Reflection & Discussion Questions
- Bible Reading; Nehemiah chapter 7:1-7
Reflecting from verse 1 (and also Romans 12:1) on how we make our life count for God by pursuing a life of worship, in what ways can you worship God as you go about each day?
Reflecting from verse 2 on how we make our life count for God by pursuing a life of character, why is integrity and character so valued by God, yet so undervalued in our culture and world
Reflecting from verse 3 (along with Mark 13:35-37 and Matthew 26:41) on how we make our lives count for God by pursuing a life of watchfulness, why is being watchful so important in a life of faith?
Reflecting from verse 5 on how we make our lives count for God by following the promptings of God, reflect on and/or discuss a time when God prompted you about something or put something on your heart.
Reflecting from verses 6-7 on how we make our lives count for God by understanding our part in God’s bigger picture purposes, where God has placed you and what part has God given you ‘for such a time as this’?
Reflection & Discussion Questions
- Bible Reading; Nehemiah chapter 6:1-16
- Reflect on and/or discuss a time when you have had to deal with distractions in life or faith.
- Theologian A.W. Tozer once said ‘Distractions must be conquered, or they will conquer us.” What do you think of that statement?
- Reflecting from verses 1-4, and particularly verse 3, on how Nehemiah focused on what was most important, what is most important in God’s calling on your life that you need to stay focused on?
- Reflecting from verses 5-8, and particularly verse 8, on how Nehemiah didn’t fight battles he didn’t need to, how can ‘What if?’ battles in our minds distract us from God’s best for us?
- Reflecting from verses 9-13, and particularly verse 9, on how Nehemiah didn’t give in to fear, how can fear distract or disrupt us from God’s best for us? In what ways, like Nehemiah, can you counter fear with faith by praying for God’s strengthening to stand your ground in faith?
- Reflecting from verses 15-16 on how it is the help of our God that makes a very real difference in our lives, what difference is the work of God making in your life in this current season of your life and faith?
- Take some time as part of this season of Lent leading into Easter to prayerfully reflect on what may be distracting or disrupting your progress in becoming more like Jesus, and of continuing to grow in finding and following Jesus. What steps can you take to re-set or re-focus on allowing God to be at work in your life in ongoing ways?
Reflection & Discussion Questions
- Bible Reading; Nehemiah chapter 5:1-19
What stands out to you from this chapter of the book of Nehemiah?
As you reflect from verses 1-5 on the importance to God of prioritising relationship over rights as a community of God’s people, what are sone ways we can do that in our life as a church community?
Read together Romans 12:9-13 and Philippians 2:1-7, and discuss further together how we can reflect God’s purposes for us as a community of God’s people.
Reflecting from Nehemiah chapter 5, and Hosea 6:6, on the importance to God of prioritising mercy or grace over sacrifice, what are some ways we can show mercy or grace to others as a community of God’s people?
Reflecting from verses 10-11 (and 1 Timothy 6:17-19) on the importance of prioritising generosity above greed, what are some ways we can do this as a community of God’s people?
Reflecting from verses 14-18 (refer also to Gal 6:10 and 1 John 3:16-18) on the importance of prioritising care above indifference, what are some ways we can do that as a community of God’s people?
Reflect on and discuss from verse 9 what should be our motivation for what we do as God’s people.
Reflection & Discussion Questions
- Bible Reading; Nehemiah chapter 4:1-23
What is most worth protecting in life for you
What stands out to you from this chapter of the book of Nehemiah?
As you reflect on God’s vision for us at BMBC to see people Finding and Following Jesus, why is it important to both pursue and protect that vision?
As you reflect further from the first half of Nehemiah chapter 4, particularly verses 1-3 and 10-12, as well as in our times, on why God’s vision needs protecting, in what ways can
disorientation
discouragement
distraction
division
be factors that cause us to lose sight of God’s vision for us?
- In the second half of Nehemiah chapter 4, some factors that are important to protecting God’s vision are evident. These include
- keeping on praying (verse 9a)
- keeping on guarding our points of vulnerability (verse 9b, 13)
- keeping on serving (verses 6, 15)
- keeping on trusting (verse 14)
- keeping on coming together with God’s people (verses 19-20)
- Which of these are you most aware of and attentive to, and which of them do you need to be more aware of and attentive to?
