Jul 18, 2021 |Nehemiah

Restored Hearts

07.18.21 | Nehemiah

Restored Hearts

James Granger

Nehemiah 9

Both as individuals and as a community, we tend to gloss over our sin. Pastor James Granger encourages us to take a step back and take time to evaluate our lives before sin creeps in and takes over. When we work toward restoration in our lives and interact regularly with God’s Word, He will remind us who He is, what He has done, and the freedom we have in Him.

Watch Watch
Watch
Listen Listen
Listen

For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

Nehemiah 8:9
The whole community that had returned from exile made shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. And there was tremendous joy. Ezra read out of the book of the law of God every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

Nehemiah 8:17-18
On the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting, wearing sackcloth, and had put dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. While they stood in their places, they read from the book of the law of the LORD their God for a fourth of the day and spent another fourth of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God.

Nehemiah 9:1-3
Then the Levites — Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah  — said, “Stand up. Blessed be the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting.” Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You, LORD, are the only God. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their stars, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and all the stars of heaven worship you.

Nehemiah 9:5-6
You are righteous.

Nehemiah 9:8
You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.

Nehemiah 9:17
You are a gracious and compassionate God.

Nehemiah 9:31
[You are] our God — the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant.

Nehemiah 9:32
You have fulfilled your promise

Nehemiah 9:8
You saw the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt

Nehemiah 9:9
You divided the sea before them

Nehemiah 9:11
[You] spoke to them from heaven.

Nehemiah 9:13
You provided bread from heaven for their hunger

Nehemiah 9:15
But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did not listen to your commands. They refused to listen and did not remember your wonders you performed among them.

Nehemiah 9:16-17
But as soon as they had relief, they again did what was evil in your sight.

Nehemiah 9:28
Even after they had cast an image of a calf for themselves and said, “This is your god who brought you out of Egypt,” and they had committed terrible blasphemies, you did not abandon them in the wilderness because of your great compassion.

Nehemiah 9:28
Even after they had cast an image of a calf for themselves and said, “This is your god who brought you out of Egypt,” and they had committed terrible blasphemies, you did not abandon them in the wilderness because of your great compassion.

Nehemiah 9:18-19
You, LORD, are the only God. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their stars, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and all the stars of heaven worship you.

Nehemiah 9:6
So now, our God — the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant  — do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us, our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the Assyrian kings until today. You are righteous concerning all that has happened to us, because you have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.

Nehemiah 9:32-33
In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.

Nehemiah 9:38
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit

1 Peter 3:18

Tell your group about a time when God’s Word showed you something going on in your heart that you previously didn’t realize was there. What did you do with that realization?

What are some characteristics of God that you find meaningful? How can you make a regular practice of remembering Him in this way?

What are some thing you think the people of God ought to repent of in order put His holiness, grace, and love on display for the rest of the world?

What are some idols (things people worship instead of God) in the world? In your life?

Has your heart been restored by Jesus? If yes, what are some practices you can put in place in your life to regularly deal with the inevitable sin issues in your life?

Youth