Joseph:

From the Pit to the Pinnacle
January 22, 2023

Genesis 50:15-21

 

A. Joseph is sold into slavery by his jealous

     brothers. (Genesis 37)

     1. Joseph, age 17, was “the favorite” of his father             Jacob.

 

     2. Joseph had dreams of his brothers and parents             bowing down to him.

 

    3. Joseph’s brothers sold Joseph into slavery and            told Jacob that Joseph was killed by a ferocious            animal.

 

B. Joseph is put into prison while in Egypt.                                                     (Genesis 39-41)

    1. Joseph is sold as a slave to an Egyptian                        administrator named Potiphar.

 

    2. While in prison Joseph gets a reputation for                    correctly interpreting dreams.

 

    3. “The LORD was with Joseph” is a repeated                    refrain in Joseph’s story.

 

C. Joseph is promoted to Deputy Pharaoh in                 Egypt.  (Genesis 41)

    1. Pharaoh has troubling dreams that none of his              wise men and magicians can interpret for him.

 

    2. Joseph is called to Pharaoh and correctly                      interprets Pharaoh’s dreams and counsels
        Pharaoh to prepare for the fulfillment of his                    dreams.

 

D. Joseph is reunited with and forgives his

     brothers. (Genesis 42-50)

    1. Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt and do bow
        down to Joseph, now age 39, and ask for food.

 

    2. Joseph does not take revenge and our question            is “Why?”

 

    3. Joseph was God’s agent to save the new nation

        by bringing the new nation to Egypt.

 

God is at work in the midst of the details of our

lives accomplishing His good purposes.
(Romans 8:28)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
God Builds a Nation
January 15, 2023

Genesis 12:1-4 & Hebrews 11:8

 “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

 

A. The People God Chooses to Build a New Nation.                                                       (Genesis 11:1-9)

     1. The Place where the people were found, was in

          the land of Ur .

     2. The People God chose to begin this New Nation .

                                                          (Gen. 12:1-4)

     3. The Reason  God Chose Abram and Sarai.

 

B. The Four-fold Plan God Reveals for a New

     Nation. (Genesis 12:1-3)

 

Fact: When God made a covenant with Abram, it was 

          a personal  one.

Fact: The two key words that form the basis of this

          covenant is “  I will  ”.

 

Question: What will God do?

Answer:   #1. God will make the new nation   great  .

                 #2. God will make Abram’s   name  great.

                 #3. God will   Bless  all who bless Abram

                       and Curse  the one who curses Abram.

                 #4. God will bless all the   Nations   of the

                     world through Abram and the new nation.

 

C. The Stormy Beginnings of a New Nation. 

                                              (Genesis 16, 18, 22)

     1. Sarai Proposes  her own way to start the new

         nation. (Gen. 16)

 

    2. Abraham and Sarah, at 100 and 90 respectively,            are Promised  their own child. (Genesis 18)

 

    3. God severely tests  Abraham by commanding him

        to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.

 

God chooses unlikely people who are not the smartest,

the most beautiful or with the best resumes.

God chooses ordinary people like you and me.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Story Starts with a “Big Bang”
January 8, 2023

Genesis 1:1-2

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

 

A. The Bible or The Story opens with the “big         

     bang” of creation. (v. 1)

 

     1. The opening verse, Genesis 1:1, introduces us to            the Story’s main character:   God  . 

 

     2. The “big bang” of creation concludes with God’s            core purpose or passion:   Human beings  .

 

 

B. The Bible Story continues with the “big bang” of       the Fall. (Genesis 3)

 

     1. Adam and Eve were created with the freedom               and power to ___ choose    __.

 

     2. The story introduces the tale of two trees.

          ~ Tree of ___Life ____.

          ~ Tree of the ___Knowledge__ of good and evil.

 

 

C. The Bible Story reports the “big bang” of sin’s         damage to the human race.

     1. Because Adam and Eve chose a different vision             than God’s vision, sin became part of their                     spiritual __DNA___ and they produced more                 sinners.

 

     2. Genesis 4-9, present _sin__ and a sin nature in             the human race.

 

 

D. The Bible Story offers a salvation clue even in           the midst of the opening “big bang.”

 

     1. After Adam and Eve _ sinned __ and became               aware of their nakedness, they made fig leaf                   clothing to cover their nakedness.

 

      2. For God to restore the vision that human beings            are His supreme passion will require the                        shedding of __ blood __.

 

     3. From the creation story we discover the value of             all __value___ of all human beings.
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Heart of Christmas is Love
December 25, 2022

(The Heart of Christmas)

Galatians 4:4-5

 

A. GOD’S GIFT WAS RIGHT ON TIME.
     1. The book of Galatians talks about the timing of 
         Christmas as Paul wrote to the church.
                                                                (Gal. 4:4-5)
     2. Paul wrote that when Jesus came and was born
         to Mary, the fullness of time had come.
     3. What is perhaps most amazing is that when
         Jesus came, he came to meet us exactly where
         we are.

 

B. WE ARE LOVED INTO THE FAMILY.
     1. According to Galatians 4, the full expression of
        God’s love is demonstrated in our spiritual
        adoption.

 

Fact:

Many of us live our lives every day missing the fact that God loves us.

 

     2. All of this is only made possible by the arrival of
         Jesus at just the right time to one day sacrificially
         give his life on a cross to validate God’s amazing
         love for us. 

