Vision Accomplished: 4

(My notes from FBC Ruston and Dr. Chris Craig)

VITAL INGREDIENTS

Nehemiah 1-3

Three ingredients God says are essential for our "dreams" to come to pass

1. PREPARATION -- Nehemiah planned, practiced and prayed to accomplish building the wall, something others failed at for 140 years.
Neh 1:1 - Neh 2:1 -- four months pass as Nehemiah prepares

* Jesus prepared for 30 years for his ministry of three years. He reminds us in scripture to "count the cost" of discipleship. Take a risk assessment.
*Most dreams fail not because of lack of zeal but because of lack of counting the cost.
* "Pray, but keep your powder dry."

2. ATTITUDE
Neh 2:7 -- "Let us rebuild..." a WE CAN attitude
Phil 4:13 -- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...
* "If you think you can or tink you can't, you are probably right." Henry Ford
* Attitude is what gets you over the top.

3. WORK
Neh 2:18 -- "Let us RISE UP and build..."
Neh 3 illustrates that God's word honors the manual labor of rebuilding the wall
Neh 4:6 -- "the people worked with all of their heart..." toiled with their whole being

*Pray like it depends on Him, work like it depends on me
* Most people are like callouses ... they showe up after the work is done

Thoreau -- Live the life imagined, advance in the direction of your dreams

-30-