Ever faced a moment when you knew the right thing to do, but also knew it would cost you something? This message explores that tension through the story of Nehemiah, a man whose life was comfortable, influential, and secure until he heard a report that broke his heart. From a place of distance and safety, Nehemiah chose to say yes to God’s call to step into brokenness he did not create, taking responsibility rather than deflecting it. His yes pulled him out of comfort and into a story much larger than himself.

As the story unfolds, we see how Nehemiah’s obedience cost him his comfort, his career, and his sense of control. He leaves the security of the Persian palace, risks his position with the king, and steps into uncertainty without guarantees of success. Like Dietrich Bonhoeffer decades later, Nehemiah models a faith that refuses to stay safe when faithfulness requires courage. This is not reckless obedience, but prayer-soaked trust that chooses faithfulness over self-preservation.

For most of us, a costly yes won’t involve rebuilding a city wall or confronting an empire. It will show up in ordinary places: relationships, work decisions, acts of service, or steps of faith we’ve been delaying. This message invites us to pray long enough to gain clarity, then place the outcome in God’s hands. Because clarity doesn’t always come all at once, and certainty rarely comes before obedience. Sometimes your yes is costly. Say yes anyway—because every costly yes we give flows from the costly yes Jesus already gave.