Sermons from September 2019
In God We Trust?
Genesis 14. Last week, we saw Abraham choose peace over conflict and display his trust in God in the area of land, as he allowed Lot to choose first and choose the ‘better’ portion. This week, we will see Abraham drawn into conflict for the sake of Lot and continue to display his trust in God, this time in the area of possessions. Come join us as we consider what it looks like to walk ‘In Tracks Of Trust’ in the area of money and possessions.
In Trust or by Sight?
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that when we follow Christ, we “walk by faith, not by sight.” This phrase will be the theme for this week’s study in the lives of Abram and Sarai. Abram and Sarai (and Lot) are back in the land, but another crisis hits. This time, Abram and Lot each have too many possessions for the land to sustain them. What will they do to solve this crisis? They must either choose to walk by faith, trusting in the living God and his promises, or walk solely by physical sight. We are faced with the same option everyday – will we choose to walk in trust of the living God or solely by sight? Genesis 13:5-18
The Ups and Downs of Trust
Genesis 12:4-13:4
Why is “fear not” the most constant refrain in all of Scripture? Because fear prevents us from trusting God and going deeper with him. We learned last week that for Abram and Sarai to be blessed and become a blessing, they must throw their entire weight upon the living God in trust. This week, we see their first crisis. Will they trust God and become a blessing, or fear and miss out on going deeper with him?
Blessed to be a Blessing
Genesis 11:27 – 12:3
This Sunday, I will invite you into an adventure, an adventure of trust, as we begin a study in the lives of Abraham and Sarah, the two most significant people of the ancient world. Corrie Ten Boom’s line is appropriate for this story: “Faith is the fantastic adventure in trusting God.” Over and over again in this adventure, we will be presented with the question, what does it look like to trust God with our lives? In Romans, Paul says to watch Abraham, for Abraham is the father of all those who trust God (Rom 4:11-12). Join us this week as we seek to follow in Abraham’s tracks of trust, blessed to be a blessing.
Rome at Last: The End of the Beginning
Acts 28:1-31 This week we come to the conclusion of Dr. Luke’s two-volume work Luke/Acts. It has been a long, adventuresome journey, especially following Paul’s relentless energy and patient endurance, as he spread the gospel over 10,000 miles, visiting 29 cities, 8 provinces and 2 continents. With great skill, Luke has captured our imagination and held us in suspense through Paul’s countless trials and shipwrecks, wondering how will it all end. Will Paul make it to Rome? Will he get his day in court? Will Paul be vindicated or martyred? On the surface, Luke’s ending seems inconclusive, leaving our questions unanswered. But on closer examination, it fits his purposes perfectly, pulling us into the drama in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Acts 28:1-31