Movie Review: The Pilgrim's Progress (2019)

Pilgrim's Progress Official Trailer

The Pilgrim's Progress (2019)

Movie reviews aren't something I'm planning to do on a regular basis but I'm so excited to tell you about this movie.  Let me give you a little information for those who may not be familiar with The Pilgrim's Progress.   

The Pilgrim's Progress was written by John Bunyan in the 1600's.  According to Wikipedia "Bunyan began his work while in the Bedfordshire county prison for violations of the Conventicle Act of 1664, which prohibited the holding of religious services outside the auspices of the established Church of England."  The Pilgrim's Progress is an allegorical tale of the Christian walk; from first seeking Christ to being called home to Heaven. The book is the second best-selling book of all time; second only to the Bible.   The main character's name is called Christian Pilgrim.  Along his journey Christian Pilgrim meets characters named Faithful, Vanity, Flattery, Hopeful and many others.  He learns that despite trying many different paths there is only One Way to be freed from the burden he carries. 

I had heard of this movie when it first came out last year.  I wanted to watch it with the kids but didn't have an opportunity.  I was recently reminded of this movie and found that it could be rented through Amazon Prime for just a few dollars.  I just found out it is available to watch for free at tubitv (the link is posted above, just under the trailer). 

This movie was so well done.  I was surprised to find an animated movie that really captured the message of this book and the Biblical truths it shares.  I even found myself a bit emotional at some points.  There is an introduction by Kristyn Getty with a great reminder of how stories and imagination have been given to us by a creative God so that we can experience His truths in fun ways that can also be powerful.  

Four of the kids watched this with me and we all loved it; there were enough light moments to make it not too intense for the younger ones but even the more intense moments were handled in a way that was a great launch for answering questions without being too scary.  

So, grab the family and enjoy this great movie and some discussion about the wonderful Savior we serve who has called us, redeemed us, claimed us as His own and is joyfully awaiting the time when we who have chosen Him will spend eternity with Him...in the place He has prepared for us. 

Family Update

I was looking over my blog and see that the last family update I did was in March of 2014; needless to say a lot has changed since then so I thought I'd do a quick post of what's happening with us in 2020. 

This year is certainly looking very different than we had thought.  With the pandemic spreading around the globe the kids have been schooling here at home with remote learning since the middle of March.  Matt has also been home since around the same time.  We are very blessed that Matt's job allows him to work from home and while he wasn't working from home full-time before, he did occasionally so his work hasn't really changed.  The kids; while they really are missing their friends, have adjusted well to the remote learning. Their teachers have been phenomenal and the communication from the schools has been great. 

There have been three very big changes for our family since 2014.  The first, and best, change is that in 2017 we added another baby girl to our family.  Maisie Rayne was born on her Mimi & Papa's anniversary.  She is a ball of energy, very busy and a little too independent sometimes.  She certainly keeps us on our toes but she brings such joy to our family and the kids adore her.  The second big change is that we also moved in 2017; when Maisie was just 6 weeks old!  That was a very busy, crazy time but we are thankful for God's working in every detail of the move.  We are still in the same town just on the other side of town with a much bigger yard and a bit more space in the house since we had outgrown our previous house.  The third big change is that the kids transferred from the small private school they were attending to the local public schools.  Ethan and Hailey transferred out in 2018 and the other three kids transferred to the Grammar school this past fall (2019).  It was a big transition and a lot of prayer went into the decision.  The kids have adjusted well and we are thankful for the schools. 

Ethan is finishing up his sophomore year; he recently chose his classes for his junior year!  Yikes!  How fast time goes by. He joined the strategy games club at school and (when school is in session) looks forward to that each week.  He also is active in our churches youth group.

Hailey is finishing up her freshman year; she also recently chose her classes for next year...sophomore year here she comes.  She did indoor track this past year and really enjoyed it; despite having an injury.  She also is involved with the youth group, sings on the worship team at church and helps with nursery. 

Keira is finishing up sixth grade.  She adjusted well to her new school and enjoyed participating in their ski club this past winter.  She finished up the AWANA program at church and is excited to be joining the youth group in the fall.

Titus is finishing up fourth grade.  He also adjusted well to his new school and has made several new friends; he enjoys connecting with them on the XBox to play games with them.  He's looking forward to participating in ski club next year since that starts in fifth grade. 

