Wrecked. Broken. Destroyed.

Posted by Karah

When was the last time you used one of those words to describe the way you felt about something? What was it? Why were you so heartbroken about it?

 

READ ABOUT IT
Jeremiah felt that way, too. When God revealed what was going to happen to Judah because of their sinfulness, Jeremiah was heartbroken. Read Jeremiah 8:18–9:1 in your Bible. Underline all the words and phrases that express Jeremiah’s grief over what was going to happen. Then, ask yourself:

God was broken and heartsick over the peoples’ sinfulness. When you look at the sin in the world, what’s your response?

What’s your response to sin in your life?

TAKE ACTION 
What sinfulness in your own life has God broken your heart over? Confess it and seek His forgiveness today.

What sinfulness or circumstances in the world has God broken your heart over?

What steps will you take to make a difference—big or small!—in those areas this week?


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No Hope

Posted by Karah

1 LET’S RECAP…
Over and over, Jeremiah had made God’s point clear: judgment for sin was coming. He had pointed to their disobedience and railed against their hard hearts, but the people still remained unrepentant. Now, Jeremiah told the people that they were going to get to face the consequences of their sin: invasion by the Babylonians.

2 READ JEREMIAH 8:14-17 to get the peoples’ reaction to Jeremiah’s prophesy. Focus on verse 15.

How would you describe their reaction to the coming invasion?

Why do you think they reacted that way? Explain.

What would your reaction have been? Why?

The people seem rather hopeless here. Why do you think sinfulness often leads to such a feeling of despair and hopelessness?

3 THE POINT
When we allow sin to separate us from God, we will feel hopeless and alone. When you are mired in your sin and facing the consequences of sinful choices, it is never too late to turn to God with absolute repentance. Don’t wait!

 

4 JOURNAL
Think back to a time when you really messed up, yet hesitated to ask God for help. What happened? What did you learn? When you finally did repent, how did it affect your relationship with God? Your perspective? What consequences did you face. Jot down your thoughts and your thankfulness that God has provided a way for you to be reconciled to Him through Jesus as a prayer in your journal.


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Real Change

Posted by Sharon

“Humankind cannot bear very much reality.” —T.S. Eliot

Read Jeremiah 8:8-12.  Write down the things in the passage that roused God’s anger.
“How can you claim, ‘We are wise; the law of the Lord is with us’? In fact, the lying pen of scribes has produced falsehood. The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and snared. They have rejected the word of the Lord, so what wisdom do they really have? Therefore, I will give their wives to other men, their fields to new occupants, for from the least to the greatest, everyone is making profit dishonestly. From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have treated superficially the brokenness of My dear people, claiming, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they acted so abhorrently? They weren’t at all ashamed. They can no longer feel humiliation. Therefore, they will fall among the fallen. When I punish them, they will collapse,” says the Lord.” —Jeremiah 8:8–12

Now, read verse 11 again in your Bible. How would you write that verse in your own words? What do you think it means? Jot down your ideas.

THE POINT
Reality can be ugly, but no real change can happen until you acknowledge the way things really are. You can’t ignore sin, treat it like it’s not important, or control it. For God to make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you, you have to acknowledge your sin.

JOURNAL
Get real with God today. In your journal, write your no-holds-barred, no secrets response to today’s passage. If the Holy Spirit brings to mind unconfessed sin, confess it. Ask God to help you hate the sin in your life the same way He does.


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Turn Around!

Posted by Sharon

Have any Christian friends who are headed down the wrong path? Maybe they’re making choices that don’t lead them closer to God or caught in a pattern of sin or addiction they can’t escape. List a few names or initials that come to mind.

 Read Jeremiah 8:4-7.

The prophet’s orders were clear: confront God’s people about their sin. It was a tall order, especially since Judah’s leaders were a major part of the problem. Jeremiah would literally be risking his life if he obeyed. But he did, and not just because God wanted him to do it. Jeremiah cared for the people, too.

Think about the people whose names you listed earlier. Are any of them hardened toward repentance? Why?

How is keeping someone accountable different from condemning them?

As a Christian, do you think it’s part of your duty to hold other believers accountable or to call them back from sin? Why or why not?

If you believe it is, how does that idea make you feel? Explain.

THE POINT

You were never meant to live the Christian life alone. God wants us to live in community with other believers who love us enough to call us back from sin when we start heading down the wrong road. We’re to do so with compassion and love, not condemnation.

TAKE ACTION

Look over that list of names you created earlier. Pray for your friends. If you believe God is calling you to hold someone accountable, take time to pray for courage right now. Ask God to give you the right words to say, and then find a way to reach out to that friend.

Accountability— noun
-an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions.

Condemnation— noun
-express complete disapproval of, typically in public; censure.
-find (someone) guilty of a criminal act or wrong.
-sentence (someone) to a particular punishment


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