Message Action PlanEverything’s falling apart on me, GOD; put me together again with your Word. Psalm 119:107 (MSG)
He will bring fathers and children together again . . . Luke 1:17 (TEV)
"The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall." Nehemiah 2:20 (NLT)
I. HOW TO START
They said to me . . . "The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire." When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:3-4 (NLT)
• Mourning – Expressing your hurt to God
God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4 (NLT)
• Fasting – Focusing your heart on God
"Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." Joel 2:12 (NKJV)
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Acts 13:2 (NIV)
• Praying – Asking for help from God
LORD, my Rock, I call out to you for help. Psalm 28:1a (NCV)
I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great his power is to help those who believe him. Ephesians 1:19 (TLB)
Action Plan: If you are in the "starting phase," write down all of your hurts and talk to God about them. Find a proven, trusted friend to share these with. If you are not in the starting phase, find a friend who is just starting this process and come alongside them and offer support.
II. HOW TO KEEP GOING
• Take time to say thank you
First I want to say that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because people everywhere in the world are talking about your faith. Romans 1:8 (NCV)
I couldn’t stop thanking God for you — every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. Ephesians 1:16 (MSG)
• Choose to celebrate
We will celebrate and praise you, LORD! You are good to us, and your love never fails. Psalm 106:1 (CEV)
The joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10b (NIV)
So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them. Nehemiah 8:12 (NLT)
Action Plan: If this is where you are in the rebuilding phase, celebrate by listing out all of the areas where you are stronger than before and thank God for giving you the strength to make it this far. Be sure and thank your support teams for their contributions as well. Plan a party to celebrate with them.
III. HOW IT LASTS
For anything to last, it must be dedicated to God
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)
The priests and Levites first dedicated themselves, then the people, the gates, and the wall. Nehemiah 12:30 (TLB)
So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. Romans 12:1 (TEV)
Action Plan: If you have not already done so, write out a mission statement that summarizes what you want to give back to God and others from your past struggles and experiences. Chart out new growth for yourself in ways you can maintain focus on your goals.
Retreats: There are still some slots left for the Behold Retreat on Saturday, February 24. Click here to register for this experience focusing on seeing the world the way God wants us to.
Doable Discipleship: This week’s episode of Doable Discipleship features an interview with Women’s Minister Beth Schwartz about her favorite person in the Bible. New episodes release every Tuesday. To watch or listen, click here.
Talk It Over: Have you ever discussed the weekend message in your small group? Talk It Over provides weekly small group discussion questions as a way to bring the weekend message into your small group. To view this week’s Talk It Over, click here.
