Unfolding Grace – Week 24

Israel Recommits to Obey God (Nehemiah 8-10)

Read pages 351-361 in Unfolding Grace.

1. The book of Nehemiah records the story of the building of a wall around Jerusalem for the protection of the city. What walls do you need to build around your life and family? What are you trying to keep out? What are you trying to protect?

1. How would you use Nehemiah 9 in a Sunday School class to teach children about the sinfulness of man and the mercy of God?

1. If you were going to summarize the whole Old Testament using 10 or fewer topical headings, what would they be?

1. (Nehemiah 9:2) “The Israelites… stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.” How does going over the history of Israel help us to ponder our own sinfulness?

1. Why did this prayer of confession begin with creation? How might doing the same make your own confession more meaningful?

1. What is the value in contemplating the seriousness and immensity of your accumulated sins? What is the danger in doing so? What is the danger in never doing so?

1. Where are you personally in your own story of God’s unfolding grace? Has God brought you to an end of yourself? Are you done with telling your own story and ready to tell His?

1. If not, what are you waiting for? What does God need to do to command your full attention?

1. From Sunday’s sermon, what did you find either most encouraging or most challenging?