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Summary:
For the month of February, we will commemorate Black History Month with a sermon series that focuses on what it means to be true to our God and true to our roots as a people. The close of James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” charges us to be “true to our God and true to our native land.”
When we get back and are true to God, God puts us back together again. Our roots in God will sustain us!
Scripture: Jeremiah 17:5-8 (Common English Bible)
5 The Lord proclaims:
Cursed are those who trust in mere humans,
who depend on human strength
and turn their hearts from the Lord.
6 They will be like a desert shrub
that doesn’t know when relief comes.
They will live in the parched places of the wilderness,
in a barren land where no one survives.
7 Happy are those who trust in the Lord,
who rely on the Lord.
8 They will be like trees planted by the streams,
whose roots reach down to the water.
They won’t fear drought when it comes;
their leaves will remain green.
They won’t be stressed in the time of drought
or fail to bear fruit.
Bible Study Lesson
Gathering Time (5-10 minutes).
Discuss the question: Recall the nursery rhyme “Humpty Dumpty.” Is there anything we can learn from that story?
Discussions Questions (Approximately 30 minutes)
- In Jeremiah 17, Judah has disobeyed God and found themselves in trouble (Jer. 17:1-4). Why do human beings stop trusting God and become disobedient?
- In this scripture, the Lord says Judah “will be like a desert shrub that doesn’t know when relief comes.” This implies that when God sends help, Judah won’t recognize it. Could it be that Humpty Dumpty didn’t recognize help when it came? Are there times in our lives when we missed out on help because we didn’t “know relief” when it came?
- Rather than turn away from Judah, God invites the nation to return to “trust in the Lord.” After things fall apart, what makes God able to put us back together again?
Prayer (10 minutes).
Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.
Sending Forth (2 minutes). End by praying the following or a similar prayer:
Loving and everlasting God, thank You that You are a God who never changes. Thank You that Your love and grace is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Forgive us for the times that I have wandered far away from You. May I never place my trust in human beings nor put my confidence in my own abilities. Let us trust you in all things and keep the eyes of our hearts on You. This we ask in Jesus’ name, AMEN.