NEHEMIAH PART 8 | Tribe Round Table Discussion

Tribe Recap July 29, 2018 | Nehemiah 8, 9, 10

This week was a small discussion format with a rotation between small groups  - each discussing one of three chapters in the book of Nehemiah!  We had coffee and donuts and a lot of laughter.  After 10 minutes, it was time to switch small groups until everyone had discussed each of three chapters (8,9, & 10) in a new small group.  Never underestimate your contribution to other’s spiritual journey!  Soak yourself in God’s word and overflow on others with the truth!  May the Lord bless your journey through Scripture.  YOU are a walking talking ‘God’s Word’ to others.

Read Nehemiah 8 and answer these questions:

1. What does the phrase “the joy of the Lord is your strength” mean?
2. Why would Nehemiah instruct the people not to weep or mourn at hearing the truth of the law?
3. Is there an area of your life where God is saying, “don’t weep…. celebrate!”

Read Nehemiah 9 and answer these questions:

1. Which stands out to you the most, the people’s failures or God’s faithfulness?  Which one of these do you focus on the most in your own life?
2. God’s name is found in Exodus 34:6-7, and it is hidden a few times in Nehemiah 9.  Can you find some of them?  God’s name = God’s personality    How does this shape how you see him?
3. Sin has consequences, true enough.  What do you think God is hoping for out of those consequences?

Read Nehemiah 10 and answer these questions:

1. Priests, gatekeepers and singers are among some of the list of roles and responsibilities in Nehemiah’s Jerusalem.  Which one do you relate to most and why?
2. Why is Sabbath so important to God?
3. What are first fruits? If you gave God first fruits what might that look like?

Here are some of Pastor Ken's thoughts on these three chapters just for fun:

Nehemiah 8: It isn’t fitting to be sad, even at your worst moment, if God wants to throw you a party.  The moment we come to God is a moment of celebration.  The day a people are rebuilt from exile (Neh 8), a wayward son returns (Luke 15), or a saint enters heaven (Ps 116, Rev 21) -  they are holy days to the Lord..ie, a perfect day.  The perfect day to God is the day one of his kids come home.

Nehemiah 9: You can’t break God.  There is nothing you can do in a negative way to stop God from being himself….(compassionate), wanting your presence in his life.  As long as you walk the face of the earth, there is a way back into God’s favor.  He ALWAYS wants to be with us, no matter what we have done or what has happened.  Even the destructive results of sin are a tool to get us to run to him, the faithful, compassionate, and forgiving Father who loves us more than life itself.

Nehemiah 10: Giving our first fruits to God means giving our BEST.  God knows when he’s getting leftovers.  When we give our best to God it’s scary because normally our best is given to ourselves to ensure our prosperity or survival.  “What will happen when I waste my best on God??”… we think.  Giving our best means we TRUST God, and this, makes him very, very happy.