And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. - Nehe 12:43

A) Leaders settle in Jerusalem from towns of Judah and Benjamin (Nehemiah 11) 

B) Priestly Lineage and Dedication of the Wall (Nehemiah 12)

C) 

12:1–7) Priests and Levites returning with Zerubbabel; continuity from exile; leadership roots reestablished

 - Life's work: Abijah to Zechariah to John the Baptist (Nehemiah 12:1-7)

8–9) Levites over thanksgiving; structured praise; worship teams organized responsively

10–11) High priest lineage; generational continuity; legitimacy of spiritual authority

12–21) Priestly heads in Joiakim’s days; administrative order; accountability across generations

22–26) Levites recorded in days of Eliashib to Jaddua; historical documentation; leadership preserved

27–30) Dedication preparation; purification of people, priests, Levites, and walls; holiness precedes celebration

31–37) First thanksgiving choir; procession on wall; public praise; God’s work visibly celebrated

38–42) Second thanksgiving choir; dual processions; unified worship; instruments and singers coordinated

43) Great sacrifices and rejoicing; joy heard far away; God gives great joy; public testimony

44–47) Provision for temple workers; tithes and offerings restored; support for singers, gatekeepers; faithfulness to ordained systems

Nehemiah 13 – Covenant Drift and Leadership Reform

13:1–3) Law read publicly; exclusion of Ammonites and Moabites enforced; separation from compromise

4–9) Eliashib’s compromise; Tobiah given temple chamber; Nehemiah confronts and cleanses; restores sacred use

10–14) Levites neglected; tithes withheld; workers abandon posts; Nehemiah corrects and reinstates provision

15–18) Sabbath violations; commerce resumes on holy day; Nehemiah rebukes leaders; connects sin to past judgment

19–22) Sabbath enforcement; gates shut; guards posted; merchants kept out; holiness protected structurally

23–27) Intermarriage with foreign women; children lose covenant identity; Nehemiah rebukes, disciplines; Solomon cited as warning

28–29) Priesthood compromised; alliance with Sanballat; Nehemiah removes defilement; prays for accountability

30–31) Final reforms; purification of priests and Levites; duties restored; wood offerings and firstfruits reestablished; “Remember me, O my God, for good”

Read More ->>

Holiness begins with belonging, not behaving (1 Peter 1:15-16)

Enjoyed  Our Call Holy Living – Timothy Keller Sermon his central idea is that holiness is not primarily moral rule-keeping. It is belonging to God. Peter grounds holy living in identity, redemption, and hope. Because Christ purchased us at extraordinary cost, holiness becomes the response of a person who increasingly says, “My life is His.”

Key takeaways with Scripture

1. Holiness begins with belonging, not behaving.
   To be holy means to be set apart for God and available for His purposes. Obedience follows from that new identity rather than creating it.

1 Peter 1:15–16: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
See also 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; Romans 14:7–8; Exodus 19:5–6; 2 Timothy 2:20–21.

A helpful summary is: I am not my own. I belong to God.

2. Holiness transforms the mind.
   Peter begins, “prepare your minds for action” or, literally, “gird up the loins of your mind.” Holiness requires disciplined thinking. What captures the mind eventually shapes desires, decisions, and behavior.

1 Peter 1:13
See also Romans 12:1–2; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:1–2; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Psalm 1:1–3.

The question shifts from simply, “What am I allowed to do?” to “What is forming the way I think?”

3. Holiness involves wholehearted obedience.
   Peter contrasts our former desires with living as “obedient children.” Biblical obedience is not selective. We increasingly surrender even those areas where God's will conflicts with our preferences.

1 Peter 1:14–15
See also John 14:15; John 14:21; Luke 6:46; James 1:22–25; Romans 6:16–18.

Jesus captures this discipleship posture in Luke 9:23: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him.

4. Holiness reaches every part of life.
   Peter says, “be holy in all you do.” Christianity does not divide life into sacred and secular categories. Work, money, sexuality, relationships, speech, entertainment, ambitions, and private thoughts all come under Christ's lordship.

