A Whole New Promise
Pastor Jamie Self - 11/9/2025
In this sermon, Pastor Jamie Self teaches from Jeremiah 31:31–34 about God’s promise of a New Covenant—one not built on external rules, but on inner transformation. He explains that the Old Covenant relied on law and sacrifice, yet always fell short because human hearts were hardened. In contrast, the New Covenant in Christ is written on believers’ hearts by the Holy Spirit, producing genuine obedience and a personal relationship with God. This inward change brings freedom, heartfelt faithfulness, and direct access to God, revealing that Christianity is not about religious duty, but about a Spirit-filled relationship.
Weekly Reflection
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people”
What if obedience did not feel like pressure but instead felt like genuine desire? Pastor Jamie reminded us that the Old Covenant, although glorious, was ultimately fading because it could never change the human heart. It revealed how deeply sin runs within us. In contrast, the New Covenant established through Christ brings about a transformation from the inside out. It is not about external rituals or religious obligation but about God giving His people new hearts that truly long to follow Him.
God does not simply clean up our behavior from the outside; He takes up residence within us. In Christ, we are no longer striving to reach a temple because we have become the temple. The Spirit of God now writes His will on our hearts instead of on tablets of stone. This gives us a new kind of freedom to obey out of love.
👉 Read related article
This Week’s Challenge:
Where are you still obeying out of fear rather than love?
This week, ask the Holy Spirit to show you one area where your heart needs to be softened. Then, relying on His power, take one step of obedience not because you feel you are supposed to but because you now desire to walk closely with God.
Scripture:
Jeremiah 31:31–34