Confession, Covenant, and Courageous Commitment to God

Devotional

Day 1: Confession Focuses on God’s Faithfulness More Than Our Sin

When we come before God in confession, it is easy to become overwhelmed by our shortcomings and failures, feeling as though we must list every single sin to be forgiven. Yet, as seen in Nehemiah 9, the people’s prayer of confession spends far more time recounting God’s faithfulness, compassion, and steadfast love than it does their own failures. This teaches us that confession is not a math problem or a desperate attempt to cover every debt, but an act of worship that centers on God’s character—His mercy, patience, and grace. When we confess, we are invited to remember and proclaim who God is, letting His goodness outweigh the weight of our sin. [35:49]

Nehemiah 9:5-21 (ESV)
Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.
You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.
You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.
“And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea,
and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day.
And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters.
By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go.
You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments,
and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant.
You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.
“But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments.
They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.
Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies,
you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go.
You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst.
Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.”

Reflection: When you confess your sins, do you spend more time focusing on your failures or on God’s faithfulness? How can you intentionally shift your prayers to praise God’s character even as you bring your shortcomings before Him today?

Day 2: There Is More Grace in God Than Sin in Us

No matter how deep or numerous our sins may be, God’s grace and forgiveness are always greater. The story of God’s people is not one of perfect obedience, but of a God who continually chooses to love, forgive, and restore even the most stubborn and flawed hearts. This truth is the foundation of our hope: that God’s mercy is not exhausted by our failures, and His love is not diminished by our imperfections. We are invited to rest in the assurance that there is more grace and forgiveness in God than there is sin in us, and to let gratitude for this truth shape our lives. [37:34]

Psalm 103:8-12 (ESV)
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Reflection: Is there a sin or failure that you feel is too great for God to forgive? Take a moment to name it before Him, and then thank Him that His grace is greater still.

Day 3: Confession Leads to Commitment—Living Differently in Response

True confession is not just about admitting our wrongs, but about responding to God’s grace with a renewed commitment to live according to His ways. In Nehemiah’s day, after the people confessed and remembered God’s faithfulness, they made a binding agreement—a covenant—to do things differently, to align their lives with God’s will. Confession without change is empty, but when we allow God’s forgiveness to move us, it leads to real transformation and a desire to walk in obedience and faithfulness. [53:08]

Nehemiah 9:38–10:1 (ESV)
“Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.
On the seals are the names of Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah,
Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah…”

Reflection: What is one specific area of your life where God is calling you to make a new commitment or change in response to His forgiveness? What step can you take today to live differently?

Day 4: Generosity Flows from Experiencing God’s Generosity

When we truly grasp the lavish generosity of God—His forgiveness, grace, and provision—it naturally overflows into our own lives as generosity toward others. The call to give, serve, and invest in God’s work is not just about finances, but about stewarding all that God has given us—our time, talents, and resources—for the sake of others. As we experience the joy of God’s generosity, we are invited to participate in His mission, courageously giving and serving so that more people can encounter His love and grace. [01:03:11]

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (ESV)
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

Reflection: In what ways has God shown generosity to you recently? How can you reflect that generosity in a tangible way toward someone else this week?

Day 5: Taking Courageous Steps Toward Jesus and Inviting Others

God calls His people not only to follow Him courageously, but also to invest in others and invite them to experience the hope, peace, and transformation found in Jesus. The movement of God’s Spirit in a church or community begins with individuals who are willing to take their next step—whether that’s joining a group, serving, giving, or simply saying “I’m ready.” As we move toward Jesus, we become part of His mission to see more people encounter His love, and we are invited to pray, act, and open our lives so that others might do the same. [58:07]

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Reflection: What is your next step in moving closer to Jesus, and who is one person you can encourage or invite to take a step toward Him this week?

Sermon Summary

Today, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment in the life of our church—a moment shaped by prayer, confession, and a renewed commitment to God’s calling. The beautiful display at the front of our sanctuary, filled with objects and prayers from our 24-hour vigil, is a tangible reminder of the decades-long story God has been writing here. These prayers—pleas for vision, protection, wisdom, and provision—are the heartbeat of our community, echoing the faithfulness of generations past and present.

