Faith's Journey: Trusting God's Promises Through Trials
Summary
In today's message, we explored the story of Abram and Sarai, later known as Abraham and Sarah, from Genesis 12. This couple's journey is a testament to the trials and triumphs of faith. God called Abram to leave everything familiar and venture into the unknown, promising to make him a great nation. This call to faith is a recurring theme in the Bible, emphasizing that God often requires us to step out in faith without knowing all the details. This is because faith is not about comfort but growth. God is more interested in our spiritual development than our comfort, and He often uses challenging circumstances to stretch our faith and build our character.
The story of Abram and Sarai is relatable to many of us who have had dreams and plans that didn't unfold as expected. We often find ourselves in situations where our faith is tested, and we must decide whether to trust God's promises or succumb to fear and doubt. Abram and Sarai's journey was marked by moments of doubt and impatience, leading them to make decisions that were not in line with God's plan. Yet, despite their faltering faith, God remained faithful to His promises.
One of the key lessons from this story is that God's blessings often come after a period of testing. Before we receive the blessings God has for us, we may go through seasons of waiting and uncertainty. It's during these times that our faith is refined and strengthened. We are reminded that even when we are faithless, God remains faithful. His promises are sure, and He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.
Ultimately, the story of Abram and Sarai encourages us to trust in God's timing and His ability to fulfill His promises. Even when circumstances seem impossible, we are called to believe that nothing is too hard for God. This story is a powerful reminder that God can use our weaknesses and failures to accomplish His purposes, and He invites us to press the reset button on our faith, trusting Him anew.
Key Takeaways:
- Faith Over Comfort: God prioritizes our spiritual growth over our comfort. He often calls us to step out in faith without knowing all the details, as seen in Abram's journey. This requires us to trust Him even when the path is unclear, knowing that He is more interested in developing our character than in making us comfortable. [07:02]
- Blessings Follow Testing: Before receiving God's blessings, we often go through a period of testing. This is a time when our faith is refined and strengthened. Abram and Sarai's story teaches us that God's promises are sure, but they may not come in the way or timing we expect. [11:22]
- God's Faithfulness Amidst Our Failures: Even when we falter in our faith, God remains faithful. Abram and Sarai made mistakes, yet God fulfilled His promises to them. This reminds us that our failures do not disqualify us from God's plans; rather, He can use them to accomplish His purposes. [19:54]
- Patience in God's Timing: Impatience can lead us to make decisions outside of God's will. Abram and Sarai's impatience led to complications, yet God's timing proved perfect. We are encouraged to wait on God, trusting that He is never late and His plans are always for our good. [30:36]
- Nothing is Too Hard for God: The story of Abram and Sarai challenges us to believe that nothing is too hard for God. Despite their doubts and the impossibility of their situation, God fulfilled His promise. We are reminded to trust in God's power and His ability to do more than we can imagine. [32:25]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [02:00] - Introduction to Relationship Goals
- [04:30] - Passing the Test
- [07:02] - Faith Over Comfort
- [11:22] - Blessings Follow Testing
- [15:00] - God's Faithfulness Amidst Our Failures
- [19:54] - Patience in God's Timing
- [23:30] - The Story of Abram and Sarai
- [27:00] - Impatience and Its Consequences
- [30:36] - Nothing is Too Hard for God
- [32:25] - Personal Testimonies of Faith
- [35:21] - God's Reset Button
- [38:00] - Encouragement to Trust God Again
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Genesis 12:1-4
- Hebrews 11:8-12
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Observation Questions:
1. What was the initial command God gave to Abram in Genesis 12, and what promises accompanied this command? How did Abram respond to this call? [07:02]
2. In Hebrews 11:8, how is Abraham's faith described when he was called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance? What does this tell us about his journey? [07:02]
3. According to the sermon, what were some of the challenges Abram and Sarai faced when they decided to follow God's call? [11:22]
4. How did Abram and Sarai's impatience lead to complications in their journey, and what were the consequences of their actions? [19:54]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. The sermon mentions that God is more interested in our spiritual growth than our comfort. How does this perspective change the way we view challenges and trials in our lives? [07:02]
