• Courage begins with a calling to a high purpose.
• Grit takes a conscientious heart.
• Grit takes an enduring and resilient heart.
• Grit pushes excellence, not perfection.

Heavenly Father, Amid difficult and trying times, you long for us to lean on you, to trust in you, and expect that you will be faithful to us. But Lord, you also expect that we will keep moving forward in your calling and in our service. Therefore, help us always faithfully follow you and be men and women with grit when living out our faith. In Jesus Name, amen.

“The courageous part of grit comes from the knowledge that it is God’s agent and not your own.”

“Many of us struggle with being good finishers.”

Icebreaker: What movie, in your opinion, demonstrates grit. (Don’t take the easy way out by saying, True Grit.)

• Read Nehemiah 1:1-11. What can you learn from Nehemiah’s prayer so you can pray more effectively about the issues you face in life? What does the statement, “Pray the promise not the problem mean to you?” How is this demonstrated in Nehemiah’s prayer?
• Read Nehemiah 4:6-15. What practical ideas can you glean from this passage about spiritual warfare? Nehemiah said, “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome…” (v14). What are ways we can remember the Lord when facing the trials in our lives?
• Much of the new wall that Nehemiah had built was built with the rubble of the old. How can this be applied to your failures in life? How can knowing this help you in sharing your testimony?

Challenge: Download the Through The Word App. It is a Bible audio guide. Then, over the next week, study Nehemiah chapters 1-6.