Week 32: Jeremiah 37-52

Prepare these questions for November 3, 2013.

1. In Chapter 38 Jeremiah warns that the people who stay in the city will die either through starvation or in battle, but that if they surrender to the Babylonians now, they will have a chance to live. The leaders wanted to kill Jeremiah for destroying morale and depressing the soldiers. (they didn't kill him, but he did spend the rest of the time in jail until the Babylonian king freed him) Have you ever had to tell someone an uncomfortable truth that you did not want to have to say? What did you do and how did you deal with it?

2. Jeremiah was frequently on his own in his ministry. What was his driving reason for continuing to prophesy and warn the people even though they didn't want to listen to him?

3. Jerusalem did fall and the Babylonians took over. How could the people of Jerusalem have made their lives easier and avoided such a huge catastrophe?

4. It is easy to judge the people of the Old Testament for their poor decisions, but we often do the same thing they did. Where are you making the same kinds of poor decisions over and over in your life right now?

Week 31: Jeremiah 1-36

Prepare these questions for October 27, 2013.

The book of Jeremiah contains the prophesies and some historical accounts of the life of Jeremiah. It is a combination of poetry and prose and is not in chronological order, which makes it a little difficult to follow sometimes. The major theme is that if the people do not stop their destructive ways, they will be destroyed. Which is what happened, so they really should have listened better.

1. Read Jeremiah 1:5 and 29:11. How would you live your life differently if  you could really hold these words that God spoke to Jeremiah in your own heart?

2. Throughout this book the people are constantly warned of the consequences of their actions yet they still chose to do wrong. Why did they do that and why do you/we make similar choices today?

3. In Chapter 12 Jeremiah complains that bad people have good lives and he demands an explanation for this from God. Do you ever struggle with the fact that some people with poor behavior have seemingly "better" lives than you do?

4. Jeremiah told the truth regarding the fall of Jerusalem but he was threatened and mocked for his words. Have you ever been mocked for your obedience to God? How did you deal with that situation?