In Nehemiah 2, the message centers on prayer, planning, and courageous action. Explore Nehemiah 2 and learn how prayer, courage, planning, and faithful action work together when God calls us to rebuild and lead. Rather than treating the passage as abstract theology, the sermon traces what these truths reveal about God, the gospel, and the way followers of Jesus are called to live.
A major emphasis is the believer's response to God through prayer, surrender, worship, and spiritual hunger. The message challenges passive Christianity and invites listeners to pursue God intentionally, trusting that transformation grows as we bring our desires, habits, and decisions under the authority of Scripture. The goal is a faith that moves beyond information into communion with God and obedient action.
Along the way, the message engages themes including Nehemiah 2, prayer, planning, and courageous action. These ideas help place the primary passage within the larger story of Scripture and show how its theology speaks to real spiritual formation. At its heart, the sermon helps answer questions such as: What does Nehemiah 2 teach about prayer, planning, and courageous action? It also considers how should prayer, planning, and courageous action shape the way Christians live?
For someone studying this passage, exploring the Christian faith, or looking for practical biblical teaching, this sermon offers a clear path from the text to everyday discipleship. The invitation is to hear what Scripture says, receive it with humility, and take the next faithful step in following Jesus.
What does Nehemiah 2 teach about prayer, planning, and courageous action? | How should prayer, planning, and courageous action shape the way Christians live? | How can believers apply Nehemiah 2 in everyday life?
Nehemiah 2, prayer, planning, and courageous action, nehemiah 2 learn prayer, courageous action
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a cup bearer to a carpenter to a kingdom builder. And we want to be as a church kingdom builders. We want to we want to rebuild and build the kingdom of God everywhere around us. And uh something that I that I shared last uh week and I'm going to probably share it every week. Jesus is a builder. >> He's he's not a deconstructor. He doesn't come into a church and try to divide it. >> He doesn't come in and try to tear it down. He is a a builder. Jesus said that I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Amen. >> That's what we believe as a church. And we believe that in this year, especially in 2026, that we as a church are becoming more and more like Jesus. And that's our desire, not just for for for us, but for this city. That we would become more like Jesus. That other churches throughout this this city and this county will become more and more like Jesus. That they would be discipling people to be more like Jesus. And and we can and do this by praying like Jesus. We can do it by fasting like Jesus. We can do it by believing for miracles and trusting God just as Jesus had to do when he walked the earth. And Jesus said that we would do greater things than he ever did in the earth. And what what did Jesus do? He healed the sick. He cast out demons. And he raised the dead. >> And he's called us to do even greater than that. So again, remember Nehemiah, he's the cup bearer to King Ardis Xerxes of Persia. And uh being a cup bearer means that he would taste the food and and drink before the king to make sure it wasn't poisoned. So it's a fun job. Um in in Nehemiah 1, uh we hear or Nehemiah hears that the people of Israel are scattered, that they're in great trouble and that the entire city, the walls and the gates of Jerusalem are in ruins. He he hears this and and it it moves his heart, his his his love for the people of Israel that it's it motivates him to begin to pray and begin to fast. He doesn't like he doesn't start complaining. He doesn't start, you know, going in circles of trying to find ideas of what to do. He he drops to his knees. He sets down and he begins to pray and fast and weep for days on end. And that should be our first response as a church always. His ideas are so much better than our own. Amen. >> He's got wisdom that I I haven't even comprehended that he wants to pour out onto his people. And again, there wasn't like a burning bush moment that that Nehemiah had where God said, "Go do this." He was just moved. And this is what I love so much about this story because I think we read about Moses sometimes and we go, "Oh, God, give me the burning bush and then I'll do the thing." >> And and God's like, "No, I'm going to put things before you." And when your heart begins to move, what's your response going to be? >> He drops to his knees and he begins to pray. He was moved with compassion. He was moved by the the need. And I'm believing for this for us as a church that we would be moved by the need in front of us. we would be moved by the desire to build his kingdom. That we wouldn't just sit waiting on God to speak to us or inspire us, but we would say, "God, I want to be all in on what you have for me here and now." Again, Nehemiah, he began to confess that he's sinful, that he's complacent, that he's been living in a palace, comfortable with being enslaved. And so, he asked God to forgive him. and he prayed that God would grant him success in the coming days. He begins to confess this. God, give me success. God, give me favor. And it builds up to this this moment where his again, he moves from prayer to action. And that's what we're going to get into here in in chapter 2 because again, it's it's one thing for us to just pray about something. It's another thing for