27 Apr Nehemiah | Part Twelve – “The Secret Sauce to Satisfaction: Work and Worship – All Locations
Check the Events Page for What is Happening (not everything is listed here) (waterschurch.org/events)
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LIFE GROUP LEADER TRAINING: MAY 7 USING GOOGLE MEET. IF YOU HAVE AN APPRENTICE READY TO LEAD, PLEASE HAVE THEM REGISTER USING LINK BELOW:
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ALL LOCATIONS – MEALS FOR ALPHA CLASS
NEW ENGLAND: UPCOMING CONCERT – TAYA (of Hillsong UNITED, singer of Oceans (Where Feet May Fall))
EVENT INFO:
Join TAYA on May 4th at North Attleboro for the Come Into The Light Tour, a transformative worship experience featuring her latest single by the same name, as well as other new songs from her upcoming record. “This tour is something I felt God drop in my heart over 2 years ago to do here in the United States, but for different reasons, it never eventuated…until now. I believe God’s timing and His alignment is perfect — and without either, I wouldn’t be walking into these nights with the stories and songs I now am.” Each night will be an invitation to pause and lay your life before God — every good, messy, broken, and sweet piece — and allow Him to have it all. You won’t want to miss these powerful nights of surrender in the Presence of Jesus, where we can Come Into The Light together and rediscover that He truly is everything He promised to be.
Reminders:
✳ Please regularly check your Planning Center profiles for requests to join your life groups, remove members from the list that no longer attend, or add members not listed. Please ensure that you have added no-reply@churchcenter.com to your email contacts so that you do not miss an email from Planning Center and encourage your members to do so as well. This will ensure you do not miss a member request or any emails that come from the Planning Center site. Thank you!
Waters Class Schedule:
- 1st Sunday: Discover Waters – after 1st service
- 2nd Sunday: NO CLASSES
- 3rd Sunday: Connect Class – after 1st service
- 4th Sunday: Baptism Class – after 1st service
Waters Help: Need marriage and family care or have a group member in need of marriage and family care? Click here: help resources page or visit waterschurch.org/help
Location Text Alerts:
| North Attleboro | Text “subscribe” to 508 695-1300 | |
| Norwood | Text “subscribe” to 781 762-3357 | |
| Apollo Beach | Text “subscribe” to 813 642-6979 | |
| Woonsocket | Text “subscribe” to 833 241-4837 | |
| Southcoast | Text “subscribe” to 508 809-3490 | |
Check the Events Page for What is Happening (not everything is listed here) (waterschurch.org/events)
FIRST TUESDAY IN MAY IS THE SECOND TUESDAY (MAY 13) AND FORGE NIGHT IS THE FIRST TUESDAY (MAY 6).
Key Verse: Nehemiah 12
Ice Breaker Question:
Q. “If you could start a side hustle just for the fun of it (no pressure to make money), what would it be?”
Opening Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of both work and worship. As we study Your Word today, open our hearts to understanding how worship fuels our work and how our work can glorify You. Teach us to live lives that invest in others and build Your Kingdom. Fill us with Your Spirit as we seek true satisfaction in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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We need to develop a healthy connection between work and worship in ourselves.
God calls for work and worship in the fourth commandment (Exodus 20).
God is big on work.
Without WORSHIP – work is DRAINING.
Without WORK – worship is DEAD.
James 2:17 (ESV)
Nehemiah 12:43
The men, women, and children all rejoiced at the same time!
- We experience SATISFACTION when WORSHIP is our FOUNDATION.
Ezra 3:2–3 (ESV);
True life starts when you put God first.
Ezra 3:8 (ESV);
Ezra is the backstory of Nehemiah. Nehemiah’s work is the result of Ezra’s worship.
Ezra 6:15 (ESV)
If all God called us to do is worship, the story would end there, but it doesn’t.
Nehemiah is the sequel to Ezra.
Nehemiah 1:3 (ESV)
God made us to worship and to work. We cannot survive and thrive on worship.
Spiritual REVIVAL without real-world INVOLVEMENT is INCOMPLETE.
Q. In what ways have you seen worship lay the foundation for real change, either in your own life or in others? How can we make sure our worship leads to real-world action and involvement?
Practical Application:
This week, begin each day with intentional worship — even just a few minutes — before diving into work, tasks, or responsibilities.
2. We experience SATISFACTION when we ADD WORK to our WORSHIP.
Ezra gets them worshiping, and Nehemiah gets them working.
Nehemiah 12:1 (ESV)—This list of worship leaders (priests and Levites) dates back to Zerubabbel’s time, 100 years earlier.
Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV)
You’re not saved just to pray. You’re saved to participate in the human experiment and bring the light of Jesus with you.
Nehemiah 12:31(ESV)- Ezra leads the first choir.
Nehemiah 12:38 (ESV)
Nehemiah follows the other choir. He is the one who came and put the nation to work. The Valley Gate is where it all started for Nehemiah when he went to the city and investigated what work needed to be done.
It began in the valley. When you’re in a valley, get MOVING in work and worship.
Nehemiah 12:40-42 (ESV)
Ezra – the priest and scribe, the leader of WORSHIP, leads a Choir to God’s house.
Nehemiah, the builder, organizer, administrator, and leader of the WORK, follows the other Choir to God’s house.
Worship and work bring your life together.
Luke 10:40-42
Without worship, you become Martha:
– Critical of others
– Comparing yourself to them
– Complaining to God about it.
Q. How can balancing worship and work help you avoid becoming critical, comparing yourself to others, or complaining like Martha? What steps can you take to ensure your work flows out of worship rather than from stress or striving?
Practical Application:
Pick one task this week (big or small) and intentionally dedicate it to the Lord as an act of worship.
3. We experience SATISFACTION when WORSHIP FUELS our WORK.
Matthew 17:2-4 (ESV)
Peter wanted to camp there.
Matthew 17:5 (ESV)
It was time to move on from this incredible worship experience and come down from the mountain.
Matthew 17:18 (ESV)
We must get into the valley when we come down from the mountain.
Worship isn’t just about worship; worship fuels work.
Q. Have you ever experienced a moment with God that you didn’t want to leave? How can you use those “mountaintop” moments to fuel your daily work and impact the world when you come back down into the “valley”?
Practical Application:
Pause before significant responsibilities this week to pray and refocus on why you are doing them. Let time with Jesus fuel what you do.
4. We experience SATISFACTION when we INVEST our WORK in those BEYOND us.
Nehemiah 12:44
They support the worship system so that others can experience God. They receive God’s blessing and invest in future generations.
Q. How can you invest your time, talents, or resources into blessing others for God’s Kingdom?
Practical Application:
Find one way to serve or give this week to bless someone beyond your immediate circle, thinking about future impact.
Sermon in a Sentence:
Start with WORSHIP; let WORSHIP fuel your WORK, experience God’s blessing through your WORK, and INVEST in others BEYOND you.
Three Key Takeaways:
-True satisfaction comes when worship is the foundation of your life.
– We are called not just to worship, but also to work with purpose.
-When worship fuels our work, both our lives and our impact are complete.
Closing Prayer:
Lord, thank You for showing us that true satisfaction comes when we root our lives in You, in our worship and work. Help us be people who start with prayer, let You fuel our actions, and invest beyond ourselves into the next generation. Strengthen us to live this out in Your power and joy. We love You and commit our work and worship to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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