Our Father: Faith, Doubt, and God's New Creation

Jun 21, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Laughter Meets Divine Promise

Abraham’s cynical chuckle at God’s promise of a child in old age reveals a tension between human doubt and holy possibility. Cynicism often masks our fear that God’s plans might upend our settled understanding of how the world works. Like Abraham, we default to laughter when faced with promises that defy logic, yet God responds not with condemnation but patient faithfulness. This moment invites us to name our own skeptical reflexes when God’s timing clashes with our expectations. The story challenges us to hold space for holy dissonance. [01:18:17]

Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:12–14, ESV)

Reflection: Where has cynicism become your default response to God’s promises? How might laughter shift from doubt to anticipation?

Day 2: Impatience’s Costly Shortcut

Sarah’s plan to “help” God through Hagar exposes the fallout of forcing outcomes when waiting feels unbearable. Human ingenuity often creates collateral damage, even when motivated by holy desires. Ishmael’s birth fulfills a promise technically, yet fractures relationships and breeds jealousy. God still blesses the mess, but the text lingers on Sarah’s unresolved grief. This tension invites us to examine where our urgency has overruled trust, and how God redeems without endorsing our shortcuts. [01:21:04]

Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. […] And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. (Genesis 16:2, 15, ESV)

Reflection: What current situation tempts you to “help” God through control? How might waiting deepen your capacity to receive?

Day 3: Blessings in the Unplanned Places

Ishmael’s story disrupts assumptions about “legitimate” blessings. God’s promise to make him a great nation (Genesis 21:13) reveals grace that flows beyond human schemes. The text refuses to villainize Hagar or her son, instead framing their survival as divine priority. This compels us to question which of God’s works we dismiss as “less than” because they emerged outside our preferred methods. Even our detours become holy ground. [01:21:49]

But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” (Genesis 21:12–13, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you labeled a blessing “second-best” because it arrived unexpectedly? How might God be sanctifying your unmet expectations?

Day 4: Dissonance as Holy Threshold

Cognitive dissonance—the tension between “old people don’t bear children” and God’s promise—becomes the birthplace of faith. Abraham’s crisis mirrors the disciples’ shock at Christ’s resurrection, where shattered assumptions make room for revelation. This dissonance isn’t a problem to solve but a portal to deeper trust. When reality and promise collide, God invites us to lean into the discomfort where miracles germinate. [01:25:27]

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:35, 37, ESV)

Reflection: What current dissonance in your life might be God’s invitation to reimagine possibility? How does discomfort signal growth?

Day 5: Creating Out of Nothing, Still

The God who formed life in Sarah’s barren womb and raised Christ from emptiness still births newness in our dry places. The sermon’s closing examples—choirs, ministries, buildings emerging where none existed—testify to ex nihilo creation today. This isn’t about human effort but divine initiation. Our role is to discern and celebrate the “something” God is forming from the “nothing” we perceive. [01:28:22]

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19, ESV)

Reflection: Where does your present “nothing” feel most overwhelming? How might you posture yourself to perceive God’s new thing?

Sermon Summary

The Lord’s Prayer starts with “our Father,” and Abraham stands in front of that word as a father whose story runs through Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. God promises Abraham offspring and a blessing for all nations, and Abraham laughs a laugh that sounds like cynicism because the “natural order” says old people don’t have babies. The text presses that point: the heart leans toward the worldview it already holds. Cynicism feels safer than surprise. Even so, God does not slam the door on Abraham or Sarah for laughing; the sharper problem shows up when they try to make the promise happen on their own terms.

The Hagar episode exposes that impulse. Sarah proposes a solution. Abraham agrees. Ishmael is born. God blesses Ishmael and promises a nation through him. Yet Sarah doesn’t rejoice. Jealousy surfaces. The story names what every family knows: families are messy. Scripture does not hide this. Some moments are for imitation, others are caution tape. The promise still holds, but the detour came from impatience, from the refusal to wait for God’s timing.

Cognitive dissonance sits at the center: “old people don’t have babies” collides with “you will have a child.” That same jolt runs through the Gospels as Jesus does and says what should not be possible. Minds get blown. New doors open. Reason and science keep their dignity, but the text refuses to shrink God to what reason can already measure. God creates ex nihilo, out of nothing. That is what happens in Abraham and Sarah’s tent. That is what happens at a tomb when life walks out.