us to do something about it. like like we can we can pray and pray and pray, but if you're not going to get up and and go, what's the point, right? I know that sounds a little a little weird because I know prayer is powerful, but God requires our our natural in order to bring out his supernatural. >> James 2 even says this, it's not enough to just have prayer and faith, but to add to our prayer and faith with good works. So again, he didn't just think and pray. He realized that he has the ability to make a difference. And and let me just there's one more caveat like there are ideas in this church for for businesses, for networking, for for ministry strategies and kingdom vision that may have been stuck between our ears. It may still be stuck between our ears and maybe we're just we just continue to pray about it. But if we would trust God that he will open up the doors for us and take a step of faith, then it can become reality. Do you believe that today as a church? >> But again, it takes a believer that's willing to get moving. Let God work out the details. We just need to step into it. So if you're taking notes today, my first point is kingdom builders seek favor with God and people. It doesn't say just seek favor with God. It says and people. If you remember Nehemiah, he ends this chapter, chapter 1, confessing these things and he says, "Oh Lord, grant him mercy in the sight of this man." And what he's saying is, "God, would you grant me mercy in the sight of the man being the king?" Nehemiah wanted favor and mercy with the king. And so we go into Nehemiah chapter 2. It says in the month of Nan in the 20th year of King Ardis Xerxes when wine was before him I took up the wine and I gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence and the king said to me why is your face sad seeing you are not sick. This is nothing but sadness of the heart. This is this is really interesting because here's the king of this entire nation stopping and caring for his cup bearer, for a slave, for someone he may have interactions with, but at the end of the day, the king is up here and this dude is is the bottom of the totem pole. But but I believe it was the Holy Spirit. It was the spirit of God that began to move the heart of the king to recognize how his heart was moved. How Nehemiah's heart was moved, right? There's no reason that he should have cared about him. But but here's what's wild. Nehemiah has access to the king. And because he has access to the king, that's why he began to pray, "God, would you give me mercy? God, would you give me favor with this person?" The king notices that Nehemiah is sad and he decides to ask him. He says, "Then I was very much afraid and I said to the king, let the king live forever. Why should not my face be sad when the city the place of my father's graves lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire? This is this is so important and we I I want us to lock in this teaching moment here. What motivated Nehemiah to speak up in this moment was love for people and love for his city. It wasn't out of selfish ambition. And and I think what's so interesting too, and I'm skipping way ahead of my notes, but because I just think this is so good, why didn't Nehemiah say something sooner to the king? And and and I and I want you to look even at your own heart, in your own life. There there are times where God begins to reveal to us the influence that we have. God begins to show us when we draw close to him, when we pray and when we fast. He begins to show us the open doors that are around you. He begins to show you the opportunities that he's laid out. But but prior to drawing near to God, Nehemiah didn't see that he had influence with the king. I'm just a slave. I'm just I'm just in this position. I'm this is just my lot in life. this is just where I'm at. But it was getting close to God. It was praying and fasting that revealed to him, I am in a position of influence. And and I want to speak this to us as a church today. I I believe all of us in this room are placed strategically in places of influence for the kingdom of God, for his glory, whether you realize it or not. And when we draw near to the Lord, he begins to reveal those things to us and gives us favor. And this is what I what I love about God because so many times we can just get in our own head or see the circumstances around us and think this is it. But God has this amazing way of bringing all things into alignment for his glory. >> And this is what happens here. because he wasn't motivated by selfish ambition. Again, if he was if it was selfish ambition, he probably would have said something sooner. Like, oh great king, like if you could give me some money so that I could live a better life. Oh, oh, great king, I could I could really use some tickets to this next game that's coming up. Like, oh great king, like I could you give me this this car? Could you give me this house? Like, but it wasn't for himself. It was for his people. Yeah. >> When our hearts are are motivated for something beyond ourselves, it gives us more access and more influence and more favor than when it's just for our own selfish gain. Do we hear this today as a church? Again, I've met I've met so many people who love living in Franklin and love living in Middle Tennessee. And again, we can complain about the the prices, the politics, and all the different things, but the people here in the city itself, there's nothing quite like this city in all the US, >> right? Part of being a kingdom builder is that we love the people where we are, >> that we love the place that God has planted us in. And I want to challenge us today that to love the