LaunchPad Prayer & Fasting

Putting It In Writing: A Covenant Promise Nehemiah 9:38, 10:28-29; Joshua 24:14-15 I\'ve heard two opinions on putting things in writing. On one side, I\'ve been encouraged never to put things in writing, because then there\'s always a record of what you said, and people can go back and hold you accountable to things you…

Remembering How Patient God Has Been With Us Nehemiah 9:16-21; Lamentations 3:22-23 Devotion This week I had a conversation individually with nine people. Each person was asked the same question, which I chose. I told each person to pause, reflect, and then respond. The question was: \"How has God revealed His patience toward you during your…

Returning to Confession and the Word Together Nehemiah 9:1-3; 1 John 1:9  By this point in Nehemiah\'s story, the walls of Jerusalem have been rebuilt, God\'s people have gathered, and they have heard His Word read aloud. Yet their response is not simply celebration. They return to confession. Nehemiah 9 tells us that the people…

Generosity as the Fruit of Understanding Nehemiah 8:10-12; 2 Corinthians 9:7-8  Generosity as the fruit of understanding means that as we truly recognize God\'s great love, blessings, and purposes for our lives, our hearts are changed, and our actions reflect this change with a greater willingness to share our time, talents, and resources with others.…

From Conviction to Joy Nehemiah 8:9-10; Psalm 30:5  There are moments when God\'s Word doesn\'t just encourage us—it exposes us.  It shows us something about ourselves we would rather not see. A place where we have wandered. A priority that has gotten out of order. A way we have grown comfortable with something God never…

Understanding, Not Just Hearing Nehemiah 8:7-8; James 1:22-25  All of us come on a Sunday morning with expectations. We wonder: How good will the worship be this morning? Will the coffee taste good this week? Will I see anyone I know? Will the message speak to me? Even the pastor comes with his own set…

Posture Matters When We Receive the Word Nehemiah 8:4-6; Isaiah 66:2 Our culture has lost a good bit of the manners that were common in times gone by. When a woman walks into the room men no longer stand. We rarely pull out a chair. From time-to-time a may see a person open the door…

Hungry for the Word After the Work is Done Nehemiah 8:1-3; Matthew 4:4  The walls had been rebuilt, and the people had settled into their towns. But now what? How would they rebuild their lives? How would they live together as a community? What would truly define them as the people of God was not…

Finishing What God Started Nehemiah 6:15-16; Zechariah 4:6-7 Over the years, I’ve noticed book after book being published about leadership based on the life and times, and the wisdom and skill of Nehemiah. In the 80s I remember reading Chuck Swindoll’s Hand Me Another Brick. And now Eric Geiger has a new book, released in…

Ready to Work, Ready to Stand, Together Nehemiah 4:13-23; Ephesians 6:10-13  So, God\'s people heard God\'s call to accomplish His purposes. They watched Him work as He opened doors, provided the resources, and protected them on their journey to the job site. He put it in their heart to revive what had been destroyed, and…

When Fatigue and Fear Spread Faster Than the Work Nehemiah 4:10-12; Galatians 6:9  What do you do when you are completely overwhelmed? When there are piles of laundry stacked up three deep, or when you are just one paragraph into a six-page paper that is due much sooner than you would prefer.  There are lots…

Praying and Posting a Guard Nehemiah 4:7-9; Matthew 26:41  Opposition. That is what Nehemiah and God\'s people encountered as they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. Their enemies initially mocked and ridiculed the Jews. When that didn\'t stop the rebuilding, they plotted to fight against Jerusalem and create fear among the Jews. They eventually tried to…