Amy is finishing up first grade.  She missed her friends from kindergarten but has also made many friends at her new school.  She was very excited to find out at the beginning of the year that one of her new friends is also a Christian.

Maisie is two..that says it all. :)  As I said before, she is a ball of energy and definitely keeps us on our toes.  While she loves all her siblings; she adores Ethan.  They have had a very special bond ever since she was born and it's so sweet to see them together.  She has loved having everyone home these past few months.

Matt is doing well and working from home full-time; at least for awhile longer. 

I'm doing well; I miss seeing everyone and being involved in various things but I'm also finding the blessings in slowing down. 

We were planning a big family vacation this summer but due to the pandemic that had to be rescheduled.  We are still hoping and praying to go in the fall.  Right now our plans are week to week as we see what is able to open up.  We are so thankful for our God Who is still in control, Who loves us, Who hears us and Who sees us. 

"The heart of man plans his way,
    but the Lord establishes his steps." ~ Proverbs 16:9

Bible Study Through Life's Seasons

In my last post I shared a quote regarding our quiet times with Christ.  The quote focused on the importance of having a daily time devoted to connecting with Jesus.  What exactly does that look like?

Through the years I've felt bad at times about not being able to devote the same time; both length of time and time of day, to a daily devotional.  Certain seasons, when my kids were little and still napping for a couple of hours, I've had a larger amount of time to sit, study and pray.  Other seasons have brought sleepless nights and days and that time has been shortened.  As I've gotten older and passed through these seasons multiple times I've learned that Jesus does truly meet us where we are.  Would it be great to spend an hour, even a half hour, every day truly being able to focus and study?  Yes!  But what do you do when life just doesn't allow for that?

Right now we have teens, tweens, kids and a toddler in our house; which means our days are filled straight through.  We also are now dealing with this pandemic and not just having everyone home but Matt's working from home, the kids are schooling at home, and I'm still trying to keep up with regular household tasks while chasing a very busy toddler. There are many blessings but also challenges during this very busy time of life. Below are a few ways I've found helpful to still get time in with Jesus and also to keep my focus on Him and meditate on His Truths throughout the day.  Some days I do better with this than others but pretty much every day I'm able to do at least one of these.

Ways to stay connected to God when life is busy:
- Pray, you don't have to have a special prayer corner, journal, etc (although it's GREAT if you can and do have those).  Pray when running errands, while cleaning, folding laundry...the great thing about prayer is that it's a conversation that can be ongoing throughout the day.  I love the times when I can take time to completely dedicate all my thoughts to prayer but right now most days it looks like the former.
- Bible apps.  These are great!  I use the YouVersion Bible app which has many different reading plans and devotional plans.  One thing I've learned in using this app is that listening to Scripture often helps me to focus more and I catch things I may have missed in the past.  I use my shower time to listen as it's a time when I'm not distracted.  The daily readings for the current plan I'm using average 15 minutes so listening in the shower works perfectly.
- Podcasts.  I love listening to great teaching and have learned so much through listening to podcasts.   I listen when I'm folding laundry, cooking dinner or doing other tasks.  There are so many to choose from.
- Music.  Music is found throughout the Bible; from Miriam's song, to the Psalms, to Mary's Magnificat and many more.  I love music.  Thanks to Pandora, Spotify and other music apps you can tailor the stations to your preferences and enjoy great Godly music all day.

Instead of feeling guilty when seasons change and my quiet times change; I've come to realize that this is the life Jesus has given me and I can choose to be with Him at every step; He knows my desires and He is not bound by Earthly times or schedules.  There can be a freedom in setting aside those rigid timelines that we often make for ourselves and being open to doing things differently.  Another thing I've also found is that by finding creative ways to stay connected I often spend more time throughout the day in communication with Jesus than if I had sat down at a specific time each day and just saw it as something to check off and get on with my day.