people and to work at loving the people around us in this place that God has called you to. Again, Nehemiah was moved because his heart was for those people. And his passion actually moved the king. Check this out. It says, "Then the king said to me, what are you requesting?" This again, this is just wild that this king would even allow Nehemiah to request anything. Like, sorry, I'm just too excited about this word today. >> Come on, brother. >> I So he says, so I prayed. This is this is crazy. So he he he says, "What are you requesting?" And immediately Nehemiah prays. He in the middle of the request, he just goes, "God, be with me." He prays, "God of heaven, come." And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight that you send me to Judah, send me to Israel, send me to Jerusalem, to the city of my father's graves, that I may rebuild it." >> Y'all, this is wild. The king is the one who made the offer. He goes, "I SEE THAT YOUR HEART IS MOVED. SO, what can I do? What can as a king here? I have all of these resources at my disposal and now you get access to them. This is crazy. Nehemiah, he's found favor with God and he's found favor with the king. The stakes were high. The king asks Nehemiah praise. And he begins to say, would you give me these things? Again, it it's it's so important that we get this because I think so many times we can push push push people and we end up looking like moochers, right? We end up looking like I only call you when I need something, right? And here Nehemiah just had such a passion not for himself but for others that it moved the heart and and it was so clear I believe I believe so so surely that the king saw the purity of his heart in that moment and that is why he allowed the request to be made to go back again. It's it's more than a strategy. We need to seek the Lord first and what he wants to do and then that that allows him to pour out his favor in a way that he would want to see done. It it I'm I'm just being honest like I could not imagine myself asking a king or some some millionaire business leader for anything. I've done it but I don't like it. Like I I'm still growing in this. Like I don't like asking for help. Has anybody else like that? like I'm doing a thing. I don't need your help. Like that that's just me. But I but I know that that when I allow people to help me, they're able to come in and bless me and bless the work that I'm doing. And I and I've I've been learning this especially now as the pastor of this church, like there's been so many times where I'm just doing the thing and I'm actually keeping people from stepping in and being blessed. Because when we come together in unity and collaborate, God receives even more glory because now we're doing things in unity, which is a desire of the heart of God that we would be in unity. Again, I don't I don't I know what it feels like to be taken advantage of. So, I I personally I don't like feeling like I'm taking advantage of somebody else. Anybody else this way? Yeah. But here's but here's Nehemiah again. We don't know how long he was the cup bearer. We don't know how close they were, but this all shifted and began to be revealed to him that this was the moment to speak. This was the moment to share. And I and I I really want us to to I want to hit this home one more time. I'm believing in 2026 that as we draw closer to God that he would reveal these strategic positions and relationships and influences to us where we may have been ignorant before but now God is opening the way and and and hear me today. I said it I said it last week. It was so funny. Like we always dog the year prior to the year we're stepping into, right? like last year was a dumpster fire, last year was this, like all all these all the negatives, right? But this year is going to be different. It's always interesting to me because I think we we say rah rah, let's go, new year, new me. But many times we just accept the reality of what we're walking in and just go, I can't change it. So this is the way it is. And so we can either accept our lives as they are, maybe enslaved to sin, enslaved to other people's plans, enslaved to a mediocre life, enslaved to fear, afraid of stepping out. But church, fear is so boring. >> Fear is so boring because fear just keeps you where you are. The adventure is taking steps with the Lord. When you begin to step out, that's when that that's when God begins to open up doors. Fear. If you're if you never move because you're in fear, you're never going to experience all that God has for you. For for for us as a as a church, following Jesus is the adventure of a lifetime. Yeah, there's there's suffering and there's tribulation and THERE'S DIFFICULTY, BUT I GET TO DO IT WITH my savior >> and that's the adventure. I step into to chaos and brokenness and and I'm like, God, how are you gonna fix this? How are you gonna do this? Like, this is so cool. Like, I can't work this out on my own, but but you can. >> Amen. >> Again, let the Holy Spirit lead you into positions for potential miracles. let him open your eyes to the circles of influence that you're a part of the the prophetic wisdom that he wants to pour out the open doors. And so going back to Nehemiah and the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, how long will you be gone and when will you return? So it pleased the king to send me when I was given him a time. And I said to the king, oh gosh, I am voice cracking all day. And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province beyond the river, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaf, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the and for the house