July 19, 2009: Abraham & Isasc

God is always stretching our faith.

1. Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, 'Can an old woman like me have a baby?' Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." Sarah was afraid, so she denied it it, saying, "I didn't laugh." But the Lord said, "No, you did laugh."
(Genesis18:13-15)

Faith is believing that God is able to keep His promises. It seems there are times when God can throw some funny or questionable things our way. We might end up in an unprecedented or comfortable situation that only He could orchestrate or maybe He asks us to something that stretches our faith to the point where we might snap.
- Have you ever laughed at God - maybe because of a situation that he put you in?
- Have you questioned God's will for your life or for a particular situation?
- Please share an example from your life where God was more concerned about your character than your comfort.



2. It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God had told him, "Isaac is the son through who your descendants will be counted." Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.
(Hebrews 11:17-19)

God tested Abraham and he obeyed. God then blessed Abraham because he didn't hold back.
- Can you imagine God asking you to sacrifice your child? How might you respond?
- What other things do we hold back from God? How can we let go so that we might experience God's blessing for our lives?


These questions are posted to open up discussion and comments on the story of Abraham and Isaac. Please feel free to share your own thoughts, comments and questions on this topic. You may comment on other posts, too.

Click on "# comments" below on this week's post to write your responses and to read others. You can make an anonymous post or sign your name.

July 12, 2009: Abraham and Lot

1. So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.
(Genesis13:12-13)

Much like Lot we gravitate toward sin.
- Why is it so hard to stay away from whatever Sodom might be in your own life?



2. But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.
(Genesis19:29)

God heard and answered Abraham's prayer.
- Can you share an example of how God has answered a prayer for you?
- Have you ever tried to negotiate with God during your prayers? (Genesis 18:20-33)


We had an awesome Sunday with great music and a challenging message along with the INCREDIBLE Baptism and picnic. Please feel free to share any thoughts about this amazing day! God is GREAT!


These questions are posted to open up discussion and comments on the story of Abraham and Sarah. Please feel free to share your own thoughts, comments and questions on this topic. You may comment on other posts, too.

Click on "# comments" below on this week's post to write your responses and to read others. You can make an anonymous post or sign your name.

July 5, 2009 - ABRAHAM & SARAH: Looking For A City

Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is a able to do whatever He promises.
(Romans 4:20-21)

God called Abraham to leave his home and go to another land. He didn't know where he was going, but his unwavering faith allowed him to fully trust in God's promise.
- Has God ever called you to do something that did not make sense?
- How did you respond?
- Have you seen evidence of God's promises in your life?


This weekend we also celebrated our nation's birthday and the freedom that we have as Americans. In our worship service we also celebrated our freedom in Christ.
- How did you celebrate or reflect on these freedoms this past weekend?



These questions are posted to open up discussion and comments on the story of Abraham and Sarah. Please feel free to share your own thoughts, comments and questions on this topic. You may comment on other posts, too.

Click on "# comments" below on this week's post to write your responses and to read others. You can make an anonymous post or sign your name.

June 28, 2009: NOAH FOUND GRACE

Noah was just a normal guy who walked with God. He obeyed when it didn't make ANY sense and when there was no end in sight. 120 years is a long time to trust and follow God.
(Genesis 6:8-10, 22)

~ What does it mean to "walk with God"?
~ Do you find it difficult to follow God when it doesn't make any sense to you?
~ Do people think you're crazy for living a sold-out life for God?

~ How do you think Noah felt when he was on that boat for 40 days with no end in sight?

God didn't take away the "storm" in Noah's life. He provided a way through it. (Genesis 8:1)

~ What kind of "storms" have you faced in your life?
~ How did God provide a way through it?

These questions are posted to open up discussion and comments on the story of Noah and his family. Please feel free to share your own thoughts, comments and questions on this topic. You may comment on other posts, too. What a great topic for discussion/comments this week!

Click on "# comments" below on this week's post to write your responses and to read others. You can make an anonymous post or sign your name.

Sunday June 21, 2009: Cain & Abel Questions

It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel's offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith. Hebrews 11:4 (NLT)

How does Abel's example of faith still speak to us today?

What are examples of first fruits in our own lives?

Do you struggle to give God your first fruits?

These questions are posted to open up discussion and comments on the story of Cain and Abel.
Please feel free to share your own thoughts, comments and questions on this topic.

Click on "# comments" below to post your response and to read other responses.
You can make an anonymous post or sign your name.

Summer Message Series: Who Are These Guys?

This week kicks-off our summer message series on the main characters from the book of Genesis! Get ready to connect with their stories and understand how God worked in and through them. You will be surprised to know that these guys experienced issues similar to what we face today.

Each Monday we will post a few key questions and thoughts from the Sunday morning message and open it up for our people to make comments on the post.

You'll have the opportunity to comment on something that you learned from studying the lives of these characters. You could even share a story of how God has worked similarly in your own life. It will be fun and inspiring to share our thoughts and see how God is working in us and through us, just as he did with these guys. The God of the Old Testament is the same God we worship today - how is He moving in your life?

Don't forget to sign your post!