How are you being restored in order to rebuild? God is working in your life to restore you in order to give you the strength to rebuild. Find out how God is doing so and in what ways.

CATCHING UP/LOOKING AHEAD

1. Did you have the opportunity to encourage someone this week? Did God give you some ideas for a ministry to others that can grow out of what he is restoring in your life?
2. Would you rather celebrate quietly or celebrate loudly?

KEY VERSE

“The joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10

DISCOVERY QUESTIONS

1. Is there someone you need to put things right with so you can deepen your celebration in worship?
2. Describe a time when the truth of God’s Word shone out to you as you worshiped with others.
3. How have you found celebration in feasting, in sharing with others, or in stillness?
4. How do you relate to the following sentences from this chapter?

“You find yourself grinding away at spiritual habits, trying to become more powerful, when the real intent is that you become more joyful. Feeling powerful is not your strength; the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

LIVING ON PURPOSE

God’s five purposes for each of us are evangelism, discipleship, fellow- ship, ministry, and worship. In this section, we’ll look at how we can take practical steps to fulfill one of those purposes based on the truths we’ve looked at in this study.

EVANGELISM

A burst of joy often comes when we share with someone else the good news of what God is doing in our lives. Go around the group and have each person share the name of someone they’re praying for to begin a relationship with Christ.

In the week ahead, pray for these people whose names have been shared—that they will come to faith in the Lord Jesus.

PRAYING TOGETHER

Pray for this group of people you just mentioned and for one another’s needs.

Talk about whether there is another book you’d like to read together and discuss after you finish this study next week.