 

C. LOVE FREELY RECEIVED IS LOVE FREELY

     GIVEN.

 

Fact:

The reason love must be at the heart of Christmas is because, if we miss this being the central message of the season, in the midst of the lights and presents, we may never receive it for ourselves.

 

Fact:

If we have not experienced the grace of God, it is

difficult to offer the grace of God.

 

     1. The most famous of all passages in the Bible
         about love helps us understand God’s feelings
         toward us and the way we should feel about our
         spouse, children, friends, and neighbors.
                                                                  (1 Cor. 13)
     2. So, this Christmas see the arrival of Jesus as the
         ultimate gift from God. The kind of gift where the
         only proper response is to receive.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 The Heart of Christmas Brings Joy

in all Circumstances
December 11,. 2022

The Heart Of Christmas

(John 1:14)

 

A. WE CAN HAVE JOY BECAUSE GOD CAME TO US.

 

    1. A common misconception people carry around
        with them is that to be reunited with God in right
        relationship with him, we must work super hard to
        be perfect or strive to make our way to him.
    2. Joy is at the heart of Christmas because knowing
        that we could never make it to him, God came to
        us.

 

Fact: Joy is at the heart of Christmas because knowing

         that we could never make it to him, God came to

         us. (Romans 5:8)

 

B. GOD LOVES US JUST AS WE ARE AND TOO MUCH TO LEAVE US THAT WAY.

 

    1. His arrival among us should fill us with joy
        because not only did God come close to us, but
        He came because he loves us.

 

Fact: When Jesus came to us, he came full of grace.

          This grace that John writes about is the Greek

          word charis, which means favor, kindness, or a

          gift of blessing.

Fact: Jesus also came full of truth. The word John uses

          here is the word aletheia, which means divine

          reality revealed to man or a straightforwardness.

 

    2. Jesus holds grace in one hand that allows us to be
        accepted into his family, and in the other hand he
        holds truth that shows us the areas of our lives
        that must be transformed to live the fullest life
        possible. (I John 4:9-11)

 

C. JOY IS A RESULT OF GRACE.

 

    1. Grace is a word that shows up in the church a lot,
        but that is because it is the way in which we are
        able to live with joy.
    2. Our heavenly Father sent Jesus to a manger in
        Bethlehem because He wanted to dwell among
        us  to demonstrate His amazing grace and life-
       changing truth.

 

Circumstances, situation, and hardship is not going

to be difficult when God is in your life.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Find Peace in The Heart of Christmas
December 4, 2022

The Heart of Christmas

Luke 2:8-14

 

A. THE PEACE OF GOD IS FOR ALL PEOPLE.
     1. The angels had to steady the shepherds by
         telling them to not be afraid because they were
         terrified in their presence.

 

Fact:

The message they brought was good news because a

Baby had been born who was the long-awaited

Messiah—the one who was promised long ago to rescue God’s people.

 

     2. In one survey, nearly one-third of those
         questioned said that of all the people mentioned
         in the Christmas story, they identified the most
         with the shepherds.

 

     3. The Apostle Paul was expressing the role that
         Jesus plays in making peace.
                                              (Colossians 1:19-22)

 

B. JESUS RECONCILES US TO GOD.
     1. When we receive the gift of forgiveness that is
         offered to us by faith, we become friends of God
         and he offers us his power to help us navigate
         the difficulties of life.

 

Fact:

Some may believe that being made right with God means they will never face any problems.

 

     2. God desires for us to make peace with
         ourselves.

 

C. PEACE IS OUR PURPOSE.
     1. What the world needs more of is people who
         have the peace of God in their hearts and who
         are willing to share that peace with others.

 

     2. The angels told the shepherds that peace was
         available to those on whom God’s favor rests.

 

Fact:

We find peace at the heart of Christmas because God desires us to be in right relationship with him, with ourselves, and with others.
 
 
 
 
 

Hope is at The Heart of Christmas

November 27, 2022

(The Heart of Christmas Series)

Isaiah 9:2-7

 
 A. THE PRESENCE OF DARKNESS THREATENS            OUR HOPE.

 

    1. The center of the Christmas story is focused                   squarely on the birth of Jesus.

 

    2. One of the reasons Christmas resonates in our              hearts is because we, too, live in a world that is              similar to Israel.

 

Fact:

Christmas is a reminder that whatever it is we hope for in our lives—healing, restoration, forgiveness, or a fresh start—it is available to us through Immanuel, who is God with us.

Fact:

Hope is not a result of the absence of conflict, difficulty, struggle, or trial.  Hope is a result of the presence of God.

 

B. GOD’S PRESENCE HAS COME TO GIVE US               HOPE.

 

    1. The hard part about hope is that it often takes                 longer than we would like to be fulfilled.

 

    2. Paul said everything that had been written in the            past— all of the prophecy and fulfillment—is                  meant to teach us how to hold onto faith in God            to answer our prayers.
 
C. AT THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS IS HOPE.                                                                    (Matthew 1:22-23)

 

    1. Though there are many distractions during the            Christmas season, this message is a reminder              that hope is offered to us through Jesus’s arrival            in the manger.

 

    2. To all of us who walk in darkness a great light is             given.

Question:

How is it that he brings light into our lives?