Main Scripture Reference - Jeremiah 29:11-14

Other Scripture References: Romans 3:23; Romans 7:21-24; Isaiah 1:18; Matthew 1:1-7; Romans 5:20; Matthew 5:45

INTRO–‘You Have Missed the Mark’Read Romans 3:23 & Romans 7:21-24

Have you ever been caught in doing something wrong or in a lie in which you purposely tried to deceive someone else? If you have lived life for very long you probably have done some things in which you were not particularly proud of doing and probably felt guilty before others and God. Well you, like every other person, have missed the mark of living a perfect and godly life and are broken. But the good news is that God still loves you scandalously and continues to seek a relationship with you.

• Have you ever been caught in a lie or a big time mess up? What were the consequences of that action?


• Have you ever felt that you were too bad or too broken to be truly loved by God? Have you overcome that feeling?

STEP #1–‘The Savior Trumps Sin’Read Isaiah 1:18

What makes God’s love for you so scandalous is that you don’t deserve it and can never earn it, but God loves you unconditionally anyway. In fact God is so forgiving that he continues to wipe your life slate clean and prepares you for bigger and better things. Even when you find yourself broken and in the need of great care, God is always right there. And because God knows all things you can turn to him regardless of what you have done or how far you have fallen. You fall short but thanks to God through Christ, God makes up the difference.

• How would you describe the term unconditional love? Do you think God really loves you in this manner?


• Can you think of a time you really thought you had blown it for the last time in your relationship with God and that God could never use you or love you again?

STEP #2–‘God Uses Broken People’Read Matthew 1:1-7 & Romans 5:20

But not only does God love and forgive you unconditionally, God also will use you in your brokenness to do mighty things for God’s will and kingdom. Jesus’ family tree is full of people who were less than perfect and many like Tamar and Rahab had scandalous backgrounds but were used by God despite of their short comings. The key to remember is that it is not about your goodness, but about God’s grace, and in God’s eyes you are never disqualified from God’s love or being used by God for the kingdom.

• Have you ever felt disqualified from being used by God? Why? Have you overcome those feeling yet?


• Describe a time God used you even though you were a broken person.

STEP #3–‘God is Pursuing a Love Affair with You’Read Jeremiah 29:11-14 & Matthew 5:45

It really comes down to this – despite your brokenness God is pursuing a love affair with you! In Jeremiah God declares that no matter what, God has plans to prosper you; and that no matter how far away you might be, God will bring you back from captivity. No one deserves a second chance but everyone get one from God. In fact God will keep giving you chances because God’s love never falters and God’s love is never ending. And if you will continue to seek God, you will see that God will bring showers of blessing on your life as you walk with the one who loves and created you.

• Do you truly know that God’s love is never failing and never ending? Explain.


• Have you allowed God to redeem you from your past sin and brokenness to freedom in God’s love?


• How can God take your brokenness and mistakes and bring you into a deeper dependence upon God?