Mariners Church Weekend Messages

Episode: December 7 - Resolve: Living with Restlessness and Resting
Speaker: Senior Pastor Eric Geiger
Date: December 8, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Senior Pastor Eric Geiger concludes the Mariners Church series on the Book of Nehemiah, focusing on chapter 13—the final chapter not only of Nehemiah but, chronologically, of the Old Testament. Geiger explores what it means to be a leader struggling with restlessness and the need for deep, spiritual rest. Using Nehemiah's journey as a lens, he examines the tension between ambitious leadership (holy restlessness) and spiritual surrender (resting in God), teaching that true 'resolve' requires both.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Restlessness in Leadership (00:38–06:52)

• Geiger opens with a relatable story about envying the “pizza sign guy”—someone whose work seems easy to leave behind, unlike the persistent burdens that come with leadership.
• He admits to occasional fantasies about switching jobs to find peace:
  “I have thought, if I had this job, I would be able to leave the job at the job and go home.” (01:25)
• His wife, Kay, offers a pivotal insight: “If you had that job, you would bring the sign home with you. You would learn new moves. You’re not leaving the sign at work.” (01:58)
• This sets up the key question: What do you do with the restlessness you carry as a leader?

2. Nehemiah’s Leadership and the Cycle of Resolve (03:43–09:26)

• Geiger summarizes Nehemiah’s story: serving under Artaxerxes, rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall, and leading the people to make three vital promises:
  • To finance the Temple generously
  • To honor the Sabbath
  • To avoid intermarriage with idol-worshipping nations
• After a brief period of rest in Persia, Nehemiah returns to find that all three promises have been broken—“Nehemiah returns and it’s utter chaos.” (06:38)
  • “The book of Nehemiah ends. Merry Christmas.” (06:38, tongue-in-cheek)
• Many see Nehemiah’s ending as a failure, but Geiger calls Nehemiah 13 his favorite chapter, since it showcases real-life disappointment and leadership tenacity.

3. Resolve Defined: Restlessness and Resting (09:26–13:41)

• Geiger details Nehemiah’s decisive actions despite disappointment (throws out possessions, purifies rooms, confronts and rebukes people).
• The key insight is Nehemiah’s combination of holy restlessness (decisive action) with resting (trusting God’s favor):
  “Resolve is about pre-deciding...knowing before you are tempted how you’re going to respond.” (06:52)
• Nehemiah’s heartfelt prayer:
  “Remember me for this, my God, and don’t erase the deeds of faithful love I have done for the house of my God and for its services.” (Nehemiah 13:14, paraphrased at 10:58)

4. Lessons for Leaders: How to Work with Restlessness (13:41–20:04)

• Geiger presents the idea that restlessness can be a gift from God when it fuels holy action, but must be balanced by rest.
• “Restlessness exists in leaders because drift always occurs.” (13:55) Leaders are needed precisely because teams and organizations drift from their values.
• Three practices from Nehemiah:
  • Inspect: “Leaders must inspect whatever it is they expect.” (15:53)
  • Re-articulate: “Leadership is a lot like second grade. It means repeating the significant things over and over again.” (16:40, quoting Max DePree)
  • Confront: “Problems rarely self-correct. If you’re aware of problems that you’re not confronting, in six months they’ll only be worse.” (17:28)

5. Resolving Restlessness: Mix It with Rest (20:04–24:27)

• Geiger uses a chart to describe leadership postures:
  • High restlessness + Low rest = Anxious leadership
  • Low restlessness + High rest = Complacency
  • High restlessness + High rest = Resolve (the ideal)
• “If you are resting in your work, you’ll never rest. The only way you can rest is if...the finished work of Jesus on the cross is what allows you to rest.” (22:32)

6. From Works to Identity: Receiving Rest in Christ (24:27–28:20)

• Geiger shares personal struggle:
  “It is really hard to rest...my identity and worth is not found in the accomplishments. It’s found in what Christ has done for me.” (24:27)
• Contrast between believers and non-believers:
  “A Christian can be working on the outside, resting on the inside.” (25:33)
• Cites Matthew 11:28:
  “You come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (25:57)
• Uses Olympic athletes as an example of the exhaustion caused by seeking identity in performance rather than receiving identity as “God’s beloved.”

7. The Old Testament’s Dark Ending and the Hope of Christmas (28:20–33:21)

• Anti-climax of Nehemiah and the Old Testament:
  • Repeated cycles of promises made, promises broken
  • 400 years of silence after Nehemiah’s ending
• Christmas as the turning point:
  “And then Christmas. 400 years followed by God the Son keeping every single one of his promises, entering this world to rescue you...” (31:22)
  • Jesus is the perfect Promise-Keeper, fulfilling what humanity could not.
  • “We are declared perfect before him by his grace, not by our grit, because we have a God who keeps every one of his promises, though we haven’t kept any of ours.” (32:45)
• Ends with a call to worship and a prayer of blessing.
  “Go in peace. Have a great week.” (33:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On holy restlessness:
  “Your restlessness can be a gift that God has given you as a leader. Your restlessness does not need to be something you feel guilty of. It can actually be holy if, if it’s combined with the resting that you see in Nehemiah.” (10:45)

• On worth and rest:
  “For the Christian, we can rest because our worth is not determined on the success of the project...our worth is secure.” (19:09)

• On trusting God:
  “There’s a really bad Christian cliché...‘Do your best and trust God with the rest.’ ... Why not trust him with all of it?” (23:53)

• On Jesus' fulfillment:
  “All of his promises are yes and amen. He keeps every single one of his promises...We are declared perfect before him by his grace, not by our grit.” (32:35)

Key Timestamps

• Pizza Sign Guy & the Setup: 00:38–03:43
• Nehemiah’s Leadership Overview: 03:43–06:38
• People Breaking Promises/Chaos on Return: 06:38–09:26
• Nehemiah’s Decisive Actions: 09:26–13:41
• Restlessness vs. Rest in Leadership: 13:41–20:04
• Resolve Diagram/Model: 20:04–22:48
• Applying Deep Rest in Christ: 24:27–28:20
• Old Testament’s Ending and Christmas: 28:20–33:21

Summary Takeaway

Eric Geiger challenges listeners to embrace both a holy restlessness—a drive to lead, correct, and serve—and a deeper, identity-rooted rest that is only found in Jesus. Using the “failure” ending of Nehemiah as a teaching moment, he points to Christmas and Christ’s coming as the culmination of all God’s kept promises and the only real source of rest for our souls. Leaders, Geiger insists, should remain active and faithful but must ultimately trust entirely in God’s work, not their own efforts.

“Resolve is living with restlessness and resting at the same time.” (13:41 – Eric Geiger)

“You don’t rest in your work. You rest in his finished work.” (23:53 – Eric Geiger)

For those leading, striving, and struggling—true resolve is found not in relentless striving but in deep, unshakeable rest in Jesus.