Unpopular

Posted by Karah

POPULAR — [adjective]:
liked, admired, or enjoyed by many people or by a particular person or group

intended for or suited to the taste, understanding, or means of the general public rather than specialists or intellectuals

(of a belief or attitude) held by the majority of the general public


THINK ABOUT THAT definition as you read Jeremiah 38:4-6 in your Bible.

Jeremiah had spent years proclaiming the truth: that the people were sinners and they would be overthrown by the Babylonians. What consequences did Jeremiah face for proclaiming that truth?

Is God’s truth more or less popular with the world today than it was in Jeremiah’s day? Explain your answer.

Why do you think God’s truth irritates and offends people so much?

 

THE POINT
The gospel is offensive to the world because it exposes our own sinfulness and our need for a Savior. When you’re bold enough to speak God’s Truth, what you say won’t be popular. Are you prepared to proclaim the Truth even if it isn’t easy or popular?

 

TAKE ACTION
Take a few moments to evaluate your reaction to today’s Scripture passage. Are you scared of proclaiming the truth? Do you doubt that you could ever be that bold? Whatever you feel, be honest with God in prayer. Ask for Him to help you be bold despite your fears and doubts.

 
Have you ever truly counted the cost of following Christ? Take time this week to examine your relationship with Christ. Are you willing to let Him be your everything, even if it’s unpopular or comes at a great cost?


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Honest

Posted by Karah

“There is always a way to be honest without being brutal.”
—Arthur Dobrin


JOURNAL
Think about that quote as you read Jeremiah 38:1-3 in your Bible. Jeremiah had to deliver God’s word to the people and what he had to say wasn’t pleasant. Even though his job was difficult and his message was hard to deliver, Jeremiah didn’t let it stop him from speaking the truth. He knew it was more important to obey God than craft lies that would make the people happy. How is God calling you to speak or live out His truth even though it’s hard and won’t be popular? Spend some time thinking, praying, and writing about it in your journal.

 

TAKE ACTION
Is there someone in your life who God is calling you to speak His truth to? Who? What steps will you take to do so this week.

 
How you speak the truth of God matters. Read Ephesians 4:11-15. How can you “speak the truth in love” to others? Also, check out Galatians 6:1. How can you restore others “with a gentle spirit”?


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Punishment

Posted by Karah

1 THINK ABOUT THE LAST TIME you got into trouble for something. Maybe it was at school or with your parents. Did your punishment fit the crime? Do you think your punishment was fair? Why or why not?

 

2 YOU’VE HEARD IT SAID—a million times—that life isn’t fair. Being a Christian doesn’t make life any more fair, either. Sometimes, as you serve the Lord, you’ll face situations and circumstances that just seem so unjust. Read Jeremiah 37:11-17 for an example.

How would you describe what happened in these verses?

Why do you think that Irijah didn’t believe Jeremiah when Jeremiah tried to explain why he was leaving Jerusalem?

Do you think Jeremiah doubted God’s goodness or character during his unfair imprisonment? Why or why not? Would you have doubted God?
3 JOURNAL
Have you ever done something you knew was right or what God wanted and gotten punished for it? What happened? What did you learn? How did God use that situation to His glory? In the space below, write about that time and what God taught you.

 

4 THE POINT
As you follow Christ, there will be times when the world will treat you unfairly. Don’t be surprised when it happens and don’t let your circumstances cause you to question God’s goodness. God is always fair and good. He will use all things to bring glory to His name.

 

BEHIND THE STORY
In these verses, Jeremiah tried to leave Jerusalem by the Benjamin Gate. The Benjamin Gate was on the north wall of the city and anyone who wanted to go to the tribe of Benjamin’s territories would have left the city by this gate. Some scholars think Jeremiah was going to inspect land he had just purchased in his hometown of Anathoth from his cousin Hanamel (Jer. 32).


