Sermon Questions – January 25, 2026

Series: From Rubble to Revival: The Book of Nehemiah
Text: Nehemiah 1
Title: An Invitation to Grief and Prayer

Invited: Share about a demolition project that brought you joy – or grief.

Loved: Living far away in Susa, Nehemiah made a decision to open himself to the grief of his people and homeland. Talk about how you respond to difficult things in life. Are you more likely to name the hard things and weep; to bury it and carry on; or to bubble yourself as much as possible from difficult realities? Maybe all of these, in different circumstances? Share examples if you can.

Shaped:

• Talk about the historical circumstances of the character Nehemiah. Consult a study Bible or website if needed. What do you know about the exile and post-exile?
• Nehemiah wept over his people and the broken walls of Jerusalem. Why were the walls so significant?
• Nehemiah’s grief about the people of God gives us an invitation to do the same. As you think about God’s vision for the Church and for Jesus-followers, what makes you sad, even weepy, about our current reality? One way into this conversation could be to complete the statements: “I wish Faith Church were more ___.” “I wish I were more ___.”
• Find these three components in Nehemiah’s prayer in verses 5-11: (1) worshipful emphasis on who God is, especially promise-keeping; (2) humble acknowledgement of who we are, especially our sinfulness; (3) confident request for God’s help. What stands out to you?
• How do your prayers compare to Nehemiah’s? As you examine Nehemiah’s model, what is one change that God is inviting you to make in your own life of prayer?
• What is the relationship of grief and prayer and renewal / revival?

Sent: Think again about the things that make you sad or grieved about yourself as a Jesus-follower or about the Church as the Body of Christ. Pray together, using Nehemiah’s model, for renewal and revival for yourself and for Faith Church (and the Church in North America).