nextopportunityto - discovery church...overcoming opposition 36 imagine n o w imagine our next...

our

toNext Opportunity

imaginejournal

This Journal Belongs To:

Dear Discovery Family,

God has done amazing things in and through Discovery Church during our first ten years! The lost and broken find God’s love, experience freedom, see God intersecting their lives, receive healing to their brokenness, and discover true joy!

We recognize that we are operating at capacity (450 seating) in our current facility. Our growth has led to expanding to three worship services. We are becoming stretched in our ability to reach our community and world for the Kingdom of God.

After much discussion and prayer, we believe God is leading us to move toward greater effective-ness by building a worship center that will seat 850-1000 and offer additional space for our minis-tries to operate at a higher level. We are embarking on the Imagine N·O·W capital campaign that will enable us to make Jesus more visible, to inspire even more human hearts, and to create a thriving culture committed to living for Christ.

I ask you to imagine what God can do in our church. Imagine all the lives that will be changed. Imagine the relationships that will be restored, the healing that will take place, and the freedom that will be experienced. Imagine our Next Opportunity to Worship as we take this bold step to build a worship center. Imagine N·O·W!

This journal is a tool for you to use, so you can be a part of this significant time in the history of Discovery. The first part contains information that will help you understand the plans for the worship center. However, the most important component in this journal is the daily devotion. This devotional has been designed to support the sermon series I will be preaching entitled Imagine N·O·W. The series is based on Nehemiah’s calling to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He was inspired to move boldly in a God-glorifying direction with passion and purpose and to build a God-glorifying team that was faced with enormous opposition to complete His work.

This journal will be used by individuals, small groups, and families, as well as our Children’s and Youth ministries. The goal of this joint venture is to move us together as a God-glorifying team toward the future that God desires, a future where more people are reached for His Kingdom.

Join us as we Imagine N·O·W!

In Christ,

Smith Senior PastorDiscovery Church

Ephesians 3 20-21:Now to him who is able to do

immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be

glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,

for ever and ever! Amen.

Table of Contents

Letter From Pastor Smith Sharpe 1

Developing Direction 16

Pursuing Purpose 20

Building a Team 24

The Secret is Thick Skin 28

How do We Improve our Motivation? 32

Overcoming Opposition 36

IMAGINE N O W Imagine our Next Opportunity to Worship

as we follow God so that through us, He will ….

Maximize our ability to make Jesus visible

Inspire the human heart to boldly believe

Reveal a river of freedom, healing, and joy

Craft a culture committed to praying, loving, and serving

Build a house that glorifies God

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God’s hand on our past…May 4, 2008: Led by Smith Sharpe, a small group of people met to pray and seek God’s plan for a new church in the Hickory area, one that would be a “river, not a pond” where the love of God would flow like a river from its people into the community and world.

Summer, 2008: This small group met throughout the summer to worship, pray, and listen to God’s leading as a vision of a new church began to emerge. It was called Christian Fellowship Church.

September, 2008: The first worship service for Christian Fellowship Church was held in the small auditorium at CVCC with approximately 30 people in attendance. Additional rooms were used for youth and children’s programs and adult connection groups, all of which necessitated setting up and taking down each Sunday.

March, 2011: As our numbers grew, the worship service was moved to a larger area of CVCC and an addi-tional service was added to accommodate the growing numbers of attendees. Our children’s and youth programs and adult connection groups increased in numbers as well.

April, 2011: As God continued to reveal His plan, the name of our church was changed to Discovery Church. Through a series of God-ordained circumstances, 19 acres on Startown Road were purchased to build a permanent home for Discovery Church.

May, 2015: The Discovery family gathered for a ground-breaking ceremony for the symbolic beginning of our church home, and prayer stones were added to the building’s foundation following prayer walks to conse-crate the property.

April, 2016: The first permanent building for Discovery Church was completed and hundreds gathered for the move. The first worship service was held on April 3 and it was a joyous celebration of God’s goodness, grace, and provision of a church home.

