Stealing birthrights for stew, tricking his blind dad, and wrestling with... an angel? If this sounds pretty wild, it is. Will God work through Jacob anyway, Or is he on his own?
People often assume what a Holy God wants from us is the most costly of sacrifices. Instead, God shows Abraham he wants our trust while God himself provides the sacrifice for us. In John 1, Jesus is revealed as "The Lamb of God", the sacrifice God provides for our redemption, asking only our trust that he is God's provision, for us!
Every story has a beginning and every journey has a starting point. That is what Genesis is all about!
Hebrews 13 reminds us that Jesus was put to death outside the city; an insult meaning one so condemned is not one of "Us". In this Jesus shows the heart for the world he revealed in Luke 15. Jesus comes to invite those on the outside to know that are not outside God's love. How can we do the same?
In Hebrews 12 we are reminded that although personal disciplines always seem painful, they help us to grow in the areas that will benefit us most. Jesus speaks this in John 15- pruning leads to growth. What do you want to see growing in your life? Ask the Lord to show you what needs pruning, and what needs nourishing to see that growth.
How do we navigate toward the future when we can't see over the horizon? We look for encouragement from the past to build our faith and we look with hope to the future as we faithfully play the long game.
Hebrews 10 is full of encouragement but also has a stark warning for Christians.
In the Old Testament, God's covenant with his people was "if you will be my people, I will be your God". Unfortunately, no matter how faithfully people promised, none could live up to it. So God sent his son, Jesus, to establish a New Covenant not founded on our promises, but on His. His is the better promise, because he is faithful to do what he has promised, for us all.
Britta Maly (Children's Ministry Director) encourages and warns us from Ezekiel 34 that we should all be taking care of God's lambs.
Some things in the Bible are easy to understand but other things require time and effort to comprehend. Are you willing to "chew-on" the tougher things in order to grow?
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