By describing the devastated city of Jerusalem, Jeremiah provides 4 principles to help people process grief. In 1-1-7, we have the first principle, -Go to God, narrating your loss.-

Paul uses the Old Testament to prove that all Jews and Gentiles are under the power of sin and condemned before God.

God's rejection of Israel is only partial. Paul proves that God has not rejected all Jews. Therefore, God is righteous, the gospel must be believed, and God will fulfill all His promises to Israel.

Looking at Israel's present, Paul shows how God's rejection of Israel was not arbitrary, but based on their actions.

Paul proves the gospel comes from God by showing how God promised the gospel in the Old Testament.

Paul proves the gospel comes from God by showing how God promised the gospel in the Old Testament.

We love to live based on what seems right to us because we live by sight instead of by faith. This proverb warns against walking by sight.

When the Lord disciplines us, we are too often irritated by the rod. However, biblical wisdom loves the hand that inflicts us.

Paul introduced himself to the church in Rome by supplying 3 personal facts about his life. We learn from this opening verse how Paul reached so many people with the gospel- whenever he had an opportunity to talk about himself, he went straight to the gospel.

Here Paul prays that God will pour His strength into them so they might experience the indwelling presence of Christ and be rooted in Him. The prayer provides a fitting conclusion to the first half of the book and leads into the rest of the material, for that influx of divine power is what they will need to live for God in a sin-filled world.