Tony Evans
February 6, 2003
7:15 pm
Message Summary
Using several illustrations to show how hopeless the majority of people are today, Tony Evans then proceeded to show that God has the cure for that hopelessness. After claiming it is a great verse in the middle of a bad chapter that is in a bad book, Evans turned the crowd’s attention to Jeremiah 29:11. He explained that in the midst of terrible times God had promised His people that He had something to give them hope. He had a future plan for them. Evans gave three reasons why the people in this chapter were struggling so much; it was written in a time of judgment while they were in exile with only false prophets to help them spiritually. Evans said, “In the midst of their darkness, God drops them in a light beam—[God says,] ‘In spite of everything, I have a plan for you.’—good news in a bad situation.
The second half of the message Evans spent illustrating the fact that God can take your past failures and give you a future. He said, “God is so good, so creative, and so awesome He could hit a bull’s eye with a crooked stick.
Evans closed his message by focusing on verse 12, which talks about searching for God with our whole heart. Evans warned that it is possible to study God’s Word without finding Him. “God is wanting through the Word, for you to run smack dab into Him,” he said. After an illustration about his wife being a master with leftovers, Evans closed with the thought that one can bring their ‘leftovers’ to God, and He will chop and dice, pour the cream of the Spirit on top, and bake up a life worth living.
Student Response
Tony Evans humorous insights into life and his vivid illustrations made the idea that God can take any life and instill it with hope very real to me. Evans understands the hopelessness that many people struggle with, and he was very bold in saying that God has shown that one need not be hopeless. His very important statement that we cannot keep looking back all the time if we want to have a better future was a good reminder. Overall this message really encouraged me to keep in mind that when life gets difficult God’s future plans are worth waiting for.
—Stephanie Frusher, Senior, Communications/Print Media major