December 8, 2025
Precious Memories (Part 2)
Our gracious Father will never forget us, but he is willing to forgive us. That's something I hope we never forget.
Articles for tag: Nehemiah
September 1, 2023
Helping the Church Thrive Between Ministers
An Interview with Leaders from Transitional Interim Pastor Services By Shawn McMullen Recently Christian Standard met with three leaders who serve with Transitional Interim Pastor Services, a ministry of NXTStep Church Services (yourncs.org), to learn about their unique approach to interim ministry. John Cutshall, a graduate of Cincinnati Christian University, has been in ministry for more than 40 years. He spent his first 20 years in youth ministry before serving in senior ministry positions. Greg Comp, also a graduate of CCU, is a second-generation minister. Following his graduation from Bible college, Comp served as an associate minister. At age 30
February 20, 2023
February 26 | Courage to Restore
Rebuilding walls can take people only so far. At some point a love for the Word of God must be restored for genuine revival to take place. . . .
February 6, 2023
February 12 | Courage to Take a Risk
When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he set right to work. . . . Nehemiah was willing to risk it all to ensure that Jerusalem would be rebuilt so that one day the good news would come out of Zion.
GLCC Players’ Sacrifices Lead to Success On and Off Court
In his four years coaching at Great Lakes Christian College, Richard Westerlund has worked to instill a Jesus model of service and sacrifice in his men's basketball players. That effort is paying off in wins on and off the court.
July 19, 2021
July 25 | Down but Not Defeated
The last king of Judah (Zedekiah) was horribly corrupt, and Nebuchadnezzar came and burned the city and the temple. But offstage a note of hope was being played that would allow God to fulfill his promise to save the world through Jesus.
September 22, 2020
Rebuilding from the Rubble
What Will We Do If God Doesn’t Restore His Church to ‘Bigger Is Better’? By Kim Harris As I sat on the back deck on one of the cooler evenings in July, I compulsively picked up my phone for my routine post-dinner scroll through Twitter, my only connection to the world outside my COVID-19 bubble. I assumed my timeline would again be filled with petty debates about the efficacy of different mask fabrics, some sort of hashtag challenge designed to drown out the contentiousness in the world, or a friend from high school selling skin-care products. I expected to sigh
September 7, 2020
How to Have a Good Fight (Sept. 13 Lesson Application)
This “Application“ column goes with the Bible Lesson for Sept. 13, 2020: “Fight” (1 Timothy 1:12-19; 6:11-16) ________ By David Faust Ironically, it was a fighter who informed us that peace is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Paul compared himself to a boxer throwing punches (1 Corinthians 9:26). He saw the Christian life as a battle against dark spiritual powers (Ephesians 6:12). As death approached, he said, “I have fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). Not all fights are good. Some are petty or even humorous. The author Kevin Leman quips, “My wife and I live in
February 22, 2020
Ministry Intelligence: Using the Power of Information to Reach Your Community for Christ
By Chris Jefferson Nehemiah’s transition from king’s cupbearer to rebuilder of Jerusalem provides valuable lessons for how modern churches can set goals, define objectives, strategize methods, and incorporate tactics to help them move beyond self-preservation and begin to lead movements in their congregations and communities. At the start of the Old Testament book, Nehemiah asked his brothers from Judah about his homeland. He specifically asked for information about two things: the people and the city. He gathered intelligence from trusted, knowledgeable sources. Upon learning that the remnant was in “great trouble and disgrace” and that the wall of Jerusalem was
October 2, 2014
A Playground for All Children
By Jennifer Johnson In 2012 Arron Chambers preached a sermon series on Nehemiah at Journey Christian Church and challenged them to do a “great work” in their community of Greeley, CO. At the same time, he and his wife, Rhonda, asked their four kids to pray about a great work they could do as a family. “At the time, our youngest kids were 8 and 10 and loved going to the playgrounds in our neighborhood,” says Chambers, who serves as lead minister at Journey Christian. “They suggested we build a playground that all children could enjoy, including kids with developmental
