1. It's Christmas time. What is your favorite Christmas song?

2. What is your least favorite Christmas song?

Read 2 Chronicles 36:11-21

3. Verse 13 says Zedekiah was a “hard and stubborn man.” Do you tend to be stubborn about anything? If so, what?

4. The verse also says that Zedekiah “refused” to turn to the Lord. Why do you think he did that?

5. On Sunday, Pastor Burt talked about how Zedekiah repeated the mistakes of those who came before him by believing the lie that, “It will be alright because it’s me.” Have you ever thought along those lines? What happened?

Read Jeremiah 28:10-17

This conversation gives us a behind the scenes look at the types of conversations that were being had during Zedekiah’s reign. On the one hand you have Hananiah who tells Zedekiah what he wants to hear, and falsely prophesies that God will deliver them from Babylon. On the other hand you have Jeremiah who says that it’s not true.

6. How do you think most people handle information that contradicts them? Do they tend to believe it or dismiss it?

7. What kinds of things do you use to process and filter information that may challenge you?

8. Last Sunday, when speaking about Zedekiah’s relationship with the prophet Jeremiah, Pastor Burt said “Inconvenient truths are still true.” Do you agree with that statement? Why or why not?

9. Even though Zedekiah saw that Hananiah died just as Jeremiah said that he would, he still refused to listen. What does this tell you about his heart?

10. What are some things we can do to be open to correction while still being discerning?