Cost of Courage
Pastor Jamie Self - 10/5/2025
This sermon from Pastor Jamie Self focuses on Jeremiah 20, exploring the emotional, relational, and spiritual cost of courageously sharing God’s truth. Using Jeremiah’s raw lament, Pastor Jamie reminds us that proclaiming the gospel often brings suffering, rejection, and even despair—but it also brings deep shaping by the Potter (God), who uses suffering to mold us into vessels of perseverance, obedience, and praise. Ultimately, the sermon affirms that while courage is costly, it is worth it, because Jesus paid the ultimate price for us, and God defines our purpose long before our suffering begins.
Weekly Reflection
“You are not defined by your doubts or your suffering—but by the eternal, sovereign purposes of God”
“Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow and spend my days in shame?”
—Jeremiah 20:18
Reflection:
The call to speak truth in love can lead to wounds from those we care about most. Jeremiah’s pain was not just public humiliation—it was the private sorrow of obedience rejected. If the gospel is such good news, why does it sometimes feel like heartbreak? The answer isn't in escaping the cost, but in recognizing that faithful suffering shapes us into vessels of eternal value. God is not wasting our tears; He is forming us through them.
👉 Read related article
This Week’s Challenge:
Where have you been tempted to give up speaking truth because of the cost?
Write a private prayer of lament, and speak honestly to God as Jeremiah did—then confess what you know to be true, even when it doesn’t feel true.
Scripture:
Jeremiah 20