5:16 Podcast: Recent Episodes
Community Bible Church
A media production of Community Bible Church in Baton Rouge,Louisiana . A church dedicated as a Community of Christ to reach the Community for Christ. This podcast aims to provide biblically based sermons, commentary, topical studies, interviews, and conversations on a 5:16 foundation with a 3:16 mission.
Welcome to the first episode of a new 5:16 Podcast series: "Understanding the Ten Commandments."
This podcast is a ministry of Community Bible Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As we move through our Exodus series on Sunday mornings, we hope this podcast serves as a fun and helpful supplement alongside what's happening in the life of the church and aids you in diving deeper into each commandment.
In this episode, Pastor Steve Foster and Pastor Zach Benton introduce the Ten Commandments and discuss what they mean for believers today.
This week we will be exploring the sixth commandment in Exodus 20:13, Honoring Human Life.
Two words in Hebrew. That is all the sixth commandment is.
Lo tirtsakh (Hebrew)
You shall not murder. Or, perhaps more literally, "never murder."
These two words carry so much weight.
Respect life. Honor life. Protect life.
Stand in awe at the wonder, beauty, and dignity of human life.
From the moment of conception, life is a miraculous thing. In all of our intelligence and technology, we cannot replicate life. It is beyond us. It is incomprehensible. It is divine.
Each person is made in the image of God. This fact alone is enough to make us stop and think. We are the representatives of God on earth. How we treat one another is a reflection of our view of God.
Each human life is sacred and should be treated as such.
The principle is simple but living it out is not easy...and not always clear.
What about capital punishment? What about fighting in a war?
The sixth commandment also touches on such contemporary issues as abortion, euthanasia, eugenics, racial discrimination, suicide, self-defense, drug abuse, verbal abuse, and even AI.
Two words in Hebrew...with tons and tons of meaning.
We will scratch the surface on Sunday and remind ourselves of how amazing, beautiful, and sacred is human life... and how important it is to see each person as made in the image of God.
We will also celebrate communion on Sunday as fellow partakers of God's amazing grace!
May God fill us with His Spirit so that we can live each day as His ambassadors and ministers of reconciliation on this earth!
This week we will be exploring the fifth commandment in Exodus 20:12, Honoring Your Parents.
Interestingly, the early rabbis called this commandment the most difficult to keep.
Perhaps because the other commandments deal with what we are not to do, but this one tells us what we are to do...and there are no limits put on what it means to honor our parents.
And we all know that even the best of parents are imperfect!
But not only is the fifth commandment difficult, it is also determinative.
Honoring your father and mother sits right in the middle of the Ten Commandments for a reason.
The family is central.
How we treat our parents, and how we relate to one another in our families, impacts our relationship with God and our relationship with others.
And if there is one thing that is apparent in our culture today, it is that the family is increasingly being dismissed, attacked, redefined, and destroyed.
On Sunday, we will examine what the fifth commandment means, why it is important, and how it is to be applied in our lives today.
May God open our eyes, heal our hearts, and strengthen our families for His glory and our good!
This week Pastor Zach will be teaching through Exodus 20:8-11, Practicing Rest.
Sabbath rest.
If we had to guess God's ten biggest commandments to Israel, we probably wouldn't have included this one.
Work six days and rest on the seventh. Is that really such an important command?
But to a bunch of slaves leaving Egypt learning to reorient their entire lives around God's creation rhythm was vital. Slaves were not in control of their own time. Now, as God's freed people, they were. And how they lived their lives, day after day, week after week, year after year, was to be a sign to the rest of the world of who they were.
We will explore God's fourth commandment in more detail on Sunday and learn what it means to experience Christ's rest as God's redeemed people today.
May God refresh our hearts and reorient our lives as we learn to follow Him!
This week we will be exploring Exodus 20:1-6 together, Worshiping God Alone.
It is appropriate that in this season of celebrating America's 250th birthday, we are also examining the book of Exodus and the journey to true freedom. It is also appropriate that we are beginning our study in the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments were the "constitution" of the people of Israel as they were birthed as a new nation. They formed the backbone of how they were to live, how they were to think, how they were to relate to others, and how they were to worship God alone.
The first two commandments are the first two commandments for a reason.
You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol.
For many people, these two commands make no sense. Why not just start with the "ethical demands"? Don't murder. Don't steal. Don't lie. These are what really matter in human behavior, right?
But the Ten Commandments give us a foundational truth right at the start. Eliminate God and you have no basis for any ethical demands. Worship the wrong God and you will live in the wrong way. Reduce God to an idol that you can control and you will reduce everyone down to a level that you can control.
Unless we submit to God...unless we worship Him alone...unless we are governed by a love for Him above all else...then we will not live the way that we were created to live.
It is that simple.
Worshiping God is not an addendum to life. It is its very foundation.
May God enlarge our vision of Who He is. May He correct our vision of Who He is. And may He captivate our hearts so that we truly love Him with all of our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our mind, and with all of our strength.
We will be kicking off the next section of Exodus (chapters 20-24) this Sunday (9am, 10:45am).
In this 13-week series, we will be covering the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 21-23), and the ratification of the Mosaic covenant (Exodus 24).
This is a vital part of Scripture to understand! Not only because of the foundational aspects of the Ten Commandments but also because of the objections that many people have to some of the laws in the OT and the misunderstanding of how the Mosaic Covenant applies to believers today.
Over the next 3 months, we will be diving into some foundational biblical principles and some deeper theological issues related to the covenants, the law, and the age of grace. Fun stuff! And, oh, so practical and relevant to what we are facing today in our world.
Pick up a study guide this Sunday and join us for this journey through Exodus 20-24 (or download it online at 516church.org/digitalresources). A donation of $5 will cover the cost of printing the study guide.
Make the study of God's Word a priority in your daily life...and join a community group or your family or your friends in going through this study together. Small group discussion questions are provided each week in the study guide.
This week we will be exploring Exodus 17:1-16 together, Winning Our Battles.
There's a quote that I like that goes something like this: "Be kind because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." It is attributed to all kinds of different people (which means no one really knows who said it) but regardless of who said it, it conveys a lot of truth.
We are all fighting some kind of battle. In this sin-impacted world...and in our sin-impacted bodies...this is practically a given.
These battles hit us on two fronts...from the inside and from the outside.
On the inside, we face battles from our own minds, from our own family, and from our own friends and community.
On the outside, we face battles from the world, from the evil one, and from the sins and temptations all around us.
In Exodus 17, Israel faces these two battles.
On the inside, they begin to complain and attack Moses, even threating to stone him! They are without water and their thirst almost brings the entire community into a war against Moses, against one another, and against God.
On the outside, they are suddenly attacked by the Amalekites who target the weakest in their community and seek to plunder and destroy them. Without warning, Israel is suddenly thrown into a battle that they did not expect nor were they adequately prepared for.
The wilderness is hard enough without having to face these additional challenges.
So how does Israel win the battle? And how do we win the same kinds of battles today?
We will look at God's answers in Exodus 17.
May God strengthen our hands, unify our body, and give us the victory in the battles that we face today!
This Sunday we will also celebrate communion together as fellow partakers of God's grace!
