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Sermon Series: We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, however, we get to hear from Dylan preaching over Jeremiah 1:1-12!
1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
The Call of Jeremiah
4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”
9 Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”
11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond[a] branch.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”
How to let FAITH win over FEAR.
Jeremiah 1:1-12
7/13/25
Fear is a normal / human experience. However, fear can keep us believers from following what God has called us to do for His kingdom.
There may be difficult times in life AND/OR difficult choices you have to make in life BUT God may still call on you to follow His will.
- Know that God has a ___________.
- See the following scripture verses that show this as well:
- Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 33:11, Ephesians 1:11
- Stop making ____________________.
- Pay close attention to Luke 14:18-20 both at this point and later in the message.
- View Exodus 4:10-14 and Romans 2:1
- _____________ God to be with you_____________.
- Trust is key throughout the entire Bible. We see it in Proverbs 3:5-6 – 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
- Romans 8:38-39: “38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- Also see Mark 11:22-24
- ________________________________________________
- Almonds in the region are typically known to grow first in the spring time making them a sign of immediacy.
- Revisit Luke 14:18-20 and view the two verses (16-17) above and the four verses (21-24) below. Notice what happened to those who made excuses.
- Think James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
- See 2 Corinthians 6:2
Reflecting on God’s Word
- What is the plan that God has called you to follow but you are afraid or think you cannot follow this plan?
- What excuses are you making that keep you from accomplishing this?
- How can you show your trust in God?
- What are you afraid of?
- What is keeping you from choosing faith over fear?
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?