1 Peter 1:15
See also Colossians 3:17, 23–24; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1; Ephesians 4:20–24.

Holiness therefore asks: “What would it look like for this part of my life to belong completely to God?”

5. Holiness includes reverent awe, not merely discipline.
   Peter tells believers to “live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.” Keller's point about awe is important. Holiness grows not merely from stronger willpower, but from seeing God as He truly is.

1 Peter 1:17
See also Proverbs 9:10; Isaiah 6:1–8; Hebrews 12:28–29; Psalm 96:9.

Isaiah 6 provides a powerful picture. Isaiah sees God's holiness, recognizes his own sin, receives cleansing, and then responds, “Here am I. Send me!” Holiness moves from revelation → repentance → cleansing → surrender → mission.

6. The gospel, not fear of punishment, provides the deepest motivation for holiness.
   Peter reminds Christians that they were redeemed not with silver or gold, but “with the precious blood of Christ.” Our obedience is a response to redemption already accomplished.

1 Peter 1:18–19
See also Ephesians 2:8–10; Titus 2:11–14; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:14–15; Revelation 5:9–10.

This prevents holiness from becoming legalism. We do not become holy so Christ will redeem us. We pursue holiness because Christ has redeemed us.

7. Jesus demonstrates what complete consecration looks like.
   Keller's reference to Christ sanctifying Himself connects strongly with Jesus' prayer before the cross:

John 17:19: “For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”

Jesus completely gives Himself to the Father's will for our sake. See also Philippians 2:5–8; Hebrews 10:5–10; Mark 10:45; Galatians 2:20.

This creates the gospel paradox: Christ gave Himself completely for us, freeing us to give ourselves completely to Him.

8. God's holiness becomes beautiful when seen through the cross.
   The Old Testament repeatedly portrays God's holiness as overwhelming. Isaiah cries, “Woe to me!” Yet in Christ, the holy God Himself provides the sacrifice that allows sinful people to approach Him.

Isaiah 6:3–7 → Hebrews 10:19–22

Also compare Exodus 33:18–23; Leviticus 11:44–45; John 1:14, 18; Hebrews 4:14–16; Revelation 4:8–11.

That helps explain Keller's description of God's holiness in Christ as not merely awesome, but gorgeous. At the cross, God's absolute holiness and extraordinary love are revealed together.

The strongest synthesis may be Belong → Behold → Become → Behave. I belong to God because Christ redeemed me. I behold God's holiness and Christ's sacrificial love. By grace I become increasingly like the One to whom I belong. Therefore, I behave differently, not to earn God's acceptance, but because I have already been claimed by Him.

Action items: For personal study, read 1 Peter 1:13–19, then Isaiah 6:1–8, Romans 12:1–2, and John 17:13–19. Ask one application question: “What part of my life am I still treating as mine rather than God's?”

Read More ->>

Front doors, our assumptions and how to have a KNOCK mindset

Everyone puts up a front door, some are welcoming, some are scary, some are utilitarian. Connection primer helps leaders first learn the biblical mindset, observe a model conversation, practice one-on-one across perceived differences, and receive specific coaching. The desired outcome is not simply understanding welcome. It is demonstrating curiosity, dignity, mutuality, and continued connection.

Connection Primer: Tell, Show, Let, Coach

Session outcome

By the end of the session, each leader will be able to:

• Recognize assumptions created by appearances.
• Approach someone without pity, envy, favoritism, or superiority.
• Conduct a one-on-one conversation using the KNOCK mindset.
• Identify something to receive from the other person.
• Make a specific commitment to continue the relationship.

Ask:

“If these doors represented people, which would you approach first? Which would you avoid? What story have you already created about the person behind each door?”

Explain:

“The doors represent how people show up, not what they are worth. We naturally rank people by appearance, condition, influence, education, confidence, and usefulness. The gospel teaches us to cross the sidewalk without ranking the person behind the door.”

Biblical foundation

James 1:9–11: Status is reversed

• The person in humble circumstances has a high position in Christ.
• The wealthy person must remember their low position before God.
• Visible circumstances are real, but they do not determine eternal worth.
• Both people need an identity that circumstances cannot provide.

Romans 5:8: Love initiates

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Christ did not wait for us to become presentable before moving toward us.