This week we will be exploring Exodus 16:1-36 together, Receiving Our Daily Bread.
Manna.
What is it?
Actually, that is not just a question but an answer.
In Exodus 16, Israel is still in the wilderness, still facing difficulties, still complaining to Moses and Aaron.
The cycle has begun and it will continue for the next 40 years.
Discomfort. Discontent. Grumbling. Grace. Growth.
Well, that last part of the cycle (Growth) is the goal but it is not always the reality. God wanted them to grow in dependency and trust in Him but they often chose to remain in their stubborn complaining mode.
They are not too much unlike us.
That is why Exodus 16 is more than just a historical narrative. It is our spiritual narrative as well. These things were written for our admonition and instruction. These things were written to open our eyes to our own hearts as God's redeemed people stuck in the discomforts of the wilderness.
But even in our grumbling, God gives grace. Daily grace. Sufficient grace. Amazing grace.
In Exodus 16, God provides the miracle of manna...and teaches us a lot about living day by day on our daily bread of God's Word and His grace.
May God expose our hearts so that He can heal our hearts and give us His joy and strength!
This Sunday, May 17 (9am, 10:45am), we will pause our sermon series through the book of Exodus for our 516 Vision Sunday.
Each year, around May 16, we take time to focus on our vision as a church to be a community of Christ in order to reach our community for Christ.
It is a chance to remember what the Lord calls us to as a local church.
We are to be a Christ-centered, truth-proclaiming, loving-one-another body of believers!
During our worship services, we will sing praises to our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, give thanks for His blessings in our lives, review our 3:16 and 5:16 key verses, and share an update on what the Lord is doing here and around the world through the ministry of CBC.
May the Lord continue to deepen our roots in His truth and widen our love for one another as we seek to be a church of prayer, integrity, initiative, impact, and praise!
This week we will be exploring Exodus 15 together, Singing Praises to the Lord!
Israel just walked through the Red Sea...on dry ground! Can you imagine walking through the Sea with a wall of water on both sides of you? It would be like going through an aquarium where all the fish are not behind glass but swimming in the water right next to your face!
On top of that, Israel watched as Pharaoh's army, the best in the world at that time, was completely destroyed as God made a flick of His hand and the walls of water crashed down on them.
It was the most incredible miracle that the world had ever seen. And Israel had a front row seat to it all.
What would you do in that moment?
My guess is that you would do exactly what the Israelites did. Sing at the top of your lungs to the Lord and dance with all your might!
You were free! Totally free. And the Lord had displayed His mighty hand on your behalf.
How could you ever doubt His power and love again? (well, we will get to that next week)
But for this week, we are going to celebrate with the Israelites.
Exodus 15:1-21 is the first song of praise in Scripture. Some would even say (including myself) that it is the oldest song that we have record of in human history.
That in itself is pretty amazing.
But as the first praise song in Scripture, Exodus 15 teaches us a lot about praising the Lord. What does it mean to praise Him? How should we praise Him? When should we praise Him? Why should we praise Him?
If you have lost the joy of your salvation...if it has been awhile since you have really sung with all your might to the Lord...if you haven't felt like dancing in a long time...then may the Lord remind you of His majestic holiness, His awesome power, His steadfast love, and His ever-present attention and care for you.
You are loved with a love that you cannot fathom...and the Lord fights for you.
May the Lord put a little "pep in your step" today and stir your heart to sing praise to Him!
This week we will be exploring Exodus 14 together, "Experiencing God's Miracle."
Do you need a miracle?
Often we find ourselves in impossible situations. Life becomes overwhelming. Circumstances seem to be closing in and the way forward seems hopeless. Fearful and stressed, we tend to cry out to God and lash out at others all at the same time. After all, we have to find someone to blame and to get mad at. It gives us a momentary satisfaction even if it does nothing to change our situation.
This is what Israel experienced in Exodus 14.
They were trapped. There was no apparent escape. Behind them was Pharaoh's army, charging at them with chariots and weapons. In front of them was an impassable sea with depths capable of drowning them all in an instant.
And strangely enough, God (and Moses) led them to this very place!
I think you and I would be pretty pertubed too!
But God had a plan even in the midst of their most dire situation. He was going to gain glory, Israel's enemies were going to be fully defeated, and Israel was finally and truly going to be free.
They just had to be still, stand firm, and trust Him.
Easier said than done.
The Red Sea miracle is perhaps the best known miracle in the Bible. It makes great special effects in a movie and is a compelling story in its own right. Who can forget Charlton Heston parting the Red Sea in the Ten Commandments?
But beyond being a great movie scene, the parting of the Red Sea speaks practically and powerfully to us today. Nothing is impossible with God! Sometimes we spend more time looking at our problems than beholding Him. Sometimes we feel more hopeless than hopeful, even though God has already told us the end of the story! Sometimes we just need to stop panicking, running around in fear, and complaining to everyone left and right, and start resting in the goodness and sovereignty of God.
Confidence and joy in the face of fear. That in itself is a miracle!
May God open our eyes to His goodness and glory and may He open a path through whatever sea is in front of us!
This week we will be exploring Exodus 13 together, Following God.
Following God. That's what it all boils down to, doesn't it? He is the Shepherd. We are the sheep. He loves us. We love Him. And in loving Him, we trust Him and follow Him.
He knows the way forward, we do not.
Exodus 13 sits right in the middle between the redemption in Exodus 12 and the start of the journey into the wilderness in Exodus 14. Before Israel starts their journey, God gives some final instructions to His people.
God will guide their journey. They must learn to follow.
Even when the path takes them in a direction that they are not expecting.
There was a quicker way to Canaan but God will take them through the wilderness. And He often does the same in our lives.
Will we follow?
Or will we be tempted to turn back and go our own way?
It is the choice that faces us almost every day.
May God so overwhelm us with His goodness and grace that we trust Him even when our path takes us through the wilderness!
This Sunday, April 19 (9am, 10:45am), we are excited to have Dr. David Klingler as our guest speaker. Dr. Klingler will be speaking from the book of Proverbs, Don't Be a Fool!
David Klingler is the professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also the host of the Teach Me the Bible podcast. In his college days, David played quarterback for the Houston Cougars (1988-91) and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. He was drafted in the first round by the Cincinnati Bengals and played six seasons in the NFL. He certainly brings a unique perspective on what really matters and what really satisfies in this world!
May God use His Word in our lives to give us wisdom in this present age!
Exodus 12 introduced us to the Passover Lamb. It is the blood of the Passover lamb that averts God's judgment and brings salvation and redemption to His people.
But the theme of the Lamb does not begin in Exodus 12. It begins in Genesis with Adam, Abel, and Abraham.
And the theme of the Lamb does not end in Exodus 12. Rather it runs throughout the rest of Scripture, pointing to Jesus Christ and the climax of all history.
In the OT, the question is "Where is the lamb?"
In the Gospels, the answer is "Behold the Lamb!"
in Revelation, the climax is "Worthy is the Lamb!"
“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:10)
We are saved by the Lamb.
It is a strange statement when you think about it. The hero of the story of Scripture is a lamb.
It is the Lamb who conquers sin, death, and Satan.
It is the Lamb who redeems us and restores the earth.
