Nehemiah Rebuilt the Walls (Nehemiah 1–7)

Dear families,

Recall the last time you were faced with devastating news or found yourself filled with angst, worry, or fear. How did you respond? 

Anger and bitterness are common reactions to bad news. We may feel tempted to isolate ourselves from others. Grief is complex, and responses vary greatly. However, according to the Bible, Nehemiah’s response is the best response. 

Read about Nehemiah’s general response in Nehemiah 1:4. Then in Nehemiah 1:5-11, we discover the specific way that Nehemiah prayed in response to this devastating news. He recognized God’s faithfulness, requested God’s ear, confessed sin, and committed his people to the Lord’s care. 

Nehemiah began his prayer with a recognition of the faithfulness of God. He indicated his confidence that God had been and would continue to be faithful. He then requested God’s ear. Though Nehemiah was confident that God heard him, he opened and closed his prayer of dependence by begging God to listen to his request.  

Why did Nehemiah pray this way? Likely, he was further demonstrating his deep conviction that God and God alone is able to work in such a way that would bring about restoration. 

Nehemiah’s prayer also demonstrates his belief that sin has serious consequences. He confessed his own sin and the sin of his family, recognizing that God was fully aware of their sin, but also that this sin was not to be taken lightly and needed to be dealt with. 

Finally, he committed his family—the Jewish people—into the hands of this faithful and just God. He trusted God to be faithful to His word and His people. Though Nehemiah didn’t know what the outcome would be, he was confident in his God, that He would remain faithful no matter what. 

Nehemiah’s response demonstrated a deep love, trust, and confidence in God that is exemplary for each of us. When we face moments of devastation, we can—with deep dependence—turn to God and find comfort.

Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities. 

FAMILY TALKING POINTS

CHRIST CONNECTION

This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.

• Babies & Toddlers: Nehemiah helped God’s people rebuild the walls around their city. The walls protected the people from their enemies. Jesus protects us from our enemies.

• Younger Preschool: Nehemiah helped God’s people fix the walls around their city. The walls protected the people from their enemies. Jesus protects us from our enemies.

• Older Preschool: Nehemiah helped God’s people fix the walls around their city. The walls protected the people from their enemies. Jesus protects us from our enemies. When we know and love Jesus, He keeps us safe from sin and we will live with Him forever.

• Kids: Nehemiah led the people to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem to protect them from their enemies. Jesus came to protect us from our greatest enemies, sin and death. He died on the cross and rose from the dead to rescue everyone who trusts in Him.

BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER

This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit. 

• Younger Preschool: How should we feel when we make wrong choices? When we make wrong choices, we should feel sorry that we have disobeyed God and want to obey Him.

• Older Preschool: How should we feel when we sin? When we sin, we should feel sorry that we have disobeyed God and choose to obey Him.

• Kids: How should we feel when we sin? When we sin, we should feel sorry that we have disobeyed God and want to turn from our sin because we love Him. 

KEY PASSAGE

This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit. 

• Babies & Toddlers: We should feel sorry when we disobey God. 2 Corinthians 7:10

• Younger Preschool: We should feel sorry when we disobey God and want to obey Him. 2 Corinthians 7:10

• Older Preschool: Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret. 2 Corinthians 7:10

• Kids: For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

** Next week: Ezra Read the Law (Ezra 7–10; Nehemiah 8)

Esther Saved Her People (Esther)

Dear families,

You may never have said it aloud before, but there is a good chance that you have thought it: “If I just had ________ [fill in the blank with your greatest desire], then following Jesus would be so much easier.” What is your greatest desire? For some it may be money; for others, possessions; for others, power or a relationship or a feeling. 

We live in a broken world and may often fantasize about what life would be like if our ideals came to pass. We may even hurt or mistreat others in pursuit of our dreams—to gain that which we believe has the greatest importance. But the reality is that even if we have all that we want, there is still a great temptation to desire more and continue seeking our own good at the expense of others. 

This sinful reality is part of what makes the events in the Book of Esther so surprising. We observe Mordecai’s journey from faithful adoptive father of a young girl in a foreign land to his becoming the king’s right-hand man. 

Mordecai was faithful. He was faithful to take in Esther, his cousin who was without father or mother. He was faithful to sit, wait, and watch every day at the gate of the king’s palace to see what God would do through this beautiful young woman. He was faithful to speak up with boldness and confidence, even at the threat of death. And he was faithful to lead beside the king in an honorable way seeking the flourishing of the kingdom. 

Mordecai rose to a position of great power and authority. Many figures in power tend to forget their roots, turning to selfishness and unfaithfulness. Mordecai, however, did not. Read Esther 10:3.

In our temptation to seek our own pleasure, we must remember that our Savior, Jesus Christ, “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). In remembering the work of Christ, we find not only an example to follow but also the power to do the same. 

Christ in us seeks the good of those around us. No matter how high or low our rank in the world, He is always good and always desires that we seek the good of those around us, for His glory.

Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities. 

FAMILY TALKING POINTS

CHRIST CONNECTION

This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.

