Desideratum? I didn't know what it meant either. It is defined as something wanted or needed. The Epic Story picks up this week with Israel having moved into the promised land and what they want is a new type of King. God hears their cries, warns them, but continues to give them what they want knowing full well that all that they need is Himself. Can't we relate? All we need is God, yet we turn to other things to fill our lives and heal our wounds. God is all we need! Join us as we seek to continue to see how God works in the midst of this to bring us Jesus.
The Epic Story continues into the Exodus. In a bold move God decides to dwell in the midst of His people. But first, He rescues them. If you have ever felt like God takes forever to deliver on His promises then this sermon is for you! God takes a nation and works in the midst of those people to redeem them, make covenant with them and live with them. This is a continuation of the never failing grace of God!
As we continue through the Epic Story of scripture this week's journey takes us into the life of a nomad named Abram. God chooses Abram from among everyone else to make an extravagant promise. But why Abram? Why another attempted rescue? What does it say about God that He continues to start over to find ways to redeem us? More importantly, how does He still do this today? We find in the scriptures, that the God who is all about grace and rescue still seeks to do the same with us!
Now that we have a firm grasp of the stories in which we live, how do we apply them to our lives? Today we take a look at a replica of our life. While most of us cannot relate exactly to the story of Joseph, we will take a look at a First Order Story that is filled with brokenness and see how Joseph molds his story to the Epic Story so that his Second Order Stories can be lived into fully and become explosive to the Glory of God.
In part 2 of this series we seek to understand the first order story. We all have one. If you are here thought to listen to this lesson you really need to hear "The Epic Story" first. In life there are those of us who just give up on ever becoming the best version of what we know we can be. That is usually because our first order story dictates that perception. This first story is your unique fingerprint! It is your life story from this point in your life moving backward to your past. These are the events that have molded your life through experience whether good or bad. Those experiences were both from choices you made and included things that happened to you that were beyond your control. You cannot change this past portion of your first-order story as it is your past. So if we understand and own that, even the worst version of us, can become the best version of us! The version God intended for us to be!
Have you ever wondered why at times the Bible seems so difficult to follow? In essence it is a compilation of different stories, perspectives and experiences all of which are labeled by Christians as inspired by God. While we believe that it is, there has to be a better explanation to the purpose of these events. In this series we are going to begin to work through these texts to understand that all of these stories combined are elements of the one true story of God in history! If you hang in there with us, your life could be changed dramatically as, maybe for the first time, you see God at work, answer those nagging questions and understand where your story is included!
Have we possibly missed something amazing within the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch. Join us as we take a look back at an amazing story and most amazing finish to what the message of God is to all of us.
Just how far and deep is God's Love for Us? If it is that far, how does this call us to love in return?
As we enter the series segment on love we cannot move forward without prioritizing who loved first. God Loves You! Many people say it, few allow the magnitude of that statement to sink in. Allow it to course through your mind and breathe it in deeply. God invented love. We participate in it and pass it out.