Episode Summary:

There is no ambiguity about what Jesus told us was to consume our lives as our top priority. He says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” The Greek verb “to seek” means, to strive after, to desire. It is the opposite of being lackadaisical, indifferent, or nonchalant. It is pursuit that is self-motivated, intentional and passionate. The word “first” indicates that Jesus is telling us to make this pursuit the all-consuming top priority of our lives. In context, this verse is about being preoccupied. We are to be pre-occupied with spreading Christ’s agenda of righteousness and restoration over the earth.

As we saw last week, Nehemiah became a man who was consumed with God’s agenda, in his case the restoration of the wall around the city of Jerusalem. In this episode we see that when you adopt God’s agenda, he will provide the resources needed to accomplish it.

For Further Prayerful Thought:

1. Can you relate to Nehemiah praying intensely for the wall to be rebuilt and seeing God do nothing? What have you learned about overcoming discouragement in prayer?
2. It’s not stated explicitly but surely looks like Nehemiah had built a very strong relationship of servanthood and loyalty to Artaxerxes. What pieces of evidence do you see in the text that suggest such a strong relationship?
3. Contrast the loyalty and respect for authority required of God’s people and shown by Nehemiah to cultural Marxism’s worldview that labels all authority figures oppressors. Where do you see the seeds of cultural Marxism in our culture? In the church?
4. Which insights from Nehemiah do you most want to remember in seeking to implement Christ’s agenda of righteousness in your spheres of influence?

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Episode Summary Teddy Roosevelt, our nation's 26th president was a hard charging leader. An ardent admirer once exclaimed to him, “Mr. Roosevelt, you are a great man.” In characteristic honesty he replied, “No. Teddy Roosevelt is simply a plain, ordinary man—highly motivated.” It is safe to say that his answer describes most great leaders, plain and ordinary, yet whose hearts had been captured by a compelling mission. Certainly, Nehemiah, the subject of our new series, would say that about himself. Although he would say he was a plain and ordinary man underneath, he emerges as one of the most effective leaders in history, accomplishing in 53 days what no one else could accomplish in decades. Nehemiah would be the first to say that when God needs a mountain moved, he raises up mountain-moving men. But though he lived five hundred years before the Messiah came, I think Nehemiah would he would be quick to repeat these words of Paul to every man listening: “You are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which he prepared beforehand that we should walk in them—be the mountain of a man you need to be to move your mountain!

For Further Prayerful Thought:

1. What stood out most to you about God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants which included sanctions, covenant blessings for obedience and covenant curses for disobedience?
2. What was most attractive to you about Nehemiah’s heart?
3. Which lessons about prayer most stood out. Which do you most want to remember?

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Episode Summary: Both Solomon, and later the author of the book of Hebrews appeal to the obvious creation principle that they assume everyone knew in their era, loving fathers don’t allow their children to persist in selfish, wrong behavior; they discipline their children out of love for them. In our own day, a weird time in history when cultural voices are denying what every other culture in history has affirmed—that there are differences between fathers and mothers—it seems necessary examine this creation principle of fatherhood. It is also important because, today, so much child-rearing advice is rooted in a fear of stifling a child or harming his self-esteem instead of recognizing that by nature a child wants to be the center of the universe--dad giving him what he wants when he wants it, and the rest of the world catering to his wants and demands. This episode examines how fathers must protect their child from the child’s worst enemy, the main person who can ruin his life—HIMSELF, because he comes into this world with self-centered, sinful nature

For Further Prayerful Thought

1. How would you answer a husband who said, “My wife is so much better with the kids, I leave the discipline of the children to her?”
2. How would you explain to someone that loving a child requires disciplining them but that letting them go their own ways is a form of hatred for them?
3. Which of the 6 reasons parents don’t discipline their kids as well as they should stands out to you?
4. Which of the 6 principles from Hebrews 12 for administering discipline that is like God’s discipline of us stood out most to you? Why do you think that is important?

For the printed version of this message click here.

For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.

For FREE downloadable studies on men’s issues click here.

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