Unit 18, Session 2: Jeremiah Warned of Godʼs Judgment
Jeremiah 36
Christ Connection: John 1 says that Jesus is the Word. Jesus showed people what God is like. God gives us His written Word, the Bible, to tell us what He is like too. The Bible has the most important message: the good news about Jesus. It tells us that God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from our sin.
Adult Connection Point:
“We can be communities of repentance only if weʼre communities of grace. And this means being honest, open, and transparent about our struggles.” 1 —Tim Chester
As a community of believers, we have Godʼs Word to guide us and to lead us away from things that tempt us to sin. Sin didnʼt take Jesus by surprise. He was the friend of sinners. Before we can be a friend to sinners, we need to realize that Jesus is a friend to us. We are the sinners who need His salvation. We must
humble ourselves before God every day, ask for His mercy, and hold tight to the promise that in Christ He has given us all the grace we need to be obedient to all His commands.
It is not the nature and character of God to put us in situations where we cannot overcome temptation. So, on the one hand, fill your life with whatever stirs your affections for Jesus. And on the other hand, make war against your remaining sin.
Along the way, recognize that the church is meant to be an honest, open community for people fighting sin. We must be willing to confess our sin. When something is in the dark, it gains power. But when sin is brought out into the light, it loses some of its luster. The struggle continues, but walking in community as a family aids our pursuit of holiness. We repent of our sin, accept that Jesus has paid for our sin, and trust God and the power of His Spirit.1 Tim Chester, You Can Change (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), 161.
Family Devotion:
Guide your kids to think about a best friend. Direct each child to tell what characteristics or actions makes that person a good friend.
Allow one of your kids to recall the Bible story while you fill in important details. Ask: “Why do you think the king burned the scroll?” The king did not want to hear what God had to say. He ignored—even “trashed”—Godʼs Word by putting it in the fire.
Remind your kids that God sent Jesus into the world so that people could have a relationship with Him. But first, the issue of sin had to be dealt with. Once Jesus died on the cross, our broken relationship to God was restored. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is called the Word, which was the writerʼs way of saying Jesus reveals to us who God is. We know from the Bible that Jesus is a friend of sinners and wants them to come to Him so He can change them. God loves the sinner and does not want us to stay in sin but to be saved from sin through Jesus.
Provide a Scripture for your family to memorize this week. Practice reciting and applying it during the week.
Pray, thanking God for giving you the Bible so you can know how to live like Jesus.
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