A Conditional Sign of Unconditional Grace | Genesis 17
We all need to experience unconditional grace. In Genesis 12:1-3 and Genesis 15:1-21 God promises Abram unconditional grace in the form of a covenant. What is a covenant? A covenant is an elected, family-like relationship of obligation, under divine sanction. Or more simply defined, a promise where God is involved. God promises Abram a place, people and presence which are all fulfilled in Jesus Christ. God gives a sign of unconditional grace to every believer. In Genesis 17 God gives the covenant…
Faith Counted As Righteousness | Genesis 15:1-21
Genesis 15:1-21 is about God’s covenant with the patriarch Abram. God made Abram a promise that he would be father of a great nation. An amazing promise considering he and Sarai’s age when that promise was made. This message discusses how Abram’s belief in God’s promises was counted as righteousness. You will discover that right here in the Old Testament are the words that are the foundation of the theology of the New Testament. God’s covenant was not dependent on any action by…
God’s Cosmic Plan | Genesis 13:1-14:24
Old Testament stories like Abram and Lot separating or the battle of the 9 kings in the plain of Jordan are interesting and exciting, but what are we as Christians supposed to get from them? This week’s message explains how these stories and the mysterious King Melkizedek from Genesis 13:1-14:24 set up a plot line that takes 2000 years to be fully revealed to us. It’s all part of God’s eternal cosmic plan that centers on Jesus, our King, our Priest.
Into The Unknown | Genesis 11:27-12:9
Genesis 11:27-12:9 tells us the story of God calling Abram out of his homeland towards a new and better place. God promises three blessings: a place, a people, and a presence, but Abram will only receive these through faith. This faith is a living and active faith, faith enough to go. God calls us out of our comfort too. God invites you into the unknown by faith so that you might know Him.
My Way vs. God’s Way | Genesis 11:1-9
Genesis 11:1-9 is the story of the tower of Babel. All the people of the world gather together not just build a city and tower, but to show God they are more interested in doing life their way than his way. The marks of a life lived for self instead of God are: 1) pride, 2) disobedience, and 3) idolatry. The signs of living life for God instead of self are the opposite: 1) humility, 2) obedience, and 3) worship.…
Noah’s story. Our Story. | Genesis 6:5-9:17
Genesis 6:5-9:17 tells us one of the most intriguing stories in the Bible, the story of Noah’s ark and the great flood. Children’s books and toys tell us Noah’s flood was a fun, colorful, day at the zoo, but the real story is much different and has lots of truths to teach us, ultimately telling us this. Noah’s ark is a story of God’s judgment and grace and that’s our story.
Two Families. One Hope. | Genesis 4:17-5:32
Genesis 4:17-5:32 tells us the story of two families, the descendants of Cain and the descendants of Seth. The family of Cain are the offspring of the serpent and the family of Seth are the offspring of Eve. Genesis 3:15 tells us that through Eve’s offspring, Seth’s line, will come a savior who will defeat sin, evil, and the family of the serpent. This new family comes to completion in Jesus Christ. We join the family of God through faith in the Son…
The Post-Fall Pattern and Human Reaction | Genesis 4:1-16
Genesis 4:1-16 tells the story of Cain and Abel. It warns us about sin and how it crouches at our door. We must flee from evil and pursue righteousness. Hurting others is the true mark of a fallen human.
Why is Everything Broken? | Genesis 3:1-24
Genesis 3:1-24 tells us the story of why the world is the way it is. Everything is broken. People hurt, they’re sad, wars rage, relationships crumble. Why? It’s because in Adam and Eve we blew it in the garden. We broke everything by not trusting God, by not obeying him. We decided we knew better and now everything is broken. But there’s hope… The “proto-evangelium” (the first gospel) in Genesis 3:15 tells us someone is going to come and rescue…
What does it Mean to be Human? | Genesis 1:26-31, 2:4-25
What does it mean to be human? Is it funny mistakes? Is it helping each other? Genesis 1:26-31, 2:4-25 tell us that to be human is to be made in God’s image, to be given life by God, and to experience relationship with God and others. We find our humanity when we find God… when we find Jesus.
Created to Trust | Genesis 1:1-25
In Genesis 1:1-25 we’ll learn five truths Moses taught the people of Israel as they wandered in the desert after leaving Egypt. They hoped to reach the promised land but because of their disobedience were sentenced to wander for 40 years in this wilderness. This is when they needed a message of hope, renewal, and re-creation the most. Moses gave them that hope in the creation poem of Genesis chapter one. The message is the same to us today. Come and trust…
Called to Serve | Exodus 31:1-11
What’s the greatest thing you can imagine being a part of? For some, maybe it’s the Apollo Space Program that sent Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon. Today we’re given an even greater opportunity to join Jesus in serving God and building His kingdom. In Exodus 31:1-11 we see the leader of Israel, Moses, give his people a similar opportunity as they begin to construct the tabernacle. In this story we learn what a call is and three…