It is the Lamb who reigns!
Worthy is the Lamb!
May God open our eyes, stir our hearts, strengthen our souls, and fill us with joy as we celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ!
This week we will be exploring Exodus 12:1-38 together, Applying the Blood of the Lamb.
Passover is one of the oldest, continuously celebrated rituals in world history. For close to 3500 years, Jews have met together as families to remember God's deliverance from the bondage of Egypt and His provision of the Passover lamb.
And every time we celebrate communion, we are joining them in this remembrance.
Passover is one of the most significant events in the story of Scripture--not only because it marks the beginning of Israel as a nation but it also points to the greatest deliverance in history, the death of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
This Sunday, we will walk through Exodus 12:1-28 verse-by-verse, learning about the original observance of Passover, focusing on the lamb, and seeing the signs of salvation in Jesus Christ.
Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
May God open our eyes to the wonder of Passover and deepen our understanding of the great grace shown to us in the blood of Jesus Christ!
A Bible study guide is available, walking step-by-step, verse-by-verse, through Exodus 1-13. Pick up a study guide on Sunday ($5 donation) and join us for this journey!
After our second service, join us for a baptism outside as we celebrate another life saved by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ!
This week we will be exploring Exodus 10:1-11:10 together, Facing the Judgment of God.
Within redemption, there is judgment.
To be delivered, something has to be defeated.
To be set free, something has to be overcome.
For Israel to be liberated from bondage, Egypt and its gods had to be judged.
Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord! (Exodus 12:12b)
This Sunday, we will look at plagues #8 and #9 -- locusts and darkness. We will also hear the announcement of the final plague -- the death of the firstborn.
Once again in these plagues, we will see God's sovereignty over the earth, Pharaoh's obstinacy in his heart, the Israelites' protection from judgment, and the gods of Egypt being rendered as nothing.
We will also answer the question: Was God being unfair in hardening Pharaoh's heart?
And we will address another question related to this one: Is it fair for people to be judged to hell if they refuse to trust in Jesus as Savior?
These are serious questions...but then again, sin is serious, death is certain, and God's judgment is a reality so we must take time to deal with the "dark side" of the plagues and what they can teach us today.
May God open our eyes to the reality of sin and the certainty of judgment so that our hearts will rejoice at the beauty and wonder of His grace!
This week we will be exploring Exodus 8:20-9:35 together, Knowing that He Is the Lord!
I originally titled this week, Confronting the Gods of Egypt, Part II. But since most sequels are not that good, I decided to change the title. 🙂
Actually, as I studied this week, I was reminded again of the primary purpose of the ten plagues.
By this you shall know that I am the LORD! (7:17)
This is Life 101. This is Reality 101. This is Wisdom 101.
The first truth that we must learn is a simple one: He is the Lord.
Once we acknowledge this truth, then other truths begin to take shape. Since He is the Lord, then that means...
I am not the Lord. The rulers of this world are not the Lord. The things of this world that I put my trust in will not satisfy me or give me security. I can't go my own way and find life. I exist to give Him glory. My purpose in life is to know Him and to follow His will. Salvation can only come through His grace. I can rest in His sovereignty. I can trust in His goodness. I can rejoice in His love.
God redeems us so that we can know Him.
And God confronts the false idols of this world so that everyone can know that He alone is the Lord.
This Sunday we will continue our journey through the plagues. With each plague, God reveals an aspect of His character, confronts the false gods of Egypt, shows grace toward His people, and exposes the hardness of man's heart.
As we study God's Word this week, may we bow in worship and humility and proclaim, "He is the Lord!"
This week we will be exploring Exodus 7:8-8:19 together, Confronting the Gods of Egypt.
We are all pretty familiar with the ten plagues. Their decimation of Egypt is one of the most well-known parts of the book of Exodus.
Blood. Frogs. Gnats. Flies. Pestilence. Boils. Hail. Locusts. Darkness. Death of the firstborn.
It reads like the apocalypse...and makes great special effects in the movies!
But what is the purpose of the plagues? Why did God send them on Egypt? And what are we to learn from them today?
The main purpose of the plagues is for the Israelites, the Egyptians, Pharaoh, and the whole world to know that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the LORD, Yahweh, the Great I AM.
He is the sovereign One over the universe.
He is the One who controls nature, who rules over humanity, who both judges and redeems.
To accomplish this purpose, God must also confront all the false gods that vie for people's devotion, allegiance, and worship.
Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. (Exodus 12:12b)
So each of the plagues points to two undeniable truths:
1. God is absolutely sovereign.
2. The false gods of Egypt are absolutely worthless.
We need to be reminded of these same truths today. We may not worship such false gods as Ra, Isis, Heket, Wadjet, Geb, Nut, Apis, the Nile River, or Pharaoh. But we do have our own objects of allegiance, devotion, and worship. Money, possessions, power, fame, technology, sports, pleasure, sex, alcohol, food, YouTube influencers, social media, etc., etc.
Whatever dominates our thoughts, whatever dominates our time, whatever dominates our heart is often our own false god. And we need to allow God to confront it in our own lives...for His glory and our good.
As we study the ten plagues over the next three weeks, may God open our eyes to His absolute sovereignty and His amazing grace and may He expose whatever hinders us from being fully devoted to Him.
This week we will be exploring Exodus 6:1-7:7 together, Getting Back on Track.
Have you ever messed things up in a big way?
Have you ever felt like you drifted so far from the Lord that you didn't know how to get back?
Have you ever been disappointed in God?
These can be common experiences in the Christian life.
When things don't go according to plan...or God doesn't come through in the way that we want or expect...or we find ourselves in a mess that we can't seem to get out of...then it is easy to drift away from the Lord. To get stuck in a rut.
This is where Moses is at the end of Exodus 5.
He has messed things up royally before Pharaoh. The people of Israel are suffering more. And God doesn't seem to be coming through the way that he expected.
Moses is rejected, dejected, doubting, and pouting.
It is at this point that God steps in and acts.
Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh... (6:1)
Exodus 6 is a key turning point in the book of Exodus.
"Super Moses" is gone. In his defeat and despair, Moses is now going to see God's glory, power, faithfulness, and redemption on full display.
Moses will come to know that He is the Lord.
Israel will come to know that He is the Lord.
Egypt will come to know that He is the Lord.
As G. Campbell Morgan once said:
The supreme need in every hour of difficulty and depression is a vision of God.
To see Him is to see all else in proper proportion and perspective.
May we catch a greater glimpse of the Self-Existent, Self-Sufficient, All-Powerful, All-Sustaining, Ever-Present, Ever-Faithful God as we worship Him!
This Sunday, we will also celebrate communion together as fellow partakers of God's grace!
A Bible study guide is available, walking step-by-step, verse-by-verse, through Exodus 1-13. Pick up a study guide on Sunday ($5 donation) and join us for this journey!
This week we will be exploring Exodus 5 together, "Making Things Worse."
Have you ever tried to do something for the Lord and things got worse rather than better?
Moses went through this exact experience.
God called him to confront Pharaoh and to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses didn't want to do it. He made as many excuses as possible to get out of the assignment. When this didn't work, he went back to Egypt half-hearted with a bad attitude.
