We don't have to hold it all together. As Colossians says, it is Christ that holds all things together. This sermon expands upon who Jesus is and what that means for our lives by addressing three things that are true in light of this. 1. We don't need to fear. 2. God has not forsaken us. 3. God is still calling us to follow him.

Have you ever thought about what an apostle would pray for? Paul prays in Colossians 1 that God’s people would personally know God and live accordingly. This sermon outlines this prayer as well as a practical example of how we can pray, through interactive gratitude, in a way that we encounter God and engage with him.

There is something in us that is prone to wander from God. Nehemiah 13 outlines a number of the sins that the people of Israel turned back to after Nehemiah went back to Babylon, but there is hope. How do we keep the fire burning in our spiritual life? This sermon outlines three different things we can prioritize to maintain our passion and relationship with God.

Nehemiah 9-11 focuses on the repentance and renewal of the Israelites. Throughout history, every revival has been accompanied by deep repentance. Repentance is based on who God is—not who we are, but who we are to Him. Repentance begins with conviction, leads to confession, and results in returning to God. We need to return to and invest in God’s ways because it is God who restores and renews.

Nehemiah 9 warns the people about their tendency to fall into sin and the need for confession. Confession is the pathway to restoration. Confession affirms the goodness of God, our need, God’s grace, and Christ’s solution, and enables an openness to the work of the Spirit.

While the people of Israel are physically restoring the walls throughout the book of Nehemiah, God is also restoring their hearts. Part of restoring hearts involves restoring the law, the word of God, to the proper place in the hearts of the people of Israel, which is what Nehemiah 8 focuses on. God’s word is essential for the restoration of his people. There is no other way to be brought back into a relationship with God unless we value, honor, meditate on, and act on his word.

As believers, we often know what the Bible says about our relationship with God, but that knowledge doesn’t always impact us on an emotional level. We don’t often feel it. One way we can grow in this is through fasting. This sermon dives deeper into the purposes of fasting and how we can fast to move into a deeper relationship with God.

Why isn’t this easier? This is a question Nehemiah probably asked himself while rebuilding the wall and a question we often ask ourselves. If we have the expectation that God will make it easy for us when we’re trying to do something good, we will end up frustrated, disappointed, and discouraged. However, Nehemiah responded to difficulty with a prayer for strength, not the absence of difficulty. Similarly, we can view difficulty as a context for faith, wisdom, courage, and perseverance.

Nehemiah 5 focuses on how God uses the leadership of Nehemiah to both restore the walls of Jerusalem and the hearts of the people. Their hearts were in disrepair, and God used Nehemiah's courageous and servant-hearted leadership to build his people. By knowing that God is the real reward, we are able to lead like Nehemiah did, as a protector of people, not an exploiter.

Innovation was part of the plan that God used to restore the people of Israel through the work that Nehemiah was doing. God used a culture of innovation in the restoration of the wall in Jerusalem, and he continues to use our innovation and creativity in all aspects of life.