God’s Way
To Blessing
For Community, Our Church & Ourselves
(Regardless of the Circumstances)
The Circumstances
It was the time of ... the exile.
Israel had been a kingdom of renown.
Men & women had come from all over the world to meet with the kings of the united kingdom.
King David had served God with his ... whole heart.
But in the end he had failed.
Throughout most of his life
King Solomon had served God with only ... half a heart
The result had been a divided kingdom,
which lasted ... 400 years.
The nation was divided into the .... north
And the ... south
Into ... Israel And ... Judah
In the north there had been ... 19 kings
In the south there had been ... 20 kings
In the north there had been ... 0 ... kings who served God
In the south there had been ... 8 ... kings who served God
Ultimately God had sent judgment
In the form of the nation of ... Assyria
To destroy and scatter the northern kingdom.
130 years later He sent the nation of ... Babylonia
To take the best and the brightest of the southern kingdom into exile.
As our story begins, the best and brightest of God people are in slavery in Babylon and Jeremiah the prophet is preaching to the them. Listen to what he says ...
Jeremiah 29:1-14
vs.1-3 A letter ...
vs.4 From ... God
To ... A People Who Had Blown It
Instruction vs.5-7
vs.5 To ... Build Houses
To ... Settle Down
To ... Plant Gardens
To ... Eat What They Produce
vs.6 To ... Marry
To ... Have children
To ... Increase in numbers
vs.7 To ... Seek the peace and prosperity
Of ... The city to which God has carried you
And to ... Pray for it
A Promise
vs.7 Because... If it prospers, you will prosper
A Principle
A Plan? Or ... Plans
vs.11 God is speaking
God is saying ... I still have plans for you
I plan ... to prosper you
I plan to give you ... a hope & a glorious future
All you have to do is to ... Live according to the ... principles
