Sunday School Lesson March 8

Focal Passages:

Nehemiah 2:1-8,11-18

What This Lesson Is About:

Nehemiah was deeply affected by the condition of his ancestral city. He did not simply receive the report as bad news but took it to heart and began making preparations to do what he could to rectify the situation.

Spiritual Preparation Through Personal Bible Study

Do you have weeks when the work seems overwhelming? Sometimes I think I have so much to do that I dive right in, trying to accomplish one thing after the other. Unfortunately, I soon find that since I failed to prioritize, I often do not get the most important things done. Planning and prioritizing help me be more efficient and effective.

Have you ever prepared condensed soup? The package says, “Empty contents into saucepan. Add one can of water. Stir. Heat. Serve.” Many adults today believe even that is too much preparation! Instead, they go for the single serving “nuke and go” soup that comes in a microwavable container. We can stick it in the microwave, zap it a few seconds, and be on our way.

Unfortunately, our culture’s time crunch and demand for minimal preparation often carry over into our spiritual lives as well. Many just don’t want to invest the time to prepare their hearts spiritually. If they can’t learn what they need on Sunday morning, they don’t want to bother. Stepping up to serve the Lord often requires a precious but rare commodity in our society—patient and diligent preparation. When we learn to prepare for God’s service, we’ve taken a big step.

How This Lesson Can Impact Your Life:

Stepping up to serve the Lord often requires more than spontaneity. This lesson will urge you to take to heart the opportunities God gives you to serve Him and make the necessary preparations to carry out the service.

-by Bryan Beyer, Professor of Old Testament, Columbia Biblical Seminary & School of Missions (div. of Columbia International University, Columbia, SC.