Romans 15:7: Welcome reproduces grace

“Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you.”

We extend the kind of welcome we have already received.

Define belonging before belief

“Belonging before belief means relational welcome before agreement. It does not mean agreement is unnecessary, truth is unimportant, or boundaries disappear. It means dignity, attention, and relationship are not rewards people must earn by becoming like us.”

Teach the KNOCK mindset

• K: Kill the ranking. Place neither person above the other.
• N: Notice assumptions. Separate what you know from what you inferred.
• O: Offer welcome. Communicate interest without requiring performance.
• C: Come ready to receive. Believe the other person carries something you need.
• K: Keep showing up. Move from a pleasant encounter to a continuing relationship.

Show Model conversation

Leader:
“Thanks for taking a few minutes with me. I realized that I know what you do, but I do not know much about what has shaped you. What has been significant in your life recently?”

Other person:
“Most people assume everything is going well. Work has gone well, but caring for my father has been difficult.”

Leader:
“I would not have known that. What has that season been teaching you?”

Other person:
“It has been teaching me that I cannot control everything. I have had to ask for help.”

Leader:
“That challenges an assumption I had. I thought you were probably the person everyone else depended on. What kind of support would be meaningful to you?”

Other person:
“Honestly, having someone check in without asking me to solve another problem would help.”

Leader:
“I can do that. I would also like to learn more about what you are discovering. Would it be all right if I checked in next week?”
Observation questions


Ask the group:

• Where did the leader avoid ranking?
• What assumption was corrected?
• Which question invited honesty?
• What did the leader receive?
• How did the conversation create a next step?

Behaviors to notice

Mindset ->Observable behavior

• Kill the ranking -> Speaks as an equal
• Notice assumptions -> Admits an incomplete perception
• Offer welcome -> Expresses sincere interest
• Come ready to receive -> Asks what the experience is teaching
• Keep showing up -> Establishes a specific follow-up

3. Let: Practice one-on-one

Time: 10 minutes
Purpose: Let leaders exercise the mindset together in a real conversation.

Pair leaders with someone they know less well. If possible, pair people who differ in age, personality, professional background, culture, life stage, or visible circumstances.

 

Step 1: Name the door

Before beginning, each person privately selects the door that best represents how they currently feel they are showing up. They may explain their choice, but they are not required to disclose anything they wish to keep private.

Step 2: Begin with curiosity

The initiating leader may use one of these questions:
“What is something people might assume about you that is incomplete?”
“What experience is shaping you right now?”
“Where have you experienced unexpected encouragement?”
“What is God teaching you through your present circumstances?”
“What do you wish people would ask instead of assuming?”
“What strength has God developed in you that others may not immediately see?”

Step 3: Listen for the gift

The initiator must identify something they can receive from the other person:
Wisdom
Perspective
Encouragement
Correction
Experience
Prayer
A different way of seeing the situation

This keeps the conversation reciprocal. The other person is not treated as a problem, project, or ministry assignment.

Step 4: Reflect what you heard

Use this pattern:


“What I hear you saying is…”
“Something I respect in your story is…”
“Something I can learn from you is…”

The other person may clarify or correct the reflection.

Step 5: Create a next step

Close with one question:

“What would meaningful connection after today look like?”

Possible next steps include:

• A follow-up conversation
• A prayer check-in
• Sharing a meal
• Attending something important to the person
• Introducing them to another leader
• Serving together
• Practice boundaries

Leaders should not:

• Give advice unless it is requested.
• Correct theology during the exercise.
• Compare the story to their own too quickly.
• Ask for traumatic details.
• Promise confidentiality they cannot maintain.
• Turn the conversation into recruitment or problem-solving.

4. Coach: Reflect and improve

Time: 3 minute
Purpose: Convert experience into repeatable leadership behavior.

Partners first coach each other using the following questions.
Peer-coaching questions

• When did you feel most heard?
• Which question helped you open up?
• Did anything feel assumed, rushed, or overly directive?
• Did the conversation feel mutual?
• What should the leader repeat?
• What is one adjustment that would improve the next conversation?

