Sermons on Trusting God
The Beginning of Luke: Faith in God’s Timing
Luke opens his Gospel by explaining that he carefully investigated eyewitness accounts so readers could have confidence in the truth about Jesus. Written as the first part of a two-volume work with Acts, it presents an orderly account of Christ’s life, emphasizing His humanity, compassion, prayer life, joy, fellowship, and concern for outsiders. The narrative begins during the reign of Herod with Zechariah and Elizabeth, a faithful elderly couple who had long endured the pain of childlessness. While serving in…
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…
Ephraim & Manasseh
Jacob, nearing the end of his life in Egypt after the family reunion with Joseph, gathers strength on his deathbed to bless Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Reflecting on God’s promise made to him at Luz, he recalls the covenant of fruitfulness, descendants, and the land given to Abraham, Isaac, and his own lineage. In a surprising act, Jacob adopts Joseph’s sons as his own, elevating them to the status of his direct heirs, effectively granting Joseph a double…
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…
From the Prison to the Palace
Gen 40-41 In prison, Joseph encountered Pharaoh’s chief butler and baker after they offended Pharaoh and were placed in custody. Both men had troubling dreams on the same night and were distressed because no one could interpret them. Joseph, despite his suffering and unjust imprisonment, still trusted God and declared that interpretations belong to Him. The butler dreamed of a vine with three branches that produced grapes which he pressed into Pharaoh’s cup. Joseph interpreted the dream to mean that…
Radical Rest
God’s design of rest reveals His character and His care for humanity. Rest was never meant as a burden, but as a gift—an invitation to trust rather than strive. The weekly Sabbath established a rhythm of dependence, but the sabbatical year expanded this into something far more radical: an entire year where the land was left untouched and people ceased their normal labor. In an agricultural society where survival depended almost entirely on the land, this command required deep faith.…
Jacob -> Israel
Gen 34-35Jacob settles near Shechem instead of fully following God’s direction, placing his family in a spiritually dangerous environment. Dinah leaves the safety of her family and is violated by Shechem, who then seeks to marry her. His father proposes assimilation between their peoples, appealing to unity and economic benefit. Jacob remains passive, while Dinah’s brothers respond with deceit, demanding circumcision as a condition. While the men of the city are weakened, Simeon and Levi massacre them, and the rest…
Wrestling with God
Jacob leaves Laban after a final separation, unable to return, and journeys toward home knowing his brother Esau once wanted to kill him. Caught between past conflict and uncertain future, he hopes time has softened Esau. Along the way, he encounters angels and names the place Mahanaim, sensing divine presence with him. He sends messengers to Esau with a humble message, calling him “lord” and presenting himself as a servant, revealing both fear and a tendency to manage outcomes through…
The Great Escape
Gen 31:1-55 Jacob’s wealth grew while working for Laban because many of the animals born in the flock became speckled and striped, which were agreed to be Jacob’s wages. Although Jacob used unusual breeding methods, his success ultimately came from God’s blessing rather than his own techniques. As Jacob’s prosperity increased, Laban’s sons accused him of taking their father’s wealth, and Laban’s attitude toward him became hostile. God then instructed Jacob to return to the land of his fathers and…
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