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This is the audio from the May 19, 2024 sermon, “Building For Revival: Standing FIRM!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Nehemiah 6

This morning’s message continued a series from the book of Nehemiah about Building For Revival.  As with any construction project, building for revival takes a lot of work.  As God prepares us and does a work of revival in our life, the enemy does everything in his power to oppose the transformation God is bringing about.  As we gaze into God’s Word, we discover He has given us all that is necessary to keep us standing . . .

• Faithfully: — Nehemiah 6:2-4

  • As Nehemiah continued the work God had called him to, the enemies of the rebuilding process were relentless in their opposition.  When we open ourselves to God doing a work of revival in our life, we can be sure the enemy will use every tool possible to derail such work.  Standing firm is not simply resisting the various temptations and attacks of the enemy, but it involves standing faithfully each and every time the accusations of the enemy come our way.  Standing faithfully is a way of life which says we will not give up regardless of how often the enemy comes at us.  We build for revival when we build in a way that is standing faithfully.

• Intentionally: — Nehemiah 6:8-9

  • When direct opposition failed to accomplish its intent, the enemies of Nehemiah sent an unsealed letter of accusation designed to stir up the gossip and rumor mills into a frenzy of doubt.  It is in the midst of this attempt to weaken the work from the inside out that Nehemiah chose to stand intentionally with God.  When we understand the true nature of revival, we discover we must be intentional in our conversations with God about our need for His help.  We build for revival when we build in a way that is standing intentionally.

• Respectfully: — Nehemiah 6:11-14

  • How we treat those who oppose us says a lot about the strength of revival in our life.  There are some who believe that standing firm gives permission to treat people in ways that are far from Christ-like.  Fortunately, Scripture gives us instructions on how we ought to treat all people with respect and love.  Even when opposed directly, Nehemiah chose to leave judgement and the fate of his enemies to God.  Standing firm in the midst of opposition, when done God’s way, requires that we not only give an answer for the hope that is within us, but that we also do so with gentleness and respect.  We build for revival when we build in a way that is standing respectfully.

• Mentally: — Nehemiah 6:15-16

  • God’s Word gives us the instruction to take every thought captive because our mind is often the opening the enemy uses to distract and destroy us.  We find that by trusting God and following His plan, the people of Israel were able to stand strong mentally while their enemies were filled with fear.  Standing mentally is not about us claiming victory because of our might or power, but rather it is about enduring in a way that makes the work of God clear to everyone . . . everyone including our enemies.  We build for revival when we build in a way that is standing mentally.

Today, how will you use God’s Word to assist you in standing FIRM?

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This is the audio from the May 12, 2024 sermon, “Building For Revival: Giving HELP!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Nehemiah 5

This morning’s message continued a series from the book of Nehemiah about Building For Revival.  As with any construction project, building for revival takes a lot of work.  A few weeks ago, we considered the need to ask for help.  One of the major purposes behind God helping us when we ask is that we would be able to give help to others in their times of need.  When we choose to participate in the revival God wants us to experience, we discover it is time for giving . . .

• Hope: — Nehemiah 5:1-5, Romans 15:4, 1 Peter 3:15

  • In a world filled with hopelessness and despair, we give help when we choose to give hope.  This giving of hope takes place when we choose to live and share God’s Word in ways that are real and noticeable.  When God tells us to always be ready to give an answer for the hope we have, there is an assumption that our life is being lived in such a way that people are asking the questions about the way we live.  We are helped greatly by the hope we have in Christ, and that same hope helps others when we are willing to share.

• Enough: — Nehemiah 5:6-11, 2 Corinthians 12:9, James 2:14-17

  • When scarcity is more common than plenty, we give help when we choose to give enough.  One of the great difficulties we experience when convicted of our need to give, is our desire to determine on our own just what constitutes enough in the current situation.  We learn from the example of Jesus that the “enough” that He expects is the giving of everything to Him.  Our willingness to spend time with God and people for the purpose of growing in understanding of what is truly helpful will prepare us to more accurately give enough.

