Does God cause everything to happen for a reason?  This idea has caused a lot of heartache for a lot of people, what if it's not completely the truth?  Tune in today to challenge this idea and get a clearer idea of how God's plan works in our lives. When you give at Harmony, you are investing in life change and are Advancing the Kingdom!  GIVE TODAY, text any amount to (859) 459-0316  to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give .

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Sermon Notes Slide Key:

Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise notedBold = Slide textBold Red = Scriptures (please reflect formatting of scripture on slides, i.e.  - underlines, italics, etc.)“b" or “B” on a line by itself = Slide break/New slideBold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored[some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to

OPENING: I was sitting there preparing to work on this sermon and trying to think of all the times I’ve heard someone say this next thing that is a bad thing good Christians believe.  I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it thousands of times.  And it’s the kind of thing that every time I hear it, I want to stop the person and have a theological conversation, but it’s always in a moment where you can’t really do that.  Here’s where it happens…

You are in a car wreck and your only car is totaled, you only have liability insurance and you are talking to your friend, telling them how you don’t know what to do and they say…

Well, I just have to believe, everything happens for a reason…

Or maybe you find out that the company you work for is embezzling money, specifically the insurance premiums they take out of your paycheck.  You are lit up about it and telling everyone in your bible study and some well-meaning person says, 

You know, everything happens for a reason… 

Now, I know some of you are sitting out there going, But Kent, Everything does happen for a reason…

Right?  

You were taught this growing up, you’ve said it a million times

It helps you to feel better when everything seems senseless

The problem with this phrase is there is an underlying message that you may have never thought of, but I guarantee, the people you are saying it to are hearing.

The underlying message is that God is the cause of the pain and suffering I’m going through.

ILLUSTRATION: I have known people who have adult children who hate God, can’t stand Him because they have gone through terrible horrific things, and end up blaming God for it.  Why do you think they blame God?  They blame God because 

The message they’ve heard all their lives is that God causes terrible things to happen in our lives as part of His plan

So, here’s the question does God have a specific plan for your life?

And if so, is He forcing that plan onto your life.

Some of you, when you heard the question does God have a specific plan for your life immediately thought of a passage out of Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Boom, mic drop Kent!  What’s up! That passage, clearly says that God has a plan for our lives

This is what we put on cards for people graduating high school, for people entering into the workforce, and people who are going through terrible times of suffering…  

What’s crazy to me is we never read verse 10 to see whom God is talking to… 

Jeremiah 29:10-11 10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.  11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

So, if you are a Jewish person who has been exiled into Babylon for 70 years, turns out this passage is actually for you.  

This passage isn’t for us as a promise, it was a promise to