Before I close this post I wanted to share the current reading plan I am using.  Last year our pastor challenged us to read through the Bible in a year.  While I had read most of the Bible there were a couple of books I had never fully read (hello, major prophets) and I had never read the Bible straight through from Genesis to Revelation.  Matt, Ethan and I took on the challenge and read through the entire Bible.  It was great and I learned a ton...but...I did get bogged down in some of the old testament books where things are repeated from earlier events or how the prophets fit into the timeline.  So, I decided this year I wanted to read through the Bible again but using a different plan.  I initially looked at the chronological plans but, while it was set to read the books in chronological order it didn't quite fit what I was looking for.  As I was looking through  the chronological plans I found one from Wycliffe Bible Translators called the Bible in Historical Sequence.  I am loving this plan.  The readings are grouped by the historical timeline so all passages pertaining to one event are grouped together.  The Psalms are split up and placed during the time in David's reign when he wrote them, the Proverbs into Solomon's reign, etc.  I'm finding that this is giving me a fuller picture and understanding of the events I'm reading about.  I recently told Ethan it's like having David's journal to be reading what he was thinking and feeling during specific events.

While this is what is working for me right now there are countless ways that Jesus meets us where we are.  There is no right or wrong way; we are designed with unique journeys and relationships with our Savior.  The most important thing is that we have a relationship with Jesus; both through initially accepting Him as our Savior and also; as with any relationship, putting in the time to grow closer to Him.  I very much believe that "iron sharpens iron" and love hearing the thoughts and ideas of others so...
What Bible reading plans or Bible studies are you currently using?
What are some ways you find to connect to the Savior throughout your day?
What do you find as barriers to spending time with Jesus?

Tuesday Thoughts

So over the past week I've been praying about what I really want as a vision for this blog.  I'm not quite there yet and still praying about it.  Here are a few things I do know:

1) I want the content to be glorifying to God
2) I want this to be a place for open conversation.  Yes, it's my blog but I want it to be a place where readers pour a cup of coffee, read and engage; sharing what God is doing in their lives as well.
3) I want it to include some form of music, sharing new songs, old favorites, stories behind the songs.  I find that music speaks to the soul in ways that words alone can't always do.

Today I also wanted to share a new devotional I've started.  While reading through some of my older posts I came upon one that mentioned a pamphlet I had read titled "My Heart, Christ's Home"; in that post I had mentioned that there was also a devotional book.  Well, over the years I have kept the pamphlet but forgot about the devotional.  I ordered the devotional a few weeks ago and have recently started going through the study.  It's been a great reminder of how my heart is truly where Christ's Spirit lives...what kind of home am I providing for Him?  The quote below is from today's reading and I found it to be an encouraging way to look at our quiet times with Jesus.

"He is my guest.  I invited him into my heart! He has come as my Savior and Friend to live with me.  Yet here I am neglecting him."  "He said "The trouble is that you have been thinking of the quiet time...as a means for your own spiritual growth...you have forgotten that this time means something to me also...the truth that Christ wants my fellowship, that he loves me, wants me to be with him and waits for me, has done more to transform my quiet time with God than any other single fact.  Don't let Christ wait alone in the living room of your heart."  ~ Robert Boyd Munger

The devotional is available from Amazon and ChristianBook.com  I'll include the links below for anyone interested in checking it out.

Christianbook.com Commitment: My Heart Christ's Home
Amazon.com Commitment: My Heart Christ's Home

Connecting the "C's" of this past week (and a new-to-me song!)

I love patterns and connections so I always think it's fun to see Biblical Truths connected in my mind in fun or odd ways.  So, what is the connection between Christine Caine, Candy Crush and Christ?  Well, read on to find out....

This week I finished up a 30 day devotional plan using the YouVersion Bible App.   The devotional was based on Christine Caine's book "30 Days to Greater Faith".  Each day started with a devotional thought, followed by a Scripture passage or two and then a place to add any comments about what God was teaching you thru that day's reading.  The format is nice and the app allows you to do the devotional with friends so it is also a great way to connect at this time and keep growing with other believers.

The "theme" for day 29's devotional was on keeping our long-term vision for what this life is all about, our goal.   This quote was an especially good reminder "Having a clear picture of what the race of life is all about, where we are heading, and what we are likely to encounter along the way will sustain us for the entire duration" ~ Christine Caine. The Scripture references she used were Hebrews 12:1-3 and Philippians 3:7-14.  Great Scriptures about staying focused on our ultimate prize...Jesus and eternity with Him!