Turning to Nehemiah 9, we see the Israelites, fresh from rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, gathering not to celebrate their own achievements, but to immerse themselves in God’s Word. Their response to hearing their history read aloud is profound: they weep, recognizing their own brokenness in light of God’s faithfulness. Yet, Ezra calls them not to remain in sorrow, but to rejoice in God’s steadfast love. This sets the stage for one of the longest prayers of confession in Scripture—a prayer that is striking not for its exhaustive list of sins, but for its overwhelming focus on God’s character.

The pattern in Nehemiah’s prayer is instructive. For every mention of sin, there are two or three declarations of God’s goodness, mercy, and faithfulness. Confession, then, is not a math problem or a desperate attempt to balance spiritual accounts. It is an act of trust, rooted in the assurance that God’s grace far exceeds our failures. We are not called to wallow in guilt, but to anchor ourselves in the truth that there is more grace and forgiveness in God than there is sin in us.

This movement from confession to covenant is crucial. The Israelites, after acknowledging their shortcomings, make a binding agreement to live differently—to align their lives with God’s ways. Confession without commitment is empty; true repentance leads to transformation. Today, as we bring forward our commitment cards, we are invited to see this not merely as a financial act, but as a declaration of our desire to be a church that courageously follows Jesus and seeks to introduce others to Him.

God’s generosity toward us—His lavish forgiveness and love—calls forth our own generosity, not just with our resources, but with our hearts, time, and talents. We are stewards of all He has given, called to invest in the movement of people toward Jesus. Whether you are new or have been here for years, the invitation is the same: to take your next step toward Christ, trusting that He is at work in and through us, and that His joy is our strength.

Key Takeaways

1. Confession is rooted in God’s character, not our failures Confession is not about tallying every sin or living under the weight of guilt. Instead, it is an act of trust in God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. When we confess, we are reminded that God’s grace is always greater than our shortcomings, and that He delights in forgiving and restoring us. [36:35]
2. True repentance leads to renewed commitment Acknowledging our sin is only the beginning; genuine repentance moves us to make concrete commitments to live differently. Like the Israelites, we are called to covenant with God—to reorder our lives around His purposes and to pursue transformation, not just remorse. [55:20]
3. Generosity flows from experiencing God’s generosity Our willingness to give—whether financially, with our time, or with our talents—springs from recognizing how lavishly God has given to us. When we are overwhelmed by His forgiveness and love, we are moved to invest in others, seeking to be conduits of His grace in our community and beyond. [63:11]
4. Every step toward Jesus is a miracle of grace Transformation is not something we achieve by our own strength; it is the work of God’s Spirit in us. Even the smallest movement toward Christ is a miracle, evidence that God is at work, changing our hearts and aligning us with His will. [53:08]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[22:37] - 24-Hour Prayer Vigil Reflections
[23:38] - Introducing Nehemiah 9
[24:17] - The Confusion of Confession
[25:43] - Approaches to Confession
[26:44] - The Math Problem of Sin
[28:45] - Turning to Nehemiah’s Prayer
[29:51] - The Power of God’s Word
[31:14] - The Pronouns of Confession
[33:32] - God’s Faithfulness in Israel’s Story
[34:41] - Who Is the Hero?
[35:49] - The Ratio of Sin to Grace
[36:35] - There Is More Grace Than Sin
[40:27] - Confession Leads to Covenant
[53:08] - Commitment and Generosity
[63:11] - God’s Generosity Inspires Ours
[66:05] - Final Blessing and Sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Nehemiah 9:5-21, 9:38–10:1 (ESV) —
> 5 Then the Levites... said: “Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
> 6 “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.
> 7 You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.
> 8 You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant...
> ...
> 16 “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments.
> ...
> 17 ...But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.
> ...
> 21 Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

> 38 “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.”
> 10:1 On the seals are the names of Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah...

