I didn’t preach today, which gave me a little extra space to think and pray. In my personal Bible reading, I just finished the Gospel of Mark. As I came to the end, I was struck—again—by the story of Peter. Peter was one of Jesus’s closest friends. He wasn’t just part of the Twelve; he… Continue reading God Redeems Our Failures
In Nehemiah 7, the wall is finished. The hard part seems over. But then Nehemiah says something that changes everything: “Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy.” (Nehemiah 7:5) After months of backbreaking work, Nehemiah could have rested. Instead,… Continue reading When God Puts It on Your Heart: Remembering His Faithfulness
Nehemiah’s story in chapter 6 might be the most relatable part of the whole book. He’s almost finished rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall—an impossible task completed in record time—and just when he’s about to hang the doors and call it done, his enemies launch one final attack. They don’t come with swords or armies this time. They… Continue reading Stay on the Wall
Nehemiah 5 is one of the most surprising moments in the entire book. Up to this point, everything in the story has been moving in the right direction. The wall is rising, the people are unified, and the enemies who mocked them in chapter 4 have been silenced. Then suddenly—right in the middle of the… Continue reading Forget Yourself and Fear the Lord
Mike Tyson once said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” In Nehemiah 4, God’s people get punched in the mouth—hard. They’re rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, and for the first time in generations, hope is rising. Then the enemies show up. Sanballat and his allies gather their armies, mock the Jews publicly,… Continue reading Pray Like It Depends on God, Work Like It Depends on You
struggling and striving to follow Jesus
Joshua Wester 