Nehemiah faced relentless attempts to distract, discredit, and derail him from completing God’s work. His enemies used deceit, false accusations, and even spiritual manipulation to try to lure him off the wall, but Nehemiah responded with bold focus, unwavering conviction, and consistent prayer. Refusing to come down, he modeled what it means to stand firm in the face of pressure and stay faithful to God’s mission. This passage challenges us to silence the noise, resist fear that’s been dressed as faith, and declare with confidence: “I’m doing a great work—I cannot come down.”

I. The Distraction of Deceit

II. The Distraction of False Accusations

III. The Distraction of Spiritual Manipulation

Talk with God: Meditate on Isaiah 41:10 this week and ask the Lord to give you the strength to continue faithfully in your calling.

Talk with others: If you’re facing a struggle or battling distraction, ask a pastor, mentor, or trusted believer to lock shields with you in prayer and practical ways.

Talk with kids: How can we show thankfulness in all circumstances?

“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:15-17, NIV).

Evidence for the Supernatural

1. Documented Miracles

2. Deathbed Visions

3. Near-Death Experiences

4. Angelic Encounters

5. Mystical Dreams

6. Divine Experiences

Receive salvation through Christ so you can be confident that you’ll spend eternity with Him (see 1 John 5:13).

Put on the full armor of God (see Ephesians 6:10-18).

Today we celebrate our fathers. We honor them for their sacrifice, valor, and commitment. But I’d like to explore the Fatherhood of God today as we look at the most famous prayer in the world—actually, the first line of that prayer. As we do, we discover that this prayer implies four great truths.

I. Relationship

II. Lordship

III. Fellowship

IV. Guardianship

Talk with God: Pray for the fathers you know—that the Lord would strengthen and guide them as they lead their families and build a legacy of faith in their communities.

Talk with others: Ask a brother in Christ how you can come alongside them and support them in their walk with the Lord this week.

Talk with kids: Why do we not need a tabernacle today?

Complaining is draining! It only takes away energy from today and never solves problems for tomorrow. And what’s more, a complaining tongue reveals an ungrateful heart. Here in Nehemiah 5, we see that tension was growing among God’s people as complainers voiced their grievances. Some of these complaints were legitimate, but Nehemiah set out to fix the issues and stop the protests.

I. The Local Condition (vv. 1-5)

II. The Leader’s Reaction (vv. 6-7)

III. The Loving Solution (vv. 7-19)

Talk with God: Meditate on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the situations in your life that you are more prone to complain about than to pray about.

Talk with others: Ask a mentor or trusted believer to hold you accountable to pray and give thanks in everything as you “follow the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) this week.

Talk with kids: How does Jesus save us from God’s judgment of sin?