#92 - Kyle Thompson // Yeah, That’s Not What That Means - Romans 8:28 & Jeremiah 29:11 - The Daily Blade: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson

Summary6 min read

Podcast Summary: The Daily Blade #92 - Kyle Thompson // Yeah, That’s Not What That Means - Romans 8:28 & Jeremiah 29:11

Podcast Information:

Title: The Daily Blade: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson
Hosts: Pastor Joby Martin (Church of Eleven22) & Kyle Thompson (Undaunted.Life)
Episode: #92 - Kyle Thompson // Yeah, That’s Not What That Means - Romans 8:28 & Jeremiah 29:11
Release Date: May 8, 2025
Description: The Daily Blade is a short-form devotional show aimed at equipping Christians to apply the Word of God to their everyday lives. Hosts Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson delve into scripture, offering insights and practical applications.

Introduction

In episode #92 of The Daily Blade, hosts Pastor Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson embark on a deep dive into two commonly misapplied Bible verses: Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11. This episode is part of their ongoing series titled "Yeah, That’s Not What That Means," which seeks to correct widespread misunderstandings of Scripture.

Opening Remarks:

Joby Martin [00:01]: "Welcome to the Daily Blade. The word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up."

Series Overview: "Yeah, That’s Not What That Means"

Kyle Thompson introduces the episode's theme, explaining the intent to address and clarify misapplied scriptures that have become distorted in contemporary Christian teachings.

Kyle Thompson [00:20]: "All right, guys, so this week we are doing a series of episodes called yeah, that's not what that Means. So I was originally going to be going over the top five most common, misapplied and misunderstood scriptures in all the biblical canon, but I'm doubling up today, so it'll end up being six by the time we get to the end of the week."

He mentions that the previous episode covered Philippians 4:13, emphasizing reliance on Christ rather than personal strength.

Misapplication of Jeremiah 29:11

Kyle Thompson begins by addressing Jeremiah 29:11, a verse frequently cited in prosperity gospel teachings to promise personal success and prosperity to believers.

Reading of Jeremiah 29:11:

Kyle Thompson [00:45]: "I'm going to read Jeremiah 29:11. In the NASB, for I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord, plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Contextual Analysis: Kyle emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical context of Jeremiah 29:11. He explains that this promise was specifically directed to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, assuring them of God's intention to restore them after 70 years.

Kyle Thompson [01:30]: "Anytime you read a passage of scripture, you need to ask yourself, who is this message to? Because in Jeremiah 29, this is part of a specific promise to a specific group of people at a specific time in history. This promise was to the Jewish exiles in Babylon."

Extended Reading: To provide a comprehensive understanding, Kyle reads the surrounding verses to highlight the specificity of God's promise.

Kyle Thompson [02:00]: "So Jeremiah 29:1014 in the New American Standard Bible. For this is what the Lord says, When 70 years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you, to restore you to this place..."

Key Point: Kyle argues that applying Jeremiah 29:11 as a blanket promise for personal prosperity today neglects its original context and intent. Instead of guaranteeing individual success, the verse was a specific assurance of restoration for the exiled Israelites.

Misapplication of Romans 8:28

Transitioning to Romans 8:28, Kyle addresses another verse often misconstrued to imply that God ensures all aspects of a believer's life will work for their benefit.

Reading of Romans 8:28:

Kyle Thompson [02:45]: "So we're going to be doing Romans 8:28, an incredibly popular verse... 'All things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.'"

Critical Examination: He points out that many Christians quote Romans 8:28 without considering the broader context, specifically verses 29 and 30.

Kyle Thompson [03:10]: "It is shocking how many people can quote Romans 8:28, but it seems clear that they have never read verses 29 and 30."

Reading of Romans 8:29-30: To elucidate his point, Kyle reads the subsequent verses.

Kyle Thompson [03:20]: "For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brethren. And these whom he predestined he also called. And these whom he called, he also justified. And these whom he justified, he also glorified."

Interpretation: Using insights from the Holman New Testament Commentary, Kyle emphasizes that Romans 8:28 underscores God's sovereignty and purposeful orchestration in the lives of believers, rather than a promise of effortless success.

Kyle Thompson [04:00]: "Paul is clearly subordinating all things to the purpose of God, regardless of how the verse is written. So what the application and context of Jeremiah 29:11 in Romans 8:28 and the narrative of the whole Bible shows us is that we are not guaranteed worldly success just because we're Christians."

Conclusion on Misapplications: Kyle summarizes that both Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28 are often misused to foster a prosperity mindset, which contradicts the broader biblical narrative that acknowledges suffering and the deeper purpose of spiritual growth.

Key Insights and Conclusion

Understanding Context: Kyle and Joby stress the importance of reading scriptures within their historical and textual contexts to avoid misinterpretations.
God’s Sovereignty vs. Personal Prosperity: The discussion highlights that God's promises are about His sovereign plans and purposes, which may not always align with personal desires for success and prosperity.
Endurance Through Suffering: The hosts reaffirm that Christianity does not exempt believers from hardships; instead, it provides hope and purpose amid trials.
Ultimate Purpose: The primary goal for Christians is to be conformed to the image of Christ, aligning with God’s eternal purposes rather than pursuing transient worldly success.

