Sacrifice | What Could Be | Erin Johnston
When things get hard, do you find it easy to quit? In Scripture, Nehemiah was willing to sacrifice what was valuable to him, in order to keep going after what God had said. To go in the direction of God’s call today, we must grow in our spiritual strength, endurance, flexibilty, and resilience. How do you become someone willing to sacrifice to go in the direction that God has called? What might you need to start, stop, or modify?
Key Verses
Nehemiah 2:17-18 NLT: 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.
Nehemiah 3:1-2 NLT: Then Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to rebuild at the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set up its doors, building the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and the Tower of Hananel.People from the town of Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was Zaccur son of Imri.
Nehemiah 3:3 NLT: The Fish Gate was built by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.
Nehemiah 3:6 NLT: The Old City Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.
Nehemiah 4:6-9 NLT: At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious.They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion.But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.
Nehemiah 4:11-12 NLT: Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.”The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!”
Nehemiah 4:16-18 NLT: But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of Judahwho were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm.
Nehemiah 6:5-9 NLT: The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his handand this is what it said: “There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king.He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, ‘Look! There is a king in Judah!’ “You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.”I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.”They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.
Nehemiah 2:4-5 NLT: 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 4:14 NLT: Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”
Nehemiah 6:15-16 NLT: So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun.When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.
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.