Reflection: Chapter 2 ... SOVEREIGN

Have you ever wanted something (or someone) so much that you were willing to go to crazy lengths to get what/who you wanted?

If so, you're not alone. Let me introduce you to Abraham and Sarah, an octogenarian couple who really, really wanted to have a child.

In fact, God told them they would have a child. Not only that, but also that their descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. They were ecstatic. And a little bit incredulous.

But because they wanted the child so darn much, it was pretty hard to continue to believe God's promise since no child appeared on the scene. Not that day. Nor the next. Or the next. (You get the picture.)

With each passing day, as they waited for God to deliver on His promise, they got a little older and incredulous-er. Thinking Sarah's elderly body might be the problem, they took matters into their own hands to help God out. Remember last week when we talked about how God's image in us is blurry? Here's a good example--they knew that God would keep His promise but they just couldn't wait.

(If you haven't yet, read how well their Plan B worked out here HERE.  PS It didn't.) 

It turns out Sarah wasn't the problem, not really. And Abraham wasn't the problem either. SIN was the problem--impatience and envy and thinking they knew better than God.

Fortunately for them, their God--and OUR God--is sovereign.
God is in complete control.
Of everything.
Of His promises and the ways He keeps His promises.

And even when we try to help things along--or rather, HURRY things along--we will never ruin God's plan.

Complicate it, yes. But ruin it? Not in a million years.
Thank God.

QUESTIONS--feel free to leave your answers in the comment! 
Time to 'fess up: when have you tried to "help" God out by hurrying things up? What was the result?

Chapter 2: Questions

God Builds a Nation

You made it to week 2! (Right??) Yay! Welcome back!

Just like last week, feel free to post your answers to these questions, ESPECIALLY the "Digging Deeper" ones. Also, if you get a chance to do the "Personal Action," let us know how that went--was it hard to offer things up to God or not? 

CHECK YOUR COMPREHENSION
1. Abraham left his homeland and family to follow God. What did God say his reward would be?

2. What might God be asking YOU to give up in order to follow him?

3. What made Abraham righteous in God's sight? How is this fact relevant to your life?

4. Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac? What did Abraham--and Isaac--learn from this experience?

5. Because Jacob had shrewdly acquired Esau's birthright and stolen their father's blessing, Jacob feared his brother's revenge. How did Jacob prepare for his meeting with Esau?

6. What attitude did Jacob have when he wrestled with the "man" who Jacob eventually realized was actually God?

DIGGING DEEPER
Many of the people God called to follow him had GREAT excuses or reasons why they weren't the right person for the job. What are some common excuses we use today?

Abraham and Sarah chose to follow God by faith and trust that he would build a nation through him--and he did. What step of faith is God calling you to take now ... but YOU are hemming and hawing and putting it off? What can you do to take a trust-filled step and move forward?

PERSONAL ACTION
Abraham took what was most precious to him--his son, Isaac--and surrendered him to God. Make a list of five to ten things that mean a great deal to you. One by one, offer them to God. If it's a person, offer him or her to God; if it's a thing, let God know he can have it; if it's a talent or ability, tell God you will use it for him. Take everything and everyone that means the most to you and freely offer it back to the One who gave you everything you have in the first place.


This is a safe place to be able to share questions and fears and doubts. You can post using your name or not, whichever you prefer. If you choose to respond to someone's comment, please be gentle with your words.  

SERMON: Chapter 1 (Allison)

Introduction

Imagine a beautiful place. But not just any beautiful place … imagine the MOST beautiful place on

earth. Maybe it’s the most beautiful place you've ever been. Or maybe it’s a beautiful place that’s on your bucket list to visit one day.

Maybe the beauty of this place isn't so much about what it looks like physically but maybe it’s more about how it makes you feel when you’re there: calm, peaceful, content, rested, full of energy, happy.

Take a moment and imagine this beautiful place—the one place where, if you were able, you would stay forever.  

If you wouldn't mind sharing your answer with the rest of us, where do YOU think is the most beautiful place? And why?