January, 2019: As God continued to bless us, Discovery grew and expanded to three services. The church leadership began to seek God’s plan for a worship center to accommodate growing numbers and to increase our effectiveness in Kingdom work.

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God’s hand on

Adult Discipleship Ministry includes 26 small groups that meet on Sunday mornings or during the week, all with the goal of discovering freedom in the study of God’s Word, creating bonds with each other, and experiencing healing as they serve together throughout the community.

Children’s Ministry, with an average weekly attendance of 80 children and 23 adult volunteers serves children birth through fifth grade and provides them with a loving, safe, and fun environment. Here children experience worship, crafts, service projects and interactive Bible lessons that give them the chance to encounter the life-changing power of the Gospel.

Discovery Student Ministry is a program for 6th – 12th graders with the goal of making and maturing disciples as they come to know Jesus and grow in their relationship with Him. With an average attendance of 60 students and 8 adult volunteers, students are involved in weekly youth services, discipleship, small groups, youth events and summer camp. Through these activities, they experience the truth that through Christ there is freedom. They also gain spiritual insight through prayer, true healing through serving, and experience joy as they learn to love as Christ loves them.

Congregational Care Ministry provides care and love to those within our church who may be experiencing physical, emotional, spiritual, and/or financial difficulty. A variety of needs are met through Stephen’s Ministry, which is one-on-one support by trained volun-teers, James Ministry which helps those within our church with financial needs, and the Care Team that provides meals, hospital visits and transportation. Other groups such as Divorce-Care, GriefShare, and Financial Peace are also offered throughout the year.

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God’s hand on

Missions Ministry provides opportunities to share the gospel and serve others through both short-term missions and local ministry partnerships. The Missions Ministry has devel-oped a strategy to end generational poverty in Belize through education. Working in partner-ship with a Belizean pastor, Discovery has developed a program to assist students in secur-ing a college education as they commit to serve as tutors to younger students and invest in the leadership of their local church. In addition to foreign missions, Discovery has partner-ships with local ministries like:

• The Hickory Soup Kitchen• Safe Harbor• Sipes Orchard• Family Guidance Center• Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry• Eastern Catawba Cooperative Christian Ministry• Pregnancy Care Center

The Discovery Worship Team focuses on creating an experience where authentic and inspired worship connects people with the heart of God. The team has a passion for leading others to a place where they can encounter God's presence and experience the power of the Holy Spirit.

Discovery Women and Discovery Ironmen provide opportunities for social interac-tions, fun events, Bible studies, and fellowship where healthy relationships can be developed and nurtured. Through these venues, friendships are forged, the love of Jesus is shared, and support in life’s challenges is offered.

our present…

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Adult Discipleship Ministry includes 26 small groups that meet on Sunday mornings or during the week, all with the goal of discovering freedom in the study of God’s Word, creating bonds with each other, and experiencing healing as they serve together throughout the community.

Children’s Ministry, with an average weekly attendance of 80 children and 23 adult volunteers serves children birth through fifth grade and provides them with a loving, safe, and fun environment. Here children experience worship, crafts, service projects and interactive Bible lessons that give them the chance to encounter the life-changing power of the Gospel.

Discovery Student Ministry is a program for 6th – 12th graders with the goal of making and maturing disciples as they come to know Jesus and grow in their relationship with Him. With an average attendance of 60 students and 8 adult volunteers, students are involved in weekly youth services, discipleship, small groups, youth events and summer camp. Through these activities, they experience the truth that through Christ there is freedom. They also gain spiritual insight through prayer, true healing through serving, and experience joy as they learn to love as Christ loves them.

Congregational Care Ministry provides care and love to those within our church who may be experiencing physical, emotional, spiritual, and/or financial difficulty. A variety of needs are met through Stephen’s Ministry, which is one-on-one support by trained volun-teers, James Ministry which helps those within our church with financial needs, and the Care Team that provides meals, hospital visits and transportation. Other groups such as Divorce-Care, GriefShare, and Financial Peace are also offered throughout the year.