October 19, 2013
You Are Called to Plant a Church
By Carl Kuhl The No. 1 rule of church planting is dead wrong. This rule is repeated in books, at conferences, at boot camps, and everywhere you turn. I believe God has put thousands of people in places across this country and millions around the globe for the purpose of rising to the occasion of planting a church. However, there is one huge problem: they are told they can”t do it. The first rule in church planting is that you must be called. And the people who say this seem to have Scripture on their side. They tell of God”s
August 12, 2013
Lesson for August 18, 2013: Dedication of the Wall (Nehemiah 12:27-43)
By Sam E. Stone The first part of the book of Nehemiah describes the rebuilding of the walls and gates of Jerusalem. This was completed. Today”s text tells about the dedication ceremony of the rebuilt walls that followed. Chapter 12 lists the priests and Levites who had returned to their homeland and now will participate in this joyful occasion. Likely both the Levites and the priests who lived outside Jerusalem were assigned a normal rotation of duties in the temple. On this special occasion, however, additional arrangements were made. Dedication Preparation Nehemiah 12:27-30 For years the Levites had been
July 29, 2013
Lesson for August 4, 2013: Feast of Tabernacles (Nehemiah 7:73b”“8:18; Leviticus 23:33-43)
By Sam E. Stone Nehemiah went to Jerusalem in 444 BC. Ezra had been there 13 years at the time of today”s text. Ezra served as a priest, however, while Nehemiah came as the civil governor to rebuild the wall and restore Jerusalem as a fortified city. The opening chapters of the book that bears his name tell how he came to be sent there, and how he proceeded to rebuild the wall. Despite fierce opposition, Nehemiah led the people through this challenging time. Nehemiah”s list of those who had returned from Babylon became the basis he would use to
June 10, 2013
The Power of One
By Todd Bussey Simple, humble people emboldened with great faith and strong conviction give each of us a hint about what we could accomplish. They demonstrate the power of one to make the world a better place. And they have four traits in common. “¢ A young man starts a shoe company. For every pair purchased, a second pair is given to a child in need. The idea explodes into a global phenomenon. “¢ A mother of four puts her young children to bed and spends the evening on her laptop as an “online” missionary to another mother living in a
September 30, 2012
Inspired by Nehemiah, Church Repaints the Walls
By Jennifer Johnson For several years, Journey Christian Church (Greeley, CO) has helped meet a number of needs at nearby John Evans Middle School, from volunteering at sports events and feeding needy families to providing school supplies and coordinating an annual Christmas party for students. After studying the book of Nehemiah, lead minister Arron Chambers and the church began praying about a “great work” (Nehemiah 6:3) they could begin this past July. Just a few weeks later, when the John Evans principal asked Chambers if church members could paint the school”s hallways and cafeteria, he knew the church had found
August 7, 2011
Meeting Others” Needs on Behalf of the Church
By Jennifer Taylor After studying Nehemiah and the offering recorded in its final chapters, First Christian Church in Champaign, IL, collected its own special offering as a response of gratitude for God”s goodness””then gave some of it back to FCC members. Senior pastor J.P. Jones and his team designated $20,000 of the offering for the local community and involved the church in giving it away. Each week for four weeks, a different group received $5,000 with instructions to use the money to meet the needs of others on behalf of the church. The team selected a variety of people
November 13, 2005
Dealing with Distractions
When distractions and criticism threaten to pull you off mission, Nehemiah’s example offers a steady reminder: stay on the wall. Learn to set higher priorities, eliminate what isn’t best, and keep your focus on God’s work.
November 6, 2005
Live Your Dream
Using the Tour de France and Nehemiah’s wall-building mission, this reflection highlights teamwork, shared purpose, passionate effort, and the power of specific encouragement in leadership.