Things went well at first but then, when he confronted Pharaoh, things went south quickly. Instead of releasing the Israelites, Pharaoh doubled their workload!
The people were crushed under the back-breaking demand. The leaders were livid at Moses and cursed him to his face. And Moses went back to God, licking his wounds.
Lord, why have You caused trouble for Your people? Why did You ever send me? Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and You haven't rescued Your people at all! (Exodus 5:22-23)
Moses is not a happy camper.
"God, I did what You told me to do and things got worse! Much worse!"
"Lord, why aren't You doing what You said You would do? Why have You made my life so miserable?"
Have you ever felt something similar?
Have you ever questioned God's goodness? His plan? His power?
Moses has.
And he is an example to us all of how our own attitude, our own methods, and our own expectations can often sidetrack us in our Christian faith.
Yet God is still good. And He is still at work. And His plan is still going to be fulfilled. And He can still use us even in our doubt and discouragement. And that gives us all hope!
May the I AM, the All-Sufficient, All-Sustaining One, refresh our hearts through His Word and empower us to follow His steps even when the road seems dark ahead...for His glory and our good!
A Bible study guide is available, walking step-by-step, verse-by-verse, through Exodus 1-13. Pick up a study guide on Sunday ($5 donation) and join us for this journey!.
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This week we will be exploring Exodus 4 together, Making Excuses.
Excuses.
We are pretty good at them.
If we failed to do something that we should have done...or if we don't want to do something that we should do...then you can bet that we can find a pretty good excuse to absolve ourselves or avoid the situation altogether.
It's a human trait that has been with us since mankind fell into sin.
The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit of the tree... (Genesis 3:12)
In Exodus 4, Moses continues his conversation with God. God has called him to deliver His people from Egypt...and Moses isn't too fond of the idea.
If God wants to deliver them, why does He need me?
Moses questions God...argues with Him...makes excuses...and tries to wriggle out of the assignment in any way that he can.
He is not too much unlike us. In fact, we can see a lot of ourselves in Moses...if we are willing to be honest.
But God continues to work on Moses until he finally relents to the Lord's will. But Moses' heart is still not in it. And what happens on the way to Egypt is a story that has boggled the minds of interpreters for thousands of years. You won't find it in any children's Bible, or in many sermons for that matter, today. But we'll take a look at it on Sunday. Woohoo!
May God continue to open our eyes to His truth and open our hearts to trust His good, acceptable, and perfect will for our lives.
This week we will be exploring Exodus 3 together, Encountering God.
Has your life ever been interrupted? Have you ever been on a path that suddenly took a quick detour?
For most of us, we like routine. We like knowing where we are going. We like for our lives to match up with our expectations. And we would like for God to agree with our plan and not throw us for a sudden loop.
In Exodus 3, Moses is humming along. His life is not what he expected but he has gotten used to the routine. After forty long years, he is settled...a family man, a hard-working shepherd, a rural country bumpkin.
But then God interrupts his life.
Moses encounters a burning bush out in the middle of the desolate desert and his life would never be the same.
God calls him to the purpose for which He created him, equipped him, prepared him, destined him.
But Moses is not on board...at least not yet.
What Moses needs to see is not his own failures and inadequacy but rather the power and sufficiency of God. The Great I AM. The Eternal One. The Sovereign One. The Holy One. The Ever-Present, Ever-Active, Ever-Sustaining One.
When we face the overwhelming challenges, responsibilities, and difficulties of life, we don't need to be reminded of our weakness. We already feel that. We need to be reminded of the greatness of God.
May God open our eyes to Who He is, fill our minds with His overwhelming greatness, and strengthen our hearts to fulfill His good, perfect, acceptable will for our lives!
A Bible study guide is available, walking step-by-step, verse-by-verse, through Exodus 1-13. Pick up a study guide on Sunday ($5 donation) and join us for this journey!
This week we will be exploring Exodus 2 together, Crying Out for Redemption.
Most of us are familiar with the story of Moses. We have either seen Charlton Heston in the Ten Commandments or the animated The Prince of Egypt or one of the more recent adaptations of Moses' life.
But surprisingly, as important as Moses is in the history of Israel (and in the history of the world), the Bible only spends 22 verses describing the first 80 years of his life. Wow, that is quite a summary! In the Hebrew language, it is only 300 words. That's about five tweets in the X world.
Though the Bible doesn't give us a ton of the "back story" of Moses' life, it certainly tells us enough.
We learn that he was born in the midst of a genocide, that he had godly, courageous parents, that he was providentially protected and raised in Pharaoh's court, that he was a natural leader and "righter of wrongs," and that he was a fugitive from Egypt who eventually ended up being a family man in Midian.
That in itself is quite a story!
But the Bible doesn't focus on Moses' life because ultimately he is not the hero of the story. Moses, though a natural leader, was also a flawed, impulsive, rejected runaway from trouble. He tried his hand at being a deliverer of his people and it simply did not work. He was a failed leader. He was a defeated man.
But God is going to use this defeated man for the greatest victory in Israel's history.
It is not the man. It is God working through the man that makes all the difference.
May God encourage our hearts as we study the first 80 years of Moses' life and may we be reminded that ultimately it is His power, not our own, that leads to victory and freedom.
A Bible study guide is available, walking step-by-step, verse-by-verse, through Exodus 1-13. Pick up a study guide on Sunday ($5 donation) and join us for this journey!
This week we will be exploring Exodus 1 together, Living in Bondage.
Exodus begins where Genesis ends. Israel is in Egypt, living in the land of Goshen, under the protection of Joseph, prospering and multiplying.
But as time goes on, things begin to change.
A new Pharaoh arises and stirs up fear, hatred, and opposition to the Israelites.
Suddenly God's people are despised, enslaved, and even targeted for death. The place that once gave them protection, now becomes a place of persecution. The place of their enjoyment becomes a place of their enslavement.
But even in their distress, God's promise remains and His plan is still at work.
As we study Exodus 1 together, it will become clear that we can never count on this world to be our home. God's Word runs counter to the world's desires. And His plan moves in the opposite direction of the rulers and principalities of this age.
We should not be surprised by opposition.
But, at the same time, we should not live in fear. Two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, give us an example of how to live courageously and faithfully in the face of fear.
May God's greatness be so magnified in our minds that we live boldly and faithfully for His glory no matter what this world may bring!
A Bible study guide is available, walking step-by-step, verse-by-verse, through Exodus 1-13. Pick up a study guide on Sunday ($5 donation) and join us for this journey!
I am excited to jump in to this study through the book of Exodus. After a year and a half in Genesis, then it only makes sense to continue the story in Exodus.
Exodus reveals the character of God.
Pharaoh's question in Exodus 5:2 is the question that the book answers: "Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go."
We will learn more about Yahweh, the great I AM, the Redeemer, the Lord of all creation in this study.
Exodus also reveals the model of redemption.
The story of Israel's redemption from bondage in Egypt, by the power of God and the blood of the lamb, is a historical picture of our own redemption in Jesus Christ. The story of the exodus, in many ways, is our own story.
We have been set free from the bondage of sin, from the course of this world, from the ruler of this world system, in order that we might walk in covenant relationship with God. We are called out and called to. Called out of serving Pharaoh; called to serving the Lord.
