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Welcome, prayer concerns, plans for next week

What is the difference between depression and discouragement?

What are some things that causes you to get discouraged?

How have other people discouraged you in some way?

Looking at Nehemiah 1:1-3, 4:1-3, and 4:10-12

What were some of the things that discouraged the Israelites from rebuilding the walls?

There are some ways to overcome discouragement from this passage as well.

1. Re-evaluate your goals

How does stepping back and looking again at your goals help overcome discouragement?

2. Realize you’re not alone

We’re a pretty independent minded group of people. READ Hebrew 3:13 and discuss how we can practice that concept in connection with our self-reliance mentality.

3. Be ready to fight

Jim addressed this idea as the fight against Satan using passages like James 4:7 and Ephesians 6:10-20 READ.

How does Satan seem like our Sanballet, (Nehemiah 4:1-3) and how can we resist that attack?

4. Remember the Lord

Nehemiah 4:14 (NLT) — 14 Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”

What are some practical ways to remember the Lord when we are discouraged?

Discouragement is something we face on a regular basis. We can either give in to it like the Israelites did, or overcome it like Nehemiah.

Wrap up and pray