The passage

3Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— 16The Lord called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form. But with the roar of a mighty storm he will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken. 17The Lord Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal.

Also referenced today

The shape of the message

1. Covenant weight: contract versus blood-bought commitment
2. A warning from Josiah: unnecessary battles and needless loss
3. Ritual replaced relationship: drifting from God’s standards
4. Indifference after warnings: judgement no longer a threat but a guarantee
5. Modern idolatry and image-making as spiritual adultery
6. Repentance, God’s patience, and returning through Jesus’ finished work

Questions to hold while you listen

• Where do you recognise “ritual for relationship” showing up in your own life, and what would a surrendered heart look like there?
• What is one area where you want “comfort without commitment,” and how does that reveal indifference rather than ignorance?
• Which modern idol named here—money, ambition, technology, comfort, politics, self, even family—most competes for your attention, and what has it been costing you?
• When have you gotten involved in an argument or discussion that had nothing to do with you, and what did it cost you?
• What specific step could you take that matches the suggested examples (cancel, delete, say no, step away) to tear down a “high place” this week?

Notes

This week

Ask the Holy Spirit this week, “Lord, show me what I’ve elevated above You,” and then take one concrete step to tear it down—cancel a subscription, delete an app, say no to an opportunity, or step away from a toxic relationship.