Jeremiah And Your Calling

“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young! The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!” – ” Jeremiah 1:6-9 

We all know those fortunate people who know exactly what they want to be when they grow up. Some want to be rock stars, some want to be veterinarians, and others want to be teachers. You have to admire those people, especially when they achieve the calling they set out for themselves. But the majority of people seem to have a clear vision for their life, but get sidetracked along the way. The world held seemingly endless possibilities, but along the way, paths changed.  

The story of Jeremiah is different. His calling was clearly and specifically communicated to him. Scripture tells us that long before he was even born, God intended to use him as His prophet. “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5). Jeremiah received instructions for his calling very early on in life—a clear purpose with detailed words from the Lord. Even so, Jeremiah protested, saying, “O Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” (v.6). Imagine how intimidating it must’ve been to be chosen as God’s mouthpiece. Not only was the job description itself daunting, but Jeremiah was also young and without much life experience. But God reassured Jeremiah again and again that He would be there to rescue him (vv.7–8, 19).

God knew Jeremiah, chose Jeremiah and appointed Jeremiah. He was known by name, hand-picked by God, and commissioned to serve. Those facts give one a great sense of purpose. The promise of God’s purpose allows us to let go of our own plans and receive God’s plan without fear. Like Jeremiah, we need to accept that our future is not our own. We are God’s. He has a distinct plan and purpose for our lives.

Before Jeremiah could experience God’s presence, he had to go where God sent him, speak what God told him, and reject fear. When God calls us to a task, He does not give us a road map to follow and then leaves us to our resources. God walks with us. His presence gives us the strength to stand in the face of every barrier.

What about you?  God chooses all of our callings. Designing us to carry out a unique purpose at a specific time and place, He equips us with gifts to help bring restoration to the world: “may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.” (Hebrews 13:21). 

God will fulfill His purpose in you, He will equip you, He will enable you, He will protect you, He will accompany you and He will accomplish His purposes no matter how people respond.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is God’s primary calling for each of us? 
  2. What are some practical steps you could take to follow your calling this week?

The Attributes Of God – The Goodness Of God

What are God’s attributes? Each Friday we will look at an attribute of God. This week, the goodness of God. The clear message of Scripture is that God is uniquely good and that He is the measure for everything we call good. Considered together with His wisdom and power, Christians can be assured that God not only desires to reveal His goodness but is able to accomplish His good plan in the best possible way.

For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.” – Ephesians 2:6-7.

God’s goodness simply can’t be fully grasped.  How can any human being ever get their head around the awesome goodness of God? It transcends our understanding, yet we know its truth through scripture. God’s love and goodness are universal. It encompasses all people. Psalm 145:8-10 says, “The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you.“  

When we are saved and we love and serve God we experience the boundless riches of God’s grace and goodness toward us. We experience what David says in Psalm 23:6, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Think about that for a second: the goodness of Good follows us. 

The question is how is God’s goodness showing up in our daily lives? There is any number of ways, When we leave our lives in the hands of our good God, we will see the good things God has for us. We see the goodness of God in how He sustains us each day. He is faithful to meet our physical needs and loves us through the people He’s placed around us. Even when life is hard, we can trust God to sustain us. We can trust God’s providence even if His provision doesn’t align with our desires.

Forgiveness reveals God’s goodness, daily. Daily, we come to God for forgiveness, because we all fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) In His goodness and through the sacrifice of His Son, we are able to embrace the gift of forgiveness He has given to us, and thus forgive others as He has done for us. In the greatest act of love, God sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, to earth. Fully God and fully man, Jesus came to earth to die a sacrificial death on the cross by crucifixion. He was innocent, yet died a criminal’s death, intentionally for us. The cross is a daily reminder of the goodness of God.

Discussion Questions:

  1. If circumstances in your life cause you to doubt God’s goodness, where in Scripture can you turn for reassurance and confidence? 
  2. Which of God’s other attributes can assure you that God is able to exercise His goodness? Can you think of more than one? 
  3. If somebody asked you about the goodness of God, what would you say? 

