God's Way To Blessing For Our Community, Our Church And Ourselves

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