In Ephesians 3 Paul prays for the growing church. He prays, “Now to Him who is able to do more than we can ask or imagine according to His power that is at work in us; to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen”

Discovery is embarking on a journey that challenges us to allow our imagination to strengthen our faith and our belief in what God can do.

Imagine… a new worship center that will serve as the foundation from which our congregation can increase its strength, dedication, and innovation in doing God’s work. Imagine the lives that will be changed, the lost who will find a Savior, the broken who will experience healing.

God’s hand on our future…

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Missions Ministry provides opportunities to share the gospel and serve others through both short-term missions and local ministry partnerships. The Missions Ministry has devel-oped a strategy to end generational poverty in Belize through education. Working in partner-ship with a Belizean pastor, Discovery has developed a program to assist students in secur-ing a college education as they commit to serve as tutors to younger students and invest in the leadership of their local church. In addition to foreign missions, Discovery has partner-ships with local ministries like:

• The Hickory Soup Kitchen• Safe Harbor• Sipes Orchard• Family Guidance Center• Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry• Eastern Catawba Cooperative Christian Ministry• Pregnancy Care Center

The Discovery Worship Team focuses on creating an experience where authentic and inspired worship connects people with the heart of God. The team has a passion for leading others to a place where they can encounter God's presence and experience the power of the Holy Spirit.

Discovery Women and Discovery Ironmen provide opportunities for social interac-tions, fun events, Bible studies, and fellowship where healthy relationships can be developed and nurtured. Through these venues, friendships are forged, the love of Jesus is shared, and support in life’s challenges is offered.

Plans for the new building include:• A multi-purpose worship center with seating for 850-1000 people. With state-of-the-art technology and design, it will also be used for community events which will enhance our presence in Catawba County• Innovative spaces for Discovery Kids programs• Classrooms for Bible study, small groups, and seminars• Administrative office space with areas for strategic planning• A café area to expand our hospitality capacity• New spaces where ministry can be planned to expand our reach into our community• The current worship center will be used to expand the youth program

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Why do we believe God wants us to build this?

In our current worship center, we often do not have the space for families to sit together. Our other spaces, like bathrooms, children’s areas, and adult class-rooms are maxed out as well.

We are limited in our ability to fulfill the calling that God has placed on Discovery: to make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ.

As our culture spins out of control, with 2.7 million people leaving the church each year, there is an urgency to offer a place that is easy to access, comfortable to come into, and uplifting to experience… a place where the gospel of Jesus Christ is taught and lived out. A place that offers hope and the promise of a secure future in Jesus.

We believe it is God’s idea for us to grow, and we believe that God has chosen now.

The projected cost of the new building is approximately $8 million, which includes all engineering, permitting, site work, construction, furniture, fixtures and equipment.

Imagine N.O.W is the first phase of the overall funding plan for the new building. The goal for the Imagine N.O.W campaign is $2 million, which will allow us to begin construction and secure a loan to complete the building.

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our imagination is

God’s cure for our inability to see. [ ] I will make my gift in cash or by check or online giving.

[ ] I will make my gift in stocks/securities.

[ ] Please contact me about other types of planned gifts.

[ ] I/We make the following commitment to Imagine N.O.W,

March, 2019 through February, 2021.

Your information:please print

Name:

Address:

City:

State:

Zipcode:

Phone:

E-mail:

Signature:

Please mark the boxes that apply:

My/Our commitment

I/We plan to make our gift as follows (check one):

[ ] A one-time gift to be made on:

[ ] Equal amounts in each of the two years on 4/1/19 and 4/1/20.

[ ] Monthly gift of $ starting on ___/____/19.

$Total Amount Committed

March 24: Commitment Sunday.

What do we believe God is calling each of us to do?