• Love: — Nehemiah 5:12-13, Matthew 5:43-44, 1 John 4:10-11

  • When suspicion and division run free, we give help when we choose to give love.  Most people do pretty well in learning to love those who love them.  It is when conflict arises and we are at odds with others that we tend to become rather stingy with our love.  Jesus wants us to consider His teaching and example as we learn to not only love those who love us, but to love our enemies and pray for those who seek our harm.  The point behind praying for all people  is not so much that God would change them, but that God would change us so that we would love like He loves.

• Powerfully: — Nehemiah 5:14-19, Acts 4:7-10, 2 Timothy 1:7-8

  • In the midst of weakness and fear, we give help when we choose to give powerfully.  While many would say they don’t have what it takes to give powerfully, the good news is that the power to really give comes from God and not from our self.  Sometimes the most powerful give we can give others is to practice contentment in our own life so that we don’t create a hardship in theirs.  We give powerfully when we give according to the power of God’s Spirit within us who knows how to use in the best possible way each gift He has given to us.

Today, how will you give HELP?

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This is the audio from the May 5, 2024 sermon, “Building For Revival: Watch OUT!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Nehemiah 4

This morning’s message continued a series from the book of Nehemiah about Building For Revival.  As with any construction project, building for revival takes a lot of work.  As God began to prepare His people for revival, a man named Nehemiah sat with God for the purpose of knowing, and getting on board with, God’s plan.  So much work, in fact, that we can’t do it alone so Nehemiah first asked for help from God and then from the King before making it clear that there was a task for everyone.  As we build for revival, the enemy will do everything he can to stir up opposition, unrest, and trouble.  The good news is that the One who is for us is greater than the one who is against us and He combats the enemy with opportunity, understanding, and trust.  When we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we are able to God at work as we watch . . .

• Opposition versus Opportunity: — Nehemiah 4:1-3 & 4-6

  • Experiencing revival in our personal life, the life of a church congregation, and within a nation will always face opposition from the one who seeks to “kill, steal, and destroy”.  It is important that we watch opposition in order to be aware and not caught off guard.  Knowing how the enemy attacks us personally can help us be prepared for his deception.  Rather than focusing solely on the opposition, it is also important that we watch for opportunity.  The greater the darkness, the more brightly even the smallest amount of light will shine.  We live as those building for revival when we watch our opposition and find the opportunity to make Jesus known.

• Unrest versus Understanding: — Nehemiah 4:7-12 & 13-15

  • When blatant opposition fails to derail the work of revival God is doing, the enemy will often engage in creating unrest.  Unrest has the ability to creep in and destroy relationships and spiritual growth as it plants the seeds of doubt everywhere it goes.  Excitement and dissatisfaction are both contagious and whichever one you choose to feed will soon choke out the other.  The Spirit combats unrest in our life by helping our understanding of God and of one another to grow.  When we learn to listen to others, we often discover that the barriers which were constructed between us soon give way through genuine understanding.  We live as those building for revival when we keep watch on the source of unrest so that we would pursue a heart of understanding.

• Trouble versus Trust: — Nehemiah 4:16-19 & 20-23

  • Sometimes it’s difficult to identify any specific opposition or unrest, yet we find ourselves face to face with trouble.  While this has a tendency to catch us off guard, Jesus made it clear that we should expect trouble in this world because it is certain to come our way.  Trouble can show when we least expect it and will often tempt us to give up.  It can be difficult to identify a solution because we’re not really sure what the problem is, we just know there is trouble.  It is in these times that watching trouble ought to lead us to a greater trust as we experience a God who calls us to a faithfulness through the midst of the trouble.  When we lift our eyes from the troubles of this world and fix them firmly on Jesus, we find the One we can trust regardless of the nature of our current difficulty.  We live as those building for revival when we watch the trouble of this world and learn to trust God in greater ways..

Today, how will you watch OUT in ways that help you overcome?

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This is the audio from the April 28, 2024 sermon, “Building For Revival: A TASK For Everyone!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Nehemiah 3

This morning’s message continued a series from the book of Nehemiah about Building For Revival.  As with any construction project, building for revival takes a lot of work.  As God began to prepare His people for revival, a man named Nehemiah sat with God for the purpose of knowing, and getting on board with, God’s plan.  So much work, in fact, that we can’t do it alone so Nehemiah first asked for help from God and then from the King.  As Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem and began to prepare the city and the people for revival, it was obvious that accomplishing God’s plan would require participation from everyone.  In this message, we see the preparation for revival taking place as Nehemiah sets forth a . . .

