Prepare your heart for Sunday by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together.
You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and tangibly putting scripture to action in your personal life, and in our corporate body.
Carefully Think
- Read Nehemiah chapters 1-7.
- Remind yourself of the historical context of Nehemiah by reviewing notes from the past two sermons on Ezra, or listen to them here.
- Remember that Ezra and Nehemiah really constitute one book in the Hebrew Bible. Recognize the similarities between them as you read, but also recognize the distinctions found in Nehemiah. What are some of these distinctions?
- As you read notice the various sections of Nehemiah’s prayers (1:4-11; 2:4, 4:4-5, 9; 5:19; 6:9, 14). What does this tell us about how the Lord restores his people? Also notice the sovereign work of the Lord among his people (2:8, 18; 4:20; 6:16; 7:5). What does this teach us about our God and how he restores his people?
- Take careful note of Sanballat and Tobiah. How do they oppose the work? What are Nehemiah’s responses to their opposition? What does this teach us about those who oppose God’s work and how we are to deal with them?
Prayerfully Meditate
- As we’ve seen the Lord’s restoring work in the historical books of Ezra and now Nehemiah, think of the elements involved. How should this motivate us to think and act if we desire to see the Lord restore his people in our day?
- As we notice the sovereign working of God in restoring his people in these two books, how should that impact the way we think and pray for restoration?
- Thinking of the opposition faced by Nehemiah, what should we do when we face opposition? How do Nehemiah’s prayerful responses instruct us?
Intentionally Act
- Pray that the Lord would restore his people through prayer and teaching of the Word.
- Pray that we would rightly respond when we face opposition as we seek to do the Lord’s work.
- Pray that the Lord would grant us understanding hearts and minds and that we would apply all that we learn through the preaching of his Word this coming Lord’s day.
- Pray that the Lord would use the preaching of his Word to restore his people.
- Celebrate the Lord’s work in the Gospel through rehearsing the songs chosen for our gathering this Sunday.
- Pray for those leading our corporate gathering this week and for the Holy Spirit’s work as the book of Ezra is further explained and applied: Dawson Bryant, music; Brett Harris, Elders' prayer and Scripture reading; Bret Capranica, teaching.
Songs for Sunday
- Our Song from Age to Age
- Revelation Song
- Now Why This Fear
- My Faith Has Found a Resting Place
- Prepared a Place for Me