2. Reflecting on Abram and Sarai's story, what does it mean that God's blessings often come after a period of testing? How can this understanding impact our patience and trust in God's timing? [11:22]
3. Despite Abram and Sarai's mistakes, God remained faithful to His promises. What does this teach us about God's character and His relationship with us, even when we falter? [19:54]
4. The sermon highlights the question, "Is anything too hard for God?" How does this question challenge our faith in seemingly impossible situations? [30:36]
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Application Questions:
1. Think about a time when you felt God was calling you to step out in faith. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? How can Abram's story encourage you to trust God more in similar situations? [07:02]
2. Are there areas in your life where you feel you are in a season of testing? How can you remain patient and trust in God's timing during this period? [11:22]
3. Reflect on a situation where you may have acted out of impatience, like Abram and Sarai. What were the consequences, and how can you learn to wait on God's perfect timing in the future? [19:54]
4. In what ways have you experienced God's faithfulness despite your own failures? How can you use these experiences to strengthen your faith and encourage others? [19:54]
5. The sermon encourages us to press the reset button on our faith. Is there a specific area in your life where you need to trust God anew? What steps can you take to renew your faith in this area? [35:21]
6. How can you apply the lesson that "nothing is too hard for God" to a current challenge you are facing? What practical steps can you take to rely on God's power in this situation? [30:36]
7. Identify a blessing in your life that you can pay forward to others. How can you ensure that God's blessings continue to flow through you to impact those around you? [11:22]
Devotional
Day 1: Faith Requires Stepping into the Unknown
Faith is not about comfort but growth. God called Abram to leave everything familiar and venture into the unknown, promising to make him a great nation. This call to faith is a recurring theme in the Bible, emphasizing that God often requires us to step out in faith without knowing all the details. This is because faith is not about comfort but growth. God is more interested in our spiritual development than our comfort, and He often uses challenging circumstances to stretch our faith and build our character. [07:02]
Hebrews 11:8-9 (ESV): "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where God might be calling you to step out in faith, even if the path is unclear? How can you take a step in that direction today?
Day 2: Testing Precedes Blessing
Before receiving God's blessings, we often go through a period of testing. This is a time when our faith is refined and strengthened. Abram and Sarai's story teaches us that God's promises are sure, but they may not come in the way or timing we expect. During these times of waiting and uncertainty, our faith is refined and strengthened. We are reminded that even when we are faithless, God remains faithful. His promises are sure, and He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. [11:22]
James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Reflection: Think of a current challenge you are facing. How might this be a period of testing that God is using to prepare you for future blessings?
Day 3: God's Faithfulness Amidst Our Failures
Even when we falter in our faith, God remains faithful. Abram and Sarai made mistakes, yet God fulfilled His promises to them. This reminds us that our failures do not disqualify us from God's plans; rather, He can use them to accomplish His purposes. Despite their faltering faith, God remained faithful to His promises. This story encourages us to trust in God's timing and His ability to fulfill His promises. [19:54]
2 Timothy 2:13 (ESV): "If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself."
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt you failed in your faith. How can you see God's faithfulness in that situation, and how might He be inviting you to trust Him anew?
Day 4: Patience in God's Timing
Impatience can lead us to make decisions outside of God's will. Abram and Sarai's impatience led to complications, yet God's timing proved perfect. We are encouraged to wait on God, trusting that He is never late and His plans are always for our good. Even when circumstances seem impossible, we are called to believe that nothing is too hard for God. [30:36]
Psalm 27:14 (ESV): "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"
Reflection: In what area of your life are you struggling to wait on God's timing? What steps can you take to cultivate patience and trust in His perfect timing?
