"Hope In Action" with Tome Dawson

Putting Hope in Action

Scripture References

Primary text

• Nehemiah 1:3
• Nehemiah 1:4
• Nehemiah 2:17-18

Other references

• Nehemiah 6:3
• 1 Peter 1:13-14

Overview

As a new year begins, Pastor Tommy Dawson urges the church to move beyond passive wishing and actively pursue the life God intends. Drawing from Nehemiah’s rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall, he shows that real change requires three steps: clearly naming what is broken, seeking God with urgency, and doing the disciplined work He directs. Hope becomes powerful only when it is put into action.

Main Points

Define the problem

• You cannot defeat what you refuse to name; Nehemiah first faced the rubble and acknowledged, “Jerusalem is in great trouble and disgrace.”
• A wall in that era meant protection and security; its ruin left people vulnerable—just as unchecked problems leave our lives exposed.
• Personal examples: marital strain, uncontrolled debt, hidden addiction, untreated depression.
• “Sometimes things are so broken for so long that the ruins feel normal.”
• Action: Write down in one sentence the specific issue you want different this year.

Diligently seek God

• Nehemiah’s immediate response: he “sat down, wept, mourned, fasted and prayed” (Nehemiah 1:4).
• Lasting change is impossible without divine help; vision without prayer breeds frustration.
• Discipline defined (quoting Pastor Craig):

  “Discipline is choosing what you want most over what you want now.”

• Pastor Tommy’s testimony: years of abuse produced bitterness, but persistent prayer revealed that “forgiveness is giving up the hope of a better past,” freeing him from a self-made prison.
• God often calls the unqualified but always equips those He calls.

Do the work

• Nehemiah personally inspected the damage, rallied leaders and began “the good work.”
• Opposition is guaranteed (Sanballat & Tobiah mocked, Nehemiah 6:3), but the right response is:

  “I’m doing a great work and I cannot come down.”

• Practical illustration: portable-church days in frozen Tulsa—locks thawed with a volunteer’s coffee, proving that progress is seldom convenient.
• Real-life application: early alarms, budget cuts, accountability software, counseling sessions—none are glamorous, all are necessary.
• God accomplished in 52 days what lay undone for 150 years; He can do “exceedingly and abundantly” in our lives when faith partners with effort.

Key Truths

• Hope alone changes nothing; hope plus obedient action transforms lives.
• Defining the problem exposes the enemy’s foothold and clarifies the next step.
• Seeking God re-aligns motives and releases the power ordinary resolve lacks.
• Discipline is a daily choice to prefer what you want most over what you want now.
• Great works face resistance, but God’s calling and community support make perseverance possible.

Response

• Write your “This year I hope to ______” statement, then rewrite it as an action plan.
• Set aside focused time this week to pray, fast, or journal about the change you seek.
• Invite a trusted friend, LifeGroup, or mentor to hold you accountable.
• Take the first concrete step—register for Financial Peace, install the filter, sign up to serve, schedule counseling—before the week ends.
• Speak Nehemiah’s resolve over every discouraging voice: “I’m doing a great work and I cannot come down.”

Closing

Pastor Tommy reminded the church that Jesus modeled ultimate hope in action—identifying humanity’s sin problem, seeking the Father in Gethsemane, and finishing the work on the cross. Because of His sacrifice, we can face our rubble with confidence that God turns pages and rebuilds lives.

“As of today, as of this moment, you’re on a new page.”

Prayer

The congregation prayed for strength to identify their broken walls, pursue God passionately, and persevere in the work ahead. A salvation prayer followed, inviting anyone ready to confess their need for Christ to receive His forgiveness and new life.