Since being at home with this pandemic going around I started playing Candy Crush again. I'll use it while we're watching a movie in the evening to keep my hands busy so I'm not as tempted to snack.  It's a game app similar to Jewels; however, with Candy Crush each level has a goal and you have a certain number of moves each level to accomplish that goal.  It's mostly mindless but there is some strategizing to it.  The other day while playing Candy Crush a thought came to mind.  You see, as I mentioned, each level has a different goal. Sometimes it takes me several tries to move past a level and when I get to the next level occasionally I'll forget to check what the goal is for that level and start working on the previous level's goal.  Or I will focus on one side of the board and completely lose sight of moves I need to make on the other side of the board.  When this happens I end up using precious moves working towards something that isn't even my goal or missing opportunities to move closer to the goal.

This got me thinking about that devotional.  How often in life do we make moves towards something that isn't even our goal?  We think we know what we should be doing so we go head-long in that direction without checking or praying about if that is even what God has for us.  There are also times in life where God has given us a task for a certain season and we can sometimes fall into thinking that that task is ours for every season of life.  Or we become so focused on one area that we can miss what God has for us in another area.  All of this reminded me how important it is to be in regular conversation with Christ so that we don't let things distract us and steal precious "moves"; using them on things that aren't what God has for us.   

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." ~ Hebrews 12:1-2

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil.  Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." ~ Ephesians 5:15-17

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 3:14

"I bow my life, I fix my eyes, on Christ my King
I bow my life, I fix my eyes, on Christ my King"

Hope has a name

Willing Vessels vs. Perfect Vessels

Have you ever prayed for something and when God granted your request you felt bad about it? Or maybe not bad but very inadequate. You were so excited but also started to doubt what others would think? 

 For several years I had felt a pull towards teaching as ministry. I wasn’t sure what that looked like but I longed to host a Bible study or in some other way to have a platform to share the things of God. One of my favorite things to do is to discuss God's Word with others...what are they learning...what has He taught me recently. This desire was not because I thought I had some great wise words to share but because I DO have a GREAT WISE GOD to share. For several years I prayed about this and found ways to share with others thru one on one Bible studies or thru church groups and Bible studies that I attended; but I never lost the longing to teach. 

 I have been blessed to help teach Sunday school for the past several years and have been thankful for that. I enjoy the kids and their excitement but there is something so rich and deep about sharing with people who are adults; with other ladies. Also, over the past few years I’ve been involved in the women’s ministry at church and have helped coordinate a Facebook Summer Reading group for some of our ladies. Two Christmases ago I was asked to be the speaker at our ladies Christmas brunch. After praying about it I realized that after many “not now” answers from God this was Him saying “okay, here you go”...and then the doubts set in.  (I didn’t even share with most of my family that I was speaking.)  What was I thinking? I like to be in the background not in front of crowds. Many of the women attending were not only older in age than me but had way more life experience and had been Christians for many more years than I had. I was not given a “theme” for what I was to speak about; as I prayed I jotted down different ideas but nothing really came together. As the time drew near not only did God give me something to share with these ladies but I saw Him organizing everything...right down to the table decorations. At every step God was reminding me that He is a God of great detail and He is the one who equips...it’s ALL about Him. As I began to speak that day I felt such a peace and was able to articulate the things God had given me to share. 

 Last year I was asked to speak during two sessions of our ladies retreat. Again, I saw God working every detail...in many different ways than He had for the Christmas brunch but always showing that He is the One who gives the words. My prayer always is that I will not get in the way of the message God has; that I will be an open vessel for Him to use. I know how much I fail. I know how much my mouth can mess me up; and the thing is this is exactly why I’m so hesitant to share these opportunities with those closest to me. I feel self-consious because, like me, they know my failings and I begin to think “who am I to think that I can do this?” “I know I’m going to fail” I’m worried about others saying “yep, told you she’s not as spiritual as she acts..see what she did/said” But here’s the thing….I will fail...everyone fails and if we trust in the vessel we will always doubt and we will always be disappointed. But God never asks for perfect vessels He asks for willing vessels. 

 This week was rough, it was ugly and messy. As I sit here I’m still struggling. Normally I keep things between God, a few close friends, and myself: but this week it spilled over onto social media. It was one more thing in a long list of frustrations and what was really something minor set me off and I reacted badly. I was frustrated and embarrased by my reaction. But here’s the thing -- God uses everything! That social media post lead to a friend texting me and a conversation where we were both able to pray for each other more specifically. Later in the week a text to some close friends wasn’t met with ridicule; instead I was sent Scripture, prayed for and others shared their struggles; I was able to pray for them. 

