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Grace Church of Ridgewood

06.02.24 "Tackling The Impossible"

·38 min·3 clips
When God puts a dream in your heart, why do roadblocks like raising hundreds of thousands of dollars make it seem impossible?
The episode is a sermon from Grace Church of Ridgewood titled 'Tackling The Impossible,' focusing on the biblical book of Nehemiah. Pastor John opens by relating to listeners who feel discouraged by obstacles in pursuing God-given dreams, sharing his own experience in 2006 of considering starting a church in New York City with financial and logistical hurdles. He introduces Nehemiah as a case study, set in the fifth century BC, where Nehemiah, a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes in Persia, learns Jerusalem lies in ruins and feels called to rebuild it despite legal and practical barriers. The sermon is structured around four main points derived from Nehemiah chapter 2. First, 'look again' encourages reframing perceived disadvantages as potential advantages, citing examples like Esther and Joseph from the Bible. Second, 'seek God's timing' highlights Nehemiah's four-month wait before acting, warning against rushing into plans without prayerful preparation. Third, 'be bold and embrace vulnerability' analyzes Nehemiah's fear before the king, linking it to researcher Brene Brown's ideas on courage. Fourth, 'expect opposition' introduces Sanballat and Tobiah as antagonists to Nehemiah, reminding listeners that spiritual resistance is common. The pastor weaves in contemporary applications, such as stay-at-home parents feeling insignificant or Christians in secular workplaces, and closes with a prayer for the congregation to become 'Nehemiahs' in their communities. The format is a solo sermon with educational and narrative tones, blending scripture exegesis with practical life lessons.

As heard by us

A steady sermon about impossible obstacles, active waiting, and courage formed through prayer and preparation.

This sermon reframes big obstacles as an invitation to slower faith: prayer, preparation, and patience with God's timing. It begins with a dream repeatedly meeting roadblocks, then moves to Nehemiah, who prays and prepares for months before taking action.

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Why you'd press play

You can press play when a God-given dream keeps meeting roadblocks and your courage starts to thin.

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