Beyond Our Assumptions
If you think about it, we make a lot of choices and decisions based on assumptions. We assume we know what someone meant; that we have all the information; that we know the outcome. The problem is that our assumptions often turn out to be completely wrong and this can get us into trouble. How many times have each us said with regret, “but I assumed . . . “ We also make a lot of assumptions about God and they are often just as wrong. Today we’ll examine an episode in the Book of Nehemiah in which the people assumed they knew who God was and what He wanted for them only to find out that God is far beyond our assumptions.
Discussion Questions
Can you think of a time when you assumed something about someone or some circumstance and were dead wrong? What were the results?
What are some assumptions that you once had about God that turned out to be untrue of Him? How did you find out you were wrong? What were the results for you?
Read Nehemiah 8:1-8 carefully. What do you notice about the reading of the Law and what people needed?
Read Nehemiah 8:9. How did the people respond to the reading of the Law of Moses? Why do you think they responded this way?
What does Nehemiah tell the people to do in response to what they had read? (See v 10 – 12). How does this go beyond the assumptions of what the people expected?
This series is all about going beyond where we are to where we need to be. In this chapter God took his people beyond their assumptions of who He was to a new and deeper and better understanding of His love for them. What are some things that you need to understand more or better or in a new way about God?
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Beyond Our Indifference
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Beyond Our Doubt
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Beyond Our Reach
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