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The Good Fight

Posted by Karah

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.” —2 Timothy 4:6–8

 

JOURNAL
When Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, he was in a Roman prison and knew that he didn’t have much time left. His trial was yet to come, but he knew acquittal was unlikely and a death sentence was all but certain. Still, he took the time to write Timothy and pass along some final advice and encouragement. The verses you read today were Paul’s summation of his life and ministry. As you read them, think about the way you’d like your life and your relationship with Christ to be described at the end of your life. In your journal, write that description as a prayer.


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Support of Your Father

Posted by Karah

AT THE 1992 SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES in Barcelona, Spain, British runner Derek Redmond was poised to win a medal in the 400 meters sprint. He had posted the fastest time in the first round and won his quarter final. As he prepared for the finals, Redmond probably remembered the same race four years earlier at the Olympics in Seoul, Korea, when he’d been forced to withdraw because of an injury. He was determined to finish the race this time.

But in the 1992 finals, his hamstring snapped about 250 meters from the finish line. Injured and disappointed, Redmond was determined to finish the race and began to hobble along the track, simply putting one foot in front of the other. His dad joined him on the track, and together they completed the final lap. Even though finishing was hard, painful, and exhausting, Redmond kept going. He refused to leave his race unfinished, so he continued with the support of his father.

 

THINK ABOUT THAT STORY as you read 2 Timothy 4:1-5. Focus on verse 5.

 How do these verses encourage you?

 Reread Paul’s advice to Timothy in verse 5. How would you rewrite that advice to help you in a difficult situation you’re facing? Jot it down below.

 

THE POINT
You will face discouragement and difficulty in this life, even when you know you’re doing what God has called you to do. In those times, don’t give up! Keep doing what you’re supposed to be doing—putting one foot in front of the other—with the support of your Father.

 

TAKE ACTION
Think of a difficult situation you’re currently facing. What steps will you take today to keep doing what God has called you to do in that situation? List three.
•
•
•

 
MEMORIZE 2 Timothy 4:5. When you feel like following God is too difficult, remind yourself of this Scripture.


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Not Alone

Posted by Karah

LET’S RECAP…
In the previous verses, Jeremiah had been obedient and done what God had called him to do. As a result, he’d been beaten and imprisoned. When he was released, Jeremiah continued to prophesy and preach even though his words were unpopular. But staying committed and obedient to God’s call wasn’t easy, as Jeremiah’s words in Jeremiah 20:7-10 attest. Jeremiah struggled with what God had called him to do. He knew what God wanted was right, good, and perfect. But knowing that didn’t make dealing with his discouragement any easier.

 

JOURNAL
Even in his darkest moments, Jeremiah seemed to remember that he was not alone in this difficult time. Read Jeremiah 20:11-13 in your Bible. Then, take some time to process what you’ve read and journal about it in the space provided. Think about a time when you realized that God had not left you alone in a difficult time. How did you feel His presence? How did knowing He had not deserted you help you deal with the situation? Jeremiah also noticed that God was powerful to act and aware of what was going on. How have you noticed the same things during your dark times? 

 

“Christian, remember the goodness of God in the frost of adversity.”

-Charles Spurgeon


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Compelled

Posted by Karah

What do you complain about the most? School? Your parents? Stress? Homework?

 

IN YOUR JOURNAL, rank the top five things you complain about most.

 

READ JEREMIAH 20:7-10 below. Underline all of the things Jeremiah complained about. Then, read verse 9 again in your Bible. Draw a box around it.

“You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived. You seized me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all the time; everyone ridicules me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I proclaim, ‘Violence and destruction!’ because the word of the Lord has become for me constant disgrace and derision. If I say, ‘I won’t mention Him or speak any longer in His name,’ His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones. I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail. For I have heard the gossip of many people, ‘Terror is on every side! Report him; let’s report him!’ Everyone I trusted watches for my fall. ‘Perhaps he will be deceived so that we might prevail against him and take our vengeance on him.’” —Jeremiah 20:7–10


ASK YOURSELF:
Why did Jeremiah keep proclaiming God’s message if it caused him such distress?