• Territory for everyone: — Nehemiah 3, 2 Corinthians 10:16

  • The work of revival within our own life, and within the life of a church family, requires that we recognize the importance of where we are.  As we look through the third chapter of Nehemiah, the same story is told over an over again as people understood the territory they were responsible for and went to work in that place.  As each of us go about life, we have a territory which is ours to live in, to work in, and to share Jesus in.  Some aspects of our territory may be unique to us so it is important that we are found faithful in that territory so the work of revival can be complete.

• Activity for everyone: — Nehemiah 3, 2 Corinthians 10:15

  • The work of revival within our own life, and within the life of a church family, requires that we recognize the importance of each person doing something.  As with the territory, we see each individual and family in this chapter of Nehemiah busy with activity which is both similar and unique in comparison to the activity of others.  The activity is based on what needs done and on how God wants the finished result to appear.  Our activity towards revival will always lead us to a position of bearing fruit rather than a position of just being busy.  As we learn from God what needs done in the place where we are, we connect with an activity which helps build for revival.

• Service for everyone: — Nehemiah 3, 2 Corinthians 10:17

  • The work of revival within our own life, and within the life of a church family, requires that we recognize the importance of serving others with our activity where we are.  The very nature of the repairs being made by the people was for the good of the entire city.  While the people worked within a specific territory, their work wasn’t solely for their own benefit but rather it was done to provide protection and unity to everyone.  When we take on the nature of Jesus and seek to become servant of all rather than be served, we grow an atmosphere for revival in our own life and in the life our our church family.

• Kingdom for everyone: — Nehemiah 3, 2 Corinthians 10:18

  • The work of revival within our own life, and within the life of a church family, requires that we approach all that we do with a mindset that God’s kingdom is for everyone.  This kingdom is for all who would call upon the name of the Lord.  This calling upon the name of the Lord is more than a verbal agreement that God exists, rather it is an acknowledgement that He is King of our life.  While it is possible for people to reject God’s kingdom, and many do, He does not exclude any who would come to Him in faith as they repent of sin and choose to live a cleansed life through the blood of Jesus.

Today, how will you participate in your part of the TASK for everyone?

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This is the audio from the April 21, 2024 sermon, “Building For Revival: Ask For HELP!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Nehemiah 2

This morning’s message continued a series from the book of Nehemiah about Building For Revival.  As with any construction project, building for revival takes a lot of work.  As God began to prepare His people for revival, a man named Nehemiah sat with God for the purpose of knowing, and getting on board with, God’s plan.  When we choose to join with God in His plan, it should become apparent we can’t build alone.  Revival comes when we are willing to humble ourselves and not only realize our need for help, but be willing to ask for help.  As we pursue God’s plan for revival, we discover a need to ask for . . .

• Hearing: — Nehemiah 2:1-6, 1 John 5:14

  • I suspect that Nehemiah may have struggled greatly with how to gain a hearing with the king.  In fact, as chapter one ends we see Nehemiah asking God to grant him favor with the king.  When the opportunity came for Nehemiah to talk to the king about what God had put on his heart, Nehemiah was more concerned about hearing from God than he was about being heard.  As important as it is for us to know a God who hears us, when it comes to being revived it is more important that we learn to ask for God’s help in us hearing Him.

• Equipping: — Nehemiah 2:7-9, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

  • As Nehemiah asked to hear God, there was a recognition that he needed help from a God who could equip him for the task at hand.  While it may appear that the king was the one equipping Nehemiah, we must always remember Nehemiah was confident this help came from God alone.  As we desire revival, and build for it, we must discover the power of God’s Word which He says is powerful enough to thoroughly equip every one of us for every good work.

