Restoring Hope Pastor Clay NeSmith
Restoring Hope Pastor Clay NeSmith
March 15-16
Nehemiah 6:15-16—“So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.” The wall in Jerusalem had been sitting in ruins for 140 years. Nehemiah was working as a servant for a king in another country when he heard about this, and decided to do something about it. He probably wasn’t the first person to realize that the wall needed to be rebuilt, but he was the first person God used to do this task and restore hope in the lives of the people in Israel. He saw the potential in brokenness, and what there can be, not what is. Nehemiah 1:11 says, “‘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.” A cup-bearer was the person who would drink from the king’s cup before the king did to make sure that it was not poisoned. Every day he would have to trust God that he would not be killed by drinking poison meant for the king. Nehemiah 2:1-4 and 8 says, “I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence. So the king asked me, ‘Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.’ Then I was terrified, but I replied, ‘Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.’ The king asked, ‘Well, how can I help you?’...And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.” Nehemiah knew that God has the ability to move the heart, and so instead of trying to manipulate the king, he prayed.
Barefoot Church | 843.280.1270 701 Main ST, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Restoring Hope Pastor Clay NeSmith
March 15-16
What does “potential in brokenness” mean? How can we learn to see it? Do you pray? How can we learn to pray at all times? What can we learn from how Nehemiah answered the king’s questions in Nehemiah 2:1-4? Nehemiah 4:1-3—“Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, ‘What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?’ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, ‘That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!’” Nehemiah 3 lists many of the people who helped to build the wall. Nehemiah knew that he couldn’t do it by himself, so he motivated others to be involved so they could experience what God was going to do through them. Then in Nehemiah 4 they face resistance from surrounding nations. God can give us the strength to resist the temptation to stop doing His work. He asks us to be committed so that we can grow; without roots, trees don’t produce fruit.
Barefoot Church | 843.280.1270 701 Main ST, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Restoring Hope Pastor Clay NeSmith
March 15-16
Nehemiah 8:17b—“...The Israelites had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of Nun.” The days of Joshua were long before Nehemiah’s time! The people of Israel knew that without God, they wouldn’t have been able to rebuild the wall, so they celebrated His greatness. When a vision is built and God’s hand is in it, lives are touched and hope is brought in. Our hope is not in ourselves, but in God. How do we face resistance to sharing the Good News in our culture? How can we overcome it? How can we celebrate what God has done in us and through us? Want to learn more about getting involved at Barefoot? Come to our Main Street campus this Thursday night from 6-7pm for volunteer orientation. Get plugged into a ministry team and hear from our leaders about why what we do matters. 
Barefoot Church | 843.280.1270 701 Main ST, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
March 15-16
Nehemiah 6:15-16—“So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.” The wall in Jerusalem had been sitting in ruins for 140 years. Nehemiah was working as a servant for a king in another country when he heard about this, and decided to do something about it. He probably wasn’t the first person to realize that the wall needed to be rebuilt, but he was the first person God used to do this task and restore hope in the lives of the people in Israel. He saw the potential in brokenness, and what there can be, not what is. Nehemiah 1:11 says, “‘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.” A cup-bearer was the person who would drink from the king’s cup before the king did to make sure that it was not poisoned. Every day he would have to trust God that he would not be killed by drinking poison meant for the king. Nehemiah 2:1-4 and 8 says, “I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence. So the king asked me, ‘Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.’ Then I was terrified, but I replied, ‘Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.’ The king asked, ‘Well, how can I help you?’...And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.” Nehemiah knew that God has the ability to move the heart, and so instead of trying to manipulate the king, he prayed.
Barefoot Church | 843.280.1270 701 Main ST, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Restoring Hope Pastor Clay NeSmith
March 15-16
What does “potential in brokenness” mean? How can we learn to see it? Do you pray? How can we learn to pray at all times? What can we learn from how Nehemiah answered the king’s questions in Nehemiah 2:1-4? Nehemiah 4:1-3—“Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, ‘What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?’ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, ‘That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!’” Nehemiah 3 lists many of the people who helped to build the wall. Nehemiah knew that he couldn’t do it by himself, so he motivated others to be involved so they could experience what God was going to do through them. Then in Nehemiah 4 they face resistance from surrounding nations. God can give us the strength to resist the temptation to stop doing His work. He asks us to be committed so that we can grow; without roots, trees don’t produce fruit.
Barefoot Church | 843.280.1270 701 Main ST, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Restoring Hope Pastor Clay NeSmith
March 15-16
Nehemiah 8:17b—“...The Israelites had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of Nun.” The days of Joshua were long before Nehemiah’s time! The people of Israel knew that without God, they wouldn’t have been able to rebuild the wall, so they celebrated His greatness. When a vision is built and God’s hand is in it, lives are touched and hope is brought in. Our hope is not in ourselves, but in God. How do we face resistance to sharing the Good News in our culture? How can we overcome it? How can we celebrate what God has done in us and through us? Want to learn more about getting involved at Barefoot? Come to our Main Street campus this Thursday night from 6-7pm for volunteer orientation. Get plugged into a ministry team and hear from our leaders about why what we do matters. 
Barefoot Church | 843.280.1270 701 Main ST, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
