FOCUS THAT FUELS CHANGE 09.14.25

Matthew 12:33-35, 33 Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 

Focusing on What Fuels Change (Nehemiah 5:1-19) 

Nehemiah 5:1, Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. 

1) Focus on the why behind the CRY. (Nehemiah 5:1-5) 

“The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word,   so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them.   It is God’s love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also   lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for our brother when   we learn to listen to them”. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

What the bible says about listening: 

Nehemiah 5:1-5, 1 Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. 2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.” 3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.” 4 Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.” 

2) Address what needs brought under CONTROL. (Nehemiah 5:6-8) 

Nehemiah 5:6-8, 6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. 

Deuteronomy 23:19-20; Romans 12:2 

3) CONSECRATE ourselves to God’s truth. (Nehemiah 5:9-12) 

Nehemiah 5:9-12, 9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.” 12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.” 

“A man must be big enough to admit their mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” - John Maxwell 

Joshua 1:7 

4) COMMIT to accountable relationships. (Nehemiah 5:12-13) 

Nehemiah 5:12-13, 12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say. ”Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. 13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!” At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. 

Proverbs 25:28 (AMP), Like a city that is broken down and without walls [leaving it unprotected] Is a man who has no self-control over his spirit [and sets himself up for trouble]. 

Psalm 112:1-2, 1 Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands. 2 Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.