Sermons on Suffering
From Suffering to Salvation
Genesis 50 closes the story of Joseph and reveals how God works through suffering, reconciliation, and faith in His promises. After Jacob’s death, Joseph honors his father’s wish by burying him in Canaan, demonstrating that God’s people belong ultimately to His promises rather than to the world around them. Though Jacob’s family appeared no different from the surrounding nations, their identity rested in what God had spoken to them. When Joseph’s brothers fear revenge after their father’s death, they plead…
Surrender, Service, and the Pilgrim’s Journey
Gen 47 In Genesis 47, Joseph completes the purpose behind his long journey of suffering and exaltation by bringing Jacob’s family into Egypt and settling them in Goshen. This separation protects them from the surrounding culture and allows them to grow into the nation God intends them to become. The chapter highlights how God sometimes places His people in environments where they can be strengthened, prepared, and preserved for future purposes. When Jacob meets Pharaoh, he describes his life as…
God at Work in the Silence
Gen 42 A severe famine spread across the known world, forcing Jacob to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain. Unknown to them, the governor overseeing Egypt’s food supply was Joseph, the brother they had betrayed and sold into slavery over twenty years earlier. Joseph immediately recognized them, but they did not recognize him. Seeing his brothers bow before him fulfilled the dreams God had given him in his youth, revealing how God had been working through every painful…
A Robe and a Ring
Gen 36-37-38 Joseph, still young, is favored by his father, which sparks jealousy and hostility among his brothers. Tension grows when he shares dreams suggesting he will have authority over them. Sent to check on his brothers, Joseph is betrayed; they first plan to kill him but instead sell him into slavery in Egypt. To cover their actions, they deceive their father into believing Joseph has been killed, leaving him in deep grief. Alongside this, Judah’s story unfolds. He distances…
Abraham’s Test of Faith
God tests Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac, the son through whom divine promises were to be fulfilled. The command appears to contradict everything previously promised, yet Abraham recognizes God’s voice and obeys without argument. He journeys for three days toward the mountain, enduring grief, confusion, and the temptation to turn back, yet remains steadfast. He tells his servants that both he and Isaac will return, expressing trust that God’s promise cannot fail even if the command seems impossible.…
Ishmael’s Exile
Genesis 21:1-34 Isaac is finally born after decades of waiting, demonstrating that God keeps promises despite human doubt and delay. Abraham faithfully obeys God by naming Isaac and circumcising him, marking commitment to the covenant. When Isaac is weaned, family conflict erupts as Sarah demands Hagar and Ishmael be sent away. Though distressed, Abraham trusts God’s instruction, believing God will still fulfill His promise to make Ishmael a nation. Hagar and Ishmael nearly die in the wilderness until God hears…
Sodom & Gommorah
Gen 18/19 Abraham receives three visitors and shows lavish hospitality. One announces that Sarah will bear a son within a year. Sarah, aware that childbirth is biologically impossible for her, laughs inwardly and then denies it when confronted. The moment underscores divine omniscience and introduces the central question: whether anything is beyond divine power. As the visitors proceed toward Sodom, Abraham learns that the city faces judgment because of extreme injustice and pervasive harm. He intercedes, arguing that justice should…
The God who Sees Me
A long-standing promise of descendants remains unfulfilled, and the strain leads to a plan born from impatience: Sarai urges Abram to conceive a child through Hagar. What begins as an attempt to solve a problem quickly produces tension. Hagar’s pregnancy alters the household dynamic, creating resentment and blame. Responsibility is avoided, harsh treatment follows, and Hagar flees into the desert. There, in her vulnerability, she is met unexpectedly by the divine messenger, who calls her by name, asks her to…
Paul’s Witness in Rome
Acts 28:17-31 Paul in Rome under house arrest; calls Jewish leaders, explains he is imprisoned for “the hope of Israel” (the Messiah). Jewish leaders curious, having heard of Christianity as a controversial “sect.” Paul teaches from the Law and Prophets about Jesus from morning to evening; some believe, some reject. Response echoes prophecy in Isaiah 6: some hear but don’t understand. Paul declares salvation has also gone to the Gentiles. Paul remains imprisoned for two years (AD 60–62), welcoming all,…
Trusting God Through Every Trial
Acts 28:1-16 Paul and his companions were shipwrecked on the island of Malta around 58 AD, but all survived. Despite cold and rain, the locals showed kindness by building a fire. As Paul helped, a viper bit him. The locals assumed he was a criminal being punished by fate, but when he remained unharmed, they changed their minds and called him a god. This shift highlights how quickly people judge based on appearances. The lesson drawn is to avoid snap…
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