- In Philippians chapter 3 verse 12-14, Paul challenges himself, as well as us, to keep pressing on to take hold of that to which God has called us, and for which Christ Jesus has taken hold of us. What might it look like for you to do that in life and faith, particularly out of two plus years of COVID times? What part can others play in that as a community of God’s people?
Reflection & Discussion Questions
- Bible Reading; Nehemiah chapter 3:1-16
- What stands out to you from this chapter of the book of Nehemiah?
- In the midst of the lists of obscure names, locations and details of the walls of Jerusalem being rebuilt, are there some patterns of phrases being repeated that you can discover?
- Just as there were gaps in the walls that needed securing in Nehemiah’s time by the doors and bolts and bars being put in place, what’s a section of the wall of God’s work at BMBC where you are aware of some gaps in ministry areas? What is something you could do to secure those gaps, whether that’s your own involvement, praying for God to provide people to serve in those areas, or by encouraging someone you feel might be able to serve in a particular area?
- In reflecting on what it means to serve alongside someone else in God’s work, when have you have been blessed in serving alongside someone else, or as part of a team?
- In reflecting on how individual names and collective groups of people are recognised by name here in this chapter, who might God have you to acknowledge for their contribution to God’s work at BMBC, and what is a way that you can do that?
- Pastor David shared the story on Sunday of the person who saw their ‘bigger picture’ role of ‘building a cathedral’ when asked what they were doing even though their actual role was laying bricks. Think about what role you might be playing, or could play, in God’s work at BMBC. What helps you to see the significance and ‘bigger picture’ purpose of whatever part you might play, or could play?
Reflection & Discussion Questions
- Read Nehemiah chapter 2.
- What stands out to you from this second chapter of the book of Nehemiah?
- As you reflect on verses 1-2, what can cause our hearts to not be in the state they could be
– emotionally, described here as ‘sadness of heart’?
– relationally, with God or others?
– spiritually?
- As you reflect on verses 3-9, what can
– lead to our confidence levels in God as our King of Kings and His capacity to do what only He can do being lower than they should be?
– lift the levels of confidence we have in God as our King of Kings, and His provision for us?
- Nehemiah, in his role as a cupbearer to an earthy king, clearly still had a sense of His primary calling to the King of Kings.
– What might it look like for you to live out your calling under God in the midst of the roles you carry out in life?
– What does it mean to you to be part of the people of God? (refer also to 1 Peter 2:9)
- Reflecting on verses 11-15 and the way that Nehemiah made himself personally aware of the challenges that lay ahead in the ‘Rebuilding for a New Season’ process under God,
– what are some ways that you can make yourself more aware of the needs before us in our world, community or church?
– How can you view these as challenges that God can overcome, or opportunities for God to work?
Reflection & Discussion Questions
Week 1– ‘Starting with Prayer’
- Read Nehemiah chapter 1.
- What stands out to you from this first chapter of the book of Nehemiah?
- As you reflect on verses 1-3,
– What is in ruins/broken down compared to what it was pre-COVID in our world, community, church community, or personally?
– What vulnerabilities and loss of security might there be as a result? (the walls represent security in Nehemiah)
– Have you given yourself space and time to grieve what has been lost over these last few years personally, as a church community, or in life more generally?
- As you reflect on verses 4, and Nehemiah’s starting point of bringing the situation to God in prayer, what role does prayer play in your life? Reflect also on Pastor David’s phrase that ‘Prayer is not to be the spare tyre that we only draw on when there’s no other option, but the wheel that drives and anchors the direction we take and the perspective we have in life.’
- How does Nehemiah’s prayer in verses 5-11 give a fresh vision of who God is, thinking also of the statement of Anne Graham Lotz –‘Often, in the midst of great problems, we stop short of the real blessing that God has for us, which is a fresh vision of who He is.’
- Pastor David spoke on Sunday of how prayer is a conversation with God that sets the tone for your day. His challenge was to start each day with prayer. Whenever and however that takes place, in creative or conventional ways, what might that look like for you?
- Take time to pray with others
– for one another and your situations
– for the BMBC church community
– for God’s work in new ways into 2022 as we rebuild for a new season.