Read More ->>

Helping through intercession, celebrating the gospel invitation of faith (Romans 1:8-15)

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. Romans 1:8-15

Intercession in Romans is God-centered participation in the lives of others. The Holy Spirit intercedes within believers when words fail, Christ intercedes for believers before God, and Christians intercede for one another through earnest prayer. Paul presents prayer not as solitary effort, but as participation in the continuing ministry of the Spirit and the Son. When we pray for others we are joining Christ in his eternal work (Heb 7:25). 

Passage	Intercessor	Focus
Romans 1:9–10	Paul	Prays continually for the Roman believers and for an opportunity to visit them
Romans 8:26–27	Holy Spirit	Helps believers in weakness and intercedes when they do not know what to pray
Romans 8:34	Jesus Christ	Intercedes for believers at God’s right hand
Romans 10:1	Paul	Prays earnestly for Israel’s salvation
Romans 11:2	Elijah	A negative contrast: Elijah appeals to God against Israel
Romans 15:30–32	Roman believers	Asked to struggle alongside Paul in prayer for protection and fruitful ministry

Romans reveals three dimensions of intercession:

1. Divine intercession
   • The Spirit works within believers.
   • Christ represents believers before the Father.
   • Christian confidence rests on God’s activity, not the quality of our words.
2. Missional intercession
   • Paul prays for people to be saved.
   • He requests prayer for protection, acceptance of his ministry, and future service.
   • Intercession advances God’s mission through human dependence.
3. Relational intercession
   • Paul prays for people he has not yet met.
   • He asks the Roman church to “strive together” with him.
   • Prayer makes distant believers active partners in one another’s ministry.

Romans 8:26–27 does not necessarily teach that the Spirit merely gives believers special words. The emphasis is that the Spirit himself intercedes according to God’s will. Our weakness does not prevent effective prayer because God supplies what we lack. 

The movement in Romans is:

Our weakness → the Spirit’s help → Christ’s advocacy → the church’s participation → God’s purposes

Intercession is therefore more than asking God to change circumstances. It is joining God’s concern for people while trusting the Spirit to align our imperfect prayers with God’s will.

Romans also holds together confidence and struggle. Believers can be confident because Christ intercedes for them, yet Paul still describes prayer as strenuous participation. Divine sovereignty does not make prayer unnecessary. It makes prayer hopeful. 

The strongest claim is that intercession begins with God. Romans 8 places both the Spirit and Christ between human weakness and every possible accusation or hardship. Paul’s prayer requests then show how this divine ministry becomes a pattern for the church.

A common misunderstanding is that effective intercession requires eloquence, emotional intensity, or certainty about the desired outcome. Romans 8 challenges this assumption. Believers may not know what to pray, but they are still heard and helped. 

A useful Romans-based framework is HELP:

• Humble yourself: Admit that you may not know what should happen.
• Entrust the person to God: Depend on Christ’s advocacy.
• Listen for the Spirit: Allow your desires to be aligned with God’s will.
• Persist together: Invite others to participate through focused prayer.

Intercession is love expressed through dependence. It brings another person’s salvation, suffering, calling, or need before God while surrendering the outcome to his wisdom.

Read More ->>

Shepherding through group dynamics, aiming for kingdom culture

It's been an incredible week of ministry preparation for September small groups. 

• Last Wednesday I received Rooted Leadership training. The big takeaway was to create an environment of belonging, hospitality and connection. Rooted is built on three things: the foundation of the faith, the formation of a man, and the essential truths of what we believe. It walks through who Jesus is, what it means to have Christ living in you, and the everyday habits that grow a man: the Word, prayer, purity, sharing your faith, and standing firm when life gets hard. I'm doing this online Saturday at 8:00 a.m. CDT. Just specify you want to be in Ben Lorence's group here: https://atgrace.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/3892/responses/new 
• On Monday my friend Becky at Grace Church aligned that Spanish translation of Rooted would take a few weeks to modify the materials and ensure a high quality product. We aligned on developing an online Community to host Rooted Bible study participants. The platform will account for the goals belonging, connection, prayer support and life change in the context of daily Bible study. This morning I saw my idea to fix/simplify Spanish lectures with youtube went into production at grace.church/spanish
• Thursday was the BSF Leadership Workshop for the Roman's study year. We focused on our hearts, identifying where we're working in step with the Lord vs getting away from our calling. 
• Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Alpha Leadership training at Substance church with my TC friends and family. I received prayer to call additional leaders into the Portland house Alpha opportunity as this will be my last year of serving as the primary leader. Prayer on Thursday will continue. 
• We've also been praying for our own family dynamics, health issues and living situations. 

