What’s your problem?
We usually ask that question in a way that sounds sarcastic but it’s actually kind of important. Here’s why: Your life will be defined by your biggest problem. For instance, you can choose, if you want, to devote your life to a problem like, how can I become rich? Or, how can I be successful? Or, how can I be healthy and secure? Or, how can I avoid inconvenience and discomfort?
On the other hand, you can devote yourself to a grander, nobler problem. But in a way you will be defined by the problem you embrace, which leads to a bigger question: Do I have a problem worthy of my best energies, worthy of the life I spend on it?
This week, in Nehemiah 1:1-11, we meet a man with a problem. His name is Nehemiah. The problem that captured his heart was that the Holy City of Israel was in trouble. The walls were in ruins and the gates were gone. In the ancient world that meant no protection from enemies, no ability to control borders, no infrastructure — and therefore a cascade of detrimental social, economic and spiritual repercussions for God’s people.
This problem broke Nehemiah’s heart and how he tackles it is instructive for us – especially how he starts. See you on Sunday.
3 Comments
Absolutely loved this sermon. Have shared it with a few folks at work and intend to repurpose it for devotions that we hold. I feel like you could take the synopsis written above and it would make a really good 2-minute inspirational video. Anyhow, thanks for the encouragement and really looking forward to the whole series.
Congrats, Shaun, on posting the website’s first non-SPAM comment.
You are entirely welcome! Love how easy it is easy to stream sermons from my phone now thanks to the new site. Very easy to plug my phone into my car’s stereo to listen to anything I’ve missed on the way to work.
Also, just played the audio for this sermon (from 0:00 to 12:00ish and from 26:00 to 28:00ish) for a devotional at work. So thank you! It encouraged quite a few people.
And on a technical note, interesting that when I listed my website, your CMS knew to pull the image from my “about” page. But also, I had to write out the full “https://www” for it to correctly pull the site. But then once I did that, the CMS saves my info to autofill and I don’t have to do it again.
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