God Will Finish What You Started

“At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.” – Luke 2:25-26. 

In each of our lives, God has begun a work. A good work. And the work involves more than we know. We see our unfinished projects, goals, and assignments. But the underlying work also includes our transformation, our love for others, and our love for God. Even when we don’t see progress, God is busy behind the scenes. He not only has the will to make it happen, but He also has the power to do it. 

It doesn’t matter how long it’s been or how impossible it looks. Your mind may tell you it’s too late. You missed too many opportunities. It’s never going to happen. Don’t discount the process just because you can’t yet see the results. Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen. God will bring His plan to pass.

In Luke 2 we read about a man named Simeon. In Verse 26, the Holy Spirit revealed to him that “…he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.“ That probably seemed far-fetched, but you could imagine Simeon believing that God would fulfill His promise. You can imagine him waking every day believing and expecting God to keep His promise. 

Simeon didn’t see any sign of the Messiah for years. You have to wonder if Simeon became concerned that he had heard God wrong.  But many years later, he saw Christ born. The promise came to fulfillment.   

What God starts, He will finish. People can’t stop it. Circumstances can’t stop it. Medical problems can’t stop it. God is going to complete your incompletions. 

Remember you will always be a work in progress. Day by day God is committed to working in your life to make you more and more like Jesus. Lean into Him on the hard and good days. Read your Bible daily and pray. We can all cling to the truth found in Philippians 1:6. Here the Apostle Paul reminds us to confidently hold onto the promise that God will not only continue but finish the transformational work He has begun in us. Even though this may not be a present reality, we can trust in God who keeps His promises.  

God will finish what he started in your life.

Discussion Questions

  1. Does the fact that God will complete what He started encourage you?
  2. How will this knowledge help you to make changes in your life that you realize should be made?

God is With You…Every Step Along The Way

“ For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” – Zephaniah 3:17

A. W. Tozer once said that ”Always, everywhere God is present, and always He seeks to discover Himself to each one.” God is always there. Psalm 139:7-8 says, “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.”

God is literally everywhere. He fills all space and time. He is with you every step of every day. Wherever we are, whatever our situation, God is there. When we’re in the hospital or at home, He is there. When the sun is shining or when it’s raining, God is there. God never changes. Jesus is with you—today, yesterday, and forever. No matter what you’re facing. No matter the sorrow past or present, He is here, grieving with us, celebrating with us, growing and filling us with His Spirit, and helping us take steps forward with hope. He never takes his eyes off of us. He never leaves us alone. He never forsakes us. Matthew 28:20 says, “…and be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

It is a mistake to think God is there for the really big things. He is there in all things. Maybe He spoke to the human resources manager who hired you. Maybe He caused you to pause at an intersection and miss an accident. Maybe He helped you with that calculus problem. Maybe He put you in the right small group that helped you grow. Maybe He was in that glorious rainbow glowing through the dark clouds after a storm.

Whatever you need. Whatever you face. Whatever is on your mind. God is there. You can’t get in a bind that God can not get you out of. You can’t get into a mess that God can not deliver you from. God is always there, despite how we see our situations, despite how we react to our shortcomings, and despite how we feel about our struggles. He’s going to help you. He’s going to strengthen you. He’s going to encourage you.

There is no checklist of solitude or calm required for God’s presence to attend to your weary soul. He is here, now. He is with you always. You are not alone, and you never will be. In your innermost being, He is there. He always has been and always will be with you every step along the way.

Discussion Questions:

  1.  How does it feel to know that no matter how you may be feeling, God is with you and completely understands how you feel?
  2.  Since His word is a constant reminder that He is with us through everything, how has it been going for you with spending time in His Word? What changes might you need to make?

