Posts with the category “devotional”

Nehemiah 6:5-8 Throughout the entire time of rebuilding the wall, Nehemiah has faced a lot of opposition. When previous attempts failed, some of his enemies tried deception and intimidation. This was an attempt to discredit Nehemiah’s leadership and destroy his reputation.   We see in these verses that an open letter was received. This might be a small detail that would get overlooked, but one tha...  Read More

Nehemiah 6:1-4Nehemiah was given a job to do. Build the wall! He needed to continue this work no matter what. He knew what he needed to do and stuck to his work. Now, these people wanted to take him away and meet with him because they did not want Nehemiah to be able to finish his task. Time and time again, they sent him letters, and time and time and time again, he refused to meet with them. He w...  Read More

Main Point and Overview:   Sometimes pushbacks come in forms beyond physical threats. When Sanballat and his henchmen came for Nehemiah and the Jews, Nehemiah was physically ready, having positioned, equipped, and motivated the people. They were aligned properly through much planning and preparation. In fact, it could be argued that they were more prepared now for an attack than they had been in t...  Read More

1 Corinthians 12:26The human body is fascinating, and every part of it is necessary and serves a beautiful purpose. It’s remarkable to know that our bodies have the ability to regenerate and repair themselves. A few other notable facts are that the skin can be grafted from one part of the body to grow on another part. It is the human body’s largest organ and is constantly renewing itself. And wow,...  Read More

Acts 4:32-35We are all familiar with the old church saying, “the church isn’t brick and mortar, it’s the people inside.” Well, as cliché as that might have become, it is biblically accurate. Those of us who call ourselves Christians are the church. That is why we refer to ourselves as a church family. As with the nuclear familiar, it is the people that make it home. As I write this, we are just a ...  Read More

James 1:27 As Christians, it's easy for us to fall into this trap of contentment. A feeling that pulls us into thinking what God has blessed us with is for our personal use. With that being said, we also know as Christians that it is not from God, but a tactic used by the enemy to try and hinder the growth of the kingdom. We see in James 1:27:Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultl...  Read More

Nehemiah 5:13-19It’s much easier to be a follower than a leader. To go with the norm, go with tradition, go with the culture. It takes a brave person to break away from that and choose to be a leader. It’s also easier to break rules, take the easy route, or be lazy. Being a follower of Christ, you will be in the minority. You may be the only Christian in your family, workplace, or friend group. Ma...  Read More

Nehemiah 5:7-12 Have you ever been taken advantage of in some way? I am sure we can all say yes to that question. Whether it was a big deal in your life or as something small like your sibling conning you in a bad trade for Halloween candy, it never feels good to be in that position. In Nehemiah, we have seen the Israelites face opposition from external forces, but here we even start to see intern...  Read More

Nehemiah 5:1-6The Jews in this passage are crying out for help. It seems as if there is a famine, and people are having to overpay the officials and nobles just to live! They are even selling sons and daughters into slavery in order to keep food on the table. Nehemiah is outraged! He is shocked by the sin of the officials who are taking advantage of their own people and their hunger. Sin is someth...  Read More

Main Point and Overview:   Why would God put such an “unusual” story in the middle of the “walls project” in Jerusalem, led by Nehemiah? Perhaps it’s because what was actually “broken” in Israel was much deeper than physical walls. Sure…the walls represented protection and prosperity, but the people had even bigger problems. They had allowed syncretism to invade their land as they “mixed” worship ...  Read More

Read Philippians 2:9-11One day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Have you bowed your knee to Jesus, and if you want, who hasn’t in your family or friends’ circle? It’s time that we take the Gospel of Jesus more seriously!Who are you presently “praying for” who needs Jesus in his or her life?How can you strategically plan to talk ...  Read More

Read Acts 9:17-22Saul yielded himself to the Holy Spirit and was baptized to identify himself with “the Way” – the group of people he once hated! Immediately, he began to preach the Gospel of Jesus! A man who was completely driven against God was now completely driven for God! God chose him for a purpose! God has chosen you for a purpose!What are the “evidences” of a changed life in Christ?What ar...  Read More

Read Acts 9:10-16Tarsus was an educational center with its university ranking with those of Athens and Alexandria as the finest in the Roman world. Saul was about to get the ultimate “education” of being a disciple of Jesus. Unfortunately, his reputation preceded him as being untrustworthy. He needed to embrace the process of proving!What’s a time in your past where you had to “prove yourself” aft...  Read More

