When you quietly wonder, “What does God actually want from me?” Jeremiah 1:4–19 offers a surprising answer. This post follows Jeremiah—a young, insecure “underdog” prophet—as God reminds him that calling begins with God’s initiative, not our qualifications; that He knew, formed, and set Jeremiah apart before he was born; and that He Himself will be present to equip Jeremiah for a task that looks, from every angle, like certain failure. 

In this post, we explore:

• Why Susan Boyle’s story of being underestimated resonates with our own battles against labels and low expectations
• How Jeremiah’s call comes in a time of political chaos, national fragility, and looming judgment—and why that matters for our sense of purpose today
• The three key verbs of Jeremiah’s call—know, consecrate, appoint—and what they reveal about God’s personal, intentional work in shaping our lives
• The way our culture’s obsession with “finding yourself” clashes with Scripture’s picture of a God who lovingly defines, forms, and writes our story
• How calling flows from three key relationships: God, you, and others—and why it always begins with God and moves outward toward people He wants to bless
• Jeremiah’s honest objections (“I can’t speak…I’m too young”) and God’s response of presence (“I am with you”) and equipping (“I have put my words in your mouth”)
• Why genuine calling usually feels like certain failure at first, and how Scripture’s underdog stories (Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Jeremiah) reframe our fears
• The six verbs of Jeremiah’s mission—to pluck up, break down, destroy, overthrow, build, and plant—and how they capture both judgment and hope
• The almond branch and boiling pot visions as vivid reminders that God will watch over His word and bring both warning and restoration to pass
• A different definition of success: not fame, impact, or recognition, but humble faithfulness to what God has actually given you to do

By the end, you’ll be invited to see your own life in Jeremiah’s story: known and formed by God before you were born, called into relationship with Him, and sent—weakness and all—into the lives of others. You’ll come away with a clearer, calmer vision of calling as walking with a God who is present, who equips, and who measures success not by how big the results look, but by whether you trust Him enough to be faithfully, courageously obedient.

Series: Questions Jeremiah Answered

When a nation feels like it’s coming apart, it’s easy to panic, despair, or just tune out. In this opening episode on Jeremiah 1:1–3, we step into a moment of political chaos and moral upheaval in Judah and ask a different question: not “How could this happen?” but “What is God doing through this?” Jeremiah’s story invites us to face both national and personal crisis with honest grief and stubborn hope in the God who has not stopped working. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Jeremiah, far from being an “irrelevant” Old Testament prophet, speaks directly into seasons of elections, cultural shakeups, and global unrest today 
• How Jeremiah 1:1–3 sets the scene: a priest from a small town, called to preach as his country hurtles toward collapse and exile 
• The historical backdrop: Assyria’s fall, Babylon’s rise, Egypt’s ambitions—and tiny Judah caught at the crossroads of empires and trade routes 
• Why the fall of Jerusalem and exile to Babylon were “unthinkable” for God’s people, and what it meant for God to say, through Jeremiah, that He Himself had planned this judgment 
• Jeremiah as an insider priest who dares to question what no one else will: that temple, land, and national identity are not untouchable guarantees—and why that message made him a target 
• The deeply personal side of Jeremiah’s calling: the “weeping prophet” whose raw prayers, depression, anger, and praise become a model of bringing our whole selves to God in worship 
• The central shift in perspective this book demands: moving from “How do we get out of this?” to “What is God doing in this—in our nation, our churches, and our own hearts?” 
• How Jeremiah holds disaster and hope together—judgment that is real and devastating, yet wrapped in promises of restoration, including God’s plans “for a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11–13) 
• The wider gospel horizon: earthly kingdoms rising and falling while God prepares a lasting kingdom in Christ, where our true security and citizenship lie 

By the end of the episode, you’ll see Jeremiah not just as a book about ancient catastrophe, but as a guide for living faithfully when your world feels unstable. You’ll be invited to bring your fears and confusion honestly to God, to let His Word reframe what you see in the news and in your own life, and to look beyond the shaking of your country toward the new country He is building in His kingdom. 

Series: Questions Jeremiah Answered

The prevailing belief of the world is that "You go around once and then you die." Yet, the remarkable claim of the Christian faith is that those who have died are more alive today than they were before their deaths. "If I die and go to heaven, what is it going to be like?" "Someone close to me died, where do I turn for comfort?" "If I die, will I go to a better place?" Professor Ken Elzinga answers these questions.