Focus On Jesus

“Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”“Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”- Matthew 14:28-31

Matthew’s account of Peter walking on water is one of the most widely known stories in the Bible. How crazy must that have been to witness? But some people criticize Peter because he began to sink. But none of the critics, or anyone for that matter, have repeated his feat. Peter was willing to put it all on the line. He and the other disciples had been straining against the waves and wind all night long when Jesus appeared to them, walking on the water. Peter was willing to literally step onto the water because He was looking at Jesus. That gave him confidence and courage. Peter’s eyes were locked on Jesus and for however long it lasted, Peter walked on water.

You might think that Peter should have enough evidence now that he has walked on water and gotten close enough to Jesus that He could reach out a helping hand that he could trust Jesus to sustain him, but he sank in fear.

No matter how far out on the water a person may be, how much they seem to have trusted Christ with their life, they are still liable to fear.  They are strong wind and high seas away from sinking in doubt. The problem was Peter stopped looking at Jesus. The focus of his attention shifted from Jesus to the storm – he saw the wind the waves and panic and feelings of inadequacy took over. “He was terrified and began to sink” The takeaway is clear: look for Jesus and keep looking to Jesus.  

Peter demonstrated how most Christians respond to fear and uncertainty. First, we are afraid. Then, we sense that God is in control and will take care of us and we are emboldened. We step out in faith. But then as trials and circumstances swirl around us, we begin to take our focus off the Lord and focus on the perils around us. As a result, we start to feel overwhelmed. 

The Christian life is a step-by-step process that requires our focus to remain upon Christ. If we start looking around and becoming distracted by worldly things, we will fall. And often, it does not take very long, sometimes just a matter of seconds, to go from confident faith to overwhelming doubt. In the end, though, God is there for us. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. Can you imagine what it must have been like to walk on water? 
  2. What can we do this week to better focus on Jesus? 

Be The Person God Wants You To Become

” God’s voice is glorious in the thunder. We can’t even imagine the greatness of his power.“He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down.” – Job 37:5-6. 

Have you ever sat in your house and asked yourself a simple question: “What does God want from me?” That is the wrong question. The right question is  “What does God want for me?” We often consider God as this demanding ruler that wants something from us, therefore we need to try our best to do the right thing, do good works, or live up to some kind of moral or ethical standard.

But it is not about what we do for God—but what God wants from us. The good news is that God wants something beautiful for you! God wants you to follow Jesus and experience life to the full. God wants to know you. He wants for you to have a love relationship with Him. He wants to change you. He wants you to become a new person, more like Jesus. And he wants for you to serve effectively, to live a meaningful life. An important step is to admit and understand what you are and are not made for. 

In Job 37 we read, “He directs the snow to fall on the earth.” Snow does basically one thing, it falls. And then He says to the rain shower, “… to pour down” God created snow to snow and rain to rain. It’s simple. God simply wants us to become what He’s already created us to be. We twist ourselves up in knots trying desperately to be something or someone else. Trying to fulfill some endless list of qualities and capabilities that we think will make us feel loved or safe or happy. Somewhere along the line, we stopped asking two questions: What is God asking me to do? What is the thing God created me to be?

God created us uniquely; we are equal but different. Our lives cannot and will never be the same. Each of us is so different and with different gifts. Our personalities are different, our outlook on life is different, and our perspectives are different. We are on the journey of life but our paths will always be as different as there are many of us. We were not meant to be born, grow up, grow old, and then die. No. Each of us was placed on earth for a time and a purpose. A purposeful life is the most fulfilling life. We have to follow the path that pleases God and serve the Lord diligently. 

Scripture tells us that if we want to become the person we are meant to be – who God says is the “real you.” You must become like Christ. That’s a tall order to fill. However, the mark of a Christian is our desire to fill it. We want to be more like our creator and our savior, and the more we are with Him, the more like Him we become.

God “…”knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:29) And 2 Corinthians 3:18 adds, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. Can you think of a time when your thoughts either positively or negatively started to shape your actions?
  2. What’s one way you can set your mind on things above today?

