Sarasota Alliance Church

For over a year the Elders have been seeking God for a fresh new vision for Sarasota Alliance. Then at a recent meeting of the Elders and Governing Board it seemed to all come together. We had planned to go through the Book of Nehemiah on Sunday morning, not just as a interesting sermon series, but as a personal revelation from God to us as to how we were to proceed. Then a donor not only wanted to give a substantial sum of money for outreach, but also to challenge us all to give so the results would be even greater. And The Nehemiah Project was born in our Elders and Governing Board meeting. This Sunday, as we conclude our study of Nehemiah, we do what we should always do when reading God's Word-we are going to be "doers of the Word and not hearers only".

Unfinished projects will drain, discourage, and defeat you. Unfinished projects like... a rebuilding or remodeling project, a degree never completed, a debt growing larger instead of smaller, or a conflict in a relationship never resolved. As we come to Nehemiah chapter 6 we see that God Rebuilds Our Lives (financially, emotionally, spiritually) When We Complete Our Mission. God hand-crafted us, and created us to carry out a God-given mission that helps build His Kingdom and brings us joy. But if we keep putting off the mission He has called us to carry out, we will never find the fulfillment our body, soul and spirit long for. As we've said, Nehemiah is not just a Bible Book to study or an interesting sermon series. Nehemiah is a record of what God wants to do in your life, in your work, in your relationships, and in our church. Let's live it!

For several weeks now we have seen and heard the vivid reminders that this Sunday is the 10th anniversary of the horrific attacks on American soil on 9-11-01. This Sunday we will remember the victim's families, and the terrible realities of human sin, hatred and evil. But, as we continue our study in Nehemiah, we find some realities that are far more important to remember. We will discover what things are necessary for us to remember if God is going to rebuild our lives, or our finances, or our relationships, or our church.