Sermon Outlines

March 12, 2023
When God Comes Calling (Ezra 1)
The first step of faith in a messy life is to answer God’s call by preparing to give and serve.
    1. The call to give and serve (1-4) God fulfills hundreds of years of
    prophecy, preparing the way to call His people home.
     2. The answer of prep and action (5-11) God’s people prepare to
    answer God’s call by giving and relocating for service.

March 26, 2023
Now Boarding, Group 1 (Ezra 2)
A careful count of the first group returning to rebuild God’s house.
   1. Leaders (1-2)
        It takes significant prep and commitment to do the Lord’s work.
   2. Descendants (3-35)
        Identity in God is preserved through failures and consequences.
   3. Ministers (36-58)
        Spiritual roles require greater qualifications and responsibilities
   4. Others (59-70)
        God accounts for everyone, even the ones others might forget

April 2, 2023
The Work Begins (Ezra 3)
First things first, let’s focus on what’s most important when serving the Lord.
     1. Building the alter (1-3)
          If you’re wondering where to start, renew your faith and
          commitment to God.
     2. Response to the alter (4-6)
          For the people of God, worship is an ongoing and
          freely-offered sacrifice.
     3. Building the foundation (7-9)
          The Lord’s work deserves our best; no matter the cost, time,
          or effort.
     4. Response to the foundation (10-13)
          Our work with the Lord doesn’t always turn out the way we
          think it should.
Scripture References: Leviticus 23, Numbers 29, 1 Kings 8, 2 Samuel 24, Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 27, Ezra 4:2, Jeremiah 41, 1 Kings 5, 2 Chronicles 2, Isaiah 60, Psalm 118

April 15, 2023
Working Through Discouragement
(Ezra 4)
If you want to stop a Christian from serving the Lord, discourage them.
       1. Discouraged by deception (1-6)
          Serving the Lord makes us a target for deception, we need
          wisdom to avoid it.
      2. Discouraged by slander (7-16)
          Serving the Lord inspires critics to tear us down, with truth
          and with lies.
      3. Discouraged by setbacks (17-24)
          Serving the Lord isn’t problem-free, be ready to move
          forward after being setback.

April 23, 2023
Back to Work (Ezra 5)
After falling to fear and discouragement, it’s time to get back to what God called us to.
     1. Divine inspiration (1-2)
           God’s word motivates us to prioritize His work and
           keeps us on track as we do it.
      2. Divine oversight (3-5)
           God oversees the work He calls us to do, so we can
            trust Him with the outcome.
       3. Witness by actions (6-11)
            When we commit ourselves to God’s work, people
            notice and respond.
        4. Witness by testimony (11-17)
            The testimony of how God has worked in our life is
            powerful and persuasive.

April 30, 2023
Completing God’s Work (Ezra 6)
God is faithful to complete His work in and through us.
     1. Approving the work (1-5)
          We don’t need to twist reality for God’s work to succeed,
          because He uses the truth.
     2. Supporting the work (6-12)
          God uses the people, governments, and situations of this
          world for His purposes.
     3. Finishing the work (13-18)
          God is faithful to complete His work, but our efforts affect
          when and how.
     4. Celebrating the work (19-22)
          The more we recognize the work God does, the more we
          have joy in our hearts.

May 7, 2023
A Man After God’s Word (Ezra 7)
Now that the temple is rebuilt, God plans to bring His word to His people.   
     1. Introducing a man of God (1-10)    
          God prepares the hearts of those who seek, do, and
          teach His word.   
     2. Equipping a man of God (11-20)     
          God equips us with the resources necessary for spiritual
          holiness.   
     3. Deploying a man of God (21-28)
          God sends us out on a mission for the spiritual health of
          others.

May 14, 2023
Time to Move! (Ezra 8)
Important tips as we take off into the ministry God has called us to.
     1. The importance of preparation (1-20)
          A commitment to serving the Lord involves
          strategic planning and organization.
     2. The importance of prayer (21-23)
           In order to move with the Lord, we must wait on
           the Lord.
     3. The importance of participation (24-30)
           The role of the Levites illustrates the importance of
           any job the Lord gives us.
     4. The importance of praise (31-36)
          Praising God builds our faith by reminding us
          what He’s done and can do.

May 21, 2023
We Messed Up… Again (Ezra 9)
The proper response to repeated disobedience is falling at the feet of God.
   1. Recognizing sin (1-2)
          Without word of God, the people of
          God become like the world without God.
    2. Regretting sin (3-5)
          Our own sin and the sin of God’s
          people should devastate us.
     3. Remembering mercy (6-9)
          Realizing God’s past mercy helps us take
          responsibility for our current guilt.
    4. Requesting mercy (10-15)
          God’s grace a bounds, even after making the same
          mistakes over and over again.

May 28, 2023
An Act of Repentance (Ezra10)
Demonstrating the willingness to obey God’s word over all things.
     1. Repentance is led by God (1-4)
          The word of God convicts us and moves us to
          repentance.
     2. Repentance requires action (5-11)
          Repentance is the action of turning away from sin
          to God.
     3. Repentance takes work (12-17)
          Following through on repentance can be
          complicated.
     4. Repentance has a cost (18-44)
          Repentance involves giving up what sin gave us.

