People of the Bible: Abraham

Book of the Bible: Genesis 12-21

The man we know as Abraham first appears in the Bible in Genesis 12 as a man named Abram. God spoke to Abram and told him to leave his home to a place God would show him. Abram was 75 years old when God called him to leave his home.

Even though Abram was old, he and his wife, Sarai had never been able to have children. Abram and Sarai were disappointed that they didn’t have any kids, but one day God gave Abram a promise. God said that He would make Abram into a great nation and his offspring would be more numerous than the dust of the year and the stars of the sky.

Even though Abram and Sarai were very old, God promised to give them children. They believed in the promise God gave them and it was credited to them as righteousness. However, quite a bit of time went by and they still didn’t have any kids. Abram was 99 years old; he had all but given up on the idea of ever having children, but God reminded him of His promise.

God promised to make him a father of a nation. He changed his name from Abram to Abraham and He changed Sarai’s name to Sarah as a sign of His promise. God told Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son in the next year. God kept His promise, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old, they had a boy and named him Isaac.

Even though it took 25 years, God kept His promise to Abraham and Sarah. We can have the confidence to believe in God’s promises because we have stories like this one that prove God’s faithfulness.

Eventually, Jesus would be born into Abraham’s family. Jesus had the same kind of faith Abraham had. Jesus obeyed everything God told him to do, even dying on the cross. Jesus did this because he knew he could trust God’s promises even when things don’t look good. In the same way, we too can trust in God’s promises!

Key Takeaways:

• Abraham believed God

• Even when it looked impossible, God kept His promise

• Even today, God still keeps His promises!

Parents, 3treesKIDS will be covering “Abraham", both in-person and online this week.

Be sure to check out their lesson at www.3trees.com/kids.

To find service times and locations, visit https://www.3trees.com/planyourvisit.

People of the Bible: Noah

Book of the Bible: Genesis 6-9

After the Fall in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), the earth became an increasingly evil and wicked place. God was deeply grieved by the sins of mankind so He decided to wipe them out, along with all the creatures of the earth. Noah, however, found favor with God. God told Noah to build an ark because He was going to send a flood to destroy the earth.

Noah listened to God and did everything He said. Before the flood, God sent two of every kind of creature for Noah to put on his ark. Once Noah loaded the ark with all the animals and his family, God made it rain 40 days and 40 nights. The earth was covered with water for months. Every man and animal that wasn’t on the ark died.

God wiped out His creation because it became wicked. But God started fresh with Noah and his family and two of each kind of animal. God made the waters recede and eventually, the ark came to rest. While the earth was drying, Noah sent a dove to see whether the water was gone from the earth’s surface. He did this three times, each time seven days apart:

• The first time the dove came back with nothing because water still covered the ground.

• The second time the dove came back with an olive leaf in its beak.

• The third time the dove didn’t return, which told Noah the ground was dry.

After Noah and the animals got out of the ark, God sent a rainbow as a sign to them. God promised them that He would never destroy the earth again by sending a flood. God promised to always remember us, and when we see a rainbow we should remember Him.

God always remembers us, even when we don’t. Just like God made a covenant with Noah through the rainbow, God has made a covenant with us through the cross. Because of His love and the sacrifice of His one and only son we can live in the promise of everlasting life.

Key Takeaways:

• God judged the world because it was wicked

• God saved Noah’s family and two of every kind of animal

• A rainbow is a sign of God’s promise

Parents, 3treesKIDS will be covering “Noah”, both in-person and online this week.

Be sure to check out their lesson at www.3trees.com/kids.

To find service times and locations, visit https://www.3trees.com/planyourvisit.

The Deliverance Dilemma

Has God ever brought you out of something, but not fully delivered you to the next thing? Many of us consider this the waiting period, but Caleb Southern, our youth coordinator, refers to it as the deliverance dilemma- a time when you're waiting for God to bring you into something new. We’ve all been there.

The Israelites know all about the deliverance dilemma.

As a nation of people enslaved by the Egyptians, they were treated horrifically as slave laborers for many years. Moses, following the commandment of God, comes to their rescue, setting them free from the Egyptians, and delivers them to The Promised Land, otherwise known as The Land of Milk and Honey. God brought them out of bondage and into something new and wonderful!

Caleb, however, points out that 40 years elapsed from the moment the Israelites leave Egypt and when they arrive at The Promised Land. For 40 years they were wandering around in the wilderness tired and starving. In this period of waiting they start to reminisce about what they used to have, even though they were slaves- they were still well fed. Comfort and familiarity can keep us enslaved, even when we know we're choosing the wrong path.

And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” - Exodus 16:2 (ESV)

The Israelites had been delivered out of Egypt but had not yet been delivered into The Promised Land. They were experiencing the deliverance dilemma.

They had followed God, but they were still experiencing issues. Can you relate? You gave your life to Jesus and you’re trying to be obedient, but you're still struggling in different areas of your life. Maybe with anger, temptation, depression, anxiety, and/or addiction? God is bringing you out of sin, but you're not fully delivered from it.

Here are four key takeaways from Caleb’s message, The Deliverance Dilemma, that I think will help you navigate your season of waiting.

1) Don’t choose to grumble over being grateful:

The Israelites only focused on what they did not have- meat and bread- and chose to grumble and complain. They should have been focused on the promises God had for them and all He had already done for them.

We must always focus on what we do have, choosing gratitude over grumbling and complaining.

2) Remember that God will provide:

Even though the Israelites chose to grumble and complain, God gave them grace and provided them food to eat. They didn’t deserve it, and they didn’t pray for it, but God gave it to them.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.

-Exodus 16:4 (ESV)

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. - Exodus 16:13 (ESV)

God will provide all that we need too. His provision may not look exactly like you would think, but He will provide.

3) Keep coming back for what God has for you:

God only gave the Israelites enough bread for one day at a time. They were not to store it up, but they had to keep coming back for more. God only gave them exactly what they needed for that day. We have to keep coming back to God every day for His blessings. We have to keep showing up at church, keep giving our time, talents, and treasures, keep reading the Word and praying prayers and God will keep blessing us.

And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted. Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted. -Exodus 16:19-21 ESV

4) What you do today matters to the generations that come after you:

The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. -Exodus 16:35

Two generations of Israelites continued to feast on the blessings that God gave.

Have you decided to follow Christ? Have you decided to put God in the center of the generations that come after you? Will your kids and your grandchildren inherit a generational blessing or a generational curse? You get to decide if Jesus is the center of your life and your home, and that decision directly affects more than just you!

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. - John 6:35

Just like the Israelites needed bread, we do too. Jesus is the bread of life. Step into a generational blessing.

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link:

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

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