Text: Nehemiah 11:1-12:47 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: The wall is finished, the gates are hung, the Temple and altar are rebuilt, restocked, and restaffed. Revival and reform begins to break out among the people. The city is repopulated, the land is retaken, the people are recommitted to proper worship, and there is great rejoicing heard around the world. How is this possible? They were just ordinary people but they committed themselves to the simple, ordinary obedience to an extraordinary God. True revival will look the same way for us today.

In this lesson we discuss 6 ideals characterizing friendship: Affection, Constancy, Transparency, Candor, Empathy and Trust.

Text: Nehemiah 10:1-39 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: After confessing their sins together the people begin the process of putting that repentance into action. They assess the high cost of covenant renewal—it will cost them their freedom, self-sacrifice, and specific obedience. The cost is the same for anyone today who wants to follow Christ. But who can pay such a price? Thankfully, there is good news.

In this lesson we finish our discussion on the benefits of friendship and begin looking at Lesson 4 by defining Friendship.

Text: Nehemiah 9:1-37 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: The people continue their covenant renewal process. After hearing the Word read and preached, and celebrating the festivals as commanded, they now offer up their full prayers of repentance and confession. We too must remember that God has redeemed us, and we should celebrate that always. But because he has redeemed us, therefore we must also live a life of repentance and new obedience to show our gratitude for his salvation.

In this lesson we discuss why friendship is as C.S. Lewis says, "The greatest of wordly goods."

Text: Nehemiah 8:1-18 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: After the wall was finished and the people finally had rest from the attacks of their enemies, they turned to another rebuilding effort. This time it wasn't the external structures of their city, it was the internal affections of their hearts. As they gathered together to hear God's Word read and preached, revival broke out. The people saw their need to reorder their lives around God's law, and in doing so they found great joy. And that same joy, which is ours in Christ, is the strength of God's people today.

In this lesson we examine a contemporary alternative to biblical friendship and what it produces.

Text: Nehemiah 6:1-7:73 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: We return to the common theme of suffering and adversity as Nehemiah faces a continued onslaught from Sanballat and company. Yet he and the people persevered through all the deception and temptation and finally, after 52 grueling days, the wall was finished and they had rest. How did they withstand so much suffering, and how can God's people today? Through God's help (6:16), and by centering their lives around the cross and the Bible.

In this lesson we sketch out a biblical framework for friendship from the created order found in Genesis.