• Babies & Toddlers: God had a plan for Esther to rescue the Jews. God also had a plan for His Son, Jesus, to come into the world and rescue all people.

• Younger Preschool: Haman’s evil plan could not stop God. God had a plan for Esther to rescue the Jews. By saving the Jews, God made the way for His Son, Jesus, to come into the world.

• Older Preschool: God’s plan was to send the Messiah into the world through Abraham’s family. Haman’s evil plan could not stop God. God had a plan for Esther to rescue His people. By saving the Jews, God made the way for His Son, Jesus, to come into the world.

• Kids: God was in control over Haman’s evil plan to destroy the Jews. Like Haman, Satan wants to ruin God’s plan and destroy believers. Satan thought he had won when Jesus died on the cross, but God raised Jesus from the dead and defeated Satan once and for all. All who believe in Jesus are rescued from sin and death.

BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER

This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit. 

• Younger Preschool: How should we feel when we make wrong choices? When we make wrong choices, we should feel sorry that we have disobeyed God and want to obey Him.

• Older Preschool: How should we feel when we sin? When we sin, we should feel sorry that we have disobeyed God and choose to obey Him.

• Kids: How should we feel when we sin? When we sin, we should feel sorry that we have disobeyed God and want to turn from our sin because we love Him. 

KEY PASSAGE

This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit. 

• Babies & Toddlers: We should feel sorry when we disobey God. 2 Corinthians 7:10

• Younger Preschool: We should feel sorry when we disobey God and want to obey Him. 2 Corinthians 7:10

• Older Preschool: Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret. 2 Corinthians 7:10

• Kids: For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

** Next week: Nehemiah Rebuilt the Walls (Nehemiah 1–7)

God Can Always Be Trusted (Jeremiah 31)

Dear families,

If you’re a parent or a spouse, there’s a strong likelihood that at some point you have had to say the same thing to the same person over and over to get your point across. Some things are so important they are worth repeating. And some people are so quick to forget, we must repeat. 

For example, each of my four children have gone through seasons when brushing their teeth was such a chore that you would have thought they were being asked to eat nails. My wife and I would remind them dozens of times in the morning and dozens of times in the evening to brush their teeth, and yet still we would later find evidence that it didn’t happen. I feel confident none of them were belligerent in wanting their teeth to rot, but we were loving enough to remind them that this was likely to happen if they didn’t remember to complete this menial task a couple of times a day. 

In Jeremiah 31, there is a phrase that is repeated by the Lord to the hearer of these words. The phrase, “the LORD’s declaration” occurs 10 times in these 40 verses. These words even appear at times in the middle of a thought or sentence, uniquely placed to garner great attention. In addition the phrase, “This is what the Lord says” occurs seven times. Clearly, the Lord wants the hearers to be abundantly clear from whom these words are coming. 

We are most certainly forgetful people, often forgetting the smallest of details and even the most significant of facts. The Lord knows us on the deepest level and knows how great our need is for direct reminders. 

Jeremiah 31 contains difficult truths and delightful promises. God knows that the hearer is likely to bristle at the warnings and rejoice in the hope, but he also seemingly wants to ensure that we who read these words do not forget that they are His words. 

As we read the Bible, it is crucial that we recall the voice behind the words: the voice of God. The only One of highest authority and knowledge and good. Maybe you need to remember as you read and listen to God’s Word that this is the Lord’s declaration.

Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities. 

FAMILY TALKING POINTS

CHRIST CONNECTION

This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.

• Babies & Toddlers: Jeremiah told of God’s plan to forgive sin and help people want to obey God. Jesus made God’s words come true. God forgives our sin through His Son, Jesus.

• Younger Preschool: God’s words are always true, so we can always trust God. Jeremiah told of God’s plan to forgive sin and help people want to obey God. Jesus made these words come true. God forgives our sin through His Son, Jesus.

• Older Preschool: Jeremiah’s message was good! God’s words are always true, so we can always trust God. Jeremiah told about a day when God would forgive sin and change people’s hearts. Jesus made these words come true. God forgives our sin through His Son, Jesus.

• Kids: God’s words brought hope to God’s people because His words were true. God can always be trusted. Jeremiah told about a day when God would forgive sin and change people’s hearts. Jesus’ death and resurrection provides forgiveness of sins. Through Jesus, we have new hearts and life with God forever.

BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER

This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit. 

• Younger Preschool: Can God be trusted? Yes, we can trust whatever He has said.

• Older Preschool: Can God be trusted? Yes, God cannot lie, so we can trust whatever He has said.

• Kids: Can God be trusted? Yes, God cannot lie or ever be wrong, so we can trust whatever He has said.

KEY PASSAGE

This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit. 

• Babies & Toddlers: Trust in the Lord. Jeremiah 17:7

• Younger Preschool: The person who trusts in the Lord is blessed. Jeremiah 17:7

• Older Preschool: The person who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence indeed is the LORD, is blessed. Jeremiah 17:7

• Kids: The person who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence indeed is the LORD, is blessed. Jeremiah 17:7

** Next week: Esther Saved Her People (Esther)