Resident Missionary Visionary

August 2, 2026

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Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most famous Bible verses — a passage the promises good things, a wonderful future, and a powerful hope. But without the context, we can sometimes miss the deeper meaning. The surrounding verses remind us that we are called to be ‘resident missionary’s,’ to plant and establish our lives where God calls us, and to build a foundational faith that gets passed on for generations to come. Then, from this place of being resident missionary’s, we can point people to the wonderful vision and hope of Jesus Christ — the One who has come to make all things new.

SERMON NOTES
JEREMIAH 29:4-7, 10-11 (NLT)
(4) This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: (5) “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. (6) Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! (7) And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”...(10) This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. (11)For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

YOU ARE A RESIDENT

God is basically telling His people to settle in, to settle down, and to get used to Babylon because they’ll be there for multiple generations.
God wants you to build a life that is so planted and foundational that it gets passed down from generation to generation.
You are living in Babylon but don’t become Babylonians.

YOU ARE A RESIDENT MISSIONARY

Don’t just work for your survival, work for the peace and prosperity of the city. Don’t just pray to God from Babylon, pray for Babylon.
God is calling for His exiled people to pray for the occupying empire to be blessed.
We’re called to “Join God’s Mission Transforming All Things.”

YOU ARE A RESIDENT MISSIONARY VISIONARY

And our vision is clear: the future hope of Jesus Christ.
It’s our hope in Jesus Christ that fuels our mission and this same hope and future is what the world around us is desperate for.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

God’s work is rarely quick but always certain: how have you experienced this biblical truth in your life?
How are you working & praying for the prosperity of your city?
Where do you need the hope of Jesus Christ in your life today? (And who else needs the same promise?)