Read Acts 9:6-9In this moment, Saul became completely vulnerable and helpless in blindness. Instead of “controlling” his life, he was now waiting for God’s direction. Instead of pursuing his passions, he was about to find out what God wanted him to do. It’s in these moments where true growth takes place…because you have NO OTHER OPTIONS!What has been the hardest thing for you to submit to Christ i...  Read More

Read Acts 9:3-5Saul went to get “arrest warrants” from the high priest, also a civil authority. Damascus, a key commercial city with several trade routes, was located 175 miles northeast of Jerusalem. If he could “stamp out” Christianity in Damascus, he could eliminate its spread throughout the Roman Empire. On his way, he was confronted by Christ.How did God get your attention when you needed Him...  Read More

Read Acts 9:1-2There was great antagonism against “the Way” (Christianity) led by a young Pharisee named Saul. He had been named after the first king of Israel. He had been trained under the famous Rabbi Gamaliel. His chief goal in life was to “snuff out” Christianity, as he saw it as a threat to the laws and traditions of Judaism (Legalism vs. Grace).What is your greatest temptation that drifts y...  Read More

Nehemiah 4:21-23So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, e...  Read More

Nehemiah 4:16-18Nehemiah is one of my favorite books in the Bible, and also one of my favorite men. Why? Because his story is so wonderfully unfolded. He ached for what had happened to Jerusalem, and more specifically, the walls that had been built to protect it. Jerusalem and the walls themselves were in terrible disrepair. Once he had heard of this, he began his strategy to rebuild them. As a pl...  Read More

Nehemiah 4:15 When things get tough, we often find it’s much easier to give up or abandon a task. We see it all over the world, from sports, work, and even the Christian Journey. We give up so easily! In our house, Sarah and I often talk about not panicking when things don't go our way. Trust me, I know it’s easier said than done. We are in the midst of searching for a new house. Between searching...  Read More

Nehemiah 4:14Fear. We all have it. It looks different for everyone, but we all feel it at some point in our lives. Fear is what made Moses hesitate when God said he was the man to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Fear is what caused the Israelites to wander in the wilderness. Fear is what made Jonah run from God. Fear is what caused Elijah to run from his enemies. There are several others I could...  Read More

Nehemiah 4:10-12The people had become tired from building the wall, and their morale was going down. Imagine how tired you might be from spending every day working endlessly to rebuild this massive wall. As your body is really feeling the fatigue, you start to hear about how your enemies are plotting together to attack you. I would imagine that you would start to feel scared, defeated, intimidated...  Read More

Nehemiah 4:1-5 The building of the wall was not easy for the builders. It was a physical burden, but one we saw they did together! This passage shows the mental anguish it must have been. We are given two names in this passage. Sanballat and Tobiah. The Jews are hard at work, rebuilding the walls, and these two men sit there and ridicule and do what they can to discourage them. The response to the...  Read More

If you ever attempt something big, you are guaranteed to experience pressure and pushback from people who either don’t believe in what you are doing or are actually against what you are doing. This is exactly what Nehemiah faced. Instead of panicking, he went to prayer. In fact, on multiple occasions when under pressure, he prayed (2:4, 4:4, 4:9, 6:9). He is the perfect example of a leader who sta...  Read More

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12Fifteen years ago, I found myself in uncharted waters. This unexpected storm of life stirred emotions of fear, grief, confusion, sadness, anger, and somehow numbness all at the same time. My two youngest children were feeling the effects of having their lives turned upside down.  I cried out to God, wondering how I was going to live; how I was going to make ends meet, how I was ...  Read More

Ephesians 2:10Growing up, I participated in sports. Baseball, basketball, football. I wasn’t terrible, but I certainly wasn’t a stand-out. Playing sports was just something boys in the mid-seventies did. My most active years were third through fifth grade, 1974-1977. My dad was in the Air Force, and we were stationed in Naples, Italy. The sports bus ran from my elementary school to the sports comp...  Read More

1 Corinthians 12:12-27As we continue through the book of Nehemiah and the sermon series Let’s rebuild something. I want us to imagine you are about to build your dream home. Whatever you can imagine your dream house to look like, you have the resources to make it happen. As you prepare to start the project, you realize you do not have the tools or the knowledge to make the right choices when it co...  Read More

Nehemiah 3Can you imagine what would happen to a church if the lead pastor ran all the ministries? The lead pastor would not only preach to adults, but he would also have to teach the children and the youth, too. Not to mention welcome people at the door, rock babies in the nursery, run sound and mic tests, lead worship, make coffee, and more! If this sounds a bit chaotic and out of order, it’s be...  Read More

