Living With Purpose: Lessons From Jeremiah 1
Key Takeaways
Your purpose was designed and appointed by God before you were even born, not invented by you.
God's call on your life works from the top down — He initiates, and we respond in obedience.
Fear is one of the most paralyzing emotions we face, but perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18).
God does not call us because we are equipped. He equips us after He calls us.
Living out your God-given purpose will cost you something. Suffering and difficulty are not signs that you are off track — they are often signs that you are on it.
Our purpose as believers begins at the moment of salvation and centers on making the name of Jesus known.
Opening Question
When you were growing up, what did you want to be when you got older? How does that compare to where God has actually taken your life?
Discussion Questions
The sermon described how God told Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." How does it change the way you think about your own life to know that God had a plan for you before you were born?
We often confuse our career or our role in life with our purpose. The sermon drew a distinction between the two. How would you explain that distinction in your own words? How does that distinction affect the way you think about your daily life?
Psalm 139 describes how God saw our unformed bodies and ordained all our days before one of them came to be. Does that truth bring you comfort, conviction, or both? Why?
Jeremiah's first response to God's call was essentially, "I can't do this." Have you ever responded to something God was calling you to do with a similar objection? What did that look like for you?
The sermon pointed out that God told many people throughout Scripture — Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Mary, Paul — "Do not be afraid." Why do you think fear is such a consistent obstacle for people trying to follow God's call? What does that tell us about our need for God?
First John 4:18 teaches that perfect love drives out fear. How have you personally experienced God's love overcoming fear in your life? Where do you still need that to happen?
Bro. Neil was direct in saying that living out God's purpose is hard and that suffering is not optional. How does the church sometimes give people the wrong impression about what following God will cost them? How can this group help one another hold a more honest and realistic view?
Jeremiah preached for four decades to people who rejected him, fought against him, and never honored him for it. The sermon asked whether Jeremiah wasted his life. How would you answer that question? What does faithfulness look like when results are not visible?
Bro. Neil challenged us honestly about sharing our faith, noting that it is difficult and that most of us probably did not do it in the past week. Without judgment, why do you think sharing our faith is so hard? What would it look like to take one small step forward in this area?
God gave Jeremiah two object lessons — the almond tree and the boiling pot — to remind him that God is always watching and that His word will be performed. How does the reminder that God is watching affect both your sense of accountability and your sense of security?
Bro. Neil said that the day God saved you, He made you into something you were not before. How have you seen that transformation in your own life? What areas are you still trusting God to continue that work?
Practical Applications
Identify your mission field. Write down three to five people in your life who do not know Jesus. Commit to praying for them by name this week and ask God to open a door for a conversation.
Confront one fear. Think of one thing God has been calling you to do that fear has kept you from doing. Take one concrete step toward it this week, however small, and report back to the group.
Reflect on your purpose. Spend time in prayer asking God to clarify how your current season of life — your job, your relationships, your circumstances — can be used to make His name known. Write down what comes to mind.
Pray over the prayer requests. If you were present during the service, take time this week to pray specifically over the requests that were submitted during Glow Night. Consider how your group might follow up with or serve those individuals.
Participate in a ministry opportunity. Look at what is happening in your church community — Operation Christmas Child, the Christmas blessing bags, or other outreach efforts — and commit to participate in at least one of them this year.
Memory Verse
Isaiah 41:10
Key Takeaways
Your purpose was designed and appointed by God before you were even born, not invented by you.
God's call on your life works from the top down — He initiates, and we respond in obedience.
Fear is one of the most paralyzing emotions we face, but perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18).
God does not call us because we are equipped. He equips us after He calls us.
Living out your God-given purpose will cost you something. Suffering and difficulty are not signs that you are off track — they are often signs that you are on it.
Our purpose as believers begins at the moment of salvation and centers on making the name of Jesus known.
Opening Question
When you were growing up, what did you want to be when you got older? How does that compare to where God has actually taken your life?
Discussion Questions
The sermon described how God told Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." How does it change the way you think about your own life to know that God had a plan for you before you were born?
We often confuse our career or our role in life with our purpose. The sermon drew a distinction between the two. How would you explain that distinction in your own words? How does that distinction affect the way you think about your daily life?
Psalm 139 describes how God saw our unformed bodies and ordained all our days before one of them came to be. Does that truth bring you comfort, conviction, or both? Why?
Jeremiah's first response to God's call was essentially, "I can't do this." Have you ever responded to something God was calling you to do with a similar objection? What did that look like for you?
The sermon pointed out that God told many people throughout Scripture — Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Mary, Paul — "Do not be afraid." Why do you think fear is such a consistent obstacle for people trying to follow God's call? What does that tell us about our need for God?
First John 4:18 teaches that perfect love drives out fear. How have you personally experienced God's love overcoming fear in your life? Where do you still need that to happen?
Bro. Neil was direct in saying that living out God's purpose is hard and that suffering is not optional. How does the church sometimes give people the wrong impression about what following God will cost them? How can this group help one another hold a more honest and realistic view?
Jeremiah preached for four decades to people who rejected him, fought against him, and never honored him for it. The sermon asked whether Jeremiah wasted his life. How would you answer that question? What does faithfulness look like when results are not visible?
Bro. Neil challenged us honestly about sharing our faith, noting that it is difficult and that most of us probably did not do it in the past week. Without judgment, why do you think sharing our faith is so hard? What would it look like to take one small step forward in this area?
God gave Jeremiah two object lessons — the almond tree and the boiling pot — to remind him that God is always watching and that His word will be performed. How does the reminder that God is watching affect both your sense of accountability and your sense of security?
Bro. Neil said that the day God saved you, He made you into something you were not before. How have you seen that transformation in your own life? What areas are you still trusting God to continue that work?
Practical Applications
Identify your mission field. Write down three to five people in your life who do not know Jesus. Commit to praying for them by name this week and ask God to open a door for a conversation.
Confront one fear. Think of one thing God has been calling you to do that fear has kept you from doing. Take one concrete step toward it this week, however small, and report back to the group.
Reflect on your purpose. Spend time in prayer asking God to clarify how your current season of life — your job, your relationships, your circumstances — can be used to make His name known. Write down what comes to mind.
Pray over the prayer requests. If you were present during the service, take time this week to pray specifically over the requests that were submitted during Glow Night. Consider how your group might follow up with or serve those individuals.
Participate in a ministry opportunity. Look at what is happening in your church community — Operation Christmas Child, the Christmas blessing bags, or other outreach efforts — and commit to participate in at least one of them this year.
Memory Verse
Isaiah 41:10