that I shall occupy." Again, this is this is amazing. He's he's he's asking for all these things. Nehemiah, he's got insane favor. And so, he gets released to do God's work. He gets like passports and paperwork stamped to pass through all these places unharmed. He's given favor with with contractors and and wood and all these different things. It's amazing, right? The king gives him these resources. And again, it's so bold that he would request these things in this way. It's so it's so spirit empowered. It's it it was because of the time that he spent in prayer and fasting weeping for the city, weeping for this need that God begins to give him the uncction to even speak and ask for these things. Like if you if you want favor with God like this, you need to walk in a way that pleases him. We need to seek the Lord. We need to obey his word. We need to be humble and live closely to God. and and and just just throwing this out here, that's how you get favor with God. If you want favor with with man, if you want favor with people, be kind. Like, keep your word. Show up when you say you're going to show up. Work hard. Care about other people. And show respect. If we're going to build something great for God in our homes, in our in our city, with our church, if we're going to be kingdom builders and do something awesome for God here in Franklin, we need to be people of favor with God and with people. Again, it's not using people, but it's walking in the boldness of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. And again, I have missed out I have missed out on more opportunities and blessings from God from keeping my mouth shut when I should have spoken up. And I missed out on even more opportunities from running my mouth when I should have kept quiet. >> How do you know the difference? Ask for wisdom. >> Ask for God to lead you. like listen to him when he says now and listen to him when he says shut up. You know, >> he has the ability to speak to us in this way. Again, this is so cool. Like Jesus grew in this way, too. It says in Luke 2:52, I don't I don't think I have it on the screen. Says that Jesus grew in wisdom and favor with God and man and people. Again, the difference has always been the posture of your heart. And some of us in this room, you have audiences with kings. You have audiences with bosses and leaders and people of influence, people with resources. And and and many of us are are one connection away from connecting someone who may be far from God to the kingdom of God. Like like not in my notes. Side deal. Like there is vision that we have for this church. Like I I know that, you know, this is a big room and everything, but we don't have enough parking spaces for the the amount of people that we would love to see fill this place. And so we've talked about looking for other buildings and other properties and other things. We want to have a much bigger kids space. Like we we we've got so many kids and they're awesome. We're raising up the next generation, right? But I can cast vision all day long, but until I'm connected, until we're connected to resources to see it happen, it's not going to happen. And we know that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. We know that that's the truth of his word. But how many times have we seen God brings people in to connect and bless and resource the work of the Lord >> and it speeds on the work of the Lord. And and I'm not saying that that none of y'all don't have the resource. I'm saying that there is more available to us as a church if we would be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and network us and connect us to those people. We live in Franklin, Tennessee. Like last time I checked, it's it's like a million dollars to buy a house here, right? It's crazy. I got I got real estate agents in the room like, "Yeah, it's wild." But I believe that God has strategically sent been sending people from all of these other states to this area to build his church. Not build a building, but to build something that can reach the lost and raise up the next generation following him. >> Connecting priests and saints to kings. Amen. >> Amen. Again, if our heart and our motive is is beyond for ourselves but for others, God begins to pour out his favor. And again, I want revival to take place >> in this church, in this city, in your family, even even more than I want it for myself. I've experienced revival. God has brought so many things back to life in my life. I am more radical than I think I've ever been in my entire life. >> I am fired up and I know that God has more. >> He has so much more. Don't Don't get apathetic and complacent because you think that you've discovered all of God's ways. He has so much more for you, church. >> All right, that was my first point. Here we go. Second point. I'll move quick after this, y'all. I'm just so excited about what God is doing here. Number two, building God's kingdom will attract critics and opposition. Y'all y'all already know this. Nehemiah 2:9. Then I came to the governors of the province beyond the river and gave them the letter, the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. But when Sandbalat and Heronite and Tobaya, the Ammonite servant, heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. It displeased them greatly. I love this. They were displeased. Samuel, Tobaya, all these guys and and and we'll hear more about them later because they they actually cause a lot of drama. Um they even tried they even wanted to try to kill Nehemiah. Um we'll we'll hear more about that later. It's great. Um people critical of God's call and God's favor many times, oftentimes most of the