Tyler Pease - August 10, 2014
What A New Covenant Teaches Us About An Unchanging God (Jeremiah 31)
From Series: "Thirsty? A Study of Jeremiah and Lamentations"
When I was young, my family and I went on a vacation adventure that took us through part of the desert Southwest. On the return trip up old Highway 99, our station wagon bit the dust near a small town called Kettleman City. That’s on the edge of the Mojave Desert, and for the record, it gets really hot there! In that pre-cell phone age, my dad walked for help while seven of us sat in the sweltering car and waited. In addition to the growing irritation that rises in stressful situations, we got thirsty…very thirsty. You’ve been there. Hot, crowded, stressed…wishing for some cool water and a bit of space. Some shade would be nice, too. It works that way when you’re spiritually parched as well. Max Lucado says, “Dehydrated hearts send desperate messages…snarling tempters…waves of worry…growing guilt and fear…hopelessness…resentment.” It’s interesting how often the Bible uses water and thirst as analogies for spiritual truth. One book in the Bible that does this is Jeremiah. This often-unexplored book – and the man who wrote it – will be our focus for the hot summer months ahead. Ten weeks, ten texts. We’ll meet a man who discovered that obedience isn’t always a walk in the park, that thirsty people sometimes make bad decisions, and that persistent bad decisions can bring really bad consequences. Of course, we’ll see good news as well. God is always faithful. When we stray He consistently calls us back to Himself. And even when the lights go out, God promises restoration and hope. Join us this summer as we listen to God speak to us through some lesser-known portions of scripture. Most of all, you’ll be reminded of where you should turn when you’re thirsty!