Broken in the right way-Deep Dive

Intro: Set up the Scene.

Scripture:

Nehemiah 1:1–4 NLT

These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. 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.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

Deuteronomy 28:45–52 NLT

“If you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and to obey the commands and decrees he has given you, all these curses will pursue and overtake you until you are destroyed. These horrors will serve as a sign and warning among you and your descendants forever. If you do not serve the Lord your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received, you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you. You will be left hungry, thirsty, naked, and lacking in everything. The Lord will put an iron yoke on your neck, oppressing you harshly until he has destroyed you. “The Lord will bring a distant nation against you from the end of the earth, and it will swoop down on you like a vulture. It is a nation whose language you do not understand, a fierce and heartless nation that shows no respect for the old and no pity for the young. Its armies will devour your livestock and crops, and you will be destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine, olive oil, calves, or lambs, and you will starve to death. They will attack your cities until all the fortified walls in your land—the walls you trusted to protect you—are knocked down. They will attack all the towns in the land the Lord your God has given you.

Nehemiah 1:5 NLT

Then I said, “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands,

Discussion Questions.

Why did Nehemiah start his prayer with praise?

When you receive bad news or something in your life is not going well how easy is it to praise God?

Does that situation change who God is?

Go around the table and discuss the truth of who God is? How can remembering who God is help us when things are broken and not well?

Nehemiah 1:6–8 NLT

listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses. “Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations.

Discussion Questions:

Nehemiah comes to God with humility and understanding. He knows why things are the way they are and he even owns up to his role in it. He doesn’t play the victim card.

In your current situation what role have you played? What do you need to take responsibility for?

WHAT IS YOUR SLICE?

For Nehemiah what do you think is his slice is?

Why does he identify with his family and his people?

In what ways can the “sins” of people affect others?

How have you seen this in your life time?

Remembered:

Nehemiah 1:9–11 NLT

But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’ “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.

Deuteronomy 30:1–6 NLT

“In the future, when you experience all these blessings and curses I have listed for you, and when you are living among the nations to which the Lord your God has exiled you, take to heart all these instructions. If at that time you and your children return to the Lord your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the nations where he has scattered you. Even though you are banished to the ends of the earth, the Lord your God will gather you from there and bring you back again. The Lord your God will return you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will possess that land again. Then he will make you even more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors! “The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live!

Jeremiah 29:10–14 NLT

This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

How does remembering Gods promises help us when things are not well and broken?

What are some promises of God that you remind yourself of?

Name a time when that promise helped you?

DEEP DIVE FOLLOW UP.

BE HONEST

Take time this week to write down one area of your life that is needs to be rebuilt.

TAKE IT IN

Truly seek to understand why that are is broken.

What caused the damage and when did the damage occur?

What will happen if that area remains the way it is?

LET IT OUT

What role have you taken in the situation? are you a victim, a martyr.

What responsibility do you need to take for the condition of that area?

Pray and be honest with God?

REMEMBER

What promises of God can you apply to that situation or broken area?

Take time to praise God and be thankful for that promise.

Then pray for God to give you favor as you begin to rebuild that area.