I went back another time but it was couples' night.
I'd heard it said the third time's a charm,
But when I tried again the people were all gone.
I cried out in the darkness where no one else could see;
And in my darkest moment the Lord found me.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Genesis 22 - The Sacrifice of a Son
Genesis 22:1-2
God told Abraham, “Take Isaac, whom you love, and go to Moriah and offer him there for a burnt sacrifice on a mountain that I will show you.”
What does verse 3 tell us Abraham did? Did he argue with God? Did he hesitate or stall to obey Him?
Genesis 22:6-7
As Abraham and Isaac carried wood, fire, and a knife up the mountain Isaac asked his father where the lamb for the offering was.
What did Abraham tell Isaac about the lamb?
Genesis 22:9
Abraham built an altar, placed wood on it, tied up Isaac, and laid him on the altar to offer him as a burnt sacrifice.
How do you think Abraham felt?
How do you think Isaac felt?
Genesis 22:10-13
As Abraham took the knife to kill Isaac and angel called to him and told him not to kill or hurt Isaac because God saw that Abraham feared Him and would not withhold his son from God. Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in a bush by it’s horns, and so he sacrificed the ram to God instead.
The account of Abraham being called to sacrifice is son is hard to read. As parents it’s hard for us to understand why God would require this of Abraham and how Abraham could actually make himself go through with it. Imagine the relief and happiness both father and son felt when the Angel of God stopped Abraham form going through with the sacrifice!
Compare Abraham to God and Isaac to Jesus. God and Jesus must have had similar feelings about Jesus being sacrificed on the cross for our sins. Abraham and Isaac were spared actually having to go through with it, but Jesus was not.
Read Luke 22:42
This verse tells us that Jesus did have similar thoughts and feelings to what Isaac must have had! Use the space below to write a prayer of thanks for God sacrificing His only son for us, and for Jesus, willingly being that sacrifice.
God told Abraham, “Take Isaac, whom you love, and go to Moriah and offer him there for a burnt sacrifice on a mountain that I will show you.”
What does verse 3 tell us Abraham did? Did he argue with God? Did he hesitate or stall to obey Him?
Genesis 22:6-7
As Abraham and Isaac carried wood, fire, and a knife up the mountain Isaac asked his father where the lamb for the offering was.
What did Abraham tell Isaac about the lamb?
Genesis 22:9
Abraham built an altar, placed wood on it, tied up Isaac, and laid him on the altar to offer him as a burnt sacrifice.
How do you think Abraham felt?
How do you think Isaac felt?
Genesis 22:10-13
As Abraham took the knife to kill Isaac and angel called to him and told him not to kill or hurt Isaac because God saw that Abraham feared Him and would not withhold his son from God. Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in a bush by it’s horns, and so he sacrificed the ram to God instead.
The account of Abraham being called to sacrifice is son is hard to read. As parents it’s hard for us to understand why God would require this of Abraham and how Abraham could actually make himself go through with it. Imagine the relief and happiness both father and son felt when the Angel of God stopped Abraham form going through with the sacrifice!
Compare Abraham to God and Isaac to Jesus. God and Jesus must have had similar feelings about Jesus being sacrificed on the cross for our sins. Abraham and Isaac were spared actually having to go through with it, but Jesus was not.
Read Luke 22:42
This verse tells us that Jesus did have similar thoughts and feelings to what Isaac must have had! Use the space below to write a prayer of thanks for God sacrificing His only son for us, and for Jesus, willingly being that sacrifice.
Friday, October 21, 2016
Geneis 21 - God Hears a Cry
Genesis 21:1-8
When Abraham was 100 years old Sarah gave birth to his son, Isaac, just as God had promised.
Why did Sarah name her son Isaac?
Genesis 21:9-14
Sarah heard Ishmael, Abraham’s son with Hagar, making fun of her and/or Isaac so she told Abraham to kick them out, and it was a very hard thing for Abraham to do. God told Abraham not to worry about Hagar and Ishmael, because He would also make a great nation from Ishmael’s descendants. So Abraham gave them bread and water and they wandered in the wilderness.
Read Genesis 21:15-21
What did Hagar do when they ran out of water?
Verse 16 tells us that Hagar lifted up her voice and wept. Whose voice does verse 17 tell us God heard?
God never promised that His children would never have hard times. However; we have hope because we know that He will hear our cry and will always be there with us
Use the space below to journal your thoughts.
When Abraham was 100 years old Sarah gave birth to his son, Isaac, just as God had promised.
Why did Sarah name her son Isaac?
Genesis 21:9-14
Sarah heard Ishmael, Abraham’s son with Hagar, making fun of her and/or Isaac so she told Abraham to kick them out, and it was a very hard thing for Abraham to do. God told Abraham not to worry about Hagar and Ishmael, because He would also make a great nation from Ishmael’s descendants. So Abraham gave them bread and water and they wandered in the wilderness.
Read Genesis 21:15-21
What did Hagar do when they ran out of water?
Verse 16 tells us that Hagar lifted up her voice and wept. Whose voice does verse 17 tell us God heard?
