828 Church

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” Nehemiah 1:1-3 ESV

Nehemiah Considered

Nehemiah Cared

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:4 ESV

The line between indignant and indifferent is thinner than it’s ever been.

To say you’re a Christ follower and not care is the worst kind of contradiction.

Personal concern is a different kind of burden to carry but it carries a different kind of weight!

We should care about rebuilding the wall and gates of the city so people don’t live in perpetual vulnerability and brokenness.

Nehemiah Prayed

And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there. Nehemiah 1:5-9 ESV

Repented - - - - Requested - - - - Remembered...

Nehemiah was Determined

Nehemiah was ready to be an answer to the prayers he prayed, are you?

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” Nehemiah 2:1-3 ESV


Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.” And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me. Nehemiah 2:4-8 ESV

Nehemiah Did what God called him to do

Our King has a Kingdom.

His is an eternal kingdom with an incredible earthly impact!

The kingdom of God is in the midst of you. Luke 17:21 ESV

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:6-8 ESV

Our declaration of allegiance to the King, comes with the power to represent His Kingdom.

Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10 NASB

When His will and wisdom become our most important plans and priorities, His Kingdom has come.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 ESV

He’s a different kind King with a different kind of Kingdom.

His Kingdom has different kind of Treasure.

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Matthew 6:19-21NLT

Earthly treasures become idols when eternal treasures are marginalized or ignored.

His Kingdom has a different Vision.

Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! Matthew 6:22-23 NLT

His Kingdom has a different Provision.

So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:31-33 NLT

Dream big, work hard, rest well, and gladly give everything for the King and His Kingdom.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:44-46 ESV

A man is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Jim Elliot

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” Matthew 13:31-32 ESV

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Micah 5:2 ESV

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 19:16 ESV

Kind isn’t a good enough word to describe our King!

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. Isaiah 30:18 ESV

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. Prov. 18:10 ESV

The word became flesh and dwelt among us... John 1:14 ESV

I am the vine, you are the branches. John 15:5 ES

Our King reaches into the darkest most desolate places, not to hurt you but to hold you.

The blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings... 1 Timothy 6:15 ESV

For to us a child is born, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 ESV

No one loves us like the King who came in a cradle.

Allegiance to the King comes with divine rights and responsibilities that are incredible gifts.

Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. James 1:17 MSG

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. Psalms 103:2-8 NLT

We don’t earn or deserve the blessings God gives, that’s why they’re called gifts!


Gifts we can’t afford to forget.
Forgiveness, Freedom, Grace, Healing Presence, Peace, Patience, Passion, Contentment

For to us a child is born, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 ESV

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 ESV

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2 ESV

There were a lot of people who missed on noticing Jesus presence, there still are.

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” Matthew 2:3-6 ESV - (Micah 5:2)

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. Matthew 2:7-12 ESV

What do you do in the presence of the King? You come in humility and with all that you are and have you worship Him!

The supernatural summation from creation to salvation adds up to life abundant and eternal!

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 NLT

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see. such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Colossians 1:15-17 NLT

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3: 23 NLT

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. Romans 3:22 NLT

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 NLT

God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. Romans 3:24 MSG

Disobedience + God’s Justice = Death / Disobedience + Jesus Sacrifice = Life

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NLT

While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8 ESV

Jesus not only paid sins penalty, He broke sins power.

Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life, no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did. Romans 6:6-11 MSG

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:1 ESV

If we do a little math we will see that our blessings are greater than our burdens.

Blessings > Burdens

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thes. 5:18 ESV

Do everything without complaining and arguing. Philippians 2:14 NLT


Rather than debating whether our cup is half empty or half full we should try being thankful that we have a cup!

I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don't mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles. Philippians 4:10-14 MSG


Where X is Thankfulness, Y is Complaining and Z = Joy

The sum of X and Y = Z

X +/- (-Y) = Z

X + (-Y) = Z or 10 + (-10) = 0

X - (-Y) = Z or 10 - (-10) = 20

Anytime you subtract a negative it becomes a positive.

A complaining life is a discontented life!

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? Romans 2:4 ESV

Being Thankful is a great place to start but it’s only the beginning of a right response to the goodness and faithfulness of God.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28 ESV

Blessed people are not always grateful, but grateful people are always blessed.

Blessing + Gratefulness = Generosity

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:1 ESV

If we do a little math we will see that our blessings are greater than our burdens.

Blessings > Burdens

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thes. 5:18 ESV

Do everything without complaining and arguing. Philippians 2:14 NLT


Rather than debating whether our cup is half empty or half full we should try being thankful that we have a cup!

I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don't mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles. Philippians 4:10-14 MSG


Where X is Thankfulness, Y is Complaining and Z = Joy

The sum of X and Y = Z

X +/- (-Y) = Z

X + (-Y) = Z or 10 + (-10) = 0

X - (-Y) = Z or 10 - (-10) = 20

Anytime you subtract a negative it becomes a positive.

A complaining life is a discontented life!

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? Romans 2:4 ESV

Being Thankful is a great place to start but it’s only the beginning of a right response to the goodness and faithfulness of God.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28 ESV

Blessed people are not always grateful, but grateful people are always blessed.

Blessing + Gratefulness = Generosity

The Christian life requires constantly coaching our hearts to trust God in everything and in every way.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

Comparison is the opposite of trust and a sure fire way to derail God’s design for your life.

Comparison and fear fade away when we choose to completely trust God.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 ESV - - Ps 23:1 The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want…

Trust triumphs over envy, jealousy and insecurity.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds. Jeremiah 17:7-10 ESV

Trust Jesus in the daily rhythms and routines of life knowing He’ll take care of the other things.

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. Psalm 55:22 NLT

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” Luke 22:31-34 ESV

A mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant.

What do you do with a God who hunts you down after you fail Him, not to vaporize you, but to make you breakfast on the beach? You follow Him. Gordon Fee