• Learning: — Nehemiah 2:11-16, Psalm 25:4-5

  • When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem to begin the work God had set upon his heart to do, he discovered a need to move from stories to reality in learning about the work that would be required.  He set out in relative secrecy to allow God to influence his observations so that he would not be distracted by the human history of setbacks and failures.  Our pursuit of revival gains traction when we choose to learn from God the very things which He can and will do.  We find the help we need when we learn the ways of God are not just good suggestions, but the only way to experience the fullness of life eternal.

• Protection: — Nehemiah 2:17-20, 2 Thessalonians 3:3

  • We learn from Nehemiah that hearing God, being equipped by God, and learning from God does not automatically add up to no opposition.  In fact, Jesus made it clear that as His followers we would face trouble in this world.  More often than not, the protection we are quick to ask for is a physical protection that shows more concern for the body than for the spirit.  When we learn to ask for, and claim, protection from the evil one, we don’t necessarily escape the troubles of this world but we find help in living the life of faithfulness God desires for each of us to live.

Today, how will you ask for HELP?

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This is the audio from the April 14, 2024 sermon, “Building For Revival: Sit With God and PLAN!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Nehemiah 1

This morning’s message began a series from the book of Nehemiah about Building For Revival.  As with any construction project, building for revival takes a lot of work.  Some of that work is exciting and looks a lot like the finished product.  But as tempting as it may be to jump right into the more exciting tasks, the foundation for revival of any kind is to sit with God and . . .

• Pray: — Nehemiah 1:4-5

  • Because the real foundation of revival is Jesus, it is important that our plan involves pursuing the will of God in all things.  With God in charge, we plan most effectively when we sit with God and weep, mourn, fast, and pray.  Real revival takes place in our life, and then spreads by God’s Spirit through us, when we choose to be devoted to prayer.  Nehemiah wasn’t satisfied to simply say, “God help us!” and then move on.  He spent days and nights in all forms of communication with God as he began to plan for revival.  We plan for revival when we choose to sit with God and pray in a genuine and steadfast manner.

• Listen: — Nehemiah 1:8-11

  • As Nehemiah sat with God to plan revival, we see evidence that he was willing to listen because he had been listening all along.  His prayer includes a reminder of God’s promises and His goodness.  Since God is not forgetful, I believe this was a statement to himself, to us, and to God that Nehemiah was listening all along.  Things looked bleak and some would even say beyond hope, but Nehemiah chose to listen to God rather than the enemy.  The enemy wants to convince every person that we have failed beyond the power of God to revive us.  We plan for revival when we listen to God as we spend time in His Word and with His Spirit where we discover His desire is for restoration.

• Acknowledge: — Nehemiah 1:5-7

  • I believe one of the greatest hindrances to revival at any level from individually to nationally, is a failure to acknowledge that we need revived.  Oh, it can be easy to look at others and say they need revival, but to look at our self and believe revival is necessary can be another story.  Nehemiah sat with God and acknowledged not only the sin of the people of Israel, but his own sin and that of his family.  For the most part, we simply will not change if we don’t think we need to.  We plan for revival when we sit with God and acknowledge our sin creates a need that only He can satisfy.

• Notice: — Nehemiah 1:1-3

  • The whole catalyst for Nehemiah moving from servant to builder to governor was a willingness to notice the needs of others.  While not the most glamorous of occupations, life for Nehemiah as cupbearer to the king was likely comfortable as long as the kingdom was at peace.  Nehemiah was motivated to sit with God and plan because he took the initiative to notice what life was like for those back in his homeland of Israel, and specifically of Jerusalem.  Revival is about us, but it is not only about us.  A true revival in our life will always lead us to represent Jesus in ways that both notices and does something about the needs of others.  We plan for revival when we sit with God and choose to notice the needs of others.

Today, how will you PLAN for revival?

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This is the audio from the March 31, 2024 sermon, “Good News: The Path of LIFE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 24

This morning’s message concluded our Good News series from the gospel of Luke. This section of the series took us to Resurrection Sunday as we gazed into the life of Jesus during His final week leading up to, and through, His resurrection.  As the world pauses on what is known as Easter Sunday, we gathered to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  After the crucifixion and burial of Jesus, some of the women among His followers went to the tomb early on the first day of the week to finish the burial preparations that had been postponed due to the Sabbath.  What they found as they walked the path to through the garden was an empty tomb where Jesus had been.  The journey which they thought was a path of death turned quickly into the path of life as they ran from that place to tell the good news.  As Jesus began to appear to His disciples, we find the good news of the path of . . .