The challenge before us is a large one. This gift profile shows how it will be possible for us to secure our goal for Imagine NOW. The chart reveals that even with the large task God has given us, it is possible to move forward. It also shows that every commitment makes a difference. As you look at the guide, your eyes will likely settle first on the level you have been considering for the Imagine NOW campaign. You can see how that commitment will strengthen our faith family and empower us to press forward with our vision.

However, before you make a commitment on March 24, I would ask you to pray about moving up one step on the chart. Only you know if that step is possible, but I encourage you to open your heart in the coming days to that possibility and let God shape your response.

-Smith

$2.2 MILLION GOAL

1 Person # of commitments Total 2-Year Commitment

3 People 4 People6 People8 People

10 People10 People12 People12 People15 People20 People

250,000100,00075,00050,00035,00025,00015,00012,0009,6004,8002,400

$$$$$$$$$$$

WeeklyMonthlyAnnually

$2,404$962$721$481$337$240$144$115$92$46$23

$10,417$4,167$3,125$2,083$1,458$1,042$625$500$400$200$100

$125,000$50,000$37,500$25,000$17,500$12,500$7,500$6,000$4,800$2,400$1,200

Total 2-Year Commitment$250,000$300,000$300,000$300,000$280,000$250,000$150,000$144,000$115,200$72,000$48,000

This commitment schedule is for quick calculation of weekly, monthly, and yearly giving.No one should feel confined to this schedule.

As you pray about what God is asking you to give during this time, use this guide as a tool. Allow it to inspire and challenge you toward greater generosity.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I know God is leading Discovery to build a Sanctuary? • During the history of Discovery, God has clearly opened up opportunities that show His hand is on Discovery. God provided securing our first meeting space at Fairgrove Church when the pastor refused to consider it numerous times, relocating to the CVCC campus after having been told ‘no’ seven times and purchasing the land on Startown after it had been sold! • Only God could have opened the closed doors and turned the denials into possibilities.

Why can’t we continue in our current worship center? • We are experiencing overcrowding to the degree that families aren’t able to sit together. In addition, limited seating creates an unwelcoming environment. • Our bathrooms, children’s areas, and ministry spaces are insufficient to accommodate our growing numbers and limit our effectiveness to do Kingdom work.

What are we building and how much is it going to cost? • We are building a 42,000 square foot building that will include a worship center with seating for 850-1000 people as well as spaces for Discovery Kids programs, classrooms for adults, administrative office space, and an enlarged café area to expand our hospitality capacity and create a welcoming environment. • The total cost is approximately $8 million which includes construction, site work, furniture, fixtures, and equipment. • The current campaign goal is $2 million which will allow us to get started on the building and secure a loan in order to finish it but another campaign will likely occur during the building phase. The remaining balance will be funded by a loan at the end of the construction.

What will happen to our current worship center? • It will be used to expand the youth program, as it can function as a gym, and be a venue for a variety of youth activities. • There will also be spaces for additional adult classes and smaller community activities.

What can I do to be a part of Imagine N∙O∙W, and when do I need to decide? • The first step is to pray for God to reveal Himself to you and to guide you in your decision to invest in the future of Discovery Church. • On Commitment Sunday March 24, you will have the opportunity to make a two-year commitment, over and above your regular giving, to help make God’s plan for Discovery become a reality.

What if I still have questions? • The Imagine N.O.W Executive Team Members are Dean Cline, Smith Sharpe , Sandy Auten, Tanya Turbeville and Amy Cable. You can contact the church office at (828) 855-2200 to get information to connect to the appropriate person.

Sermon Series

Imagine N.O.W. #1 February 17, 2019Nehemiah 1: 2-7

Setting the context:

Nehemiah lives in exile under Persian rule. He is the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. This is a very trust-worthy position in that Nehemiah prevents the King from being poisoned. Nehemiah hears from a friend who has returned from Judea that the walls of the city are in ruins. This causes Nehemiah to be grieved but it also pushes him in a God-glorifying direction.

The Main question:

How do you develop a God-glorifying direction?

