Questions for Individuals/Connect Groups:

• Think back over your life. When has there been a time when you acted outside of who you were meant to be and instead found yourself in guilt? What was it about your situation that told you were not living in your Christ like identity? 

• Nehemiah tells them to stop. He reminds them of God’s faithfulness to them even when they didn’t deserve it. The people had made a lifetime of turning their back on God’s word and gone their own way. Who have you known that has gone their own way and lost their foundation? How did they begin that process? What is evident in their life that tells you they no longer have a foundation?

• Brad speaks of having a good foundation in scripture and ignoring distractions in our life. We each have different things that pull us away from studying God’s word. What are some things that pull you away? How do you handle it? Would it be helpful to have an accountability partner on staying connected? What can you do this week to set that up?

• Lastly, Brad talks about the joy of the Lord being our strength. All throughout the Bible we see joy being used as an identifier of God’s people. Why do you think joy should be seen as a strength? What connections do joy, and grace have with each other? When someone receives grace there is usually an equal amount of joy due to the grace, have you felt this kind of joy? How did it strengthen your walk with God? What makes joy from God different than joy from material things? How often do you talk about God’s grace in your own life?

Questions for Families:

• This week in children’s ministry we are looking at how turning to God can help us have a firm foundation. They used the example of the house of cards versus the house of blocks. What did the cards mean? What did the block mean? 

• They spoke about using our gifts to serve God is important. What are some gifts that you think you have? What are some places you can serve with those gifts?

• This week your pastors talked about how we can get distracted and not want to be somewhere once we see our friends hanging out somewhere else. Is this true for you? Have you ever felt sad about not being with your friends when you are doing something you know you should do? How do you handle it? What are some ways you can pray about those situations?