Nehemiah Rebuilds the Wall 

---

To view the Leader Guide for this week, click here.

To view a .docx version of this guide, click here.

Introduction 

Last week we talked about Daniel in the Lion’s Den and his unshakeable and consistent faith in God despite going through a life-threatening situation.  

How have you started to apply the lessons from last week to your life this week? 

After your time of connecting, begin your meeting with prayer.  

Connect  

• When have you faced opposition? What kind of response do you typically have when you feel opposed by others? 
• Have you ever undertaken a challenging task and felt like you had to do it alone?  
  • Share this experience if you feel comfortable. What ended up happening? 

Opening Thought 

When faced with difficult odds, it can be easy to give into fear and run away from challenges. God invites us to think differently, however. Instead of looking at a situation as something impossible, he invites us to trust his ability to restore it. Part of how we trust God in this is by remaining faithful to him along the way. God desires to restore the broken things of this world through his people so that the world may see and know him.  

This leads us to our main idea for this week 

Main Idea for the Week
We can trust God’s plan for restoration in our lives when we stay connected to Him 

The Story so Far

The Babylonians came and exiled the people of Israel from their land, bringing them into Babylon. After 70-ish years of captivity by the Babylonians, the nation of Medo-Persia, led by Cyrus the Great, destroyed Babylon and allowed the people of Israel (now called Jews, short for Judeans) to return to Jerusalem and live in the land of Israel. During the time the people returned, however, violent disputes happened between the people already living in that land and the exiles returning. Eventually, the people stop fighting as a result of the kings of Persia intervening and stopping the fighting. One of the priests still living in Persia at the time, named Ezra, returned and oversaw the rebuilding and sanctioning of a new temple in Jerusalem.  

Here’s where we are this week

The part of the story we are covering this week comes from the book of Nehemiah, which was originally written together with Ezra as one combined book known as “Ezra-Nehemiah”. These books focus on the restoration of Israel and God’s people through a series of stories on the restoration of the Temple, the Israelite community, the walls of Jerusalem, and finally the covenant between God and his people. This week’s story specifically focuses on the man named Nehemiah, who was the cup bearer for King Artaxerxes in Persia, and his efforts to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem that was torn down during the Babylonians invasion over 70 years ago from the time of Nehemiah. The story of Nehemiah restoring the walls is filled with examples of good leadership, submission to God, and how to trust God in the face of opposition and conflict.  

Unpack 

Read each set of verses out loud as a group, making observations as you go. Afterward discuss each of the connected questions before moving to the next set of verses: 

Read  

Nehemiah 1:1-11 

Nehemiah 2:1-8 

Unpack 

• Why do you think Nehemiah’s first action was prayer? Why do you think this was important for him to do? 
• In Neh. 1:6, Nehemiah prays day and night for the children of Israel. How does this reflect his sense of responsibility towards his people?  
  • What does Nehemiah’s response teach us about responding to the needs of our communities today? What are some ways we can do this? 
• How does Nehemiah’s prayer before asking the king for help reflect his dependence on God? 
  • How does Nehemiah’s interaction with the king illustrate the power of influence? 
    • Why is it significant that Nehemiah had such a good influence on the king? 
• Nehemiah’s prayers and faithfulness in the verses we just read were answered by God to bless not only Nehemiah but many people.  
  • How do you think our faithfulness and prayers to God can be a blessing to others beyond our immediate community?  
    • How should this affect how we pursue faithfulness to God in our lives more than we do?

Read  

Nehemiah 2:11-20 

Unpack

• Why do you think Nehemiah was so secretive about his mission when he first arrived in Jerusalem?  
  • How does the people’s response to Nehemiah show the importance of group responsibility? 
    • How does this translate to our responsibility as followers of Jesus today? 
• Why do you think Nehemiah’s mission was questioned so strongly by the officials Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem?  

Read  

Nehemiah 4:1-9 

Nehemiah 4:10-18  

Unpack

• How does Nehemiah’s response to opposition illustrate the power of prayer in handling ridicule and mockery?  
  • How did this help Nehemiah turn his fears into actions?  
    • If you are comfortable sharing, when have you done this in your own life? What happened because of relying on God in this way?  
  • What fears about confrontation have you either previously or currently have?  
    • How can the truth that conflict is normal, neutral, and natural help you or someone you know change that perspective? 
• Verse 14 in the chapter you just read speaks about being confident instead of fearful because of the Lord being with them. 
  • What are some ways you can remember God when faced with any challenges or “enemies” in your life instead of being afraid? 
• Why is it significant that Nehemiah tried to maintain a balance between spiritual dependence on God and practical preparedness?  
  • How can you do this in your own life? What obstacles can you foresee happening in this process? 

Apply 

Based on the verses we just read, there are some things that we can do in response. Take a moment to discuss these questions as a group to decide what your personal action steps for the week can be: 

• How will you look for ways to put the needs of others over your own beginning this week? How will we collaborate as a group to make this a high priority in our lives? 
• What is an aspect of your life that you need to fully place in God’s hands so you can depend on him more? 
• How will we as a group keep each other to the standards that we have set this fall from now on? 

Closing 

Read the first section to your group, then read the verse out loud to the group, and finally, move to the Prayer and Verses section: 

When we trust God’s plan, we can see how he is going to use us to bring about restoration in our world. The more we stay connected to God, the easier it is to see his plan and to trust him in that plan. As we head into the holiday season, seek to consistently connect yourself to God and his people at all times to help form your community to one that seeks and serves Jesus.  

Prayer and Verses 

Ask for prayer requests and conclude your time with prayer then share the Key Verse for the Week and Daily Devotional Verses with the group. 

Thematic Reflection Verse for the Week 

*Read this verse, then encourage the practice of memorization through the week. 

Psalm 56:3-4 

“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” 

**When practiced consistently, memorizing Bible verses can be an important spiritual practice that centers your mind around the truth that God has given us. 

Daily Devotional Verses  

---

Use the S.O.A.P. method to reflect on the verses below. 

Scripture: Read the verses several times. Reading out loud can be helpful as well. 
Observation: What can you see about the scripture you read? 
Application: What is God wanting you to believe, do, or feel, based on what you have read? 
Prayer: This is a chance to talk to God about what you have read and ask him for help in living out what you’ve learned. 

Day 1: Isaiah 41:10 

Day 2: Psalm 37:3 

Day 3: Hebrews 13:6 

Day 4: Jeremiah 17:7 

Day 5: 1 John 4:16 

Day 6: Psalm 18:30