Main Points:

Clarify your passion Pray for a purpose Serve people

Developing Direction

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Getting to Know You:Do you have a direction? Is your current direction glorifying God?

I. Read Nehemiah 1:2-7What do you learn about Nehemiah from these verses?What are his concerns?How does he feel about the condition of Jerusalem? Why does he feel this way?Have you ever felt like Nehemiah?Do you think God is the source of Nehemiah's feelings? Explain.

II. What does Nehemiah 14 tell you about his passion? Read Joshua 24:15 What do you find out about Joshua's passion? How does he clarify his passion?What benefits come from clarifying your passion?

Read Exodus 33:18What is Moses passionate about?How does having a passion increase the quality of a person's life? Do you have a God glorifying passion?

Questions for Discussion Groups

Group Discussion or Self Study:

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Questions

III. What does Nehemiah 1:2-7 tell you about Nehemiah's purpose? Can you see his purpose taking shape in these verses?What is forming his purpose?For what is Nehemiah praying?How does what you pray for affect how you view your purpose?

Read Ephesians 1:8Can you tell what Paul's purpose is from the prayer he is praying? Based only on your prayers, what does this reveal about your purpose?Is this what you want your purpose to be?

IV. Read Nehemiah 1:5Does Nehemiah want to serve himself or someone else? Do you think God wants to answer prayers with this kind of motivation?How does Mark 10:45 relate to the idea of serving other people?Why does God want you to be a servant?How does this position help the world?Discuss the disciples reaction to Jesus' servanthood in John 13:5. Why do we resist being a servant?Who can you serve today?


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How does having a God-glorifying direction help you to serve Christ?

Application Questions:

Have you clarified your passion? What is it?

Have you prayed for your purpose?

How will you know when this prayer is answered?

Will it be difficult for you to change from serving yourself to serving other people?

What obstacles do you anticipate?

How can Jesus help you with this?

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Imagine N.O.W. #2 February 24, 2019Nehemiah 2:1-8


Nehemiah has decided that something must be done about the broken down walls of Jerusalem. He decides that this will be his God glorifying purpose. In order to pursue his purpose he will need permission and help. He will need the agreement of the Persian king and he will need to take the responsibility for facing his fears.

The Main question:

How do we pursue a God-glorifying purpose? Main Points:

Face your fears Find favor Take the time Request resources

Pursuing Your Purpose

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Getting to Know You:Have you discovered your purpose? What is it? Are you pursuing your purpose?

I. Read Nehemiah 2:1-8What is happening in these verses of scripture?What does Nehemiah want to do?What kind of relationship does Nehemiah have with the king? What does Nehemiah need?Do you think Nehemiah has a clear sense of purpose?Do you have a clear since of purpose?What is the purpose of Discovery Church?

II. In verse 2-3 we see that Nehemiah was afraid. What did he do about his fear?Have you ever been in a situation where you neededface your fears?Did Peter face his fear in John 18:25?What did he do instead of facing his fears?What is the biggest difference between Nehemiah and Peter? What fears will we have to face when building a new sanctuary? Can you think of a time when you had to face your fears?



Questions

III. Read verse 5 What do you think is meant by "finding favor?"Why is it important to do a good job whereveryou happen to be serving?If Nehemiah had not been respected by the king,do you think he would have been allowed to build the wall? How does Ephesians 6:7 relate to this message?Are you respected by others?

IV. Nehemiah had things measured out in terms of time.How did this help him with the king? (see verse 6) Why is it important to plan accurately so that you use your time wisely?Are you a good steward of your time?Does God care if we are good stewards of our time?

V. In verse 8 Nehemiah asks the king for resources. Is God pleased when we ask for the resources we need? What is God's view of the resources that exist on this planet? What view does Jesus have of money? (see Matthew 6:24 or Luke 16:11)How can money be dangerous?

God has strong feelings about how we use our resources.What does God say in Malachi 3:8-12? How do you view your resources?


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How will this message help you follow Christ this week?


