In Nehemiah 8, spiritual renewal happens through reading of the scriptures and obeying them in celebration; but here in Nehemiah 9, spiritual renewal is marked by confession and worship. This confession is a history of God’s work and faithfulness among his people, even in the midst of their unfaithfulness.

This sermon asks us to think about confession in the same way: with God at the centre of the story. But it also explores what it might look like for us to begin to confess our own collective history before God in the same way.

A real and close relationship with God clarifies our identity and strengthens our courage to stand firm and true in the face of peer pressure.

Jesus is now in glory always interceding for us and He has sent the Holy Spirit to always be with us.

Believers are called and equipped by Jesus to do the same works he did and even greater things, becoming his witnesses and demonstrating God’s power in the world.

In needy times, believers share God’s mercy by God’s grace.

For Ezra and Nehemiah, the building of the Temple and of the Walls of Jerusalem were never just about building physical things; they were always about the spiritual renewal of God’s people after a time of disobedience and hardship. How do Ezra and Nehemiah lead the people back on the journey with God? They publicly read the scriptures.

This sermon investigates how scripture is one of the paths back to spiritual renewal and vitality for us. There is instructive guidance in this passage about what the scriptures are and what they are for. We learn that they are for the whole community, it helps if we are ready to listen, ready to do something differently as a result of our reading, and best if we embrace the joy of the Lord.

Nehemiah in the face of opposition relentlessly trusts and diligently serves.

This sermon, based on John the Baptist’s insights into baptism and Jesus’ own baptism, encourage us to image baptism as something that God uses to empower us for the next steps He has for us. Baptism then is not an arrival, but a step of equipping for the journey to come.

Walking faithfully with God is critically important to concretely doing something for God.

Praying persistently prepares us to trust God and act courageously.