SERMON NOTES
JEREMIAH 17:5-10 (NLT)
(5) This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. (6) They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. (7) “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. (8) They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. (9) “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? (10) But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

WHERE DO YOU PLACE YOUR TRUST?

• The nature of the human heart means that we trust, we place our hope, and have faith in something. 
• This is the kind of life we’re all invited to live but it requires us to make sure our heart is centered on the Lord; rejecting the trappings of this world and placing our trust in Him. 

WHAT’S THE STATUS OF YOUR HEART?

• The human heart is filled with broken ideas, thoughts, passions, and even desires. This is why the phrase ‘follow your heart,’ isn’t always a great idea, because my heart, just like yours, can come up with all kinds of really dumb decisions.
• “The old cliche sums it up nicely, ‘The heart of the human problem is the problem with the human heart.’” - Chris Wright
• Genesis 1:27 (NLT)
• Every human you meet bears the image of God but not every human you meet is a child of God — that’s an identity only reserved for those who have placed their personal trust, faith, and hope in Jesus.

WHAT ARE YOUR MOTIVES?

• The Lord searches all hearts and knows all things — even your secret motives.
• God knows our hearts even better than we know ourselves but He doesn’t leave us to fend for ourselves.
• Left to ourselves the human heart is in trouble but when you place your trust in Jesus, He takes your old heart and gives you a new heart instead.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
• A Christian isn’t just a better version of their tainted self — a Christian is a new creation in Christ.

 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1.  When has ‘follow your heart’ gotten you into trouble?
2. Where are you tempted to trust in ‘lesser things’ compared to the Lord?
3. Where do you normally lean in the tension of the human heart that was explained in this message?
4. How can you continue to experience the transformation of Christ in your mind, heart, and life?

 

SERMON AUDIO

SERMON NOTES
JEREMIAH 15:15-21 (NLT)
(15) Then I said, “Lord, you know what’s happening to me. Please step in and help me. Punish my persecutors! Please give me time; don’t let me die young. It’s for your sake that I am suffering. (16) When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. (17) I never joined the people in their merry feasts. I sat alone because your hand was on me. I was filled with indignation at their sins. (18) Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry.” (19) This is how the Lord responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you! (20) They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze. They will not conquer you, for I am with you to protect and rescue you. I, the Lord, have spoken! (21) Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men. I will rescue you from their cruel hands.”

1. GOD PROTECTS
2. GOD RESCUES
3. GOD REDEEMS

 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. Share a time when God seemed unreliable when you need him most.
2. How does God’s promise, “They will fight against you, but they will not conquer you,” reshape your expectations of what God’s protection looks like in real life?
3. Looking back, where can you point to God’s rescue and God’s redemption?

 

SERMON AUDIO

SERMON NOTES

JEREMIAH 10:23-25 (NLT)
(23) I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. (24) So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die. (25) Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you—on the peoples that do not call upon your name. For they have devoured your people Israel; they have devoured and consumed them, making the land a desolate wilderness.

DIRECT ME

• Jeremiah doesn’t start this prayer with a request. He starts with a confession.
• You can map out your next steps, but you can’t control the outcome.
• Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)
• Trusting God’s sovereignty means believing he is not confused by what confuses us.
• My life is not my own. I can’t plan my own course…. God… DIRECT ME.

CORRECT ME

• He didn't ask to escape correction. He knew it's what he needed. He asked God to correct him with mercy instead of consuming him in wrath.
• Hebrews 12:5-6 (NLT)
• This means when God corrects you, he’s coming to you as your Father. His correction is an expression of love, not the end of it!

AVENGE ME

• Imprecatory Prayer: An invocation of divine justice against evil.
• “For the followers of the crucified Messiah, the main message of the imprecatory Psalms is this: rage belongs before God…By placing unattended rage before God, we place both our unjust enemy and our own vengeful self face to face with a God who loves and does justice." –Miroslav Volf, Exclusion and Embrace

 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. Have you ever experienced God directing your life? 
2. When things fall apart, where do your feelings of guilt or shame usually go — toward yourself, toward others, or stuffed down? How could you start bringing those feelings to God instead?
3. Jeremiah asks God to correct him “but please be gentle.” How does that idea of God correcting you with gentleness change the way you think about His role in your struggles right now?
4. Have you ever prayed an imprecatory prayer, expressing your anger over injustice and evil? How did God respond? 

 

SERMON AUDIO

SERMON NOTES

JEREMIAH 9:23-24 (NLT)
(23) This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. (24) But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

WE’RE BOASTING IN THE WRONG THINGS

• Boasting isn't simply about bragging. It's about what gets our attention, our affection, and our praise.
• The problem isn't the gifts. The problem is when the gifts receive the glory that only belongs to God.
• Magis: For the greater glory of God and the well-being of his people.