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Nehemiah can't build the wall himself. He has to moti-vate his people to join him in a very difficult task. The people are scattered and they have no reason to be-lieve that such a task can be accomplished. How do you build a team capable of withstanding opposition and frustration?

The Main question:

How do we build a God-glorifying team?

Main Points:

Make the problem clear Connect the solution to the problem Identify the difference Find a reason to have faith

Imagine N.O.W. #3 March 3, 2019Nehemiah 2:17-20

Building a Team

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Getting to Know You:Have you ever been part of a God-glorifying team? What was it like? What made it special? What was it about the team that glorified God? How was the team assembled? What about the team glorified God?

I. Read Nehemiah 2:17-20What is happening in this passage of scripture? Who is speaking?What is Nehemiah trying to get the people to do? Why is it important to be able to motivate others? Can Nehemiah accomplish God's will by himself? How many of us will it take to build this sanctuary?

II. Read verse 17 Nehemiah makes the problem clear.Why is it important for a team to agree on the problem?Does knowing the problem motivate people?Can you be motivated to accomplish a task without knowing the problem?

Read Romans 3:23 Who are the fallen?Consider Romans 3:24What is your response to verse 24?



Questions

III. In verse 17 Nehemiah connects the problem to the solution.What is the solution?How does knowing the solution motivate a team?Can you motivate a team without having a solution? What is the solution to Romans 6:23 or Romans 5:8? Solutions motivate us to act.What action does this solution inspire in you?What problem is Discovery Church trying to solve? What is the solution?

IV. At the end of verse 17 Nehemiah identifies the difference the solution will make.What difference will the wall make?Why is important to know the difference your efforts will make? Read John 10:10 What difference does Jesus make?How can you use the idea of "identifying the difference to motivate your team?”What difference does you/your group make?

V. Read verse 18How does this verse stimulate the faith of the listeners? Does it give them reasons to believe?What reasons "to believe" does Nehemiah give in this verse?

Read 1 Samuel 17:35What reasons does David give for his faith?

Read John 10:37-35 What reasons does Jesus give to believe in Him? Is it important to have reasons for our faith?Are "reason" and "faith" mutually exclusive terms?


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The enemies of Nehemiah begin to ridicule him and the other Jews. They mocked the Jews effort to rebuild the wall. It is easy to get distracted when facing opposition. Listening to the voices of doubt can lead to confusion and delusion. But Nehemiah has developed "thick skin" and is in no danger of getting distracted.

The Main question:

How do we develop thick skin?

Main Points:

Listen to the right voice Get God in the picture Put your heart into your purpose


The Secret is Thick Skin

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Getting to Know You:Have you ever been ridiculed?What affect did it have on you?Were you able to persevere through the eventor did you get distracted?What affect does ridicule usually have on people? Was Jesus ever ridiculed?What affect did it have on Him?

I. Read Nehemiah. 4:1-6Describe what is happening in these verses?What emotions are present?Would you say that this is "typical" behavior for human beings? Is there fear present on either side?What is Sanballat saying about the Jews?What affect does he want his words to have?What affect do they have?

II. Should Nehemiah listen to what Sanballat has to say?Is Sanballat the right voice for Nehemiah to listen to?Do you have a Sanballat in your life?What should our response be to someone like Sanballat? Will we face a Sanballat when we build our church? What should our response be?What does Jesus say in John 10:27?



Questions

III. How does Nehemiah get God in the picture? See verse 4.How does this help in his dealing with Sanballat? What kind of strength can we draw from the fact that the Lord is with us?

See Numbers 14:8-9How can "getting God in the picture" strengthen your resolve to follow His will?How do you see God leading Discovery to build a new Sanctuary?

IV. Read verse 6What inspires you about this verse?What does it mean to say that the people"worked with all their heart?"Is God interested in the state of our heart?Does He want us to serve Him with all of our heart?

