Bethany Church

Selected passages: Hebrews 11:8-12 Hebrews 11:17-19 Romans 4:13-25 Galatians 3:1-9

This morning we look back on the life of Abraham as we consider his death. His was a life, much like ours, which consisted of a mixture of FAITH, FAILURE and the GRACE of God. This morning we want to look to Abraham, but then through him, even as he himself did, to the day when all the promises of the covenant would come to fruition in Abraham’s seed, Jesus Christ.

This Sunday we look at one of the sweetest stories of God’s providence working in the lives of those he loves. We will walk through the story by looking at the faith of Abraham, his servant, and Rebekah, who all trusted in the Lord’s covenantal faithfulness and his kind provisions.

This Sunday we begin the transition to the end of the narrative arc for Abraham’s life with the death of Sarah. And while he mourns the death of the amazing woman of faith, he also looks past his own death to the future promises of God to be fulfilled even beyond the grave. And so should we because we are sojourners in life, but heirs in death.

After so much laughter and the long-fulfilled promise of a son, could God really be testing Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac? In the midst of the obvious emotional turmoil, we see this father exercise otherworldly faith by surrendering the one who meant the most to him and he had been guaranteed to have. Could the test have been more for the benefit of Abraham and us than for God? Let’s find out.

Sometimes you just need a good laugh. Some say it is even the best medicine. But when it comes from receiving a long-awaited, fulfilled promise, that gives hope not only to the family, but the whole world, it is laughter upon laughter, grace upon grace. But there is grace as well not just for the insider family, but for those cast out as well. Let’s look this morning at grace so surprising that all we can do is laugh!

This morning we will see Abraham brought back to his old temptation of trusting in his own schemes rather than God’s goodness, promises and His own power to get things done. We too doubt with similar questions when we chose sin over costly obedience. But much like with Abraham, God can graciously even use our sinful choices to accomplish His purposes. Let’s ask and answer two questions today.

Even with the coming judgment upon the wicked revealed to them, Lot and his family must be dragged to grace and safety because of their inordinate attachment to their earthly life. But what they find on the other side of rescue is that the infection of Sodom remains, and they need an even greater rescuing. Let’s look at four chapters of this epic story.

Continuing in our Genesis series this Sunday.

In this strange encounter between Abraham, Sarah, and the heavenly visitors, we get to see an unusual display of intimate, fellowship-feasting and the omniscient annunciation of the promised child. After the week we have had we need to be reminded, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Let’s look at the feast and then the fulfillment.

From the birth of Ishmael, God allows 13 years of domestic turmoil to pass before renewing the covenant with Abram with new names and new hope. This morning we look at the covenant sign of circumcision by unpacking four new names that God reveals in this passage. Let’s find hope for the New Year in the eternal covenants of God.

This advent season over three weeks we will BEHOLD Jesus’s coming as a baby, his daily residing in our hearts, and his second glorious return. This morning we look at three reminders that will help us wait as God intended us to wait for his future advent.

This advent season over three weeks we will BEHOLD Jesus’s coming as baby, his daily residing in our hearts, and his second glorious return. This morning we look at four aspects of Beholding him daily through the hope of Christ in you.

This advent season over three weeks we will BEHOLD Jesus’s coming as baby, his daily residing in our hearts, and his second glorious return. What a journey that begins today by looking at the way a rising sun fills all the earth with light. Let’s discover the answer to the question everyone is asking whether they know it or not - how to fix this dark world.

We began last week (Gen. 15:1-6) by looking at the inevitability of doubt in the lives of believers and how God graciously forebears and provides comfort to the doubter. This week we look at the culmination of God’s guaranteed promises in a one-sided covenant that fueled the faith that God credited as righteousness to Abram.

Is doubt allowed for the believing Christian? And what does God do with our doubt? This Sunday We look at the beginning of the covenant and promises to Abram and God’s gentle forbearance with the doubt of the man of faith.