But it is one thing to remove the child of God from Egypt; it is another to remove Egypt from within the child of God!
As we walk with the Israelites out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, through the wilderness, to Mount Sinai, and toward the Promised Land, we will see many parallels to our own walk with Christ.
We are redeemed people, called to follow after God in the freedom of grace, but we are easily tempted to continue to live under the bondage of sin and the world.
As Paul says in Galatians 5:1:
"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."
This Sunday, we will introduce our year-long study through Exodus. We will also have a Bible study guide available for you, walking step-by-step, verse-by-verse, through Exodus 1-13.
Pick up a study guide on Sunday ($5 donation) and join us for this journey!
May God overwhelm our vision with His matchless glory and free our hearts to worship His great name!
This Sunday, January 11 (9am & 10:45am), Pastor Zach will conclude a two-week mini sermon series on What Happened After Christmas?
Last week, we saw what happened after Christmas while Jesus was still a baby. This week, we will examine what happened after Christmas when Jesus became a boy.
In this week's passage (Luke 2:41-52), we will get a unique glimpse into Jesus' childhood. Jesus is twelve years old and going up to Jerusalem with his family for the Passover feast. But after the feast is over, and unbeknownst to his parents, Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem.
When Mary and Joseph realize their son is missing, they scramble to look for Him. After three days! They finally find Him in the Temple, listening to and learning from the Jewish teachers.
Like any mother would have been, Mary was stressed to the limit. And she asked why Jesus would do such a thing. But Jesus was surprised. Why were his parents looking for Him? Didn't they realize that He must be in His Father's house?
This passage provides us with the first words spoken by Jesus in the Gospel. And it reveals to us--that from an early age--Jesus understood who He was and what He was called to do.
In 2026, may we be a people who understand our identity and calling like Jesus!
This Sunday, we will be exploring Genesis 50 together, The Final Chapter According to God.
We have finally reached the last chapter of Genesis. It has been quite a journey through an amazing book. I pray that you have been encouraged and challenged along the way.
Genesis 50 is the final chapter of this great book. It is also the final chapter of Jacob and Joseph's lives here on earth. Both of their deaths and funerals are in this chapter.
With two deaths and two funerals, it goes without saying that Genesis 50 is also a chapter of sorrow and tears. In fact, crying and tears are mentioned on nine different occasions in the twenty-six verses of this one chapter.
So what does this chapter have to do with Christmas?
Everything!
Christmas is not the story of a little baby entering a pristine world to make us all feel better about the winter season.
It is an invasion. It is a visitation. It is a confrontation with the sin and death of this world.
It is the story of redemption.
This world is a world of tears. We do not live in the Garden of Eden. We live in a world impacted with sin, soaked with sorrows, devastated with death.
Is there any true hope?
In Genesis 50, we see the embers of hope. God's sovereignty assures us that we are part of a bigger story. God's promises are the anchors of our soul in the midst of life's storms. And God's goodness and love remind us that He will surely visit us with redemption.
All that is broken will be made whole.
All that is ruined will be made new.
Do not weep, the Lion of Judah has prevailed!
May God open our eyes to the wonders of the incarnation of our Savior, give us confidence and hope as we navigate the storms of this life, and fill us with joy as we look forward to His kingdom here on earth!
This Sunday, we will be exploring Genesis 49, Prophecy According to God.
Jacob is on his death bed. Hospice has been called in. The time of his death is quickly nearing.
But in a last moment of strength, Jacob calls all of his sons into the room. He speaks as their father. He speaks as a prophet. He speaks as a man who has weathered the storms of life and experienced both the firm discipline and gentle grace of the Lord.
He addresses each of his sons. He describes their character. He warns them of their weaknesses and sinful tendencies. He prophesies about their future. He sees the salvation of God coming through their seed.
Chapter 49 is one of the most difficult passages in Genesis to interpret. It is also one of the longest and oldest poems in ancient history.
Amazingly, it is also an appropriate Christmas passage as it prophesies about the coming Lion of Judah, Shiloh, the Prince of Peace, the Savior of the world!
May we see ourselves in this passage and may we see the beauty, power, and majesty of our Savior, Jesus Christ!
This week we will be exploring Genesis 48 together, Reversals According to God.
It seems that every week we are changing the title of the sermon from the one that is listed in the study guide. It's amazing that as you study a passage more deeply that God reveals deeper and deeper truths.
In this case, while redemption is certainly a theme in Genesis 48, the chapter seems to focus more on the unexpected reversals in life.
Life doesn't always turn out as we planned.
Sometimes we make good choices and it seems like bad consequences follow. Sometimes we pray for God to do one thing and it seems like He does the exact opposite. Sometimes we expect life to turn out in a certain way and it hits us with something totally unwanted and unforeseen.
These are the unexpected reversals of life.
God often blesses us with "crossed hands." He puts His hand of blessing on a part of our lives that we are not expecting and He chooses not to bless a part of our lives that we are wanting Him to.
This is one of the principles that we see in Genesis 48.
Jacob is nearing the end of his life. He is on his deathbed. He can't see. He can barely sit up. But the eyes of his faith are as clear as they have ever been in his life.
He finally sees as God sees.
And this moment is the pinnacle of his faith.
And, despite Joseph's strong objections, Jacob blesses the younger over the older.
It is an unexpected reversal (from a human standpoint).
But, in reality, it is part of God's eternal, beautiful plan.
Joseph just has to trust that his father knows what he is doing.
And we have to do the same.
May God open the eyes of our heart so that we can see Him more clearly, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more nearly than we ever have before!
This week we will be exploring Genesis 46 together, The Journey According to God.
Life is a journey.
We hear that phrase a lot. Often it is in Hallmark-type phrases that talk about life being about the journey not the destination or about making friends along the way or beginning with the first step.
But there is truth to the statement that life is a journey. Biblically, life is often described as a pilgrimage, a sojourning, or a road that presents choices along the way.
Jacob's life has been a journey...and not a very good one overall...but it takes an unexpected turn in Genesis 46.
Jacob is 130 years old. He is not at an age when you typically make a big move in life. But, in this chapter, Jacob and his whole family pick up their stakes and move into Egypt. It was quite a trip...and quite a change in this old man's life.
But, in Egypt, Jacob will have a tearful reunion with his long-lost son, Joseph. He will experience God's goodness once again in his life. And his family will grow into a nation.
Until our journey on this earth ends, God still has a purpose for us. We are never too old to learn. We are never too old to change. We are never too old to experience the goodness of God in new ways. We are never too old to be surprised and amazed by God's grace.
God is not done with Jacob yet. And He is not done with us!
May God guide our steps in this journey of life, strengthen our faith, and refresh our hearts with His goodness and grace!
This week we will be exploring Genesis 45 together, Providence According to God.
How has your life been?
Some of us answer that question with a litany of wonderful events and blessings in our lives. Others of us struggle to understand why certain things happened to us, why God allows pain, betrayal, and abuse, why we must continue to live with feelings of guilt, regret, or shame.
Life is hard. And some things in life simply do not make sense.
But from a theological perspective, we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
We love Romans 8:28 but sometimes it is hard to believe.