Cognitive dissonance, then, becomes a gateway, not a dead end. The gap between the world as it seems and the world God is making turns out to be the room where faith hears, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” The church’s ordinary life bears witness to the same pattern: a choir where there was none, fresh discipleship where things felt quiet, music rising in new harmonies, even a building project that might become a visible sign that God is doing a new thing. Creation out of nothing is not just a doctrine; it is a footprint on the ground.

On Father’s Day, gratitude goes up for earthly fathers, and praise goes higher to the Father from whom all blessings flow. The call is simple and searching: hear, receive, and celebrate the good news that God births what no one expects, often right where cynicism said, “not possible.” Thanks be to God.

Key Takeaways

1. Cynicism resists surprise and promise Cynicism feels like wisdom because it protects the heart from disappointment, but it also dulls the senses to grace. When the mind only confirms what it already believes, it stops noticing the fifty mercies that did not fit the script. Faith does not deny facts; it refuses to let facts be the only facts. The promise makes room for what the eye has not yet seen. [78:40]
2. Impatience manufactures counterfeit fulfillments When timing hurts, the heart reaches for Hagar. The shortcut seems efficient, even necessary, yet it breeds complications that truth-telling later must untangle. God often blesses the unintended outcomes in mercy, but blessing does not make the shortcut wise. Waiting becomes the work where desire is purified into trust. [84:11]
3. Cognitive dissonance opens holy possibility The clash between what seems “natural” and what God promises is not a wall; it is a door. That pressure invites the imagination to submit to revelation, not fantasy but a truer realism shaped by God’s character. In that space, the mind yields and the heart learns to say, “How can this be?” and then to listen for the answer. [85:27]
4. God creates ex nihilo right now Creation out of nothing is not just Genesis; it is God’s signature in ordinary time. Where ministries looked empty, life appears. Where resources seemed thin, provision arrives on kingdom time. Such moments are not accidents; they are rehearsals for resurrection hope. [87:50]
5. Honor fathers under the Father Gratitude for earthly fathers deepens when it runs up into praise for the Giver. Honoring them rightly honors Him who fathers every family in heaven and on earth. That alignment keeps thanksgiving honest, tender, and free from idolatry. [89:23]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[76:46] - Our Father and Abraham
[77:40] - Father of three faiths
[77:58] - Promise, laughter, and cynicism
[79:22] - Confirmation bias on the highway
[81:04] - Taking control: Hagar and Ishmael
[82:05] - Sarah’s pain and messy families
[83:54] - Scripture’s cautionary examples
[85:01] - Cognitive dissonance named
[85:53] - Jesus shattering expectations
[86:44] - Creation out of nothing and resurrection
[87:50] - God creating among this church
[88:59] - A visible new thing rising
[89:23] - Honoring fathers under the Father
[90:14] - Thanks be to God, Amen

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Genesis 18:9-15 (ESV)
They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”

Genesis 16:1-6 (ESV)
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So… he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.

Luke 1:37 (ESV)
“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Observation questions

What two reactions did Abraham and Sarah have to God’s promise of a child in their old age, and how did God respond to their laughter?
What unintended consequences arose when Sarah and Abraham tried to fulfill God’s promise through Hagar instead of waiting? [01:21:04]
The sermon described cognitive dissonance as a “gateway, not a dead end.” What examples were given of this tension between “the world as it seems” and “the world God is making”? [01:25:27]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think God blessed Ishmael even though his birth resulted from a shortcut taken by Sarah and Abraham? What does this reveal about God’s character?
How does the tension between “old people don’t have babies” and “nothing is impossible with God” mirror the way people today struggle to reconcile faith with what seems “natural” or logical?
The sermon connected Abraham’s story to Jesus’ resurrection. Why is creation “out of nothing” (ex nihilo) central to both?

Application questions

Cynicism “dulls the senses to grace.” When have you dismissed a surprising act of kindness, provision, or answered prayer because it didn’t fit your expectations? What would it look like to actively watch for “fifty mercies” this week? [01:18:40]
Sarah’s impatience led to jealousy and division. Where are you tempted to force outcomes in relationships, work, or ministry instead of waiting for God’s timing? What practical step could help you pause and pray instead?
The sermon mentioned a choir, discipleship programs, and a building project as examples of God “creating ex nihilo” in ordinary life. Where have you seen God bring life or growth in a situation that once felt empty or hopeless? How does this shape your hope for current challenges? [01:27:50]
Families are messy, yet God works through them. How can you honor your earthly father (or father figures) while also recognizing that no family is perfect? What would it look like to extend grace to a family member this week?
“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” What specific situation in your life feels impossible right now? How might praying this question daily shift your perspective?