(wait for answers)

Imagine what it would be like if you actually COULD stay in that place forever on one condition. You could stay in this beautiful place FOREVER and EVER … if you only could do this one thin. And that one thing is … to resist your greatest temptation.

Would you be able to resist your greatest temptation in order to stay in the most beautiful place in the world?

Tina's Sermon - Intro

"The Story" Kick-Off sermon by the Rev. Dr. Tina Hosler

UPPER STORY / LOWER STORY

Romans 8:28 

In one little Midwestern town, Miss Jones had the distinction of being the oldest resident in town. So when she died, the editor of the local paper wanted to print a little article remembering this dear old lady, except he couldn't think of anything to say when he sat down to write the article. Miss Jones had never done anything terribly wrong. She had never spent a night in jail or had ever been drunk. On the other hand, she had never done anything significant.

With this still on his mind, the editor went down to the local café, and there he ran into the local funeral director. He too was having the same trouble. He wanted to put something on Miss Jones' tombstone besides "Miss Nancy Jones, born such-and-such a date and died such-and-such a date," but he couldn't think of anything to write either.

The editor decided to go back to his office and assign the job of writing up a small article for both the paper and the tombstone to the first reporter he saw. When he got to the office, he ran into the sports editor, who got the assignment. So somewhere in some little community in the Midwest there is a tombstone which reads:   

Here lie the bones of Nancy Jones,  

For her life held no terrors.

She lived an old maid. She died an old maid.

No hits, no runs, no errors.

It’s sad to think that is the way many Christians live their lives. They've never done anything terribly wrong, but they never accomplish anything significant for the Lord.  (Sermon Central: From a sermon by C. Philip Green, Take a Risk, 5/25/2012)  

Many people think their life is all about them and that their life doesn’t mean much in the big scheme of things.  A lot of people never realize that their story is part of God’s greater story.

Maybe you’ve never thought much about that before, but every one of our stories are part of God’s story.  As we kick off “The Story” today, we are beginning an amazing journey together.  And along this journey you are going to be asked to think about your story and you are going to see how your story fits in God’s story. 

Reflection: Chapter 1 ... SIN

"sin" (noun)  1. transgression of divine law: the sin of Adam

Beautiful place to live? 

CHECK.  

Food on the table? 

CHECK.

Work to keep them busy during the day? 

CHECK. 

A helpmate to keep them warm at night? 

CHECK.

A God who walks with them and talks with them? CHECK. 

Adam and Eve were so stinkin' blessed -- they lived in paradise in perfect fellowship with God. So why in the world would they want anything else? Why in the world would they give in to the serpent's temptation? 

Why bite the forbidden fruit? 

For that matter ... why do WE want something other than what we have? Why do we look around and long for a nicer car or a bigger house or a better paying job? 

In a word? One little, ugly word? SIN.

We humans are made in God's image ... but we are not God. The image of God can be seen in us, but it's like looking in a foggy bathroom mirror--it's there and we can sorta see it, but it's blurry and distorted. 

We are created to be like Him--but our sin distorts God's image and makes it blurry. And that blurriness means we are given the choice of how what to say and do. And that 7 times out of 10 ... OK, 9 times out of 10, we choose to disobey God.  

This blurry image makes our eyes rove and our hearts wander, coveting the house, spouse, servant, and ass of our neighbor. (See?) And it makes us want something other than what God has given to us and provided for us in our lives. 

Why would Adam and Eve want anything other than the paradise they had? Because they were broken bearers of a blurry image of God ... and in this event we call "the Fall," they passed that sin down to the rest of the race. (#thankyouverymuch)  

And now, we all live as exiles from Eden, longing for the day when, like the thief, we will be with God in paradise. 

QUESTIONS--feel free to leave your answer in the comments! 

On a scale of 1 to 10, how big of a problem is sin in your life? How often do you think about your sins? 

Do you feel like an exile from Eden because of sin?  What exactly does that feel like?