Read Nehemiah 6:1-9 and John 4:34.  When Nehemiah and the Israelites were almost finished building the wall, they came under opposition once again.  Unlike the first time, under threat of attack, this one came in the form of deception and accusations.  But just like the first time it was Nehemiah’s clear and compelling focus that kept him on task to finish the great job God had called him to do.

➢    Have you ever had a compelling focus in your life?  What was it?

➢    Has God ever compelled you to complete a task for him?  What was it?

Read Psalm 121:1-2.  Not only do you need a clear and compelling focus in order to finish the tasks that God gives you, you also need to persevere through distractions and disruptions.  In Psalm 121, the Israelites were tempted to find comfort and gratification in the false shrines on the hills surrounding Jerusalem, but true help and peace comes from the Lord alone.  Distractions come in all shapes and sizes and it is all too easy to get distracted or fatigued in your job, your relationships and with your family life. But in order to persevere, you must continually maintain healthy margins in your life so that you don’t jeopardize these vital areas of ministry.

➢    What distracts you the most from doing God’s will in your life?

➢    What are your life margins and how do you guard them to stay healthy in your relationships with God and family?

Read James 3:8 and Romans 8:38.  The third step in resolving to finish a God given task or dream is to be unswayed by gossip and negative accusations.  It is easy to become hindered by what people tell you, whether from outside sources or from those closest to your heart.  Those voices can be in forms of guilt, shame or even intimidations but if you will remind yourself that nothing can separate you from the love of Christ, you will succeed.

➢    Have gossip and/or false accusations ever hindered you from finishing a job, a project, or a God dream?  Explain.

➢    Describe a time you overcame gossip, negative accusations or discouragement to finish a project or goal in your life.

Read I Samuel 30:6.  The final thing that drives a person to complete a God-given task is intuitive faith.  Both Nehemiah and David had a faith that drove them to trust and rely on God even when logic and circumstances were clearly against them.  It is this kind of risk taking faith that God looks for in leaders and world changers, and that drives them to step out of their comfort zone and act in the purposes and tasks God gives them.

➢    Have you ever stepped out and trusted in God with intuitive faith?  Explain.

➢    Where in your life do you need to rely on your faith in God instead of your logical thinking?

➢    What will you do to begin finding out or living out that compelling life-focus that God gives you?