Thesis
Drawing from Nehemiah 1:1-4, Pastor Daniel argues that the first condition of a courageous heart is a 'dislocated heart' — one that, like Nehemiah's, moves from personal comfort toward God's concerns. Courage is not the lack of fear but the willingness to act in spite of it. God looks for ordinary people whose hearts have shifted toward His agenda, and He promises to support and use those who are willing to stop, truly see what He is doing, honestly ask whether they care, and accept the discomfort that always accompanies stepping out in faith.
Key points
- 1
Courage is not the absence of fear — it is acting despite fear, and that is the quality God looks for in the people He uses.
- 2
A dislocated heart is the first condition of courage: your body may be in a place of comfort and security, but your heart moves to where God is calling you.
- 3
Dislocations begin by stopping — stepping out of the busyness of routine in order to see what God is really doing and to hear Him speak.
- 4
We must honestly ask ourselves whether we truly care about the things God cares about, and if the answer is no, ask why — because that question can unlock our lives.
- 5
A dislocated heart will always be an uncomfortable heart; God did not call us to comfort, but to a mission of being His hands and feet.
- 6
Jesus is the ultimate example of a dislocated heart — He left the comfort of heaven, ran to the cross, and prayed 'not my will but Thy will,' putting God's agenda above His own comfort.
- 7
God's plan A for changing the world is people — us — and that mission requires a passionate concern for God's people and God's agenda that supersedes our personal comfort.
Outline
Introduction: What Does It Take to Make a Difference?
Pastor Daniel opens the series on courage with two driving questions: what does it take to be a difference maker, and what kind of people does God look for to use and support? He frames these questions with a personal story about cliff diving with his friend Jimmy.
Defining Courage
Through the cliff-diving illustration and his father's words, Pastor Daniel defines courage not as the absence of fear but as stepping out despite fear — a condition of the heart, not of circumstances.
Series Overview and the Six Heart Conditions
Pastor Daniel introduces the six-week series on courage, explaining that there are six heart conditions of courage and connecting the series to the church's need to build a new building — an illustration of corporate courage.
Background on Nehemiah and Jerusalem
Pastor Daniel provides Old Testament context: Israel's history of faithfulness and failure, the Babylonian captivity, the return to the promised land, and Nehemiah's role as cup bearer to King Artaxerxes, setting up Nehemiah 1:1-4.
Nehemiah 1:1-4 — A Dislocated Heart
Walking through the first four verses of Nehemiah 1, Pastor Daniel shows that when Nehemiah heard the report about Jerusalem's broken walls and disgraced people, he sat down, wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed — his heart dislocated from the comfort of Susa to the need in Jerusalem.
First Step: Stop
The first movement toward a dislocated heart is stopping — stepping out of routine and busyness to truly see what God is doing and to hear Him speak, rather than letting church itself become just another item on the to-do list.
Second Step: Do I Really Care?
Pastor Daniel calls the congregation to honest self-examination: do I truly care about what God cares about? If the answer is no, the more important question is why — because uncovering that 'why' can unlock fears, hurts, and lies that are keeping us stuck.
Third Step: Embrace Discomfort
A dislocated heart is always an uncomfortable heart. Pastor Daniel challenges the tendency to treat church as a spiritual restaurant and calls the congregation to let God's agenda supersede personal comfort, pointing to Jesus as the supreme example of a dislocated heart.
The Dog Story and the Call to Trust
Pastor Daniel tells a vivid story of his father punching an attacking German shepherd to rescue him and his sister, then using it as a picture of what Jesus did on the cross — and calling the congregation to stop staring at the 'dog' of fear and jump into Jesus' arms with courage.
Closing Prayer and Gospel Appeal
Pastor Daniel closes with a prayer for dislocated hearts and a gospel invitation, asking anyone who has never put their faith in Jesus to do so, and leading the congregation in a prayer of commitment to courageous trust.
Memorable moments
Courage isn't the lack of fear. Courage is stepping out despite the fear
courage is not about my circumstances. Courage is a condition of my heart
if you're not scared, then it's not courage
we were bitten by sin and death and we are chased up the tree, cornered in life by the hounds of hell, by death, sin, brokenness, and there was nothing we could do. No way to save ourselves and Jesus saw that in his dislocated heart. He ran from heaven and he ran to the cross and he knocked death out for us
It's not just about what god does through us. You will be blown away by what he does in you
I need to have a god given concern that propels me out of my comfort zone
Application
Pastor Daniel's call to action is straightforward: stop, look, and listen. Step outside the busyness of everyday routine — even the routine of attending church — to honestly see where God is at work and to hear what He is asking you to do. Then ask yourself the hard question: do I really care about the things God cares about? If the answer is unclear or no, don't just feel guilty — dig into why, because the answer may reveal the fears, hurts, or lies holding you back. Finally, accept that following Jesus will be uncomfortable, and choose to move toward His agenda anyway. Courage is not waiting until you feel ready; it is jumping while you are still afraid, trusting that the One who ran to the cross for you is standing there asking you to trust Him and let go of the tree.
