Courage to Begin | What Could Be | Drew Moore
What will it take to close the gap between where you are and what God wants for you? Nehemiah 2 provides a model for three courageous steps of obedience: Set down what's in the way of obedience, count the cost, and gather a team around you. When Nehemiah takes these steps, he begins to close the gap. What's one courageous step of obedience you can take this week?
Key Verses
Nehemiah 2:1-5 NLT: Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence.So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.” Then I was terrifiedbut I replied, “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heavenI replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.”
Nehemiah 2:11-15 NLT: So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days laterI slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding.After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal’s Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates.Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but my donkey couldn’t get through the rubble.So, though it was still dark, I went up the Kidron Valley instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate.
Luke 14:28 NLT: “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
Nehemiah 2:16-18 NLT: The city officials did not know I had been out there or what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to anyone about my plans. I had not yet spoken to the Jewish leaders—the priests, the nobles, the officials, or anyone else in the administration.But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!”Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.
John 12:23-28 NLT: Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory.I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.“Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came!Father, bring glory to your name.” Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.”
Luke 14:25-35 NLT: A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them“If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you.They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him?And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away.So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again?Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”
Luke 5:1-11 NLT: One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.”For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him.His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
One of the best ways to hear what God is saying right now is to look at what He has said in the Bible with a few friends. Discovery Bible Study is an easy-to-use way to hear from God, make good changes in our lives, and share with others what God is up to. Grab some friends, pick a verse or story from above, and dive deeper into this week’s message.
Recap
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To begin the study, each person answers these questions:
What are you thankful for?
What is causing stress for our neighbors and people around us?
What can we as individuals or as a group do to help?
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Have someone retell the story from your previous meeting.
Did you live out your response from last week?
Did you tell anyone else about the story from last week?
DISCOVERING WHAT GOD IS SAYING
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One person reads the story out loud to the group.
Someone else in the group retells the story in their own words as they remember it, and others fill in what’s missing.
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Read the passage again (different version if possible)
What does this passage say about God, Jesus, or His plan?
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Have 1-2 more people retell the story as if they were telling a neighbor outside their home.
What does this passage say about people in general?
DISCOVER WHAT GOD IS SAYING
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What in me needs to change to better DO what God is showing me today?
How will you respond to/obey this passage in a tangible, perhaps even costly ways in the next 47 hours?
Have someone record these for prayer time, and for the beginning of the next meeting.
SHARING WHAT GOD IS SAYING
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Take prayer requests
Pray together
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Who in your life needs to hear this story?
Who could you invite to study the Bible like this?
Practice Generosity Here
Every time you give in Jesus’ name, you make a difference in others AND you make a difference in your own life! Partnering together in generosity helps accomplish things together that could never be accomplished alone! You can partner together in giving today with a single gift, or schedule recurring giving using your checking account, debit, or credit card.