But Joseph's story is Romans 8:28 illustrated in real-life events. Through Joseph's life, we get a glimpse into how God can transform the most painful, unjust, evil deeds into something beautiful, something redemptive, something eternally good.
Genesis 45 gives hope to us all. And it is a powerful reminder of the beauty, hope, and grace that is ours in Jesus Christ.
May God open our eyes to see His providential hand in even the most difficult circumstances of life.
This week we will be exploring Genesis 44 together, Love According to God.
Can people truly change?
It is a good question. Sometimes we see someone set in their ways and we don't think that they will ever change. Sometimes we look at our own lives and realize how hard it is to change.
But if people cannot change, then that means that a bad marriage will always stay bad, a dysfunctional family will always live in dysfunction, a stagnant church will always remain stagnant, a divided community will always remain divided.
Without the potential of true heart change, then there can really be no true change in the people and relationships around us.
Jacob's family is a mess. Favoritism. Envy. Selfishness. Greed. Hatred. Pride. Deception. Arguments. Fights. Lies. Abuse. It is far from the "model family."
And yet the hopes of the world rest on this crazy, chaotic, conflicted family!
But something changes in Genesis 44.
The family is different. The brothers are different. Judah is different.
Instead of selfishness, you see self-sacrifice.
Instead of envy, you see love.
What in the world has happened?
We will examine this chapter on Sunday and explore how Joseph's final test of his brothers reveals the radical change in their hearts.
May God continue to change our hearts to reflect more and more of the grace, faithfulness, boldness, and love of His Son, Jesus Christ!
This Sunday we will also dedicate two babies and their families to the Lord and celebrate communion together as fellow partakers of God's abundant grace!
This week we will be exploring Genesis 40 together, Dreams According to God.
Have you ever had a weird dream? Or a vivid one that was hard to forget?
In Genesis 40, Pharaoh's cupbearer and his baker, who are both in prison with Joseph, each have a unique dream that puts them in a contemplative, confused state of mind. Joseph's interpretation of their dreams sets a whole chain of events into motion that will eventually take Joseph from the pit to the palace.
But, in the meantime, Joseph will again have to wait and wonder what God is doing in his life as the cupbearer forgets about Joseph for a span of two years.
Nothing comes easy in Joseph's life!
This Sunday we will take a look at several truth principles in Genesis 40 and answer such questions as:
Does God still use dreams today?
How do we avoid our own pity party?
Where is the "land of the Hebrews"?
Why is human trafficking so evil?
How do you respond when someone forgets you?
And where is God in difficult times?
Joseph's story is a challenge and encouragement to us all.
May God strengthen us and fill us with perseverance, hope, and joy as we wait on Him!
This week we will be exploring Genesis 39 together, Conviction According to God.
Just like last week, I am changing the sermon title from what is in the study guide. Yes, Genesis 39 deals with sexual purity but the main message seems to be focused on the strength of Joseph's faith and his convictions.
Genesis 39 is a contrast to Genesis 38.
In Genesis 38, Judah cannot control himself in the face of temptation. In Genesis 39, Joseph can.
Why?
What's the difference?
Joseph knew God and he knew the devastating consequences of sin.
And, most importantly, the Lord was with him.
Joseph had aligned himself with God's purpose and God was strengthening him for the task.
Joseph was living for something bigger than himself.
And he was relying on Someone stronger than himself.
Thus, when the temptation hit, Joseph had the strength to resist.
This Sunday, we will examine the convictions of Joseph and how he resisted sin and we will remind ourselves of one of the most important truths in all of Scripture...
The Lord is with us!
We will also celebrate communion together as fellow partakers of God's grace.
May the Lord strengthen our inner person, refresh our hearts with His love, and remind us daily of His abiding presence!
This week we will be exploring Genesis 38 together, Confession According to God.
Yes, the original title was Sexual Immorality According to God. That title is what is in the study guide. And it makes a nice contrast with Genesis 39 in which we will see Joseph's commitment to sexual purity in the face of enormous temptation.
But studying Genesis 38 more, it becomes apparent that the true heart of the story is when Judah confesses his own sin. The immorality is there, but, praise God, that is not where the story ends!
This is the turning point in Judah's life.
This is what makes Judah into the man whom his brothers praise and whom God blesses.
The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes;
And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. (Genesis 49:10)
Genesis 38 is another one of those "PG-13" chapters in the Bible. (Don't worry, I don't plan on going into the details of any of the sexual content in this chapter, except to read what the text says. I will be sensitive to "younger ears" but as a parent you will need to decide how you want to approach this passage with your children.)
The Bible does not hide the failures of its "heroes" and chief characters. And in this chapter, Judah fails in almost every way possible, as a brother, as a son, as a husband, as a father, and as a man of God. Tamar actually is the "hero" in this chapter, even though her actions are far from anything we would ever expect or endorse.
But the Bible does not tell us this story as tabloid fodder, rather its purpose is to show us the reality of sin and the beauty of grace...and to point us to the pathway forward in the midst of our guilt and our shame...
Humble, honest, self-evaluating confession.
The problem is not with God's love or His grace.
The problem is with our self-righteous, stubborn hearts.
Judah's story is a story we all need to hear as it leads us to praise the One who is both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
May we praise together the God whose grace is greater than all our sin!
This week we start our study through the life of Joseph. Hopefully you have picked up a study guide and are committed to diving into God's Word this fall. Joseph's story is one of the most beautiful and powerful in all of Scripture. His life models many aspects of the life of Christ and his faith through many unfair, painful trials is an encouragement to us all.
Joseph's story highlights the providence of God.
God is always at work, moving circumstances and events according to the counsel of His will. He guides human history with an unseen hand. He sovereignly guides our own lives for His glory and our good. But, let's be honest, it doesn't always look that way! Much of what happens to us (and around us) seems random, accidental, purposeless, and out of control.
Sitting in prison as a falsely convicted slave, hated by his brothers, alone and forgotten, Joseph could have thought the same thing. But God was at work in ways that Joseph could not have imagined.
This Sunday we will be exploring Genesis 37 together, Hatred & Envy According to God.
Joseph's story does not start off well. He suffers the loss of his mother at a young age. And, though his dad dotes all over him, the rest of his family cannot stand him. He is a spoiled brat in many ways. And his own brothers envy and hate him.
In one of the most shocking scenes in Scripture, his brothers attack him, throw him like garbage into a pit, and plot his death. Then in an ironic display of "mercy" in their eyes, they decide to sell him into slavery to make a little cash off his demise.
The dysfunction of Jacob's family is on full display in Genesis 37. And these are the people who are supposed to be the vehicles of redemption in the world!
Yet even in their dysfunction, disdain for each other, and determination to counteract the will of God, they end up moving God's plan closer to fulfillment.
We will examine this story on Sunday and consider the state of our own hearts as we live in this world and relate to one another.
May God's glory, power, sovereignty, and grace strengthen our hearts and teach us to live boldly, wisely, and humbly in this present age!
This week we will be exploring Genesis 35 together, Rededication According to God.
Jacob's life is filled with ups and downs. One victory in his life seems to be followed immediately by a failure. Right after he wrestles with God and reconciles with his brother, Esau, he finds himself in a place of complacency, hanging out in Shechem longer than he should and exposing his family to great danger.