June 4,2023
Hearing the Call to Serve
(Nehemiah 1:1-2:5)
Be ready and listen for God to call us to serve the needs of His ministry.
     1. Moved by a ministry need (1:1-3)
           The Lord often calls us to serve by
           sharing His heart for others with us.
     2. Praying for a ministry need (1:4-)
           Prayer is more than a formality, it’s
           necessary to know the heart of God.
     3. Willing to fill a ministry need (2:1-5)
          God works through those who are
          willing, whether they’re experienced or not.
10 notable aspects of Nehemiah’s prayer: – emotion – fasting – praise – recognition – confession – scripture – obedience – request – expectation – unceasing

June 11, 2023
Answering the Call to Serve
(Nehemiah 2:5-20)
By God’s provision we serve Him with urgency and perseverance.
     1. Confirming the call (5-10)
          God provides for the ministry He calls us to do.
     2. Surveying the work (11-16)
          Strategic planning and analysis is an important part
          of serving God.
     3. Serving with resolve (17-20)
          Serving God involves hard work, through
          challenges and opposition.

June 18, 2023
The Work of Fortification
(Nehemiah 3)
We are built up in the Lord as we help build up His work.
     1. All hands on deck (1-5)
          All of God’s people are called to
          sacrificially fortify God’s ministry.
     2. Follow the leader (6-15)
          The Lord raises up leaders to organize
          and guide His people.
     3. Home is where the wall is (16-32)
          The work of the Lord provides security,
          restoration, and holiness.

June 25, 2023
Working Through Opposition
(Nehemiah 4)
We don’t let those who are against God’s work stop us from serving Him.
     1. Verbal opposition (1-6)
          Sometimes listening to God means ignoring
          those who oppose God.
     2. Active opposition (7-15)
          The Lord can’t lose, so we only lose if we fear
          others more than we fear God.
     3. Potential opposition (16-23)
          While we serve God we should always be
          prepared for unforeseen attacks.

July 2, 2023
Money in Ministry (Nehemiah 5)
Serving the Lord impacts all aspects of our lives, including our finances.
     1. Financial need (1-5)
          Loving God often means putting the needs of His
          ministry above our own.
      2. Financial support (6-13)
          Loving others often means being more generous
          than we’re required to be.
      3. Financial leadership (14-19)
          Loving those we lead often means demonstrating
          God’s sacrificial generosity.

July 9, 2023
God’s Strength for Our Vulnerabilities (Nehemiah 6)
The Lord prepares us for attacks meant to hinder His work in our lives.
     1. Attack by fake friendliness (1-4)
          Don’t let the friendliness of others distract you from
          God’s calling.
     2. Attack by false accusations (5-9)
          Don’t let the accusations of others distract you from
          God’s calling.
     3. Attack by scare tactics (10-14)
          Don’t let the fears of others distract you from God’s
          calling.
     4. Attack by double-crossing (15-19)
          Don’t let the disloyalty of others distract you from
          God’s calling.

July 30, 2023
The Gathering of Believers  (Nehemiah 7-8)
Establishing the basics of why believers meet and why we do what we do.
     1. Organizing God’s people (Nehemiah 7:1-73)
          The gathering of believers thrives when appointing and
          training servants.
     2. Studying God’s word (Nehemiah 8:1-12)
          The gathering of believers thrives when devoted to
          hearing from the Lord.
     3. Obeying God’s word (Nehemiah 8:13-18)
          The gathering of believers thrives when quick to act on
          the Lord’s instruction.

August 6, 2023
Worship Confession (Nehemiah 9)
Utilizing our worship to God to grow our relationship with God.
     1. Recognizing God’s gifts (1-15)
          Confession requires the humility to see that God gave us
          every blessing we have.
     2. Remembering God’s grace (16-21)
          Confession acknowledges that God provides for us even
          when we don’t deserve it.
     3. Requesting God’s mercy (26-38)
          Confession communicates our mistakes and asks for
          what we know God offers.

August 13, 2023
Community Rededication (Nehemiah 10)
Getting back on track starts with a recommitment to what God has commanded.
     1. Committed to obey God’s word (1-29)
          Being dedicated to God begins with being faithful to
          study and obey His word.
     2. Committed to stay set apart (30-31)
          Followers of God must ensure they’re not vulnerable
          to other influences.
     3. Committed to give to the ministry (32-39)
          The people of God find joy in giving back the
          blessings He gave them.

August 20, 2023
Celebrating What God Renewed (Nehemiah 11-12)
We appreciate God’s grace by making the most of His work in worship.
     1. Repopulating the city (11:1-3)
          Discerning God’s calling and being willing to follow it.
     2. Counting the people (11:4-12:26)
          Accounting for the impact of a faithful community of
          believers.
     3. Dedicating the wall (12:27-47)
          Demonstrating how to dedicate what God gave us back
          to Him.
10 common ways God speaks to us:
1. The Holy Spirit 2. Scripture3. Prayer4. Other christians5. Church6. Our conscience7. A movement of our heart8. Details of a situation9. Open and shut doors10. Supernatural dreams, visions, words, etc.

August 27, 2023
The Need for Correction (Nehemiah 13)
As we move forward, we want to investigate where we’ve made mistakes.
     1. Improper use of God’s house (1-9)
          We must avoid corrupting the things of God with the things of this world.
     2. Improper use of God’s resources (10-22)
          The faithful regularly give time and money back to the Lord.
     3. Improper use of God’s people (23-31)
          Disobeying the Lord compromises our ability to serve Him.