As we celebrate Martin Luther King Day, we need to get back to “having a dream”, and run away from “being a victim”.  MLK’s dad knew this when he changed from calling him Michael Junior and began calling him Martin Luther.  And Martin did not disappoint the legacy that his father bestowed upon him.

And so today, in the spirit of this idea, I tell you:  

Find Your Freedom

God tells us:

Ephesians 2 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

God’s workmanship!

What a privilege it is to be God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus.  And for 2026, He is challenging us to find our good works—the works that God has prepared us to do!

I pray that we would all, simply, do that.

Nehemiah did that.  Broken, and enslaved, Nehemiah found a way to the top of the servant pool—cupbearer to the King.  And from the way these verses read, he must have truly poured God’s love out on a King who was over him.  

How did this happen?

I have a theory on how this happened and I am convicted to share that this morning:

#1.  Nehemiah Repented.  He didn’t play the victim.  He didn’t blame someone else.  He didn’t think of all the people who wronged him.  He repented.

Nehemiah 1 5 Then I said: “O Lord , God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands,  6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you.

#1.  Nehemiah Prayed.  He cried out to the living God and begged for help.

Nehemiah 1 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.

#3. Nehemiah Acted In Faith.  He did not cower down.  He did not view the situation through man’s lenses. He acted in Faith and did what God lead him to do.

Nehemiah 2 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid,  3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”  4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven,  5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.” … 7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?  8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.

When Nehemiah went to Jerusalem and began his project, it took him 52 days to do the impossible.  And this, too, is worth exploring and reading about and asking God about.  But, today, we will focus on the simple idea that God has a plan for all of us to walk out.  It is a plan that we would do well to follow and a plan that revolves around us KNOWING that we are the creation of Jesus—that we are God’s Workmanship and that He wants us to do His good works.

The old testament gives us incredible pictures of Nehemiah, Esther, Moses, and Joseph— all believers going before people who have all the power and asking them to do what God is leading them to do … all risk their lives.  All face punishment or even death for what they are doing.  And all have to take a leap of faith.

What is this for you?

Ephesians 2 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Much like Nehemiah, it probably isn’t something that will make your life “better” in the carnal sense, but rather something that requires a “leap of faith” to do the works that God has prepared in advance for you to do.

Find Your Freedom.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J