FRONTLINE SESSION TWO

1. Group Leader: Anne Johnson (St. Mary’s Parish Church)

2. This session will encourage you to see your life as one that God wants to
use for His purposes – wherever you are.

3. Aim of this
session…
To explore
God’s call to
Frontline
service,
particularly
when the
Frontline
seems difficult
or hostile.
When life is going relatively smoothly, knowing
that you are making a difference can feel great.
But what about when the going gets rough, when
you don’t feel in control, when simple survival is
your most pressing concern?

4. Let’s share……..
• What have you
done since last
week’s session
that was new
or different?
• What were
your Frontline
reminder
objects?
OurTakeaway Homework

5.  Is anyone in a similar situation to
Ed?
 How are you trying to be good
news in your everyday
situations?
 What decisions are you taking so
that you will be able to be a
blessing to your Frontline and its
people?
 What would you pray that God
would change?

6. 1 This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving
elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people
Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This was after King
Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem,
the craftsmen and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) 3 He entrusted the letter
to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent
to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said: 4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of
Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 "Build houses and
settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters;
find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons
and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and
prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if
it prospers, you too will prosper." 8 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel,
says: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the
dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have
not sent them," declares the LORD. 10 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are
completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfil my gracious promise to bring you back to
this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and
come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

7. 2 CHRONICLES 36:15-21
15The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them
through his messengers again and again, because he had
pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they
mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed
at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused
against his people and there was no remedy. 17 He brought
up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed
their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and
spared neither young man nor young woman, old man or
aged. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. 18
He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of
God, both large and small, and the treasures of the LORD's
temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19
They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of
Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed
everything of value there. 20 He carried into exile to
Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and
they became servants to him and his sons until the
kingdom of Persia came to power. 21The land enjoyed its
Sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until
the seventy years were completed in fulfilment of the word
of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.
SHAME, FEAR AND
DISAPPOINTMENT
 How would you have
responded to Jeremiah’s
letter?
 The lie of (V8) that God
would rescue them
quickly did not transpire
as they were told that
they would be in captivity
for 70 years (V10)
 He would prosper them
and not harm them (V11)

8. Note this
truth………
In times of difficulty
it is natural to hope
that God will rescue
us quickly.
Sometimes He does.
Sometimes He
doesn’t.
How can we help
each to be hopeful
when situations
take a long time to
change?

9. Read Daniel Chapter 1 to see how young Jewish men lived in an alien culture, how the y
sought prosperity of the nation without compromising their integrity [or faith]

10. • Thinking about the discussions in this
session, what challenges are
presented by your Frontline?
• How are you coping with these
challenges?
• What would help you thrive on your
Frontline?

11.  Pray
 Act
 Reflect
 For Blessings on those you
spend time with and for
opportunities to show God’s love
to them
 Think of something practical and
possible and tell someone else
about your plan to ensure that
you follow through
 How might it look in you life, if
you acted in intentional ways
that reflected the Good News of
Jesus?

12. Philippians 1:27