(Jer) 7:9-11, 23 CJB “First you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, offer to Ba‘al and go after other gods that you haven’t known. Then you come and stand before me in this house that bears my name and say, ‘We are saved’ — so that you can go on doing these abominations! Do you regard this house, which bears my name, as a cave for bandits? I can see for myself what’s going on,” says Adonai. Rather, what I did order them was this: ‘Pay attention to what I say. Then I will be your God, and you will be my people. In everything, live according to the way that I order you, so that things will go well for you.’”

God exposes a dangerous lie:

“We are saved, so our lives don’t have to change.”

“We belong to God, even though we disobey Him.”

“We can worship on Sunday and rebel all week.”

God says that is not faith.

That is hypocrisy.

That is spiritual theft.

We are witnessing the fruit of rejecting God.

A young black man in a nearby neighborhood killed a child with his car—then shot the child’s parents and a neighbor who tried to help.

A young white man in Canada, immersed in gender confusion, killed his mother and brother before attempting mass murder at his school.

These are not isolated incidents.

They are symptoms.

They are signs of a culture raising boys without purpose, identity, discipline, or hope.

Black America is producing angry, aimless young men with no spiritual anchor.

White Western culture is producing confused young people taught they can redefine reality itself—gender, identity, even humanity.

Both are collapsing for the same reason:

We have abandoned God.

Jeremiah describes people who worship false gods and then pretend everything is fine.

That is us.

We have replaced God with self.

My feelings.
My truth.
My desires.
My identity.
My will.

We no longer ask, “What does God say?”

We ask, “What do I want?”

And when everyone lives that way, society disintegrates.

There is no moral North.

No standard.

No authority.

No accountability.

Only chaos.

The world offers substitutes.

Islam.
Buddhism.
New Age spirituality.
Self-help religion.

All of them center on human effort.

Human desire.

Human enlightenment.

None deal honestly with sin.

None provide true forgiveness.

None offer reconciliation with the Holy God.

They promise peace.

They produce bondage.

Only Jesus saves.

God’s design has been abandoned.

Fathers are absent or passive.

Mothers are pressured to find meaning primarily in career instead of nurturing life.

Children are left without spiritual formation.

Without discipline.

Without truth.

Without identity in Christ.

Then we are shocked when violence erupts.

But broken families produce broken people.

And broken people break everything they touch.

We mourn shootings.

We hold vigils.

We pass policies.

We argue politics.

But we refuse repentance.

We won’t say:

We have sinned.
We have disobeyed.
We have rejected God.
We need Jesus.

Until pain reaches the soul, people rarely turn.

And we are resisting repentance with everything we have.

God says in Jeremiah:

“I can see what’s going on.”

He sees.

He knows.

He is not confused.

He is not fooled.

He is here.

But He is not with our rebellion.

He does not bless evil.

He does not affirm sin.

He does not endorse self-worship.

He stands at the door and knocks.

Not begging.

Inviting.

Calling.

Warning.

God says:

“Pay attention to what I say… Live according to My ways.”

That is still the solution.

Not politics.

Not psychology.

Not programs.

Repentance.

Faith.

Obedience.

Submission to Jesus as Lord.

When men and women turn to Christ:

Homes heal.
Children stabilize.
Communities strengthen.
Hope returns.

There is no other path.

God is searching for men and women who will:

Teach their children the Word.
Live obedient lives.
Model repentance.
Proclaim Christ.
Stand for truth.

Not celebrities.

Not activists.

Disciples.

Ordinary people who obey an extraordinary Savior.

Run Today’s Play:

1. Examine Your Own Life First

Ask honestly:

Am I obeying Jesus—or just attending church?
Am I repenting—or just regretting?
Am I submitting—or just agreeing?

God wants obedience, not excuses.

2. Lead Your Home With Conviction

Men, take responsibility.

Open Scripture.
Pray out loud.
Teach truth.
Correct lovingly.
Model humility.

Your home is your first ministry.

3. Refuse Cultural Lies

Reject:

Self-worship.
Gender confusion.
Moral relativism.
Spiritual laziness.

Stand on God’s Word—calmly, clearly, courageously.

4. Call Others to Repentance

Love people enough to tell them the truth.

Point to Jesus.
Speak of forgiveness.
Warn of judgment.
Offer grace.

Silence is not love.