What’s a bigger occasion for you: the Super Bowl or Valentine’s Day? Why? What’s a word or two that describes your last few weeks? We are about to dive into the Book of Nehemiah. Read the following historical context and picture it in your mind: In the 500s BC, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, and many Jewish people were taken to Babylon. Then Persia conquered Babylon, and Jewish people found more freedom with Persia, including some Jews being allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild that city. In this context, we find Nehemiah, a cupbearer to the King of Persia. Read Nehemiah 1:1-4. What was Nehemiah’s initial response to receiving the news about the state of Jerusalem? Ryan called Nehemiah’s initial response a “holy discontent,” where he sees something in his world that just doesn’t sit right with him. What are some other examples of holy discontent in the Bible, in history, in your life, or in the lives of others? Often when God puts something on our hearts, we can struggle to do something about it. Two questions we can ask at those times are, “What am I waiting for?” and “Who is waiting for me?” How do you think those two questions can help? Read Nehemiah 2:1-19. Nehemiah’s holy discontent led to prayer, doing his homework, and leveraging his influence for good. How do you see this playing out in this passage? Here are three questions we can consider as we think about Nehemiah 1-2: What breaks your heart? Or, where do you have a “holy discontent”? What influence has God given you? How can you leverage that influence for a good work? Is there anything God is laying on your heart when it comes to these three questions? Consider watching this week’s edition of “Postscript”, where Ryan goes deeper into the weekend message.What’s something that stood out to you from the episode of “Postscript”? Spend some time praying, for our holy discontents as well other things going on in our lives.