Israel Is Always on God's Heart

In one paragraph

This was the opening message in a new series called Unbreakable, focused on God's covenant relationship with Israel. Pastor Brian introduced why Tribe will be spending several weeks on this subject, and he framed it as one of the most important conversations the church can have right now. The congregation read through Jeremiah 31 together and sat with some of the harder questions the topic raises....

Read together

1. Isaiah 49:16 God has written Israel's name on the palms of his hands, always thinking of Jerusalem's walls
2. Jeremiah 31:1-22 read aloud in full as the opening scripture for the series on Israel
3. Jeremiah 31:35-37 God says he will never cast off Israel, using the unexplorability of the heavens and earth as the measure

What was said

• Download the Pause app by John Eldredge and start the thirty-day Resilient program, even if you are a few days behind the rest of Tribe fam.
• Open Jeremiah 31 sometime this week and read it slowly, asking yourself where you see your own story reflected in what God says to Israel.
• Text Pastor Brian if the subject of Israel raises questions or tension for you, rather than quietly writing it off.
• Pray the prayer Brian prayed at the end of the message: ask God to give you his own thoughts and heart for Israel, not the ones coming from any news source or commentator.
• Come back next week ready to wrestle with the question of who Israel actually is today, and bring someone with you who might benefit from thinking it through.

Talk about it

1. Brian said that Israel is mentioned 3,500 times in scripture, more than prayer, forgiveness, marriage, or even Jesus by name, yet most churches spend little time on it. What does that gap tell you about how we read the Bible, and what have you personally been taught about Israel growing up in church?
2. Brian described seven core themes that he keeps coming back to, including endurance, joy in the midst of tribulation, identity in Christ, and surrender. As you look back over your time at Tribe, which of those themes has hit you the hardest, and why do you think that one in particular?
3. When the group read Isaiah 49:16 together, the conversation turned to whether the 'you' God is addressing is Israel, or all believers, or both. How did that discussion land for you, and does it change anything for you to sit with the idea that God wrote Israel's name on his palms first?
4. Brian called Israel 'this generation's major fork in the road' and said that failure to have right thinking about Israel can lead, even unintentionally, toward antisemitism, and that correct thinking about Israel sharpens your understanding of God's nature and character. Do you agree that this is a defining issue for the church right now? What makes it feel urgent or not urgent to you personally?
5. Brian invited us to read Jeremiah 31 as a mirror, saying that when you look at how God pursues, disciplines, and stays committed to Israel, you will inevitably see yourself in that story. When you went back through those verses, what did you actually see in the reflection?