Today we return to Genesis 17 to consider God's enduring promises of land and blessing for his people. How are we to understand those promises in light of current events in Israel and the Middle East? What do these promises mean for our geopolitical relationships? Join us as we consider this and more.
In light of the upcoming election, we considered Jeremiah's instructions to the Jewish exiles living in Babylon. This letter provides a template for how modern Christians ought to relate to the culture in which they live as good citizens.
When God began addressing Abraham, Abraham fell on his face in reverent awe. Here though, God says something that strike Abraham as so ridiculous, he falls on his face laughing! What can we learn from Abraham's dramatic response? And how can we more faithfully walk in obedience to what God would have us do?
When God addresses Abraham after 13 years of seeming silence, he asks him to do some surprising things, including changing his name and undergoing circumcision...at 99!!! As remarkable as these things are, God has good reasons, and this reaffirmation of the covenant reveals some incredible things about God Almighty!
In Genesis 16, we find one of the stupidest plans in all of scripture, and it predictably goes horribly awry! People suffer and our plans fail when we focus on our lack, follow bad advice, forsake image bearers, and forget who God is. Let us learn from Abram and Sarai how to avoid abysmal failure!
This passage is one of the more odd passages of scripture in all of the Bible. In it, Abram has a mysterious vision of God passing through the midst of bisected animals. But what does it mean, and what does it reveal about God's covenant promises to his people?
Genesis 15:6 establishes the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Join us as we consider this verse and how God actually credits faith to us as righteousness!
In Genesis 15, Abram comes up with his own plan for how God's promises might be fulfilled. However, God rejects Abram's plan and reaffirms his promises to him, by having him look toward heaven. Join us as we consider these wonderful promises, and how we too can look beyond our present circumstances to God's wonderful, unfolding, plan!
Genesis 15:6 is one of the most consequential verses in the Bible. It provides the foundation for the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Join us as we explore the significance of this verse in two parts!
While Melchizedek takes up relatively little space in the book of Genesis, later biblical authors, including David, but especially the author of Hebrews see great significance in this enigmatic figure and use him to point to the true and better priest king, Jesus.
After Abram's dramatic rescue of Lot, he encounters two different kings and his reaction to them could not have gone more differently. He respects and gives tithes to Melchizedek, but rejects the gifts of the King of Sodom. Why the disparity between the two? Join us as we explore how giving heed to the world and its way of doing things can entrap us, but paying honor to God and his representatives frees us, and allows us to live without binding the conscience of others.
After his nephew is captured by an alliance of kings, Abram rises to the challenge to go and rescue him, this tale or heroism and bravery demonstrates how we need to avoid the worldly entanglements that lead to captivity, and instead be prepared, as Abram was, to fight the battles that will inevitably come our way.
After Abram's phenomenal moral failure in Egypt, chapter 13 provides us with an equally remarkable restoration. Abram returns to the place God had called him, resumes proper worship, relinquishes his personal rights and remembers God's promises. The best news is that this path to restoration is available to each and every one of us...if we will take it!
Nobody is perfect, but for Abram, when he fails, he really fails. His episode in Egypt demonstrates how destructive it can be when we let fear take control instead of living by faith. Abram's failure is our opportunity to learn just how dangerous it can be to flirt with sin.
One of the most important questions when it comes to Bible interpretation is "how do we understand the relationship between the Jewish people and the New Covenant." The key to understanding the answer to that question may very well come down to the grammar of one word in Genesis 12. According to Paul in Galatians, the blessings of Abram are not necessarily supposed to come to and through a people group, but a person. Join us as we link Genesis 12 to the New Testament and the New Covenant in Chri...
After Abram's call, he demonstrates his faithful obedience by proceeding to the Promised Land. As he did, he established places of worship along the way and demonstrates what faithful worship looks like. Join us as we consider the example Abram set, and how his faith can be a template for our own.
These three short verses constitute a turning point in God's dealing with humanity. God calls Abram, who responds with obedience. God promises Abram great blessings which will have implications for all of humanity! Join us as we explore Abram's calling, and ours.
In this sermon, we look at the second genealogy in as many chapters. However, this genealogy is different from the table of nations recorded in Genesis 10. There, the emphasis was on the abundance of nations scattered across the earth. Here, the focus narrows back down from the many nations to one family, and one man in particular. In this sermon we also explore additional information that can be gleaned from the text, including the fact that both Noah and Shem were still alive when Abram was bo...
We are often tempted to skip genealogies, thinking they are boring, or that they have little to offer us by way of biblical meat. But that misconception could not be further from the truth. This table of nations demonstrates that God is not merely the God of one man, one family, or one nation. He is the God of the universe, the king of kings, worthy of all our praise and adoration.
We're familiar with the story of Babel, at least somewhat. But there is so much more to this story than just the confusion of languages. God's glory is at stake in the dispersal of his people over the earth!
Reruns are no fun, especially when its a re-run of an already terrible episode. That's exactly what we have in Genesis 9, which is almost an exact repeat of Genesis 3 and the Fall. After having high hopes that Noah would be new kind of man and would lead to a new type of humanity, Noah demonstrates that nothing about our nature has changed after the flood. Join us as we consider these very sad implicaitons.
We all know from Sunday School that the rainbow was the sign of God's covenant promises to Noah, but why did God choose the rainbow, and what can this covenant sign mean for us now? Plus, how should we think about cultural misappropriation of the rainbow in order to affirm sexually deviant practices? All of this and more in this week's sermon.
Today we discuss the details of the covenant God made with Noah. In this covenant, we see the provision of meat and the restriction of blood, but we also see the reasons why, and why blood is such a significant theme in the Bible.
After disembarking, God initiates a covenant with Noah, though there are several striking elements to this covenant. Most notably, there is a costly sacrifice, followed by a startling announcement from God that humanity will not be any different after the flood than they were before. However, this does not stop God from making an enduring promise regarding his undeserved mercy toward us. What a beautiful text we have to consider today!
After considering all the monumental changes occurring beneath the surface of the flood waters, Moses returns our attention, and the Lord's attention, to Noah. What does it mean to be remembered by God, especially in these dark and terrifying circumstances?
Join us as we finish our consideration of how the current scientific evidence, including rock layers, geographic formations, and fossils all point to the undeniable reality of a global, catastrophic flood as described in the Bible, and how our knowledge of this event can lead us into deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
In this sermon, pastor Tim Wade takes a look at some of the scientific evidence that we can observe today that points to the flood of Noah's day. However, do we draw our assurance of the truthfulness of the flood account from scientific evidence, or from somewhere else? Join us as we consider these important questions.
When God's judgment comes, it comes completely. Genesis 7 is a stunning and comprehensive account of God's judgment poured out on the earth. Join us as we take close look at this sobering passage.
Join Youth Director, Chris Ratliff, as he explores our responsibilities as Christians from 2 Peter 1:1-11.
In this passage, we see alternating tones of grace and wrath as God shows favor to Noah, but pronounces judgment on the world. How does this alternating message have relevance for our life today, and what does instructions about building the ark have to do with Jesus? Join us as we consider these truths and more!
