Jesus knew that the world has a way of squeezing us into its mold. Without intentional re-formation of our values and attitudes our minds will be conformed to think like the world thinks.

As is the case in real life, Nehemiah’s success does not last. The spiritual high that culminated in chapters 10-12 with the sounds of celebration and rejoicing have now been replaced with the very acute failures of God’s people.

Have you ever gotten off track in your Christian walk? One of the basic principles of following Jesus Christ is the gradual and progressive turning our affections from the things of this world to the things of Christ. But sometimes we need a reality check, an evaluation of our priorities, a recentering of our life with Christ.

God’s Word must play a central role in the life of each Christian. For years the church has not enjoyed the privilege of having the Scriptures in such abundance as it does today. Perhaps it is this profusion which has led many to take God’s Word for granted and leave it undisturbed and dusty.

There is a tendency in our world to easily give up when we are frustrated, and one of the most rare traits is ability to persevere. As Nehemiah nears completion of the walls in Jerusalem the opposition becomes more fierce and we will see how he handles the difficulty of enduring the intimidation of his foes by relying on God’s calling, strength and word.

Many times in our lives we get unintentionally distracted.  It can be our kids programs, doctor’s appointments, or anything on the calendar that eats up every minute of the day.  In a world where there is no slowing down for our busy schedules, we need to be careful not to overlook the essential ministries the Lord has called us to: our family, our church, and our communi

Jesus said that “in this world you will have trouble;” Nehemiah faced this trouble head on. Today we will look at his response to the opposition of those whose desire it was to stir up trouble. Going beyond insults, Nehemiah faced actual threats on his life - how would you respond? We will see through chapter 4 how he handles supporting the community the middle of the greatest struggle that the rebuilding project has faced to date.

Have you heard the saying that “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link?”  Well, what if each link that chain was able to assist the others - you’d then have a cord assisted by the entirety of its common ability.

We begin a new series looking at the book of Nehemiah.  Today we will examine chapter 1-2 and see 3 acts of drama as Nehemiah learns about the state of his ancestral home and follows a conviction to rebuild it with God’s help.

In our world today its all too easy to embrace the temptation to work more to earn more. The nature of greed and abundance has pushed the American worker beyond the limits of healthy sleep habits, and rest becomes a luxury too costly to afford. What does God think of this?