God finally has to wake Jacob up and tell him to get out of Shechem and go to Bethel.
In modern words, God would be telling him, "Get out of your complacent, apathethic, self-pitying, half-hearted commitment to Me and do what I have called you to do!"
We all need this reminder.
Complacency is easy. Half-hearted commitment comes naturally. Mindless, passionless apathy seems to always invite us into its comfortable doldrums.
But God calls us to more.
He calls us to wake up! He calls us to set aside our idols! He calls us to remember who we are! He calls us to remember Who He is!
God calls us to live for Him no matter what happens around us.
The world likes to lull us to sleep and conform us to its image.
May we have the courage and strength to get out of Shechem and go to Bethel, the house of God!
This Sunday we will also celebrate communion together as fellow partakers of God's grace and members of His body!
This Sunday, September 7 (9am, 10:45am), we will have a special guest speaker for our Genesis series, Dr. Terry Mortenson of Answers in Genesis.
Dr. Mortenson has a Ph.D. in the history of geology from Coventry University in the UK. He has taught on creation and evolution issues for over 50 years in 37 different countries. It will be an encouragement to have Dr. Mortenson with us this coming weekend to address some of the controversies surrounding the book of Genesis and how science supports the Bible.
This Sunday morning, Dr. Mortenson will be speaking in both worship services on the topic, Creation vs Evolution: Does It Matter?
Dr. Mortenson will have six more sessions while he is here at CBC. Here is the schedule for this coming Sunday and Monday (September 7-8).
Origin of Species: Was Darwin Right? (Sunday, 6pm)
Ape-Men, Adam, and the Gospel (Sunday, 7:30pm)
Seven C's of History (for children, Monday, 9am)
How to Think about Origins (for teens, Monday, 10:30am)
Millions of Years: The Idea's Unscientific Origin and Its Catastrophic Consequences (Monday, 6pm)
Noah's Flood: Washing Away Millions of Years (Monday, 7:30pm)
The Monday morning sessions are open to all children, teens, and adults who are able to attend.
We are not sure of the number of people who may be coming to CBC for these sessions. Please be patient with our limited space and, if you are able, please park towards the rear of our property or on the other side of our youth building to allow some of our visitors to park toward the front. We plan to have overflow seating in our CBC Cafe area if needed.
May God fill our hearts with awe as we consider the reality, majesty, and beauty of His creation!
This week we will explore Genesis 33 together, Reconciliation According to God.
Here are four basic truths that I have learned in life:
Relationships are essential.
Conflict is inevitable.
Ongoing conflict is miserable.
Reconciliation is beautiful.
Let's face it...relationships are hard! It is nice to talk about love, fellowship, forgiveness, and reconciliation but they are so hard to live out in our daily relationships.
We can irritate one another, disagree with one another, argue with one another, and even hurt one another.
Jacob and Esau have been fighting since they were in the womb. They were different personalities with different interests going in different directions. And, unfortunately, their parents took sides which made their conflict with each other even more magnified.
For twenty years, Jacob and Esau never talked with each other. They lived separate lives. They pursued different goals.
But as Jacob heads back to Canaan, he is motivated to seek peace with Esau. Perhaps he is motivated primarily by fear...but he is also changing in his character and he knows that this ongoing conflict with Esau needs to be resolved. Especially since Esau at one point had wanted to kill him!
Things are tense. Jacob sends a message of peace. He receives the news that Esau is coming with 400 men. Jacob is tied down with a large company of women, children, and flocks. There is no escape. They are going to face each other face-to-face again.
What will happen? Will Esau execute his plan of vengeance? Will Jacob try to run? Will there be a cold reception? Will there be a fight? Will there be a war? Will there be a slaughter?
What happens is not necessarily what anyone expected, particularly Jacob.
Esau runs full speed to Jacob and embraces him with the love of a brother.
They both break down in tears.
It is a beautiful scene of restitution, restoration, and reconciliation.
But, at the same time, is not the movie type ending. Esau and Jacob still have their issues. They still have their differences. They are still headed in different directions. And Jacob has to navigate a precarious situation with every step with his brother.
There are so many principles to learn in this passage about relationships, about forgiveness, about reconciliation, about practical wisdom. We will explore these principles on Sunday.
May God fill our hearts with His grace, wisdom, and peace so that we can relate to one another with the unity of the Spirit and the love of Jesus Christ!
This week, we will be exploring Genesis 32 together, Wrestling According to God.
Or perhaps it should more accurately be called Wresting with God.
Jacob literally wrestles God in this chapter.
It is a hard thing to imagine. In fact, most Jewish interpreters struggle to make any sense of this chapter. And it is the very chapter that explains where the name Israel came from!
Some see Genesis 32 as a dream or a vision. Some see it as a throwback to some kind of mythical battle against demons or "river gods." Some see it as an allegorical story on prayer or an inner psychological wrestling match in Jacob's own head.
But the text is clear: Jacob wrestled a Man whom he later realized was God. In fact, it had to be God because He is the one who blesses Jacob and changes his name. And Jacob had no doubt who had that kind of power, Yahweh Himself. That's why he stops in the morning to contemplate what just happened and he names the place, Peniel, "the face of God."
Jacob sees God's face...and lives.
Jacob wrestles God...and comes away with only a limp.
Jacob encounters the God-Man who would redeem his life and ultimately provide redemption for the whole world.
It's an amazing story...and one of the key chapters in the whole Old Testament.
And I think it is also the story of us all.
We are all "God wrestlers" to some degree. We are all "heelcatchers" trying to make life work on our own. And when we encounter God, He often feels like an antagonist, like someone trying to stop us from doing what we want or hinder us from having fun or interfere with our self-sufficient lives.
But in actuality, the God-Man is seeking to redeem us.
He is a Friend who comes to save.
And we have to learn to stop fighting Him and instead cling to Him alone.
That's when we find the blessing and receive a new name.
May God open our eyes to His truth and transform us into the image of His Son!
This week, we will be exploring Genesis 30:25-31:55 together, Hard Times According to God.
This is another passage that could be under the "Strange Stories in the Bible" category.
We have weird breeding strategies, a bunch of oddball sheep and goats, stolen household gods, a daring escape on camels, a showdown at Gilead, and Jacob's first country song.
It's better than any movie out there!
But in the midst of this crazy story, God is still at work. He is slowly molding and shaping Jacob into the man that He wants him to be. Jacob doesn't make this process easy but God is faithful to complete the work that He started in him.
Praise God...because we are not the easiest clay to mold either!
God takes Jacob through hard times, through his own "wilderness experience," to teach him to trust Him alone.
And there is much that we can learn from Jacob's story.
May God strengthen us day by day, give us peace in the midst of hard times, and fix our hope on the redemption that we have in Jesus Christ!
This week, we will be exploring Genesis 29:31-30:24 together, Dysfunction According to God.
"Wow! These people are messed up!"
I remember hearing that from a new believer who was reading through Genesis for the first time.
There are no real heroes in this passage of Scripture. Everyone fails on some level. You have an apathetic man. An unloved woman. An angry husband. An unhappy wife. Arguing parents. Neglected children. Sibling rivalry. Family conflict. Misused sex. Misused prayer. And misused people.