The Attributes Of God – God Knows Everything

What are God’s attributes? When we talk about the attributes of God, we are trying to answer questions like, Who is God, What is God like, and What kind of God is He? It is important to study and know God’s attributes so we can grow closer to Him. How we view God impacts everything. So when we understand and embrace who God is, it gives us a firm foundation for our faith. Each Friday we will look at the attributes of God. This week, God knows everything. 

“Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are His wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His methods! For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be His counselor and guide?” (Romans 11:33-34 TLB)

Today’s smartphones are extraordinary in many ways. There is nothing you can’t ask it. It will have answers to most of your questions. You can ask for movie times, driving directions—even a recipe—and up pops the information on the high-resolution screen. Your phone has more computing power than the mainframes of just a few years ago.  But you wouldn’t ask this technological marvel for advice or guidance for living. It provides you with information but really doesn’t know you. Artificial intelligence, no matter how sophisticated, lacks wisdom. As Romans 11:33 tells us: “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!”  

The fact that God knows everything is another one of His attributes. Psalm 139 celebrates this aspect of God’s nature. God doesn’t just know all things; He knows everything about each of us. We have no secrets from Him. He is the one who created us—“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. He knows our lives from start to finish; our days were written in His book long before we existed.  King David writes, “O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place Your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” (Psalm 139:1-6) 

God knows everything—much more than we could ever imagine. Our Creator knows everything and is the source of all true knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. His knowledge is undefiled by any distortions or wrong perspectives. It is totally true and accurate. God knows the answers to all of life’s questions. Unlike us, God is never surprised or bewildered, because He is always completely aware of all events past, present, and future. He also knows everything about you — your desires, motives, and thoughts. God knows more about you than you will ever know about yourself. 

We can never escape God’s attention, so how should we respond? Do we fear? Do we quit?

Just as David did, we ask God to search us, to know our hearts, test us, and lead us (Psalm 139:23-24). We respond with praise and gratitude knowing that God who knows everything is guiding us through life.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does it make you feel to know that God knows every detail of your life and still loves you?
  2. How does the fact that God knows everything changes the way you live your life?

Is It Time To Rethink The Value Of Community?

“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” – Colossians 3:16.

There is a big difference between what we want and what we need in every aspect of life. For example, we all want friends that agree with us, share the same interests, and make us feel good. But what we need are friends that celebrate our victories, mourn our losses, and walk with us spiritually. Friends like that are not a luxury, they are a necessity. We need them because they support and motivate us to run the race that God has set before us.

God created community as a support system that helps us make and keep Christ as our first priority, protect and encourage us. People are there to fight for us…in person, on the phone, and through prayer, in good times, and in bad times.  

Maybe you are one of those people who see the value of community but don’t get involved. You have your family. You go to church. You read your Bible. And you have Christian friends that you can“hang out with” should the need arise. Those are all good things, but eventually, you will need a deep, God-centered community around you when a relationship goes sour, you are going through spiritual doubt, or when health issues sap your resolve. We need people to pray for us when we find it difficult to pray. We need people to listen to us and encourage us when we are in the valley and celebrate with us when we are on the mountaintop. We need people to pick us up when we are down.  

Maybe it is time to rethink joining a small group. One of the core values of Northstar is to foster community with others.  Community is more than just people getting to know each other and spending time together. We believe that community is – as described in Hebrews 10:24 – a group of people who “… motivate one another to acts of love and good works.”  We join up with others in community because we need intimate relationships: discussion that goes deep, friendships that reach beyond the surface, and support that can help us navigate through troubled waters.

Small groups provide a valuable opportunity to connect with other believers outside the Sunday morning worship. But extending our Sunday-morning relationships beyond our time together on Sunday morning and outside the walls of our buildings. Small groups have the potential to be a springboard for even deeper relationships. Smaller groups are a safe space for vulnerability, honesty, curiosity, support, encouragement, forgiveness, laughter, accountability, transformation, connection, and a whole host of other things that are not easy to do in a big crowd. 

We all need this type of community. Maybe it is time to rethink the need to surround yourself with people that help you live life to the fullest.

