The Ink of “The Story” part 2 (Pastor Robbie Lawson)

There are moments in life when it feels as though the darkness of our past, or the pain we’ve endured, has written the story of who we are. Yet, God’s purpose is not to erase our scars, but to use them as the very ink with which He tells His story of redemption. Looking at Abraham’s call in Genesis 15, we see that God did not promise an easy path. Instead, He told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers, oppressed for 400 years. This was not a punishment, but a stage for God’s redemptive power to be displayed. The Israelites’ suffering in Egypt was not the result of their sin, but a canvas for God to reveal His glory and deliverance.

Many of us have walked through seasons of bondage, oppression, or loss—sometimes through no fault of our own. Some were born into difficult circumstances, others had innocence stolen before they even had a life to give to Christ. In those moments, it can feel as if God is silent, as if our prayers go unheard. But every tear, every groan, every silent night is seen and stored by God. He is not absent; He is preparing to write a story through us that the world needs to hear.

The Western mindset often tells us that the most important thing is our personal salvation, but the greater call is to let our lives display the story of a soon-coming King. Salvation is the beginning, not the end. True freedom comes when we surrender our past, our pain, and even our shame, allowing God to use them as the boldest ink for His redemptive story. The Israelites’ identity as slaves was so ingrained that even after deliverance, they struggled to walk in freedom. Many today are paralyzed by fear, afraid that if others knew their story, they would not be loved. But God’s love is not conditional, and His purpose is not thwarted by our past.

God chooses the broken, the oppressed, the overlooked, to display His glory. He uses tears, not thrones, to reveal His heart. When we realize we are not forgotten, but chosen for a divine mission, everything changes. The boldest testimonies come from the darkest places. Only those who have lived in chains can truly understand the beauty of freedom. God’s story is still being written, and He wants to use your life as the ink. Will you let Him?

Key Takeaways

• 1. God Redeems Our Deepest Wounds God does not waste our pain or our past. The very places of deepest hurt, loss, or injustice become the boldest ink for His redemptive story. When we surrender our scars to Him, He transforms them into testimonies of His power and grace, showing the world what true deliverance looks like. [12:57]
• 2. Freedom Is More Than Salvation Salvation is the beginning of the journey, not its end. True freedom is found when we allow God to use our lives—our past, our struggles, our victories—to display His glory. Many remain spiritually stagnant because they have not moved beyond personal salvation to living as storytellers of God’s redemption. [14:23]
• 3. Your Story Is Uniquely Needed No one else can tell your story of redemption like you can. The world needs to see Christ’s power through your life, especially in the places where you once felt most broken. God uses the oppressed, the overlooked, and the hurting to reveal His heart and to call others into freedom. [29:03]
• 4. God’s Timing and Sovereignty in Suffering God’s silence is not absence. In seasons of suffering or waiting, He is preparing both you and the world for a greater revelation of His deliverance. Trusting His timing, even when hope seems delayed, allows us to see that our pain is not wasted but woven into a larger story of redemption. [34:49]
• 5. True Meekness Is Surrendered Strength Meekness is not weakness, but a life fully surrendered to the direction of the King. Like a warhorse trained to move only at the rider’s command, the meek are those who allow God to guide their story, even into difficult places, trusting that He will use every part for His glory. [31:07]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:33] - Wrestling with a Hard Word
• [01:28] - Abraham’s Call and Covenant
• [03:18] - God’s Promise and the Reality of Suffering
• [05:24] - Born into Bondage: Israel’s Story
• [07:24] - The True Purpose of Our Lives
• [09:33] - When Suffering Isn’t Your Fault
• [12:18] - God’s Silence and the Author’s Pen
• [14:23] - Moving Beyond Salvation
• [16:09] - The Struggle to Walk in Freedom
• [18:12] - Bondage as a Backdrop for Redemption
• [22:00] - God’s Deliverance, Not Man’s
• [25:23] - Are You Walking in Freedom?
• [27:21] - Trusting God with Our Pain
• [31:07] - The Power of Meekness
• [33:03] - Chosen for a Divine Mission
• [34:49] - God’s Timing in Deliverance
• [37:46] - The Ongoing Story of Redemption
• [39:26] - Is God Telling His Story Through You?
• [42:40] - Responding to the Call

Bible Reading

Genesis 15:12-16 (ESV) — > As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

Exodus 2:23-25 (ESV) — > During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Revelation 12:11 (ESV) — > And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

Observation Questions

1. In Genesis 15, what did God tell Abram would happen to his descendants before they inherited the promise?
2. According to Exodus 2, how did God respond to the cries of the Israelites during their suffering in Egypt?
3. The sermon mentions that the Israelites’ suffering was not a punishment for sin, but a stage for God’s redemptive power. What evidence from the passages or sermon supports this idea? [05:24]
4. In Revelation 12:11, what two things are said to help believers overcome, and how does this connect to the idea of sharing our stories?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think God chose to reveal to Abram that his descendants would suffer for 400 years before deliverance? What does this say about God’s view of suffering and redemption?
2. The sermon says, “God’s silence is not absence. In seasons of suffering or waiting, He is preparing both you and the world for a greater revelation of His deliverance.” How does this perspective challenge or encourage your understanding of God’s timing? [34:49]
3. The Israelites struggled to walk in freedom even after being delivered from slavery. What does this reveal about the power of identity and mindset in the process of redemption? [16:09]
4. The sermon claims, “God chooses the broken, the oppressed, the overlooked, to display His glory. He uses tears, not thrones, to reveal His heart.” Why might God prefer to use weakness and pain as the “ink” for His story? [32:37]

Application Questions

1. The sermon says, “God does not waste our pain or our past. The very places of deepest hurt, loss, or injustice become the boldest ink for His redemptive story.” Is there a part of your story that you have been hiding or ashamed of? What would it look like to surrender that to God for His use? [12:57]
2. Many people “sit on their salvation” and never move beyond it to share their story. What is one step you could take this week to move beyond personal salvation and let God use your life as a testimony? [14:23]
3. The Israelites’ identity as slaves was so ingrained that they struggled to walk in freedom. Are there old mindsets or labels from your past that still shape how you see yourself? How can you begin to walk in the freedom Christ offers? [16:09]
4. The sermon says, “God’s silence is not absence.” Have you experienced a season where God felt silent? Looking back, can you see any ways He was at work during that time? [34:49]
5. “No one else can tell your story of redemption like you can.” Who in your life might need to hear about how God has worked in your darkest moments? What would it take for you to share that with them? [29:03]
6. The pastor described meekness as “a life fully surrendered to the direction of the King.” Is there an area of your life where you are resisting God’s leading? What would it look like to trust Him with that area? [31:07]
7. The sermon challenges us: “Will you let Him use your life as the ink?” What is one practical way you can invite God to write His story through you this week? [39:26]