time are fueled by fear and jealousy. And and I want you to hear this because whenever you decide to step into something great for God, do something great for God, be ready for criticism. And sometimes it's the people that are closest to you. And that doesn't mean that they're like demonic, right? That doesn't mean that they're bad people. There just may be some fear >> and there may be some jealousy that God has spoken to you about something but they didn't speak to them and that doesn't mean that we make enemies out of people that criticize us. >> Right? Hear me again. What God is about to do in your life has never happened before in your life. What God wants to do in this church has never happened before. And so there's going to be opposition. There's going to be push back and that's okay because I'm with Jesus. >> I'm walking I'm walking with him. And again, usually critics, they think they know what they're talking about. Or critics are usually they're not really involved in what you're doing. They're just watching and then they're talking, right? They're not they're not necessarily joining in on what you're doing. They're just observing. And and here's my thing. This ain't in my notes. I believe that there are critics of your life that God wants to make supporters of what you're doing. >> If you'll continue to do the work, I believe God will make a way for those critics to either leave your life or to become part of what God wants to do in your life. >> It'll sharpen you. It'll give you wisdom on how to handle things and handle people and how to cast vision and steps in your life the right way. Again, it's it's really easy to be critical, but it's hard to accomplish something great with your life. It's easy to be complacent. It's easy to just sit back. But God has called us to do hard things. That we that's what we say to my kids all the time. Whenever my kids are crying about doing anything, I say, "What's your last name?" They say, "Serb." I say, "What do servants do?" We do hard things. They all say that. Like Levi did it the other day. He was just balling his eyes. I was like, "Servants do hard things. I could do this." I'm like, "Go do it." God may be calling you to do something that you've never done in this year. God may be calling you to to to fast and pray. God may be calling you to diet. God may be calling you to to work out and all the different things. And and and come on, I'm here for it. But God may be calling you to be a part of our 24 hours of prayer and put in like 3 to 6 hours. Hey, it's a Saturday for half the day. Just come in at 6:00 a.m. and you're there till noon and then we all go get lunch. It'll be great. Come on, somebody. >> Maybe God is call calling you to lead someone to Christ. And it's not just a onetime thing. It may be like a we're going to disciple you until we get you to the kingdom, right? Maybe God's called you to lay hands on somebody that you don't know at Walmart and pray for healing. Hey, maybe God is calling you to start that company, start that nonprofit, that that that ministry, or maybe apply for that new position. Come on, God's got raises for you. and and promotions for you if you'll just step out. Right. >> Right. >> Maybe God's calling you to raise your kids differently than what they tell you on social media. Please do that. >> Raise your kids biblically. Don't listen to those Tik Tok people. They don't know what they're talking about. Walk in purity. Maybe God's calling you to walk in purity and be set apart from our culture in this next year. Maybe God's calling you to start tithing. Maybe God is calling you in this year. I know he's calling me to do this to give the biggest offering that I've ever given to this church. Like I I went through my budget this last year and I'm like, man, this is so amazing what God has done. Every time that I've given and I've swn into the church or I've given and swn into missionaries or or projects around the world, God has just blessed my socks off with more. And then I give more the next time. And I get this is going to be the biggest year for my family that we've ever given. >> And I'm fired up about it because God has found me trustworthy >> and I've received his favor in this way and it's incredible. Maybe God is calling you to to start help your church start new ministries in this community. Like I I got I got so many things I want to talk to you about of of people in our church. I said it already that are just one conversation away, one connection away from us like being all across this city doing incredible work, helping with with detention centers and and jails and helping with with people that are that are that are in nursing homes and and even helping those that are struggling with drug addiction and mental health, like all this different stuff. It's it's all like bubbling up to the surface during this time of prayer and fasting, launching men's ministries and even more powerful women's ministries. And so many things are beginning to happen in this church. And maybe you're just one decision away from being a part of it. Maybe God's calling you to serve those in need and pray for the lost around the world. Again, when you're building God's kingdom, critics are going to criticize. Don't let those voices be louder than the voice of God in your life. Let God build your life. Let God build your family. Let God build this church. Let's do things that no one has ever done before. Number three, be faithful, focused, and proactive. Nehemiah, he gets to Jerusalem, and here's what happens. It says, "So I went to Jerusalem and there was there for three days. Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me, and I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem." This is kind of this is really key here. He doesn't tell anybody what he's doing. There was no animal with me, but the one on which I rode. I went out by night by the valley gate to the dragon spring and to the dung gate and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. Then I went on to the fountain gate and to the king's pool and there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. Then I went up in the night by the valley. I inspected the wall. I turned back and entered by the valley gate and so returned. And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing. and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work. I just I got to be expository here for a second because this isn't in my notes at all. I I I love that he told nobody what God had put in his heart. I said this last week and I I need to say it again. There there are there are times there are seasons where God gives you the idea to pray for it. God gives you the the passion and the desire for something to begin to to work it out. And we receive wisdom from him. I believe it was wisdom for Nehemiah to not share this thing with everybody in the moment. He will share it, mind you. It will come out at some point, but he's in that those beginning strategic processes of of of seeing the work done. And what he could have done is he could have shared it with everybody before even inspecting the problem and seeing what's going on and then and then get distracted by criticism and ideas and all these different things from everybody else. There's wisdom in holding the thing close to your heart that God has spoken to you >> and then choosing the right time with the Lord and the right people to share it when the when the strategies and things are in place. Okay, I'm moving on. Nehemiah, he's doing the work when no one else is working, when no one else is distracting him. And again, he doesn't wait for people to approve what he's doing. He's just circling around and checking things out. He's saying, "What is the need here? What's the situation?" And he's learning what needs to be done to begin to solve the the problem, solve the issue that is before him. Listen, whenever God has called you to do something to build his kingdom, start doing it. Get to it. Get after it. I think sometimes I I've said this many times, we can get we can get high and excited and enthralled with planning, >> right? >> And then never actually do the thing. I can't tell you how many diet plans I have bought on Instagram. Okay. And they send you this PDF and then I I get all excited about it and then I'm like, I can't do this, right? I see I see all the work that that needs to be done. I'm just like, "No, I'm done." Right? Maybe maybe that's you. Okay, that that's definitely me. Um, but here's the thing. If your heart was moved or you you've heard from God like don't wait on others to give you affirm you or to give you some kind of a title. Start moving forward. Start taking steps. Maybe you don't have the whole plan of what God is going to do. Because here's what's great about following God. He loves to change your plan, right? He directs the steps of the righteous. He He's got plans that are greater than our plans. We just have to trust him and take the steps. >> Again, be faithful to whatever God has called you to do. Be focused on whatever God has called you to do. Don't get distracted, especially if you've shared your plans with with people that don't really need to hear the plan because then they're going to start distracting you and pull pull you in. Like like church, you don't need another prophetic word to tell you what you already know, >> right? >> Like I love bringing prophets in this place, but there's a lot of times I get the word, I'm just like, I didn't do that. I've just been sitting on my butt not doing the thing. Right. Hear from God and do what he says. Hear from God and do what he says. Step out and be proactive. like don't wait on all the contingencies to pursue what God has called you to do. Again, he's Nehemiah is taking these steps. He's seeing the he's seeing it before him. He's actually touching touching grass around the the the issue and the problem getting ready to to do what God has called him to do. Again, as a church, we need to take risks sometimes to do something great for God. like like what do you have to lose when it comes to serving the Lord? It's all going to burn up anyways, right? Like like everything we have is God's and everything that we are is God's. >> And this is what I love so much about him. I can take big risks for God and he always takes care of me because I've gone to him in prayer and in fasting. I've gone to him. I've drawn close to him daily and he's he's given me plans. He's given me a passion. He's given me a vision. And then he always backs up on the thing that he's called me to do. Again, whatever your Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might. Number four, let's get to work building for God. Band, y'all can come. Nehemiah 2:17 says, "Then I said to them, you see the trouble that we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer suffer derision." So he finally shares, "Hey, let's do this thing." He doesn't give the whole plan of here's how we're going to build this brick and how we're going to do that thing. He just says, "Let's do something. Let's build this. Let's let's shift things. Let's let's do something different and shake things up. We know that there's a need. We know there's a problem. We know that we have to to fix it. So, let's do it." There's clarity and there's vision. Church, there should be not