September 15, 2024
The Story | Does God Have Any Use For Me? | Chapter 2
Beginnings: How God Got Things Started, A Chosen People.
The second chapter of The Story introduces us to Abram and Sarah, God's choice for the parents of His chosen people. Not only do we meet Abram and Sarah, but we also begin to see what God is truly like. He chooses a very old, childless couple to start a nation. What is God after? Is He a cruel being who delights in rubbing people's noses in their failures or taunting them with the unattainable? Or is there something in this story that reveals God's heart for all of us?
Songs for this week: Spotify
Chapter 2: Genesis 15:1-7
- Have you ever been cut from a team, dumped by a boyfriend or girlfriend, or faced some other form of rejection? If it's not too painful, share that story.
- In Genesis 12, God chooses Abram and Sarah to be the parents of His chosen people. What does it say about God that He chooses two senior citizens to start a nation?
- Abram is honest about his frustration with God not fulfilling His promise (15:3). What would an honest prayer from you to God sound like this week? Where do you need God to fulfill His part?
- Verse 6 says, "Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness." Why does God want us to believe in Him? Why isn't it enough for humans to simply try to be good?
- What promise has God given you? What does it mean for you to believe even while you wait?
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Recent Sermons
Empowered Baptism is recognized throughout the Church as the beginning of a ‘God thing.’ John’s baptism was a visible demonstration of the start of a new life — clearing out the junk to prepare for what God was about to do. Jesus’ baptism reveals the true heart of baptism: God’s desire to bless and express His delight. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the start of the Kingdom. Ordinary women and men were now filled with the Spirit of Jesus to continue on the ministry Jesus started.
Luke 3:21-22 -At Jesus’ baptism, the Father said, “You’re my son. I love you. I’m proud of you.” As Christians, our baptism is a sign that we are in Christ, that what is true about him is true about us, and that the Father’s blessing now defines us.
Luke 3:1-20 - The first mention of baptism in the Bible begins with John. John was the cousin of Jesus and also His opening act. John called the people of his day to "Get Ready." The public sign of a life getting ready for God was, and still is, baptism. Get washed so God can do what God wants to do.
Revelation 21:1-8 - Jesus wins; Jesus has already won; stay faithful to Jesus! This is the message of John’s sometimes confusing book of Revelation. It is full of encouragement and hope for disciples. Jesus, the Lamb, is on the throne. And he is preparing a future for us that includes heaven and so much more!
Acts 21:37–22:22 - Acts 21 finds Paul in Jerusalem, at the Temple, getting beaten for his faith in Jesus. In a wild turn of events, Paul had the opportunity to talk to those who wanted to kill him. What do you say to people who want you dead? Paul told his story—a story of his own self-righteous zeal, of Jesus meeting him in an unmistakable way, and of a kind believer who stood with him. What a great testimony!
Acts 13:16-44 -Paul and Barnabas made their way through the known world, telling everyone they met about Jesus and the Resurrection. In one synagogue, Paul told the Jews their history, but he told it differently than they’d heard it before. He showed how God had often given Israel a second chance. He went on to explain that Jesus was their second, and final, chance. Some of their listeners believed; others hated the message. Nobody likes being told they’re wrong.
