Category Archives: Uncategorized

Nehemiah (1B): What’s Your First Response?

Nehemiah 1:4
Response: Fast and Pray

Reasons a person might fast:
To express sorrow.
To express repentance.
To express humility.
To express concern.
To express worship.

Nehemiah 1:5-11

Nehemiah 1:5
Nehemiah Praises God

Nehemiah 1:6-7
Nehemiah confesses disobedience and corruption against God

Nehemiah 1:8-10
Nehemiah calls on God to be God.

Deuteronomy 4:33

Nehemiah 1:11a
Nehemiah asks God to give him favor.

Matthew 6:5-8, Matthew 6:16-18

Prayer and fasting should be our first response, not our last resort.

Challenge: fast and pray 3 times this week.
Personal: for an area of need.
Community: for our outreach efforts.
Kingdom: for unbelievers.

Nehemiah (1A): There Is Something Wrong Here

2 Chronicles 36:11-21 text
Ezra 3:10-12
Nehemiah 1:1-3 text
Report: Somethings is wrong here.
Nehemiah 1:4 text
Reaction: Weep and Mourn.

Our hearts should be genuinely distressed over things that grieve God’s heart.

Personal Level: Is our heart deeply moved for things that are broken?

Community Level: Do we see where we as a faith community are coming up short?

Kingdom Level: Do we recognize where things just aren’t right in the kingdom of God?

Our hearts should be genuinely distressed over things that grieve God’s heart.

VIDEO: BRANDON HEATH GIVE ME YOUR EYES You can watch it by clicking here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AkNqLuVgY

Hello, My Name is Jesus

He came to meets us where we were at

He came to introduce himself to us

John 17:3 (text)

Jesus lived to honor God.
John 8:49b-50
Philippians 2:5-8

Jesus selflessly loved people.
Mark 6:30-34

Jesus cared deeply for the weak and poor.
Luke 14:12-14
Matthew 25:35-40

Jesus sought out the spiritually needy.
Matthew 9:10-12

Jesus laid down his life for all… even those who opposed him.
1 Timothy 2:5-6
Romans 5:10
John 10:17-18

Hello, My Name is Jesus pic

What others see in you should be a reflection of Jesus.
Live to honor God
Selflessly love people
Care deeply for the weak and poor.
Seek out the spiritually needy. Lay down our lives for all… even those who oppose us.

The Coming of Christmas: The PROMISE

We have a need for Christmas because we have a need for Christ, the Savior.

The PROMISE of Christmas was foreshadowed in scripture.
Genesis 3:15
Numbers 21:7-9
Genesis 22:10-13
The PROMISE of Christmas was foretold by prophets.
Micah 5:2
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1: 18-23
Isaiah 9:6-7
The PROMISE of Christmas was/would be fulfilled through Jesus.
Isaiah 53:1-8
Video: Jesus in OT scripture final
God’s PROMISE of Christmas (Christ) was meant to give His people hope.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-28 (the One About Being Kept Blameless)

1 Thessalonians 5:19

sbennumi (sben’-noo-mee): to quench; to extinguish, suppress or thwart

1 Thessalonians 5:20-21
2 Timothy 4:1-4

1 Thessalonians 5:22
1 Thessalonians 5:23
1 Thessalonians 5:24

“I look forward to seeing Jesus face to face, but I don’t want to stand before Him with regrets.”

Are we allowing God to keep us blameless? Are we willing to let Him work on our rough edges? Our secret sins? Our inner fears?

1 Thessalonians 5:25-28

Things God Loves: Compassion

Colossians 3:12-17
oiktirmós – compassion (pity), i.e. deep feeling about someone’s difficulty or misfortune

Psalm 116:5
Psalm 145: 9
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

We are meant to be moved with compassion.
Matthew 9:35-36
Matthew 14:13-14
Matthew 15:29-39
Matthew 20:29-34

We’re meant to be motivated by compassion.
James 1:27
James 2:14-17

Question 1 : In what are ways you are moved by compassion?

Question 2: What are you doing about it?

Proverbs 24:10-13

“Compassion can’t be measured in dollars and cents. It does come with a price tag, but that price tag isn’t the amount of money spent. The price tag is love.” ~ J. C. Watts Jr.