BOAST IN UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWING GOD

• • 1 Corinthians 1:31 (NLT)
  • We can understand God mentally, but we can know God intimately. 
  • Knowing God happens when our understanding of him moves from our head to our heart.
  • The Hebrew word for "to know" in Jeremiah 9:24 is יָדַע (yāḏaʿ)
  • We don't want to just be educated about God; we want to experience him for ourselves. 
  • Attributes of God Resources:

• • • Daily Grace Study

• • • Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer

BOAST IN WHAT GOD HAS DONE

• I wonder what would happen if people walked away from conversations with us, thinking more about God than about us?
• This is what Jeremiah is inviting us into. A life that boasts less in ourselves…and more in our God.

 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. Jeremiah says not to boast in wisdom, power, or riches, but to boast in knowing God. What are the things you're most tempted to find your identity or value in? Why do you think those things are so attractive?
2. Kori talked about the difference between understanding God mentally and knowing God intimately. Have there been moments in your life where something you knew about God became something you personally experienced? Share that story with the group.
3. This week, how can you intentionally "boast in the Lord"? What's one story of God's faithfulness, provision, healing, or love that you could share with someone this week instead of drawing attention to yourself?

 

SERMON AUDIO

SERMON NOTES

JEREMIAH 6:16 (NIV)
This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

STEP ONE: STOP

• Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)
  Stand at the crossroads and look….

STEP TWO: ASK

• Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)
  …ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is.
• John 14:6 (NIV)
  I am the way….

STEP THREE: WALK

• Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)
  …walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.

MATTHEW 11:28-29 (NLT)
(28) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

MATTHEW 11:28-29 (MSG)
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. What are the Crossroads you are facing in your life right now and how might the Lord be inviting you to Stop, Ask, and Walk in a different direction?
2. Why do you often resist turning back to God, even when you know His way leads to greater rest and peace in your life?
3. There is a deep surrender to Jesus that can bring a deeper rest and peace to your life. What are the areas in your life that are easy to surrender to Him, and what are the areas that are more difficult for you to surrender?

 

SERMON AUDIO

SERMON NOTES

JEREMIAH 4:1-4 (NLT)
(1) “O Israel,” says the Lord, “if you wanted to return to me, you could. You could throw away your detestable idols and stray away no more. (2) Then when you swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise my name.” (3) This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns. (4) O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the Lord, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins.

IDOLATRY & INJUSTICE GO TOGETHER

• “The human heart is a perpetual factory of idols.” - John Calvin
• An idol is anything that you functionally rely upon or trust in more than Jesus.
• The essence and concept behind idolatry is about what’s at the center of your heart; what do you worship, and where do you place your faith?
• Disordered Attachments

REPENTANCE & MISSION GO TOGETHER

• Once your heart turns to God, you can join His mission of transforming all things once again.
• It’s an if/then kind of moment.
• The promise of God to bless the world through His people is seen throughout scripture.

SURRENDER & NEW BEGINNINGS GO TOGETHER

• It’s never too late to do some work, to till up the land of your life, so to speak, and to surrender another part of your heart to Jesus.
• Putting together a counterattack to your struggles.
• Worship, volunteering, and service, or really any kind of self-sacrifice, is a powerful weapon because it forces the attention off yourself and places it on another and ideally upon God.
• Surrender is essential to the Christian walk…It requires faith, trust, and reliance — all the things your idols demand — but only God deserves.
• 600 years after Jeremiah wrote this passage and delivered this prophetic poem, Jesus Christ came to earth, sacrificed His life on the cross, and rose from the dead to offer you a new life and new purpose with Him forever.

 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. What ‘disordered attachments’ have you/do you struggle with?
2. How can you join God’s work of being a blessing to the nations? 
3. Where is God inviting surrender in your life today?

 

SERMON AUDIO

SERMON NOTES

JEREMIAH 3:12b-15 (NLT)
(12)...This is what the Lord says: “O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever. (13) Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree. Confess that you refused to listen to my voice. I, the Lord, have spoken! (14) “Return home, you wayward children,” says the Lord, “for I am your master. I will bring you back to the land of Israel— one from this town and two from that family— from wherever you are scattered. (15) And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.

YOUR JOB VS. GOD’S JOB

YOUR JOB: CONFESS & COME HOME

• Our job is to confess and if we’ve turned away, our job is to come home.
• When the Bible talks about sin, it talks about how sin separates us from God.
• Confession is good for your soul, it’s good for your relationship with others, and most importantly, it’s good for your relationship with God!

