After Nehemiah leads the people to finish building the wall around Jerusalem, one would think he would take some time and relax, perhaps have a festival to celebrate? Unfortunately, there’s no time for that. Instead, he does what any good project manager would do--he starts taking inventory. Nehemiah opens the old genealogical records and starts a full-scale census of everyone in the city: all 42,360 people, plus their servants, plus their animals. We’re tempted to think of such lists of names and numbers as tedious, but these were people reclaiming their identity, their heritage, and their place in God's story after decades of exile and displacement. The Hon. Rev. Scot Kerns, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Easton, PA, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Nehemiah 7. To learn more about Faith Lutheran, visit faithlcms.com.From rubble to renewal, Nehemiah shows how the Lord rebuilds not just walls but hearts. Brick by brick and prayer by prayer, we follow God’s people through repentance, courageous leadership, fierce opposition, covenant renewal, and joyful dedication. This verse-by-verse series keeps Law and Gospel front and center, tracing the story from burned gates to the greater Builder — Christ Jesus — who secures a city that cannot fall. Expect honest history, practical application, and the steady comfort of God’s promises when the work is heavy and critics are loud.Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].