In a time of widespread corruption and wickedness, the prophet Jeremiah cried out “how long will the prophets speak falsely from their own minds, and not from God?” In today’s world, with pastoral leadership failures seemingly everywhere, it can be tempting to lose our love for the church. But when we see that Jesus came to redeem his broken, messy church, we can have hope for the church, despite her flaws and failures.

Discussion Questions

Share your church background with your group. Were you raised in the church, or did you come later in life? Where have you seen examples of good leadership? Do you have experiences with unfaithful shepherds in the church? (Note: please share with discretion.)
When you consider the world’s opinion of the church, how does that make you feel? How might you be tempted to respond in ungodly ways (e.g. compromise with the world, anger towards the world, etc.)
How does Jesus, the good shepherd, give you hope for the church, even with all her flaws and shortcomings? How is the gospel encouraging to you in the middle of the mess?
Even if you’re not in formal church leadership, all believers are prophets, priests, and kings. How does this help you be mindful of your conduct as you live on mission for the world?

Prayer Points

Pray for our church, the leaders, the members, and the staff. Pray that all of us would do our part to be faithful to Jesus.
Pray for those who have been deeply hurt by the church. Pray for the love of Jesus to help them heal, hope, and eventually trust again.
Pray that we would model Christlike love and faithfulness to the world around us.