Family conflict. Our attempts to force a good outcome. So often our all too human messes and efforts leave life looking like a train wreck that gives sin the final word. Yet Genesis 35 closes Isaac’s story by calling him “old and full of days” and placing his divided sons together at his burial. Maybe even our broken lives still have hope of being full?
Pastor Tim thinks of the splendor of the autumn leaves and how that splendor points to the even more wondrous Creator behind them.
How often do we “listen” to other people without really listening? How often do we jump immediately to actions and words that don’t reflect the heart of God? James challenges us to do something different.
When a mess lands in our lap—whether it’s the fallen world’s doing or our own—the natural move is to grab control and start fixing, doubling down on whatever we think will work. In Genesis 28, two sons of the same broken family face that same moment, and the difference between how they respond reaches right into the choices we face today.
Pastor Tim reflects on why we dig into the truth about who God is even though it is mind boggling; it tells us about the One who sends us.
How do we deal with darkness and uncertainty in life? Can we count on God’s blessing? James helps us to think about this.
Gaps make us uneasy, so we fill them by hook or by crook—inventing tidy origins for old phrases or forcing plans into place. Genesis 27 opens on Isaac’s household doing the same around the blessing he means to give, each scrambling to close what feels unfinished.
Pastor Tim reflects on why we dig into the truth about who God is even though it is mind boggling; it tells us about the One who sends us.
Can we keep our eyes on the true prize even when things are tough and don’t seem to be going how we would hope? Part of doing so is recognizing the source of the problems we face and distinguishing that from our source of hope.
The Bible calls us to pray on all occasions and to constantly pray for God’s people (Ephesians 6:18). FaithTree Online Prayer Walks have each gathered hundreds of believers from around the world to pray before our faithful God. Let’s join together to pray in Jesus’s name once again at our eleventh Online Prayer Walk all day on January 30! We are excited to see what God will do through this time!