When have you felt that fire in your heart and bones and known you had to speak up for God? What did you do?

 

THE POINT
There will be times when you, like Jeremiah, struggle to continue with the mission God has called you to. During those times, let His Word and His presence in your life compel you to continue.

  • COMPEL: [verb] 
    force or oblige (someone) to do something
    bring about (something) by the use of force or pressure


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Don’t Give Up!

Posted by Karah

When Joni Eareckson Tada was 17, she suffered a diving accident that left her a quadriplegic and wheelchair-bound. Despite obvious obstacles, Joni refused to give up. She spent two years in rehabilitation, learning how to live without the use of her arms and legs. She even learned how to hold a paintbrush between her teeth to create fine art pieces. In 2010, after 44 years of quadriplegia, she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She underwent surgery and took four rounds of chemotherapy. Now in remission, Joni never gave up when her life got difficult. Instead, she chose to focus on the fact that God was in control and she decided to see her difficulties as opportunities. “Trials are not just assaults to be withstood. No, trials are opportunities to be seized,” she said in a speech at a National Day of Prayer Observance in Washington, D.C., in 2011. “Life becomes inspiring, not in spite of the problems and the hard hits, but because of them.”

Source:  http://www.christianpost.com/news/joni-eareckson-tada-encourages-optimism-in-face-of-trials-50126/

THINK ABOUT JONI’S STORY as your read Jeremiah 20:3-6.
What do these two stories have in common?

Jeremiah had been jailed for the things he had prophesied. Yet he went right back to proclaiming the Lord’s Word when he was released. Why?

Would you have given up if you’d been Jeremiah? Explain.
TAKE ACTION
What are the discouraging situations or relationships in your life, the ones in which you’ve tried to proclaim Jesus’ message of hope, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference? Identify them and pray over them today.

 
Memorize Galatians 6:9. When you feel discouraged or exhausted by situations or people who don’t seem to care about Christ, recite it. Don’t give up!


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Suffering

Posted by Karah

“Suffering in the path of Christian obedience, with joy-because the steadfast love of the Lord is better than life (Psalm 63:3)-is the clearest display of the worth of God in our lives.” – John Piper

JOURNAL
Think about that quote as you read 2 Timothy 1:8-12. Don’t miss verse 8! Read over it a couple of times. In your journal, write your response to these verses. You may want to write a prayer asking God to help you find joy in a specific discouraging situation you are facing.


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This Should Be Easy

Posted by Karah

If you’ve gone to class, done the homework, and studied for the test, you’d expect it to be fairly easy, right?

LIST SOME THINGS that should be easy if you’ve done the prep work. (We’ve started the list for you.)

      Cooking a meal

      Playing a tough sports team

      Writing a paper

Did living the Christian life make your list? Why or why not?

THINK ABOUT THAT as you read Jeremiah 19:14–20:2.

 Check out verse 14. Why was Jeremiah prophesying to the people?

 What did he tell the people of Jerusalem? Explain it in your own words.

 If you’d heard Jeremiah’s prophecy, how would you have responded? Why?

 Jeremiah did what God told him to do. What happened to him? (See v. 2.)

 Have you ever faced difficult circumstances because you’ve been obedient to God’s call on your life? What happened? What did you learn?

THE POINT
The truth is, following God and living according to His purpose doesn’t guarantee that your life will be easy. In fact, sometimes it means that you will face difficulty and discouragement.

 

TAKE ACTION
List any difficult situations you’re facing right now because of your commitment to follow Christ. Pray about them, asking God to remind you of His presence and power in them.

 

WHO IN YOUR LIFE is facing a difficult situation or dealing with discouragement because he or she chose to be faithful to God? List their names and a couple of ways you’ll encourage them this week.


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