The passage

1This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians: 12your mother will be greatly ashamed; she who gave you birth will be disgraced. She will be the least of the nations— a wilderness, a dry land, a desert. 13Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited but will be completely desolate. All who pass Babylon will be appalled; they will scoff because of all her wounds.

Also referenced today

The shape of the message

1. A world power that seems too big to fail, and the God who brings nations down
2. Giants forgetting God: Babylon’s purpose, then Babylon’s judgement
3. Giants replacing humility with pride: motives, excess, and accountability for sin
4. Grace that outlasts judgement: sins “not found” and the promise of cleansing
5. Babylon’s fall and the shock of sudden overthrow
6. Personal implications: what you’re trusting and which kingdom you’re building

Questions to hold while you listen

• Where has pride quietly taken root—where have you started believing, “I’ve got this,” or “I don’t really need God”?
• What are you trusting besides Christ (money, politics, business, health, relationships, retirement, your own wisdom), and what would it look like to treat those as false refuges?
• Is there someone you’ve stopped believing God can forgive—possibly yourself—and what does “their sins…shall not be found” challenge in you?
• What does it mean, in practical terms, to build your life on Babylon rather than on Christ?
• How does the claim that God is sovereign over nations shape the way you think about current events and human power?

Notes

This week

Identify one place you’ve been tempted to say, “I’ve got this,” and respond by intentionally turning to Christ rather than a false refuge. Watch for pride’s quiet whispers before destruction shouts.