Discussion Questions:

  1.  Why do we need other people to watch over us and speak into our lives? 
  2. How might your life be different if you were a member of a small group?   

Having A Sense Of Urgency

“Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.” – Mark 6:45-46. 

“Immediately” is an often used word in the gospel of Mark. The word is designed to convey the urgency of Jesus’ message and mission. God wants us all to have a sense of urgency, not hurry, about living the life He created us for. Jesus modeled this urgent lifestyle flawlessly. He knew that there was a mission that He had been sent to accomplish and that His time was limited to do so. We see this emphasized in John 4 when Jesus refused to stop and eat as He saw the opportunity to minister to a Samaritan village. 

His disciples urged Him, “Rabbi, eat something.”But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest….” So when the Samaritans came to him…because of his words, many more became believers.” (John 4:30-35, 40-41 NIV)

Jesus recognized this as an opportunity to do exactly what God sent Him to do. Jesus was never hurried. He was flexible, present, and sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. His eternal mission was His focus. His apostles were human and as a result, were hurried. They were preoccupied with the cares of life. They were trying to manage numerous tasks and obligations which is why Jesus’ response was so different. 

Did Jesus have a full schedule sometimes? Yes. Were there more people that wanted His attention than He had time to see?  Yes, again. But none of those things drew Him off course. He was never overwhelmed or hurried to the point where He lost His focus and stepped outside of His mission.

Nothing mattered but being in the center of His Father’s will. Thus He was ready to minister to the Samaritans. As a result, an entire community heard the gospel, and by the way, nobody starved in the process. We as Christians can learn that busyness is not a badge of honor. It usually means that our attention is divided across more responsibilities than we can effectively deal with. This is not what it looks like to live with urgency.

We look at a sense of urgency differently today. Urgency is stressful. It’s often addictive as we find ourselves constantly reacting to outside demands. Urgency can temporarily appeal to your sense of worth and purpose and create a sense of “getting things done.” But that is temporary because living a hectic life while constantly abandoning your goals to keep multiple balls in the air can sidetrack you from your real purpose. A sense of urgency comes from a clear understanding of one’s purpose. 

Discussion Questions

  1. What does having a sense of urgency for the lost mean to you? 
  2. What can you do this week to seize the opportunities God gives us?

A Little Encouragement Goes A Long Way

“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

Have you ever had someone tell you something and it changed your whole day? Or maybe, someone told you something that changed the course of your life. Perhaps, it was just some encouraging words on a hard day or maybe someone shared their story or life experience. Words can be powerful tools to change our outlook on life for both better and worse.

The New Testament reveals that encouragement was a regular part of the early church’s life together, One example is Acts 16:40: “When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.”

The gift of encouragement is important in our lives. We can come alongside others and be there for one another. We can listen, comfort, console, and affirm. It’s a way of living out the command to extend grace and love to one another.

If you took a few minutes to think about it, each one of us could come up with any number of people who have encouraged us. Like the friend who made you laugh when you thought you may never laugh again. Or the aunt who listened to you while others just talked. Or the small group member who prayed with and for you when you were having doubts. Then ask yourself: “When was the last time I encouraged someone?” It’s not difficult, and the people you encourage are so blessed by it.

Ask God to give you a heart that loves others and the creativity to know how to show it. Ask God for the opportunities and desire to build others up. Ask God to be more like Barnabas. Barnabas was nicknamed the “son of encouragement” by the early church.”For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus.” (Acts 4:36). It is a fitting name, as we see him actively encouraging a young follower of Christ, a young church, and a young failure. His encouragement gives us an example to follow in encouraging one another in our own relationships.

Make encouragement a daily discipline. For some of us, encouragement comes naturally, for others, not so much. Find the time daily to send someone an encouraging note, email, text, or phone call. It just may be the encouragement they need. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever felt prompted to encourage someone? How did it turn out?  
  2. How is encouraging someone one of the most spiritual things you can do? Who do you want to encourage? How could you spiritually encourage them?