviet Union through Ararat Rainier East-West Fellowship.