Sermon Clips

45s

#MiraclesDoHappen

“They're highly valuable and important, but there's also a spiritual theological realm as well, a godly realm that God can be at work in the world, miracles can indeed happen, that God can create ex nihilo, which means out of nothing, and that's exactly what's happening here with this older couple, God creating out of nothing, or if we are to look at the tomb as a grave, as an old resurrecting life from the grave, do you see the connections, my friends? God is able to do that which we thought impossible and make it so.”

46s

#ImperfectFaith

“Scripture reminds us that it's not just a whole bunch of people who are way up here, who are faultless and blameless, and that we need to follow and do everything that they model know sometimes in scripture, we learn things that are examples that we need not follow. Yes, God can still bless the offspring of Abraham and Hagar, and have a great nation from that union. But you know, that union ultimately occurred because, well, Sarah and then Abraham agreeing took matters into their own hands. They got tired of waiting. They were impatient.”

47s

#TrustGodsTiming

“That is what it means to have a particular view of the world and how hard it is to dislodge that belief once it has become so. And, the natural order of things, the natural order of the world says that old people do not have babies. And so, Abraham laughs. But God doesn't seem to hold it against Abraham and not even against Sarah when she has the exact same response in this passage. The challenge is not that they were cynical, not that they doubted. The bigger challenge here is that they tried to take matters into their own hands.”

51s

#NewMinistryRising

“Friends, what is God doing among us? Creating out of nothing? You know, just a few years ago, we didn't have a choir. And now, they're not meeting this summer, I recognize that. But we have a choir, don't we? You know, it wasn't long ago that we didn't have a whole lot of programming happening outside of Sunday morning worship. I recognize that was on the heels of COVID. But guess what? God is creating out of nothing, a new discipleship committee, new leadership there, people rising to teach and to lead.”

43s

#CognitiveDissonance

“cognitive dissonance is what Abraham and Sarah were experiencing. It means that they had a particular view that seemed to be supported by evidence, there was something that occurred in their lives that shook up that view and made them think that there might be another outcome that was possible. So in their mind, old people don't have babies. That's the primary view. Right? God comes in and says, but I'm going to promise you offspring, and then there is this existential crisis that emerges. How can this be?”

39s

#SarahsStruggle

“Sarah. She was jealous. Understandably so, I mean, we might say, oh, you know, you should have had more faith here, Sarah, but which one of us would have been happy with our spouse having a child with someone that was not us while we were still married to them. That would be a difficult thing to come to terms with even if we believe that God was somehow involved. And the reality here is that Sarah wants the promise to come through her. It's understandable.”

42s

#MindBlownByJesus

“If you notice the kinds of things that Jesus did in the New Testament, there was also a cognitive dissonance. People said, how can this be? How can a human being do and say these things? Is it possible that he could be the Christ? Boom. Mind blown. New opportunities unlocked. New ways of seeing the world that had never been imagined, now available in real time. And, I imagine that for most of us as followers of Jesus Christ, there was a time when we said dead people don't rise from the grave,”

38s

#EndTheCynicism

“And I want you to think about how often in your life you have approached a situation, you've heard something that caught you off guard, and your immediate, instant, knee jerk reaction was one of cynicism. We live in a world that is awash in cynicism. Just go to the Internet if you don't believe me. How many times does something occur that's even a good thing in the world, and then you scroll down to the comment section, and it's just one negative comment right after another? People trying to outwit one another with how mean and surly”

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Why did Abraham laugh at God's promise

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How should Christians respond when impatient with God's timing

Our Father: Faith, Doubt, and God's New Creation

Devotional

Day 1: When Laughter Meets Divine Promise

Day 2: Impatience’s Costly Shortcut

Day 3: Blessings in the Unplanned Places

Day 4: Dissonance as Holy Threshold

Day 5: Creating Out of Nothing, Still

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Our Father: Faith, Doubt, and God's New Creation

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