I'm like the Kook-aid guy crashing into the room with unreasonable expectations for myself and others. 

Alpha leader is not responsible for controlling the conversation or producing the “right” spiritual outcome. The leader creates a hospitable environment where people can honestly explore, while trusting the Holy Spirit to work. "Evangelism is joining a conversation the Holy Spirit is already having with another person." - Darrell Johnson

Jesus life models the "Kingdom Culture" for us, he made disciples in the marketplace and at synagogue. He modeled a life on mission, helping people everywhere learn about forgiveness, prayer, healing, hope and eternal life. He was fully integrated moving with people from their felt needs into trusting God with their whole lives. We however tend to lean into one or two of the areas that turns into striving, selfishness or shallowness - we call this "missing the mark." We do all these trainings to remind ourselves that we are witnesses of God working in other peoples lives - not "doing witnessing" as an activity or manipulation. 

The most useful strategic distinction is that Incubate → Implement → Increase → Influence describes organizational adoption, while Curriculum → Program → Ministry → Culture describes organizational transformation. A church can therefore measure not just "How many Alphas are we running?" but "How much has the Alpha posture changed how we engage people?"

How do we engage people coming from various perspectives:

• Skeptic: questions Christianity or its claims.
• Seeker: spiritually interested and actively exploring.
• Starter / re-starter: beginning faith or returning after time away.
• Struggler: wrestling with faith, circumstances, doubts, or behavior.
• Sampler: curious and willing to experience Alpha without necessarily committing.
• Server: already inclined toward faith and contributing to others.

The important implication is that people are not all starting from the same place, so leaders should not expect them to respond the same way.

What difficult group dynamics should leaders anticipate?

• Dominant guest
• Eager Christian who overshares
• Quiet guest
• Quiet group
• Chaotic group
• Guest dealing with significant personal problems

These are better understood as situations to shepherd rather than people to fix.

The “6 Ways to be Mindful” provide the leadership response:

Principle	Leadership behavior	What it protects
1. Recognize your own bias	Notice the assumptions you bring into the conversation	The guest from being judged through the leader's experience
2. Respect various perspectives	Make room for disagreement and different experiences	Psychological and relational safety
3. Model curiosity	Ask rather than immediately explain or correct	Discovery and authentic conversation
4. Absorb hostility	Remain gracious when challenged	The group from becoming defensive or adversarial
5. Lead carefully and confidently	Intervene when needed without dominating	Healthy boundaries and participation
6. Trust the Holy Spirit to be the Guide	Resist trying to manufacture spiritual outcomes	God's agency and the guest's freedom

There is an important progression here:

Self-awareness → hospitality toward others → curiosity → resilience → leadership → dependence on God.

The strongest leadership principle may be #6 because it changes how the other five are practiced. If the leader believes conversion or agreement depends primarily upon the leader's persuasive ability, curiosity easily becomes interrogation, confidence becomes control, and disagreement becomes something that must be defeated.

useful leadership framework emerges from the slides:

Receive → Explore → Shepherd → Release

Receive: “You are welcome here as you are.”

Explore: “Tell me more. What makes you think that?”

Shepherd: “Let's make sure we hear from some other people too.”

Release: “I don't have to force the conclusion. The Holy Spirit is the Guide.”

That produces a simple diagnostic question for an Alpha leader:

“What does this person need from me right now: space, curiosity, encouragement, a boundary, or nothing?”

That is especially powerful because the same behavior should not be applied uniformly. The dominant guest probably needs a boundary. The quiet guest probably needs space and invitation. The skeptic often needs curiosity. The struggler may need empathy. The eager Christian may need coaching. The personal-problems guest may need care beyond the group meeting.

Read More ->>