 I’m not saying that we should live as slaves to our emotions or struggles but what I AM saying is when we are honest about our struggles and how inadequate we may feel God can and does still use us. I have struggled with being excited about speaking; feeling bad because I love it; I find such joy in speaking, teaching and sharing... but I wonder if I tell others would they see it as prideful or as me thinking I’ve got it all figured out? Again, I’m learning that it’s okay to be excited about the opportunities God gives...God has granted this request, I am open to His leading and when I mess up I’m learning there is great freedom and grace in reaching out and saying “I fail but my God is faithful and never fails; let me tell you about my God”.

"Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass." ~ Joshua 21:45

"Rising" to the occasion

With this pandemic happening and so many people now at home it seems that many are trying their hand at making homemade bread.  I grew up learning how to make bread with my grandmother and have always enjoyed the process.  I find kneading bread to be calming.  Over the years I have gone through seasons of making our own bread and then other times when life was just too hectic I bought our bread.

With six kids now; two being teenagers and two being tweens, I have gone back to baking all our bread.  I thought I would share three of our favorite recipes for breads.  The first is the basic white bread recipe that I make every week, second is the cinnamon roll recipe that is a favorite, and the third recipe is for quick dinner rolls that bake up fast and taste delicious.  I'll post the changes I make under each recipe link.

One last note: if you are just starting to bake with yeast it's important to make sure your water isn't too hot or else you will kill the yeast.  Also, regardless of what the recipe says I always mix my yeast with the warm water and sugar first to let it bloom; this let's me know that the yeast is still alive and that I didn't kill it.  I have skipped this step in the past (some recipes call for just adding the yeast directly to the flour) and have had to throw out a whole batch of dough because of expired/killed yeast.  I'd rather take the extra small step and be sure. :)

 Basic White Bread:
https://premeditatedleftovers.com/recipes-cooking-tips/basic-white-bread-recipe/

Changes I make:
- double the recipe
- only use 1 tablespoon of yeast
- do NOT double the salt
- use all-purpose flour
- I also mix all the water, yeast and sugar together, once the yeast blooms I just add it all to the flour, salt, oil mixture.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls:

OVERNIGHT CINNAMON ROLLS

¼ C warm water

1 tsp sugar

1 pkg yeast

2 C warm milk

¾ C sugar

½ C oil

1 ½ tsp salt

6-7 C flour

Filling:

¼ C sugar

½ C brown sugar

1-2 TB cinnamon

Butter, softened (enough to spread liberally on rolled out dough)

Pecans (optional)

Raisins (optional)

Icing:

½ - 1 cup powdered sugar

Milk (enough to reach desired consistency)

Mix the first 3 ingredients, let stand 10 minutes.

Mix next 5 ingredients together while the first mixture is resting.

Combine the two mixtures and mix well; knead a few times.

Cover, let stand approximately 3 ½ hours.

Roll out dough to approximately 24 inches by 12 inches and spread liberally with butter.

Combine filling sugars & spice. Sprinkle generously onto buttered dough.

Sprinkle dough with pecans & raisins if desired.

Roll up dough starting with long side.

Cut into 1-inch rounds and place in two greased 9 x 13 pans.

Cover, place in refrigerator to rise overnight.

In the morning, remove from refrigerator and uncover. Preheat oven to 350. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Cool a bit then add icing if desired.

Yield: 24 rolls

**These I make the rolls as the recipe is written; I often omit the icing...they are good either way**

30- Minute Dinner Rolls:

https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/30-minute-dinner-rolls-recipe/

Changes I make:

- Divide these into 15 rolls since they make really big rolls with just 12

- Also use this recipe for quick burger buns by shaping them a bit flatter and baking on a cookie sheet.

- Cook them for longer usually 15-20 minutes rather than the 10 minutes; just watch for browning on the bottoms. 

Thoughts on John 13

I had shared this on Facebook but wanted to put it here too:

One of the cool things about having a pretty empty schedule is having the time to put down in writing some of the thoughts swirling around in my head and to really appreciate the things God is teaching/showing me. I often hesitate to share things like this because I'm not a Bible teacher, but I was really encouraged by this so I thought I'd share....