GOD’S JOB: EVERYTHING ELSE

• Everything you read about this in this passage outside of confession is God’s job to do. 
• Mercy is related to forgiveness, but mercy also means the withholding of judgment, and the compassion of God towards those who are afflicted. 
• We’re called to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God because when we do, we’re acting like Him.
• God is not like us humans…His love is unfailing, His mercy unending, and His desire to restore and reconcile goes beyond anything we have to offer.
• God promises restoration and guidance.

 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. Share how the spiritual practice of confession works in your life?
2. When it comes to ‘God’s job’ (mercy, restoration, or good shepherds) what are you seeking most right now?
3. Is there anyone in your life who needs to ‘come home’ spiritually and how can you join God’s work in their life?

 

SERMON AUDIO

SERMON NOTES

JEREMIAH 1:1-9 (NLT)
(1) These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests from the town of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. (2) The Lord first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah. (3) The Lord’s messages continued throughout the reign of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah, another of Josiah’s sons. In August of that eleventh year the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives. (4) The Lord gave me this message: (5) “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” (6) “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” (7) The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. (8) And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (9) Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth!

GOD DESIGNED YOUR PURPOSE

• To have a life with God and to be a follower of Jesus, it means we give up leadership and we give up authorship of our own lives and we place our trust in Jesus because He knows best.
• Being a spiritual adult means we talk about uncomfortable things in loving ways.
• God has designed you.
• When you give your life to Jesus, you get set apart and consecrated to live differently than the world around you.
• Part of our job as followers of Jesus is to embark on a lifelong journey of discovering how and why God made us, and He doesn’t seem to be hurried by our own impatience.
• God has a divine plan and purpose for your life but it takes trust and reliance on God.

IT’S COMMON TO OBJECT

• It’s great to hear from God, but we don’t always like the answer!
• Don’t trust in your disqualifying traits more than you trust in the power of God. 
• God is the master at taking broken things and making them whole.
• Don’t let your objections get in the way of what God wants to do

 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. How has God spoken identity & calling into your life?
2. What are some of your major objections to God’s purpose in your life?
3. How do you actively rely on and pursue God’s plan in your everyday life?

 

SERMON AUDIO

SERMON NOTES

PSALM 69:1-3, 13-17, 29-33 (NLT)
(1) Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. (2) Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me. (3) I am exhausted from crying for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me…(13) But I keep praying to you, Lord, hoping this time you will show me favor. In your unfailing love, O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation. (14) Rescue me from the mud; don’t let me sink any deeper! Save me from those who hate me, and pull me from these deep waters. (15) Don’t let the floods overwhelm me, or the deep waters swallow me, or the pit of death devour me. (16) Answer my prayers, O Lord, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful. (17) Don’t hide from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble…(29) I am suffering and in pain. Rescue me, O God, by your saving power. (30) Then I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving. (31) For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle, more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves. (32) The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged. (33) For the Lord hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people.

***New Testament References: Matthew 27:34, Matthew 27:48, Mark 15:36, John 2:17, John 15:25, John 19:28-29, Acts 1:20, Romans 11:9-10, Romans 15:3

GET HONEST ABOUT YOUR PAIN

• We can endure a lot of pain when it's happening around us. But when the storm reaches our heart…That's when it becomes really difficult.
• “Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.” -  C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

CRY OUT TO GOD

• David never asks God to take the storm away.
• Sometimes God's answer isn't to remove us from the storm, but to meet us in it and carry us through.
• We can't forget that Jesus suffered too.
• God isn't distant from suffering or removed from it… He's lived it. He's felt it. He knows what it's like.
• Matthew 27:46b (NLT)
  “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
• In Jesus’ suffering, he stayed close to the Father.
• Suffering is not always the result of sin.
• “No sin is necessarily connected with sorrow of heart, for Jesus Christ our Lord once said, ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.’ There was no sin in Him, and consequently none in His deep depression.” - Charles Spurgeon

GOD HEARS OUR CRIES

• God isn’t distant from us in our pain.
• In Jesus’ suffering, God delivers us from ours.
• Throughout Scripture, we see men and women bringing their pain, grief, and questions to God, and over and over again we find a God who meets them there.

Revelation 21:3-7 (NLT)
(3) I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. (4) He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (5) And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” (6) And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. (7) All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. What keeps you from being fully honest with God and others about the storms you’re facing?
2. When have you experienced a season where life changed suddenly and left you feeling overwhelmed or exhausted?
3. How does the promise of Revelation 21 give you hope in the middle of present pain or hardship?

 

SERMON AUDIO