Battling OurselvesNehemiah 5:1-11About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. They were saying, “We have such large families. We need more food to survive.”Others said, “We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine.”And others said, “We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes. We...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with, or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENING QUESTION(S)What is one of your favorite songs of worship, hymn or contemporary, and what is it about that song that speaks to and...  Read More

Strategic PlanningNehemiah 4:13-23So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and figh...  Read More

Rehearsing the NegativeNehemiah 4:11-12Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.”The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!”Nehemiah’s team faces formidable enemies. It isn’t clear whether Sanballat and his crew will carry out their ...  Read More

DiscouragementNehemiah 4:10Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.”The work that Nehemiah’s team has accomplished in such a short time is truly remarkable. However, predictably, they are reaching a quitting point, and completion is at risk.Several factors lead us to co...  Read More

ProtectionNehemiah 4:6-9At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us i...  Read More