Episode Summary:

There is no ambiguity about what Jesus told us was to consume our lives as our top priority. He says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” The Greek verb “to seek” means, to strive after, to desire. It is the opposite of being lackadaisical, indifferent, or nonchalant. It is pursuit that is self-motivated, intentional and passionate. The word “first” indicates that Jesus is telling us to make this pursuit the all-consuming top priority of our lives. In context, this verse is about being preoccupied. We are to be pre-occupied with spreading Christ’s agenda of righteousness and restoration over the earth.

As we saw last week, Nehemiah became a man who was consumed with God’s agenda, in his case the restoration of the wall around the city of Jerusalem. In this episode we see that when you adopt God’s agenda, he will provide the resources needed to accomplish it.  

For Further Prayerful Thought:

1. Can you relate to Nehemiah praying intensely for the wall to be rebuilt and seeing God do nothing? What have you learned about overcoming discouragement in prayer?
2. It’s not stated explicitly but surely looks like Nehemiah had built a very strong relationship of servanthood and loyalty to Artaxerxes. What pieces of evidence do you see in the text that suggest such a strong relationship?
3. Contrast the loyalty and respect for authority required of God’s people and shown by Nehemiah to cultural Marxism’s worldview that labels all authority figures oppressors. Where do you see the seeds of cultural Marxism in our culture? In the church?
4. Which insights from Nehemiah do you most want to remember in seeking to implement Christ’s agenda of righteousness in your spheres of influence? 

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