The God Who Provides

Jim Leffel

Exodus 16-17

When the Israelites wandered in the desert, God led them through various trials in order to teach them dependence on Him. The manna he showered down on them represents God's deeper provision for our soul; the water from the rock is symbolic of God as our rock. The Lord wants to fill our lives the way He filled the Israelites with manna and water. In order to do so, He will lead us to unfamiliar places so that we are forced to either quit or trust that He will supply what's necessary to continue. Wherever God leads, He will also provide.

God All Powerful

Jim Leffel

Exodus 13:17-14:31

When the Lord parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to escape from the Egyptians, He was demonstrating His mighty power in the midst of the Israelites' all-out weakness. As a result of their dependence on Him, their faith was strengthened. We can also have the supernatural expectation that God can and desires to perform the miracle of heart and life transformation in us. However, it's not until we are totally weak?until we come to the end of ourselves?that we are able to fully trust in God's ability to work in us.

A "Thorn in the Flesh"

Dennis McCallum

Galatians 6:11-17

Paul had a thorn in his flesh that God allowed to be there, this thorn was a reminder to Paul that God's grace is sufficient for him. God will allow us to suffer in order for us to see our need for him in our life. We need to choose to depend on God with our lives to experience the fullness of His love and to powerfully be used by Him.

Asking According to God's Will

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 5:14-15

Understanding how to pray according to God's Will includes: 1) entrusting ourselves to God's loving authority; 2) focusing on God's priorities; and 3) listening to God's Spirit. We must learn humble obedience to listen to His Will and present ourselves to Him, eager to live out His purposes. Our prayers should align with what God cares about including developing our character, sharing His love with others, and becoming more attuned to hear Him through His Word. As we couple our prayers with other Christians' and note the Holy Spirit's leading, we can better understand where God is leading us in our lives.

The Life of a Spiritual Ambassador

Dennis McCallum

2 Corinthians 5:14

Paul explained that as Christians we are ambassadors of Christ, we can either be a stumbling block to the watching world or we can reflect God's love to them. Being an ambassador for God is difficult, but is also deeply satisfying, because it is rich with meaning. God will empower us to do His work, the question is whether we are willing to do it?

Servants of a New Covenant

Dennis McCallum

Exodus 34:29-34

Paul explained that through Christ the veil of the law has been lifted and now we relate to God through grace. Christ died for all of our sins and now we can view our relationship with God as something where we draw near to Him and depend on Him, rather than trying to try to justify ourselves to Him. God's grace offers us freedom and peace as we work with Him.

Withstanding Spiritual Agony

Dennis McCallum

Philippians 4:7

Paul taught us that it is important when we face times of spiritual agony to look back at the message that God has carved into our hearts. God writes His message in our lives through the experiences that we have, where we see Him provide for us or use us in other people's lives. When we look at all that God has done for us, it becomes clear that He will continue to work in our lives, and that we are headed toward overwhelming victory in Him.

The Unpredictable Jesus

Jeff Gordon

Luke 18:9-34

Jesus confronts conventional wisdom in three situations: 1) Pharisee and tax collector; 2) faith of children; 3) rich and the poor. The contrasts in each of these draws out that a life of self-sufficiency and following external rules isn't what makes people acceptable to God. It is through humility and faith in what Jesus did for humanity that makes people right with God.\r\n

Faith in Action

Jim Leffel

Genesis 12:1-3

The author of Hebrews defines faith as counting on the fact that God is there and to trust in His goodness. Abraham illustrates what faith in action looks like in four ways: 1) his obedience to God; 2) his living as a foreigner in a hostile world; 3) in his walking in grace; and 4) in his willingness to put everything on the line.