So, for a few months now a certain verse has been rattling around in my head. I first noticed in last year while reading thru the Bible. While I’ve read the Gospel of John several times I had never picked up on the huge message presented in this one verse. One of the things that I’m so thankful for is that Christ did not hide His humanness; we see him struggle with things that we all struggle with.

The verse that’s been rattling around in my mind for months is in John 13 “During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. “ ~John 13:2-5 Let’s take a step back here and consider the setting. Jesus was at dinner with his disciples. He KNEW that Judas Iscariot, sitting at the same table, would betray Him; verse 2 says the plan was already in his heart. He KNEW that Simon Peter, also at that table, would deny Him. As a human, I’m sure He had the feeling of not wanting to serve them of not wanting to show kindness to those who would hurt Him SO deeply; why do I say this? Look closely at verse 3; after we are told that Judas already had it in his heart to betray Jesus and before Jesus washes the disciples feet there is a pause...a moment where everything shifts...where His humanness and the temptation to sinful attitudes is put under His Divine authority ...how? “Jesus knowing...” Jesus knows Who He is; knowing where He came from, where He was going and that ALL was in God’s hands...He could humble Himself and serve, choosing to follow God’s plan despite the actions and attitudes of those around Him; even those closest to Him.

We can have this mind of Christ; so beautifully exemplified by Jesus, serving others and living with humility because of Whose we are. When so much is unknown, when serving others; especially those who have hurt and betrayed us is so hard and can become so tiresome, look to the One who was betrayed to death & denied by some of the closest ones to Him during His time here on Earth. Jesus was fully human; Hebrews 4:15 says “ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” He felt the same things we feel; let’s follow His example by first remembering Whose we are and then stepping out in faith and obedience trusting that God is with us every step of the way.

“When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. “ ~ John 13:12-16

Resurrecting this Blog & Thoughts on "BE Decisive"

So after 6 years! WOW time flies...I'm resurrecting this blog.  Lately I've found myself writing down my thoughts more and figured I'd add some here.  I'm planning to do a family update in the next couple of days (check out my updated profile for a hint) :)

Today I wanted to share some thoughts from the book "BE Decisive: taking a stand for the truth" by Warren Wiersbe.  I have done several of the "BE" series books and have always found them helpful when studying a certain book; this one is on Jeremiah.  The postlude to this book had a great summary that I thought I'd share here.  Wiersbe wraps up the book of Jeremiah with seven lessons that are still timely today.  (God called Jeremiah to serve starting in 626 BC; Wiersbe's book was written in 1991 AD and yet even today in 2020 AD these words ring true...God's Word stands forever as TRUTH!)

1) In difficult days, we need to hear and heed the Word of God.
 - What they needed was faith in God's Word and obedience to God's will.

2) True prophets of God are usually (if not always) persecuted.
- The civil and religious leaders of Judah preferred the pleasant messages of the false
prophets to the strong words of God's true servant, because the human heart wants to rest,
not repent.  It wants peace, but it wants it without having to deal with the basic cause of
unrest---unbelief.

3) True patriotism isn't blind to sin.
 - A true Christian patriot isn't blind to the sins of the nation but seeks to deal with those sins compassionately and realistically.
 - a nation's greatest problem is not unemployment, inflation, or lack of defense; it's sin.  The
nation that doesn't deal with sin is wasting time and resources trying to solve national
problems, which are only symptoms of the deeper problem, which is sin.

4) God's servants occasionally have their doubts and failings.
- Any servant of God who tries to reach and change hearts is a candidate for sorrow and a                       sense of failure.  But God knows our hearts and sustains us.

5) The important thing isn't success; it's faithfulness.
- Jeremiah may have though he had failed, but God saw him as a faithful servant, and that's                    all that really counts.

6) The greatest reward of ministry is to become like Jesus Christ.
- (Matt. 16:14) What a compliment it would be to have people say, "Jesus Christ is like you!"

7) God is King, and the nations of the world are under His sovereign control.
 - It's a solemn responsibility for a people to claim to know God and profess to do His will.  It
isn't enough for a nation to put "In God We Trust" on its currency, to mention God in its
pledge to the flag, or to "tip the hat to God" by quoting the Bible in political campaign
speeches.  It's righteousness, not religion, that exalts a nation.  What pleases the Lord is that
we "do justly....love mercy...and....walk humbly with [our] God" (Mic. 6:8)