Understanding The Times Through Jeremiah 25

Ten years ago, before Misfits was founded in 2021, I was already speaking out. From pulpits, in private writings, and through countless conversations, I warned about what would happen if the Church didn’t confront the blasphemous use of Jesus’ name to gain political power and to oppress those made in His image, and I spoke about how this misuse of faith would turn a people called to peace into a violent mob. For that message, I was removed from pulpits, my writings went unpublished, and I was called a “misfit” and  “unfit for ministry,” as I attempted to call out abuse, power grabs, political propaganda, and the continually growing rhetoric of racial supremacy within the Church.

Then, in January 2021, I watched in mourning as everything I had warned about unfolded on

live television. That moment gave birth to Ministry Misfits, and we decided that if no one would publish or platform this message, we would do it ourselves.

Now, over the past five years, we’ve continued to proclaim that same message—and received much of the same resistance. But something has changed in the past 12 months.

A Shift in the Past Year

The warnings of what would happen have become our reality. Christian Nationalism has become the dominant culture, not only in politics but also within much of the Church. Some people who once ignored us are now celebrating this shift as “answered prayer.” Others are just beginning to recognize the danger and are scrambling to “save democracy.”

And here I am, watching the chaos I once warned about unfold, hearing the stories of oppression it’s causing, and struggling to find the words to describe what it all means and where we go from here. Then, a week ago, our pastor preached from Jeremiah 25, and that message helped bring clarity to my thoughts.

Lessons from Jeremiah 25

Jeremiah was a prophet during the final days of Judah’s kingdom. God called him during King Josiah’s reforms, a time of national and religious reform. But Jeremiah’s mission wasn’t to celebrate the reform; it was to warn of destruction coming if the people didn’t truly turn their hearts back to God. For years, Jeremiah’s warnings were rejected. Then it happened: Nebuchadnezzar marched into Jerusalem, taking the nation’s treasures, elites, and wealth back to Babylon.

From that point on, Jeremiah’s message shifted. He no longer warned about what was coming, but instead, began teaching the people how to live faithfully in exile, how to find hope, redemption, and meaning in a new and difficult reality.

This passage struck me differently this time. Jeremiah’s words in chapter 25 capture exactly how I’ve felt over the past year.

“From the thirteenth year of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah, to this day—these twenty-three years—the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened…” — Jeremiah 25:3–5

How This Connects

For the past decade, I’ve urged the Church to reject the temptation of power and control. That message was rejected again and again, and now we are living in the world that pursuit created. It’s too late to prevent this reality. Warnings and attempts to prevent it from happening are futile. But it’s not too late to live faithfully within it.

And so our focus must shift, from warning to living.

The question is no longer, “How do we stop this?” but rather, “How do we live as the Church in this time?” How do we remain centered on Christ and love our neighbors well?  How do we resist power and oppression—not through outrage or political might—but through sacrificial living?

Resistance now looks like this:

• Loving our neighbors who are being marginalized.

• Loving those who are doing the marginalizing.

• Placing ourselves between the oppressor and the oppressed.

• Living as Jesus did and putting others before ourselves.

What This Means for Ministry Misfits

As we step into this new reality, Misfits is also shifting. Logistically, we were already adjusting schedules, navigating changes with our ministry partners and team members, and exploring new ways to fund the work. Much of this will go mostly unnoticed to most. But we are also now changing how we are going about creating our content and resources, and even where and how we are engaging on Social Media forums. Why? Because we’re no longer talking about what might happen and theological theories. Instead, we are talking about how to live faithfully now, in this real and chaotic moment, in this culture, in this era of the American Church and Society.

Our recording and writing frequency may change, and our style may evolve, but our mission remains the same: To make Christocentric Theology Accessible to everyone. We believe this is needed now more than ever. We invite you to walk with us through this transition. Ask your questions, share your thoughts, let us know how to pray for you, and join the conversation. Let us work together to see the Kingdom of Christ grow through humility and service in a time that desires to see the strong and powerful rule.

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Written by Ministry Misfits Founder Andrew Fouts. Find more from Andrew at www.ministrymisfits.com, www.kfmbroadcasting.com, or his outdoor themed work at https://acfouts33.wixstudio.com/misfitsoutdoors

This blog was edited by Joseph Dea. Joe is part of the writing team for Ministry Misfits as well as one of the founding directors of the KFM Broadcasting Network. Joe has multiple writings of his own, and multiple channels of different genres of content. Learn more about Joe at https://www.kfmbroadcasting.com/team/dea-j

This blog is cross-posted to our partner network blog KFM Broadcasting. Find this blog and more like it from our team of writers at www.kfmbroadcasting.com/blog