By Michael C. Mack
1. In what ways did you honor others above yourself last week?
2. Have you ever neglected something or someone? (Examples include a lawn mower, car, garden, or friendship, but there are many more.) What happened?
Ask two people to read aloud Nehemiah 10:28-39 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to paraphrase the passage in two minutes or less.
3. In general, what were the Israelites committing to do?
4. What do you learn about God from this passage?
5. What do you learn about people?
6. The reading of God’s Word in Nehemiah 8–9 led the people to confess and repent from their sins in Nehemiah 9, which led to a renewed commitment to God’s priorities in Nehemiah 10. How have you seen a dedication to reading God’s Word have a similar effect today?
7. Using the following prompts, how can we apply the lessons of Nehemiah 10 in today’s church? (Look up the passages as needed.)
- What should we commit (“devote”) ourselves to today? (See Acts 2:42.)
- What are our highest priorities? (See Matthew 6:33; 22:36-40.)
- How specifically can we “not neglect the house of our God” today? (See Hebrews 3:6; 10:21-25; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 5:1.)
8. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
9. The Israelites listened to God’s Word being taught, and then they acted on what they heard. They promised as a community to “obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord” (Nehemiah 10:29). What do you need from your church community to obey God’s Word, especially this week?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Hosea 11:1-7; 14:1-9; and Psalm 32:1-7 as we begin a new unit on three Minor Prophets: Amos, Hosea, and Micah. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Author: Christian Standard
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