God never promised that His children would never have hard times. However; we have hope because we know that He will hear our cry and will always be there with us
Use the space below to journal your thoughts.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Genesis 20 - The Same Ole Mistakes
Genesis 20:1-18
Abraham and Sarah journeyed to Gerar. Once again, they told the king, this time Abimelech, that Sarah was Abraham’s sister, and she was once again taken into the king’s house. This time, God appeared to Abimelech in a dream and told him that Sarah was Abraham’s wife. Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham untouched and have him 1000 pieces of silver.
Like Abraham and Sarah, we often make the same mistakes, or poor decisions, over and over again. Because we are human, we do this, and God is faithful to forgive us. Therefore; we in turn should forgive others when they do wrong toward us.
Look up and read the following scriptures:
Matthew 8:22
Matthew 6:14
Mark 11:25-26
What do the scriptures listed above tell us about forgiveness?
Is there someone in your life who has wronged you that you need to forgive?
After you have forgiven this person, go by Abimelech’s example and go to that person and offer them some kind of gift or kindness. Use the space below to journal about how you can show love and forgiveness toward that person.
Abraham and Sarah journeyed to Gerar. Once again, they told the king, this time Abimelech, that Sarah was Abraham’s sister, and she was once again taken into the king’s house. This time, God appeared to Abimelech in a dream and told him that Sarah was Abraham’s wife. Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham untouched and have him 1000 pieces of silver.
Like Abraham and Sarah, we often make the same mistakes, or poor decisions, over and over again. Because we are human, we do this, and God is faithful to forgive us. Therefore; we in turn should forgive others when they do wrong toward us.
Look up and read the following scriptures:
Matthew 8:22
Matthew 6:14
Mark 11:25-26
What do the scriptures listed above tell us about forgiveness?
Is there someone in your life who has wronged you that you need to forgive?
After you have forgiven this person, go by Abimelech’s example and go to that person and offer them some kind of gift or kindness. Use the space below to journal about how you can show love and forgiveness toward that person.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Genesis 19 - God Spares the Righteous
Genesis 19:1-17
Two angels were sent to Sodom to destroy it. Lot encouraged them to spend the night in his house. The men of the city gathered around Lot’s house because they wanted to rape them the angels caused the men to become blind so they couldn’t find the door to Lot’s house. In the morning, the angels set Lot, his wife, and two daughters outside the gate of the city and told them not to look back.
Genesis 19:24-26
God caused fire and brimstone to fall from the sky to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
What happened to Lot’s wife when she looked back at the city? (verse 26)
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were overtaken by the sin of sexual perversion and God destroyed them with fire, saving only Lot’s family because Lot was righteous. In Genesis 6 we read that men had become so wicked that God regretted having made them, and destroyed them with a flood, saving only Noah’s family because Noah was righteous.
Read Matthew 24:4-51
In Matthew 24, Jesus described the end times, comparing them to the days of Noah. God always makes a way of safety, or escape, for the righteous. In the end times the righteous will be raptured, or taken up into heaven and escape the final destruction of the earth.
Use the space below to write a prayer thanking God for sending Jesus to save us and make a way for us to be spared from destruction.
Two angels were sent to Sodom to destroy it. Lot encouraged them to spend the night in his house. The men of the city gathered around Lot’s house because they wanted to rape them the angels caused the men to become blind so they couldn’t find the door to Lot’s house. In the morning, the angels set Lot, his wife, and two daughters outside the gate of the city and told them not to look back.
Genesis 19:24-26
God caused fire and brimstone to fall from the sky to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
What happened to Lot’s wife when she looked back at the city? (verse 26)
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were overtaken by the sin of sexual perversion and God destroyed them with fire, saving only Lot’s family because Lot was righteous. In Genesis 6 we read that men had become so wicked that God regretted having made them, and destroyed them with a flood, saving only Noah’s family because Noah was righteous.
Read Matthew 24:4-51
In Matthew 24, Jesus described the end times, comparing them to the days of Noah. God always makes a way of safety, or escape, for the righteous. In the end times the righteous will be raptured, or taken up into heaven and escape the final destruction of the earth.
Use the space below to write a prayer thanking God for sending Jesus to save us and make a way for us to be spared from destruction.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Genesis 18 Topic 2 - Sodom and Gomorrah
Genesis 18:20-33
The Lord revealed to Abraham that He was going to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because they had become very sinful. Abraham asked God not to destroy the righteous with the wicked.
Read verse 32 again. God promised not to destroy the cities if he found 10 righteous people there.
What does this tell you about the nature of God?
Why do you think God revealed His plan to Abraham?
Read 2 Peter 3:9.
Use the space below to write a prayer to thank God for showing mercy to the righteous.
The Lord revealed to Abraham that He was going to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because they had become very sinful. Abraham asked God not to destroy the righteous with the wicked.
Read verse 32 again. God promised not to destroy the cities if he found 10 righteous people there.
What does this tell you about the nature of God?
Why do you think God revealed His plan to Abraham?
Read 2 Peter 3:9.
Use the space below to write a prayer to thank God for showing mercy to the righteous.
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