As we read through Nehemiah it is painfully clear how the state of Jerusalem was not something to be proud of before Nehemiah arrived on the scene. There walls were busted, they were vulnerable to attack, and the worst was that this was all a reflection on their faith. I am pretty sure I have never been in a place where people have a greater sense of pride over a “state” than here in Texas. People here are proud of the fact they live in Texas. Most of them are not obnoxious (most ) they are just convinced. I kinda like it.

Nehemiah helps re-establish a sense of pride. The wall was just a part of the process, bigger than rebuilding a wall was the work they did to rebuild it…together. Teamwork is a huge part of developing community. What projects have you done with other people that helped bind you to them? When was the last time you saw people pitching in to help on a project they could never do by themselves? How did that affect that group of people? Just saying that when things start to unravel and you loose your sense of touch with others around you…organize a worthwhile project and before you are done with that, the project will become secondary.