Notable Quotes

Kyle Thompson [00:20]: "The fundamental misunderstanding of these verses is that we as Christians are somehow owed success and prosperity and that our lives will just go smoothly. And yeah, that's not what that means."
Kyle Thompson [01:30]: "This promise was to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. So it was a promise from God that He would not forsake them and that he could and would restore them after 70 years."
Kyle Thompson [03:10]: "It is shocking how many people can quote Romans 8:28, but it seems clear that they have never read verses 29 and 30."
Kyle Thompson [04:00]: "We are not guaranteed worldly success just because we're Christians, right? We aren't guaranteed smooth seas."

Final Thoughts

In this episode, Kyle Thompson effectively deconstructs the common misapplications of Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11, urging listeners to approach scripture with a discerning and contextually aware mindset. By emphasizing God's overarching sovereignty and purposeful design, the hosts encourage believers to seek a deeper, more authentic understanding of their faith that transcends superficial promises of prosperity.

Stay Tuned: The episode concludes with a teaser for the next installment in the series, hinting at the exploration of another frequently misapplied scripture.

Joby Martin [05:09]: "And if you're a pacifist, please make sure you come back tomorrow."

For more insights and to join Pastor Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson in person, consider attending the 2025 Men's Conference in Jacksonville, Florida. Secure your seat at http://mensconference.com.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:01]
A
Welcome to the Daily Blade. The word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.
[00:21]
B
All right, guys, so this week we are doing a series of episodes called yeah, that's not what that Means. So I was originally going to be going over the top five most common, misapplied and misunderstood scriptures in all the biblical canon, but I'm doubling up today, so it'll end up being six by the time we get to the end of the week. So yesterday I Talked about Philippians 4:13 and how we are to rely on Christ in us as opposed to our own strength. Okay, so today we're actually going to hit two separate passages because they have been misapplied and misunderstood in much the same ways. So we're going to be doing Romans 8:28, an incredibly popular verse, and then Jeremiah 29:11. So I'll read them both now. So I'm going to read Romans 8:28. In the CSB, we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Now we got Jeremiah 29:11. I'm going to read that in the NASB, for I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord, plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. And so these two verses, regardless of whatever translation you read them out of, these have been used by prosperity gospel preachers and word of faith preachers and fake faith healers and people in churches all over the map. But they use these things, and they're supposed to be telling you like, oh, this is. This is for you. And it doesn't really matter the context, because I'm telling it to you. Also write me a huge check. But in a nutshell, the fundamental misunderstanding of these verses is that we as Christians are somehow owed success and prosperity and that our lives will just go smoothly. And. Yeah, that's not what that means. You saw that one coming. Because in its correct context, neither verse is communicating that. Okay, so let's actually start with Jeremiah 29:11. So, guys, anytime. It's just a good habit to get into, anytime you read a passage of scripture, you need to ask yourself, who is this message to? Because in Jeremiah 29, this is part of a specific promise to a specific group of people at a specific time in history. Okay? This promise was to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. So it was a promise from God that He would not forsake them and that he could and would restore them after 70 years. So let me read this entire section. So Jeremiah 29:1014 in the New American Standard Bible. For this is what the Lord says, When 70 years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you, to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you. This is the Lord's declaration. Plans for your well being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me. When you search for me with all your heart, I will be found by you. This is the Lord's declaration. And I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished. This is the Lord's declaration. I will restore you to the place from which I deported you. Okay, so guys, ultimately it's silly for us to use this verse or this group of verses as some sort of coverall blessing for our personal success and modernity. But now let's turn to Romans 8:28. I'll read it again. Here we know that all things work together for the God for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Okay, so it is shocking how many people can quote Romans 8:28, but it seems clear that they have never read verses 29 and 30. So let's go ahead and do that. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brethren. And these whom he predestined he also called. And these whom he called, he also justified. And these whom he justified, he also glorified. So from this text we can surmise that Paul accepts that individual human agency is real, but that behind and through it all is God's sovereignty. So there's kind of that, you know, push and pull that a lot of us have struggled with. Right? It is God's sovereign purpose to shape us into the image of Christ. So I actually like this comment from the Holman New Testament commentary here. The reason is that God and His purpose are the controlling elements of the verse. Paul is clearly subordinating all things to the purpose of God, regardless of how the verse is written. So what the application and context of Jeremiah 29:11 in Romans 8:28 and the narrative of the whole Bible shows us is that we are not guaranteed worldly success just because we're Christians, right? We aren't guaranteed smooth seas. In fact, many Christians as we see again the narrative of scripture, even the words of Jesus, we're going to suffer and we will suffer mightily and unjustly and it's just going to happen to us. It's basically a guarantee. But the ultimate purpose of our lives is not to have whatever we deem as success. We are to be conformed to the life God has for us and that it will indeed be good. All right guys, come back here tomorrow and we'll wrap up with one of the most annoyingly misapplied passages in the entire Bible. And if you're a pacifist, please make sure you come back tomorrow.
[05:10]
A
Thank you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five star rating and review. Stay sharp.