Day 5: Trusting in God's Power
The story of Abram and Sarai challenges us to believe that nothing is too hard for God. Despite their doubts and the impossibility of their situation, God fulfilled His promise. We are reminded to trust in God's power and His ability to do more than we can imagine. God can use our weaknesses and failures to accomplish His purposes, and He invites us to press the reset button on our faith, trusting Him anew. [32:25]
Jeremiah 32:17 (ESV): "Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you."
Reflection: What is one seemingly impossible situation you are facing right now? How can you actively choose to trust in God's power and His ability to work in that situation today?
Quotes
And if you're kind of a C minus, I know like some of you passed the test in school, just like with amazing scores. Like you, I'm thinking about some of you engineers in Madison, like you've graduated like cum laude and magna cum laude, some of y 'all, right? Raise your hand if you graduated, thank you, Lotte. You know. You know, this story is kind of a thank you, Lotte story. Not an A plus story, but they made it, okay? And when you get to the end of the story, you're gonna see that God really affirms them for making it through the story. [00:01:08] (34 seconds)
But moving in total faith is always difficult because we like details and we want to know stuff, but God rarely gives details because if he did, if you knew all the details, it wouldn't take as much faith. And God is really, really big into stretching your faith and building your faith and challenging your integrity. He loves that kind of stuff. And if you knew all the details, you also might not obey. [00:04:54] (27 seconds)
God remains faithful that's important to remember you might be in a season of faithlessness questioning fear almost like giving up on that promise God's still going to be faithful let's talk about what happens when we get faithless all right three things I want to show you today when we lose faith fear takes control that's the first thing that happens you know we we let fear fear's always there it's always at the doors pounding is trying to get your attention when you walk in faith man you just push it away but when you lose your faith fear kicks the door open on you [00:11:15] (33 seconds)
That happens so many times. When we've got a promise and we don't trust God, we compromise our integrity. People are doing this today. Maybe God's calling you to get married. You're dating this person. God's calling you to get married, but fear says, what if this doesn't work out? I don't know if I want to give half my junk away. That's fear, okay? God's calling you to tithe, and you say, well, the math won't work out. I just can't do that. That's fear, controlling your destiny financially. [00:13:17] (24 seconds)
You know, there was still a lot of tests and a lot of challenges, but I just believe, and I'll go to my grave believing, that that moment, that decision, it didn't fix everything for us, but it put us in a direction, and I believe it opened a spiritual portal of purpose and blessing over our life. And from that decision and in that direction that we've been in all these years now. [00:16:38] (25 seconds)
And then nothing happens for 30 years. What the heck? I waited 70 years. and then you know you can imagine they're man they're telling people they're having baby showers maybe they're decorating the you know baby's room and then nothing happens for 30 years and I want to pause right here and say that's why this story is universally applicable that's why God chose this guy so that generations later people like you and me could go well I kind of feel the same way I thought God was going to do this I thought God said this we prayed and we believed God was going to answer us in this way and this story's so amazing God is so amazing his book is so amazing because you're right here in this story where's God at why didn't he show up for me God did you forget about us don't you think Abraham thought that don't think Sarah she's 60 when God says you're about to have children you know she's probably at that point she's going like just keep that man away from me you know right you maybe you've already kind of tried to expedite God's plan like Sarah did you've tried to make it happen well then God comes back 30 years later and says now I'm really serious now you're really about to have those children and they both laugh at God Abraham fell face down and he laughed by the way the name Isaac means laughter in the original Hebrew because of this he laughed and said will a son be born to a man a hundred years later and he laughed and said will a son be born to a man a hundred years old and will Sarah bear a child at the age of 90 it's like there's just no way this can happen God I didn't I had my doubts when I was 70 but no way and then God speaks to Sarah and Sarah laughed to herself and thought after I'm worn out and my master's old will I now have this pleasure and the Lord said to Abraham why did Sarah laugh [00:28:32] (122 seconds)
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