“Who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29b) Jesus answers this question not just with words, but with His life. Through His love, He shows that the story of God’s compassion has no boundaries—it stretches across race, culture, and circumstance. Because God so loved, we are invited to do the same… to see every person as part of God’s beloved story.

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We’ve never seen God face to face—but in Jesus, we see God’s heart made visible. Every word, every act of compassion, every moment of grace in Jesus’ life shows us exactly what God has to say to the world: “I am here. I love you. Come and know Me.”

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When the story feels like it’s reaching an end, remember: God’s story didn’t end in distance but in dwelling. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) Jesus chose to step into our world—to be with us, not apart from us. In His presence, endings become beginnings, despair meets grace, and truth brings us home again. Maybe this isn’t the end after all. Maybe this is where God begins something new... together.

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Remember me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day.

I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves.”

When the story feels like it’s reaching an end, remember: God’s story didn’t end in distance but in dwelling. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) Jesus chose to step into our world—to be with us, not apart from us. In His presence, endings become beginnings, despair meets grace, and truth brings us home again. Maybe this isn’t the end after all. Maybe this is where God begins something new... together.

If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect

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Remember me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day.

I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves.”

When we take a step toward God, we find He’s already reaching out to us. As James 4:8a says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” Life is simply better together—not just with one another, but with the One who invites us closer every day. As we lean into His love, we discover His grace meeting us right where we are.  Let’s continue journeying nearer to Him—together.

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The List of the Exiles Who Returned

Following Jesus isn’t easy. There are days when it feels like the opposition, the pressure, or just the tiredness is too much. But we’re reminded to “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” — Hebrews 12:3. This reminds us that we don’t run this race alone. Jesus has gone before us and he places us in community so that when one of us is weary, others can help carry the load. At Community Church, we’re learning that it’s better together not because it’s easy, but because God meets us in the struggle and strengthens us through one another.

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So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”

“We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”

Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”

At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

Following Jesus isn’t easy. There are days when it feels like the opposition, the pressure, or just the tiredness is too much. But we’re reminded to “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” — Hebrews 12:3. This reminds us that we don’t run this race alone. Jesus has gone before us and he places us in community so that when one of us is weary, others can help carry the load. At Community Church, we’re learning that it’s better together not because it’s easy, but because God meets us in the struggle and strengthens us through one another.

If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect

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So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”

“We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”

Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”

At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

As Christians, we believe no one is on the sidelines in God’s family. Every story, every skill, every act of kindness matters. When each of us brings our God-given gifts to the table, the church becomes a living picture of Jesus’ love in our city. We’re better together—every heart, every hand, every voice. In God’s family, it’s all hands on deck!

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By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

Courage doesn’t always roar—it often looks like quiet faith, shared hope, and steadfast prayer. In every challenge, God reminds us we’re not meant to walk alone. This week, we’re exploring what it means to live Better Together: Courageous Wisdom—to lean on one another, stay joyful in hope, patient in the waiting, and faithful in prayer.

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I was cupbearer to the king.

Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

The king said to me, “What is it you want?”Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

The Promise of the new economy is that in God’s Kingdom, nothing surrendered is ever wasted. In Jesus, even our dying-to-self becomes the seed of a bigger, more beautiful life for many. “Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” — John 12:24. In the economy of Jesus, loss is not the last word. Letting go of control, status, or security for love’s sake feels like a kind of dying, but God is quietly turning that hidden surrender into a harvest of justice, mercy, and new community. What if the “new economy” God is inviting us into is one where: generosity replaces competition, shared tables replace isolated success, and faith, not fear, sets the budget of our lives? As we step into this new year, may we dare to plant our small seeds—our time, our gifts, our resources, our stories—trusting that Jesus is already preparing a harvest far beyond what we can see.

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They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”