Halfway to Egypt
Pastor Jamie Self - 11/16/2025
Pastor Jamie Self walks through Jeremiah 41 to 43, exploring how fear and spiritual blindness led the remnant of Judah to disobey God's clear command to stay in the land, choosing instead to flee "halfway to Egypt," a symbol of sin, comfort, and disobedience. Through characters like Ishmael, Gedaliah, Johanan, and the remnant, the sermon contrasts arrogance, fear-based decisions, and superficial faith with God’s call to humble, relational obedience. Ultimately, Pastor Jamie points to the promise of the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31) and Christ’s obedience unto death (Philippians 2), showing that through Jesus, believers receive new hearts capable of joyful obedience rooted in relationship, not fear.
Weekly Reflection
“God is not a power to enlist but a Lord to obey”
In crisis, it is tempting to make fear-based decisions, dressing them up with spiritual language. Like Johanan and the remnant of Judah, we may say we want God's guidance but have already decided to flee to our own Egypt, whatever feels safer or more comfortable than trusting and obeying God's clear Word. Pastor Jamie showed how spiritual blindness and arrogance often look like prudence, when in fact they reveal a heart that resists God's lordship. The hope is this: through Christ's obedience unto death, God gives us new hearts that can obey from love, not fear.
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This Week’s Challenge:
Ask yourself, Am I seeking God's presence, or just His permission? Confess where you have used spiritual words with an earthly heart. Repent by trusting the God who gives new hearts and obey Him not because you have to, but because He is worthy and near.
Scripture:
Jeremiah 41-43