Nehemiah spends months in prayer that ultimately leads up to this moment. He is given the request God had been putting on everyone’s lives who were involved in a process that had significance that went beyond anything they could imagine.

1. The purpose of prayer is to change our hearts, not God’s mind.

2. The time spent preparing for a work is just as important as the work itself.

3. Never underestimate the work God can do through your life

John's final word in his letter is a warning about idolatry. It destroys lives in a very subtle way. And Christians are more at risk of falling into it than anyone else.

1. There is no greater burden than great potential.

2. The biggest mistakes are the product of small compromises made regularly over time.

3. Corruption takes place by erosion, not explosion.

Nehemiah’s ministry begins with his heart breaking over the state of Jerusalem. While nothing practical is accomplished yet, he makes the first and most important step in being used by God. He takes the time to make sure his own relationship with God was informed and equipped for whatever God desired of him.

1. The purpose of prayer is aligning your desires with God’s.

2. The love of God is impossible to show apart from the power of God.

3. The key to being used by God is showing up and trusting He will take care of the rest.

As the new Iran conflict rages on, it's important to have a biblical perspective on just how significant these current events are in view of God's unfolding prophetic plan for human history. 

Ezra's initial ministry concludes with a call to confession and reconciliation with God. The process wasn't good for the men's reputations, but it was the best thing for their future here and in eternity.

1. The goal of fasting is to make God more of a priority than whatever you're replacing that time spent with.

2. If you put your family before God, there will come a point where you have to choose one over the other.

3. Sin has consequences, but God offers restoration.

John continues to drive home the point that our confidence towards Heaven is centered in Jesus. Any distraction or deviation from that is from the enemy and needs to be answered by further focus on the person and promises of our Lord.

1. There is a devil and the less attention we give him the better.

2. Jesus is our security against the enemy.

3. The assurance of our salvation is in Jesus alone.

Ezra’s return to Jerusalem was astonishing. It was disappointing, discouraging, and depressing. Yet in spite of the negative emotions this rightly produced, he ultimately responded through fellowship with God’s people, patience, and prayer.

1. Emotions are good servants, but poor masters.

2. Prayer aligns our will with God’s, not the other way around.

3. None of us should want what we deserve before a Holy God.

The Sin Leading Unto Death is a controversial topic in Christian circles. The reason isn't because we don't know what it is. There are simply too few willing to deal with the reality that God reserves the right to take His children out if they cross over certain lines. The key to avoiding that line is to consider the bad examples of it in other people as reason to take it seriously in our own lives.

1. The line between seeking prayer for someone and gossip is actually praying for them.

2. A historical example of the Sin leading to death is Ananias and Saphira.

3. The people we support in life can be warnings about our own issues as well.