Hand Me Another Brick – Timeless Lessons in Leadership (Swindoll)

Session 6 – 3/14/2017

Discouragement: Its Causes and Cure (Nehemiah 4:9-23)

Bible Reference: Old Testament Book of Nehemiah

Disclaimer:  I am not a professional… or a biblical scholar/theologian.  We will play it straight defaulting to the basic Bible text.  Leave no man behind…. Respect each other; everyone is at their own place on this journey and in developing the Third F (Faith).

Goal: Understand biblical principles and apply them – using Nehemiah as a case study.

Warm Up:  Introductions; References/Bible Version; Quick Review of Previous Lessons

 What stuck with you from the last lesson?

 Did anything in your schedule and interactions this past week bring to mind any of the principles or character traits we discussed last week?

 What tends to discourage you the most? Reflect on a time or two when you’ve experienced discouragement.  What factors were involved?  Were they mostly task-oriented or people-oriented?

 In the past, how have you tied to prevent or resolve discouragement? Have your methods been effective?  Why, or why not?

 The Thang:

• Sources of Discouragement – Read Nehemiah 4:10-12
• Loss of strength
• Loss of vision
• Loss of confidence
• Loss of security

 

 In your own realms of leadership, have the following sources of discouragement ever affected either you or those serving with you? In what ways?

• Loss of Strength:

• Loss of Vision:

• Loss of Confidence:

• Loss of Security:

Which of these is the most potent source off discouragement for you? Why? 

• Nehemiah’s Cure for Discouragement – Read Nehemiah 4:13-23
• Nehemiah unified the people around the same goal
• Nehemiah directed the people’s attention to the Lord
• Nehemiah encouraged the people to maintain a balance
• Nehemiah provided a rallying point for the people
• Nehemiah occupied the people with service to others

Things to Think About:

What are the primary goals of your realms of leadership? Do you feel that you and those who serve with you are focused on those goals?  If not, how could you create a renewed focus on your goals?

 Do you spend time in prayer, Bible study, or reading Scripture with those under your leadership? How might you incorporate those things into your time together?

Consider the competing issues that vie for attention in your realms of leadership – finances, personnel issue, deadlines, and so on. Do you feel that the issues are handled in a balanced manner, or does one dominate over the others?  If one is receiving too much attention, what can you do to regain a balanced perspective:?  Be specific.

Take a few moments to sketch out an “encouragement plan” for your realms of leadership. What physical, mental, and emotional elements might you include?  Also, remember that in order for those under your leadership to have strong ties in times of crisis, relationships must be cultivated and established along the way.

Is there a person within your group who seems to be a natural encourager – someone who is well-respected by others, who exhibits a positive attitude and a genuine concern for others? How might you draw on his or her strengths as you implement your plan?

How might you encourage those in your realms of leadership to serve one another? List several specific tasks you might assign, emphases you might make, or opportunities you might provide.  Then, commit to following through with at least one of your ideas.

 

Don’t let discouragement take hold! Follow Nehemiah’s guidelines for encouragement, and resume your task with a renewed spirit.

Wrap Up:

• Name-o-Rama
• COT
• BOM
• Announcements

Next Week:  Lesson 7, Love, Loans … and the Money Crunch, Nehemiah 5:1-13

Nehemiah 4:9-23 (ESV)

⁹ And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.

¹⁰ In Judah it was said,^[a] “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” ¹¹ And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” ¹² At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.”^{[b] 13} So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. ¹⁴ And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

The Work Resumes

¹⁵ When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. ¹⁶ From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, ¹⁷ who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. ¹⁸ And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. ¹⁹ And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. ²⁰ In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

²¹ So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. ²² I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.” ²³ So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.