Main Idea
This week, we begin a new series called “Fight of Your Life”, where we learn from Nehemiah that God wants to rebuild your family and He wants to use YOU to do it. You don’t have to be perfect. You just need to have compassion, pray like it depends on God, plan like it depends on you, and refuse to give up even when others do.
Scripture
Nehemiah 4: 1-14
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”
3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”
4 Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of[b] the builders.
6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
11 Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”
12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
Discussion Questions
- Icebreaker: Growing up, was there a TV or movie family you wished was your own? Why?
- When you think about your current or future family, what do you hope it looks like? What are you doing now to move toward that?
- Read Nehemiah 4:14. What does it mean to “fight for your family”? How is that different from trying to “fix” them?
- What are some ways fear or discouragement has tried to stop you from praying for or reaching out to your family? How can we encourage each other to stay in the fight?
Moving Forward
Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity…our family’s section of the wall has your name on it. You’re not alone; God is with you, and your church family is standing next to you. So don’t be afraid. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your family.