Nehemiah 3:15-27Looking at today’s section may just feel like a list of names and what they were doing towards the construction of the wall. However, we see a powerful story happening. Over and over in this section, we see this phrase, “next to him” or “next to them”. We see many different people coming together to repair the wall side by side. Priests, rulers, families, craftsmen, and everyday pe...  Read More

Nehemiah 3:5 It's amazing to read this passage within the context. You get to see all of the people who were willing and able to help with rebuilding the gates. Everyone is getting their spotlight in history and a chance to do something that they have been asked to do. Then, in verse 5, we see that the nobles of the Tekoites would not stoop so low to work. In their pride, they chose not to build, ...  Read More

Main Point and Overview:     Nehemiah was the visionary, but a vision without a plan, and people will not work! He understood the importance of teamwork, so he inspired and involved the people who were closest to the need. You have heard the phrase before: “There is no ‘I’ in team!” It’s 100% true! If we as a church are going to fully accomplish the vision that God has for us, we must be “all in” ...  Read More

Nehemiah 2:1-20Rebuilding. Have you ever been through a rebuilding project? Maybe your home’s foundation has experienced decades of water intrusion, leading to the decline of the structural integrity. And ouch; fire, wind, and hail can cause so much damage, creating a need to rebuild.  Dwellings are not the only thing in need of rebuilding; families, marriages, relationships, teams, a life... thos...  Read More

Nehemiah 1:5-11Nehemiah was a leader. When he heard of the dire straits of how things were going in Jerusalem and the need to rebuild the wall, he stepped up. A good leader casts vision. A good leader inspires those around them to capture and follow that vision. And in my experience, good leaders surround themselves with even better people. People who are subject matter experts. People who are pas...  Read More

Nehemiah 2:13-16Have you ever done a Chinese fire drill in a car? The one where you are stopped and everyone opens the doors, jumps out, and runs around the car and then jumps back in?  If you have, you know it's complete chaos! You don't know which way the other people are going to run or if someone is going to steal your seat! How often do we treat life like that, where we just jump into a proje...  Read More

Nehemiah 2:11-12You may have heard about a third campus coming to Emmanuel! If you’re new to the church, we have two locations. A Flint Campus and a Grand Blanc Campus. The vision of Emmanuel is to multiply by going into different cities and adopting churches that may need help reaching the community. Although the third campus is new to many ears at Emmanuel, it’s been something our lead pastor ha...  Read More

Nehemiah 2:6-10As we continue to look through the story of Nehemiah, we see an interesting section here today. Nehemiah was greatly troubled about what was happening with Jerusalem and wanted to help. We see that he first responded with sorrow but also prayer. Next, we see him before the king and asking that he would grant him the time and passage to go and rebuild the walls. It was exciting that ...  Read More

Nehemiah 2:1-5 Have you ever had a time in your life when you are doing something, but your mind is elsewhere? Sitting at work and thinking of your family at home? For me, this tends to happen most when I am driving (which is not always safe) and I drift into my own thoughts of things I need to do, conversations I had that day, or just thinking about the game last weekend. The next thing you know,...  Read More

“It’s worth the risk!” Have you ever heard that statement? So often, people make the choice to “play it safe,” when God is calling us to come out of our comfort zones to do something mighty! Nehemiah had everything to lose and nothing to gain…by the world’s standards. He was in an elevated position serving the most powerful king in the world, yet he saw beyond the comfort to the crisis. As a resul...  Read More

Nehemiah 1:1-11How do you respond to bad news and deep emotional stress? Do you respond with action? Do you respond with prayer? Nehemiah’s burden led him to tears, fasting, and prayer. He prayed to the “God of heaven,” acknowledging God’s great and awesome character. Prayer is Nehemiah’s first response, his first order of business upon hearing terrible news about Jerusalem. His prayer comes from ...  Read More

Nehemiah 1:5-11The story of Nehemiah is one of my personal favorites. This book is rich with history as well as a testimony to the faithfulness of Nehemiah. In these passages, Nehemiah is confessing before God the wickedness of his people. When praying, this is an important factor in our prayers. When taking the Lord’s supper, we are told to first reconcile with anyone with whom we are at odds wit...  Read More

Nehemiah 1:5-11How's your prayer life? I think we could all do better when it comes to prayer. Too often, prayer becomes our last resort when it could and SHOULD be our first line of defense. Nehemiah is a wonderful example of a man who went straight to prayer when there was a problem, but he didn't stop there. He prayed, and then he took action! Upon hearing the news of the wall of Jerusalem bein...  Read More