Pastor Tim Bittle

"Lord of the Ring"

If you are a Christ-follower, you are in a fight for the Kingdom of God. The purpose of the church is to be filled up with the Spirit of God, so that those who don't know Jesus would be given the

opportunity. [Nehemiah 4.14-17, NLT] Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!” When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of

USING THIS SERMON DISCUSSION GUIDE We have provided all the Scriptures referenced in the sermon and some discussion questions for you to use to facilitate a discussion. This Sermon Discussion Guide is only a tool to aid you in meeting the needs of your group.  For most groups, there are too many questions to answer in one session together.  While the questions are important, remember your small group’s goal is not to pound through the questions but to create an atmosphere that will foster true friendships, so knock yourself out with the discussion questions but spend more time laughing than answering the questions.

Judah who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.

There are battles to fight and tensions to manage.

The value of the spoils determine how fiercely you will be willing to build and to fight.

[Acts 18.9-10, NLT] One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS • What are some things that you are willing to fight for? • Who's fighting harder for you life (your purity, your marriage,

the salvation of your children, your destiny, your city): the devil, or you?

• What stirs up an "unacceptable" to you? • What is at stake for you and your family? Who are you

defending?