Sneaky Sin: March 22, 2026

Finding Our Way Back: Lessons from Nehemiah 13

Hey church family! In this week's sermon, Pastor Michael took us through the final chapter of Nehemiah, and it was a powerful "gut check" for all of us. As we look at the Israelites returning to Jerusalem, we see how easily old habits and "spiritual slippage" can sneak back into our lives when we aren't looking.

Pastor Michael highlighted three specific areas where we tend to drift, and they feel just as relevant today as they did thousands of years ago:

1. Don't Neglect God's House

In Nehemiah’s time, an enemy named Tobiah had literally moved into a storage room in the Temple. Today, we are the temple. Neglecting "the house" means letting secret sins stay hidden in our back closets or failing to care for one another in the church. Real zeal for God means dealing with the hard, stuck stuff so we can be truly alive together.

2. Choosing God’s Rest Over Convenience

The Israelites started treating the Sabbath like any other workday, choosing ease and profit over God's command. Pastor Michael challenged us to think about how we "rest". Is our downtime just "vegging out" in front of a screen, or are we actually trusting in God’s provision and enjoying His presence?. True Sabbath rest produces life; convenience often just leaves us empty.

3. Keeping Marriage Centered on God

Finally, we saw the danger of making marriage (and our closest relationships) about our own desires rather than God’s purpose. Whether it’s treating a spouse as a tool for our own pleasure or letting the "allure" of the world pull us away from God’s design, we are called to a higher standard of love and faithfulness.

Looking Ahead

The goal isn’t just to "follow rules"—it’s to have a zeal for holiness because we love Jesus. Pastor Michael’s heart is for us to be a "clean" church, dealing with the sin in the cracks so we can focus on reaching the lost and raising the next generation well.

Let's not just be hearers of the Word this week, but doers!