Observation Questions

In Nehemiah 9, what is the main focus of the Israelites’ prayer—do they spend more time talking about their own sins or about God’s character? ([35:49])
What actions did God take on behalf of the Israelites, according to their prayer in Nehemiah 9:5-21?
After the prayer of confession, what do the Israelites do next in Nehemiah 9:38–10:1? What does this show about their response to God?
According to the sermon, what physical reminder was present in the sanctuary that connected the church’s present prayers to its history? ([22:37])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think the Israelites, after hearing their history read aloud, responded with both weeping and then rejoicing? What does this say about the relationship between confession and joy? ([30:13])
The sermon says, “For every one acknowledgement of their sin they are giving at least twice as much attention to God’s character and faithfulness.” Why might this ratio be important for how we approach confession today? ([35:49])
The Israelites made a covenant after confessing. Why is it important that confession leads to commitment, rather than just stopping at feeling sorry? ([40:27])
The pastor said, “There is more grace and forgiveness in God than there is sin in us.” How does this truth change the way someone might approach God with their failures? ([36:35])

Application Questions

When you think about confession, do you tend to focus more on your own failures or on God’s character? How might you shift your focus to better reflect the pattern in Nehemiah 9? ([35:49])
The Israelites responded to God’s faithfulness by making a new commitment. Is there an area of your life where you sense God inviting you to make a fresh commitment or change? What would it look like to take a concrete step? ([40:27])
The sermon described confession as “not a math problem or a desperate attempt to balance spiritual accounts.” Have you ever treated confession like a checklist? How could you practice confession as an act of trust instead? ([26:44])
The pastor said, “God’s generosity toward us—His lavish forgiveness and love—calls forth our own generosity, not just with our resources, but with our hearts, time, and talents.” What is one way you could be more generous this week, either with your time, money, or abilities? ([01:03:11])
The church was invited to bring forward commitment cards as a sign of their desire to follow Jesus courageously. If you were to write a “commitment card” to God today, what would you want to put on it? ([55:20])
The pastor mentioned that “even the smallest movement toward Christ is a miracle, evidence that God is at work.” Can you think of a recent small step you’ve taken toward Jesus? How did you see God at work in that? ([53:08])
The Israelites remembered God’s faithfulness through their history. Is there a story from your own life or your family’s history where you saw God’s faithfulness? How can remembering that help you trust Him now? ([22:37])

Sermon Clips

And I don't know about you, but my imperfections, my imperfections are more numerous than the sand on the seashore and the stars in the heavens, it would seem. And the weight and burden of our sin, the weight and burden of our shortcomings and our flaws, our selfishness, our lust, our pride, our greed, it can weigh us down like we're carrying around a thousand pound backpack that we just can't shake off. [00:27:42] (28 seconds) #SinWeighsHeavy

So yes, when we go to a prayer of confession, there is going to be a tinge of fear. There's going to be a sense of, oh man, I am in over my head and my own sin, my own selfishness, and I need help. Okay, so if my method in that moment of confession is to make an exhaustive list of all my sins in order to make sure every debt that I have incurred is covered, then I am bailing water out of a sinking ship. I am bailing water out of a ship that is already filled with water. Does that make sense? [00:28:11] (47 seconds) #FearInConfession

Okay, so who is the hero of the prayer? God is. How do you know that? Well, you look at the pronouns. You look at the action verbs. Now, if God is the hero who is the villain? We are God's people. So this prayer of confession and worship it's important because I am the villain. We are the villains. God's word makes that clear. My heart and my conscience make that clear as well. [00:34:43] (30 seconds) #GodIsTheHero

So I want to make an observation about this grand prayer of confession. If you take this chapter in the NIV it consists of 53 sentences. Of those 53 sentences only 16 are about people being sinful and messy. That is less than a third. It's about 30%. That means for every one acknowledgement of their sin they are giving at least twice as much or even three times as much attention to God's character and faithfulness. [00:35:38] (32 seconds) #GoodPersonMyth

When we confess our sins the good news is this the final word on our sin is forgiveness. That the God of the Bible who is holy and righteous and perfect he has chosen to love us even us even in our sin and our stubbornness our imperfections he chooses to act with compassion towards his people like a loving father. [00:36:31] (29 seconds) #DoubleThePraise

This is an expression of our deep desire to be the church that God has called us to be no matter what to be a church where we seek to see and we pray to see more people moving toward Jesus that longs to see a movement in this neighborhood a movement in South Jacksonville a movement across our city our nation the world of people moving towards Jesus because we know that the only place that people can experience true transformation the only place they can experience true hope and peace and love and forgiveness is Jesus. [00:56:25] (43 seconds) #ChurchOnAMission

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