Nehemiah #2 – Study Questions
What’s next?
Nehemiah 2:1-20
INTRODUCTION: Before Nehemiah could begin the work on the walls, he had to assess the reality of the situation. It would have done him no good to begin a project without knowing the condition of the current structure. He had heard about what had happened, but he had not seen it. Now, seeing it, he could move forward. The same is true in our lives. If we don’t take time to allow God to reveal the true condition of our lives and hearts, we will never move forward to what God has next in health. Yes, the past is the past. We don’t have to let it define our futures. But, if we don’t account for it and understand it, we will ruin the future before it begins. Why? Because it has led us to where we are today. As a church and as individuals, we must look at the past (healthy and unhealthy), celebrate what’s worthy of celebration, and learn from the lessons so that we can move forward faithfully. In the second chapter of Nehemiah, we come to learn that we need to understand where we are before we can move forward.
GETTING STARTED – As you begin your group time, talk about how you have come to understand and experience the truth that your future is never disconnected from your past. Or, share what experiences in your past were crucial in developing you into who you are today. They could be positive and praiseworthy or challenging mistakes that you learned from the hard way. The reality is that we all have a few of both.
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage. It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?