See Matthew 22:37, 2 Corinthians 4:16 and Acts 13:22 What do these verses tell you about what God is looking at? Are you serving God with all your heart?Will we need to serve God will all of our heart in order to complete the task before us, namely building the Sanctuary?


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Sanballat and his friends continue to be an opposition to Nehemiah. Now instead of just talking, they are planning to commit violence. Nehemiah has heard about this opposition, so he establishes a plan that will create the most motivation. The men are stationed with their families behind the wall. The work is difficult and it is made more difficult by the massive amount of rubble.

The Main question:

How do we improve our motivation?

Main Points:

Post a guard Get rid of the rubble Magnify your motivation Focus on what you are fighting for

Imagine N.O.W. #5 March 17, 2019Nehemiah. 4:7-14

How do we improve our motivation?

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Getting to Know You:Have you ever had someone working against you? What was that situation like?Were you able to prevail in spite of the opposition? How did you do it? Do you consider Satan to be an enemy? Is he working against you?

I. Read Nehemiah 4:7-14Describe the struggle that is taking place in this passage. How is the opposition intensifying?How does Nehemiah respond?What would happen if he did not respond?Do you see the hand of God in these verses? Where is God at work in these events?

II. What does verse 9 say that Nehemiah did?He didn't just pray, he also posted a guard.Why is it important for us to do our part in order for God to do His part?

Read Proverbs 4:23 What instruction do you get from this passage? Is it important to place a guard around the things you consider important?Why do you need to guard your heart?What could happen to an unguarded heart?



Questions

III. In verse 10 it mentions the amount of rubble. What is the problem?Why is having lots of rubble in your life a problem?We may not have "rocks" but we have other forms of rubble. What kinds of rubble do we have?What does 2 Timothy 2:4 say about getting entangled in the rubble?How could "lots of rubble" hurt our ability to build a sanctuary that glorifies God?Do you have rubble in your life?

IV. Read verse 13 How did Nehemiah magnify the motivation of his workers? Why would "posting them by families" be a motivation? What motivates you?What needs to motivate us as we attempt to complete our sanctuary?


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The wall is being completed and the opposition is growing stronger. But Nehemiah heard about Sanballat's plan and credits God with "frustrating it." Now Nehemiah drives home the need to complete the wall. He has five ingredients that will overcome the remaining opposition.

The Main question:

How do we overcome opposition?

Main Points:

See God in your situation Do the work Know your weaknesses Ask for help Guard your work


Overcoming Opposition

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Getting to Know You:When have you faced significant opposition? Were you able to overcome it? If you were able to overcome it how did you do it?

I. Read Nehemiah 4:15-23 How do you picture the scene?How do you picture the wall?What do the families look like?What is the emotional state of the people involved? How about the opposition?What word best captures the mood of the opposition? How is God at work in this scene?

II. Why is it important to see God in your situation?Read verse 15 How does Nehemiah see God in his situation?Is God always involved in our situations?

Read Matthew 1:20How was God involved in this situation?What difference did "seeing God in the situation" make to Joseph? Why is it important to see God in our situation as we build our sanctuary?Do you see God in our situation?


Discussion Group or Self Study:

Questions

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III. In verse 15 all the men returned to their work. Can anything get done for God if we aren't willing to do the work? What does this tell you about how we are to partner with God?

2 Timothy 4:5 What does Paul want Timothy to do? Are you at work for God?

IV. What weakness does Nehemiah identify in verse 19?Why is it important to our weaknesses?What is a consequence of denying our weaknesses?

Read Matthew 26:75What weakness did Peter possess?What was the result of his failure to accept his weakness? What weaknesses do you have?

V. How does Nehemiah ask for help in verse 20?How do you ask for help?Why do we resist asking for help?What kind of help do we need to ask for as we attempt to build our Sanctuary?What affect does relying on other people have on you?What help does Jesus give to us in John 14:26?How do you access this help?

VI. Why was it important for Nehemiah to guard the work that had been completed?What would have happened if he hadn't posted a guard? What work do you need to guard?What does Discovery Church need to guard?


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