Reflecting on the past will help us to foresee the future. As the New Year is coming, have you made a resolution for yourself based on your yearly review?

Nehemiah Was a Team-Player Who Empowered the People. He recognised that people were important and were appreciable assets.  Without their cooperation, city walls could not and would not be built. Hence, he valued them and enlisted their help - sometimes outside the family of God (cf. 2:1-9).  He mobilized and motivated them - "Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and suffer derision no more... and they set about their work vigorously and to good purpose " (2:17, 18).

Introduction: At the time, his long term goal was to become a doctor again. In order to fulfil his long term goal, he made some mid-term and short term targets, such as expanding his vocabulary and doing a number of squats daily. He broke down his great goal into small steps to fulfil his plan.

（picture from the Internet）

Anyone who studies closely and critically the life and work of Nehemiah would come to a similar conviction and conclusion that he was an effective/successful leader. The question then arises, "What made him a successful leader?" "What were some of the contributing factors?" We can highlight a few:  

Nehemiah was Directed by a Clear Vision.  The life of a leader is often fuelled by a vision. It was a clear vision which motivated him to persist in good times and difficult times and to successfully complete rebuilding the walls.  What is vision?

Introduction: Do you believe that knowledge transforms our destiny? In this age of knowledge explosion, we will fall behind if we do not continue learning. Where should we start learning all that we need?

Paradigm 7 God's Work Must be Done in God's Way.

Introduction: Although he strove with all his might, his achievements could not be compared with those who gained them effortlessly. Every year, he was more committed to God than before, but it seemed that the challenges grew with each year.

Paradigm 1       When God Wants to Do Something, He Begins with a Person rather than a Committee.

There is a divine appointment or a moment of destiny where a person becomes a "man or woman of the hour" in kingdom building. Human beings are God’s methods. "The Church is always looking for better methods but God is always looking for better men" says E. M. Bounds (read Jer 5:1. Ezek 22:20). Fortunately, he found a man – Nehemiah.