February 17, 2019 | Nehemiah 5 |
Nehemiah called the people to rise up and focus their money and effort on God’s mission to rebuild the wall, yet the fact that some were not sacrificing for the work caused strife among the people of God.
In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah led the people to stop the financial strife that had arisen between them against God’s mission. We can stop the internal financial strife that arises against God’s mission for His people.
February 10, 2019 | Nehemiah 4 |
If you’re trying to live for the Lord, you will face opposition. Sometimes it comes from the world’s culture which is contrary to the life of the Spirit. Yet, often it comes from friends and family who don’t know the Lord, or who aren’t as committed to following and serving Him as you are trying to be. And sometimes, opposition comes from other Christians who either don’t understand or aren’t walking in the Spirit. But as Jesus said, you will have trouble and opposition in this world, but He has overcome the world.
In the book of Nehemiah, the people of God placed their faith in the Lord to overcome the opposition against rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. We can place our faith in the Lord to overcome the opposition against doing the Lord’s work.
February 3, 2019 | Nehemiah 3 |
It’s one thing to see the brokenness in our city, but it’s another thing altogether to join the work of repairing it. Yet, it’s often the very act of joining the work of the Lord in our city that we see miracles happen to heal our city, we see miracle happen in our own lives as well. Who needs a miracle from God today to heal the brokenness in your life?
In Nehemiah chapter 3, Nehemiah recorded the names and work assignments of the Israelites who answered God’s call to rise up and join the work of repairing the broken walls of Jerusalem. God still calls His people to rise up and join His work.
January 27, 2019 | Nehemiah 2:11-20 |
How should we respond to the brokenness in our world? The people of Jerusalem responded by sharing the vision that God had given Nehemiah. In the book of Nehemiah, God put it in the heart of the cupbearer to the king of Persia to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. After inspecting the brokenness of the city, Nehemiah shared his God-given vision to rebuild with the people of Israel and they committed to join him to rise up and build. God has given us a vision to rise up and build to make more room for the broken in our city.
January 20, 2019 | Nehemiah 2:1-11 |
What are you willing to risk for God? In a way, that’s really a trick question because nothing you invest in God’s work is ever lost. In the book of Nehemiah, the Lord moved Nehemiah to take a faith risk to ask the king of Persia for permission to rebuild the wall surrounding Jerusalem. The Lord always calls His people to take risks of faith to accomplish His purpose. How can we respond to God’s call to take risks of faith to accomplish His purpose?
January 13, 2019 | Nehemiah 1:1-11 |
The people recognized that their city of Jerusalem was in trouble. Its gates were ruined and its walls were broken down. When they heard the vision God had given His servant Nehemiah to rebuild, they caught the vision and said, “Let us rise up and build.”
Whenever God wants to get a work done, He lays hold of a people who are willing to rise up. The walls of Jerusalem had been ruined; a small remnant had returned; and there was much work that needed to be done. In 536 BC, Zerubbabel had taken about 50,000 Jews back and by 516 BC had rebuilt the temple. In 457 BC, there had been a small revival under Ezra, but now it was 445 BC, and God was looking for someone to go to the ruined city and restore safety and order. Nehemiah was that person. In the book of Nehemiah, God caused Nehemiah to rise up and catch a vision for his city, Jerusalem.
February 28, 2016 | 2 Corinthians 9:8-15 |
When was the last time you were generous? Most of us have a hard time with being generous. Whether it’s an attitude that says, “I earned it, so it’s mine.” Or a fear that worries, “I’m afraid I won’t have enough for me.” We struggle with generosity. What’s the greatest gift you’ve ever received? For the believer, the answer is the same: Christ. He is the gift of God that expresses God’s surpassing grace towards us. There is no greater gift. This is the gospel: Because of the surpassing generous grace of God, we are offered salvation in Christ!
February 21, 2016 | 2 Corinthians 9:1-7 |
In the apostle Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, he told them that Christ’s readiness to always be generous should be displayed in them as well. As believers, we can display this same disposition of the ready generosity of Christ in our lives.
February 14, 2016 | 2 Corinthians 8:8-24 |
The apostle Paul told the believers at Corinth that the proof that they had received the love of Christ would be shown in the quality of their generosity. We can show the proof of Christ’s love in our lives by the quality of our generosity. The text gives three proofs for genuine generosity.
February 12, 2016 |
“Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come?” (Isaiah 42:23 ESV). “Lend me your ears” (Mark Antony in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar). Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give another is the gift of listening. In a world where everyone is busy expressing their opinion on social