• Love: — Luke 24:1-12

  • The good news of the resurrection of Jesus was discovered by some women who were on a path of love.  Their intent was to take care of the burial preparations that had been postponed in order to observe the Sabbath.  In this path of life, the love between Jesus and His followers spread from person to person until all would hear the good news.

• Instruction: — Luke 24:13-35

  • The good news of the resurrection of Jesus continued down the path of life where it intersected with the path of instruction as two of the followers of Jesus walked a sad an lonely journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus.  It was on this journey that Jesus joined them and explained from scripture all that had happened was according to God’s plan.  As the eyes of these followers were finally opened in recognition of Jesus, the same road that they had learned on once again became the path of instruction as they returned at once to tell the others

• Fellowship: — Luke 24:36-49

  • The good news of the resurrection of Jesus followed the path of life through love and instruction where it joined the path of fellowship.  As the followers who had encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus returned to Jerusalem to share the good news, Jesus appeared among them with visible and physical proof that He was indeed alive.  In the midst of their doubt, Jesus ate with them on the path of fellowship as they continued to receive instruction from Him.

• Enjoyment: — Luke 24:50-53

  • The good news of the resurrection of Jesus followed the path of life to a place of enjoyment as His disciples witnessed the ascension of Jesus back into heaven.  Rather than being disappointed at His departure, they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.  Their time with Jesus after His resurrection would change not only their lives, but also the trajectory of the entire world.  This path of life had truly become the path of enjoyment for all who would put their faith in Jesus.

Today, how will you walk the path of LIFE?

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This is the audio from the March 24, 2024 sermon, “Good News: A Time To DIE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 23:20-49

This morning’s message continued our Good News series from the gospel of Luke. This section of the series will take us to Resurrection Sunday as we gaze into the life of Jesus during His final week leading up to, and through, His resurrection.  In what may be the most difficult message in our Good News series at Deer Run, this week we gazed into God’s Word to consider the good news contained within the time for Jesus to die. Difficult not simply because of the seeming conflict between “good news” and “die”, not simply because of the nature of the death of Jesus, not even simply because of our sin which made His death necessary, but also because of our need to consider our own time to die.  As Jesus continued with a steadfast commitment to this road of resurrection, He approached the cross with an attitude that displayed an awareness that a road of death was a necessary part of reaching the road of life.  As we gaze upon the cross, we find Jesus calling each one of us to take up our cross in a time to . . .

• Decide: — Luke 23:20-25

  • The good news about our joining in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is that it is possible because of His decision of obedience to His Father.  The whole process leading to the cross was filled with opportunities for all involved to decide to do what was right.  It was Jesus who decided we were more valuable than His own life.  Joining Him in His death requires that we decide He is more valuable to us than our own life.  As He calls us to take up our cross daily and follow Him, what will we decide to do in response?

• Invite: — Luke 23:35-43

  • The good news about our joining in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is that we are invited and are given the responsibility of inviting others.  As the crowds and one of the criminals hanging next to Jesus choose to mock Him, the other criminal invites himself into the presence of Jesus.  At the man’s request, Jesus proclaims an invitation for this man to be with Him in paradise.  When we choose to die to self, we invite Jesus to be in charge of our life so that we can join in His resurrection.  As He calls us to make disciples as we go into all the world, how will we respond to His invitation and who will we invite to join us?

• Exclaim: — Luke 23:44-49

  • The good news about our joining in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is that we have a victory to exclaim to the world.  As Jesus hung on the cross with a knowledge that death was upon Him, He was able to exclaim that His work was finished.  As the centurion observed the death of Jesus, He exclaimed that this was indeed a righteous man.  When we decide to die to self and invite Jesus to be in charge of our life, we exclaim that He is indeed Lord.  As He calls each of us to endure hardship as a faithful servant, who will exclaim the goodness of God because they have seen it in us?

As you receive the good news of Jesus, how will you prepare for a time to DIE?