It is a messy, dysfunctional family filled with messy, dysfunctional people.
So what are we supposed to learn from all this? Why is this passage in the Scriptures? Why are God's people acting this way?
Welcome to reality!
All of us are dysfunctional. None of us "function," live, or love to the degree that God calls us to. We all fall short. And thus, every family, church, and community will reflect that dysfunction in some way.
All of us can find ourselves somewhere in this story...if we are willing to see.
And all of us desperately need God's amazing, abundant grace!
Even in this mess, God is at work behind the scenes, answering half-hearted prayers, showing love to the unloved, humbling the proud, encouraging the weak, healing the broken-hearted, and accomplishing His will in spite of the attitudes and actions of His people.
He redeems the mess for His glory.
And He redeems our mess when we are willing to humble our hearts, acknowledge our failures, seek His righteousness, and praise His name.
May God open our eyes to see our sinful ways and His amazing grace!
This week, we will be exploring Genesis 28:1-22 together, Grace According to God.
Grace, grace, God's grace.
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within.
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
Grace is such a beautiful word and such a beautiful attribute of our God.
We see His grace in Jacob's life.
Jacob is a heelcatcher, a finagler, a deceiver, a coward.
There is not much "good" in him when we meet him in Genesis 25-27.
But God has a purpose for him and God pursues him despite himself.
Genesis 28 is a beautiful chapter of God's grace.
Alone, wandering, discouraged, uncertain, exhausted, fearful. Jacob does not know what is next in his life. He is on the run. From his brother, from his family, from God.
But in the middle of the darkness, God reveals His glory and His grace to Jacob. Jacob has a dream that reminds him that he is always in the presence of God and he is never too far for God to reach down to him.
He also has a revelation of the future glory and grace to be revealed in Jesus Christ!
May God open our eyes to His glory and His grace as we worship Him together this Sunday!
This week, we will be exploring Genesis 29:1-30 together, Disappointment According to God.
Have you ever felt disappointed in life?
Have you ever wondered why life hasn't turned out as you expected?
Have you ever faced the stark reality that the people, things, relationships, and circumstances of this world will never fully satisfy?
In Genesis 29, Jacob is about to get a big dose of reality. In fact, he is going to get a big dose of his own medicine.
Life has pretty much always worked out the way Jacob planned. He was able to finagle situations, make things work, use his smarts to get what he wanted. He was pretty self-confident in his own abilities.
But in Genesis 29, Jacob meets his match... Laban.
He also meets his match made in heaven... Rachel!
He is in love. He is smitten. He is excited about the future. He is walking on cloud nine. And then it all comes crashing down.
It is a major lesson in big disappointment.
And a major step in his growth in the Lord.
This Sunday, we will examine seven practical principles for life in Genesis 29 based on Jacob's experience in Haran.
May God open our eyes to the realities of this world--not so that we will live in disappointment--but so that we will put our hopes in the only One who can truly satisfy!
This week, we will be exploring Genesis 26:34-28:9 together, The Blessing According to God.
In many ways, this passage is a sad story.
Isaac and Rebekah's marriage appears to be in shambles.
Rebekah rules the roost.
Isaac is ruled by his palate.
Jacob deceives his own aged father.
Esau wants to kill Jacob.
This is the last time that we will see this family together.
But in the midst of the dysfunction, God's sovereignty and grace still function.
God overrides the foolish decisions of His people for His own redemptive purposes.
And His blessing is passed down from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob.
What is the blessing? Why is it important? And what does it mean for us today?
We will answer these questions on Sunday.
May God's blessing be poured out on us for His glory and our good!
Study guides will be available in the foyer this Sunday. A $5 donation will help cover the cost of printing. You can also access a digital file online by visiting the Digital Resources section of our website, 516church.org.
This week, we will be exploring Genesis 26:1-33 together, Digging Wells According to God.
I originally titled this chapter, "Flashback according to God." A strange title. But in Genesis 26, you really have an interruption in the narrative with a flashback to an earlier time in Isaac's marriage (before the twins) with many parallels to Abraham's life before the birth of Ishmael and Isaac.
Isaac follows in his father's footsteps in many ways...both good and bad.
But Genesis 26 as a whole focuses on Isaac digging wells.
Not the most relevant topic in today's world but a vital project when you live in the desert.
Isaac tries to restore Abraham's wells and digs four of his own--Esek, Sitnah, Rehoboth, and Shebah.
So what is the point of all these wells in Genesis 26?
Actually quite a lot.
In the midst of uncertainty, difficulty, and opposition, Isaac chooses to keep digging wells rather than building walls. He pursues peace. He learns to trust the Lord even in unfair circumstances. And he experiences greater and greater blessings from the Lord.
There is a message to all of us in Genesis 26. There is also a small glimpse into the conflict that is taking place in the Middle East even to this day.
May God fill us with His Spirit, give us His wisdom, guard our hearts with His peace, and empower us to serve Him!
This week, we will be exploring Genesis 25:29-34 together, Foolishness According to God.
Esau and Jacob are very different twins. Esau is hairy. Jacob is smooth. Esau is an outdoorsman. Jacob is an indoorsman. Esau is physically strong. Jacob is mentally strong. Esau is a fool. And Jacob is a heelcatcher who knows how to take advantage of a fool.
Genesis 25:29-34 is a strange passage in many ways. It is only six verses long but it packs massive implications for the story of Jacob and Esau. The birthright of the oldest son does not mean as much to us today but back then it meant everything, particularly in this case when the birthright is tied to the blessing of God.
Esau traded a treasure for a trifle.
He gave up the blessing for a bowl of soup.
He despised what was significant to get what was insignificant.
He put immediate gratification over enduring satisfaction in God.
Neither Esau nor Jacob are "heroes" in this story. Both are acting selfishly. But whereas Jacob is a finagler, Esau is a fool. And his foolishness exhibits a heart that is totally oblivious and obstinate toward God.
This week we will revisit the differences between Esau and Jacob and the struggles in the family. We will then examine the danger of putting the temporal over the eternal, of pursuing immediate gratification over enduring satisfaction in Christ.
May God fill us with His Spirit so that we will walk in His wisdom and pursue the things that really matter in this life and in eternity!
For the next twelve weeks, we will be exploring the life of Jacob in Genesis 25-35.
Jacob's life is quite interesting. He is not much of a "hero" in the traditional sense of the word. He has his faults, failures, struggles, weaknesses, sins, and just plain foolish decisions. There is not much to admire in his life and he doesn't have any great acts of faith that make us want to tell flannelgraph stories about him in children's church.
But God loved him...and changed him...and used him for His glory.
Jacob's story is one of struggle and transformation.
Indeed, God calls Himself the "God of Jacob" which is an unusual title when you consider what the name "Jacob" means and all the failures that he had.
But in many ways, we are all "Jacobs" trying to control life, make things work, and wrestling against God's will in our lives.
And God still loves us and wants to change us and use us for His glory.
I love the story of Jacob and I pray that it is an encouragement to you and our congregation this summer.
This week, we will be exploring Genesis 25:19-28 together, Twins According to God.
It is not the best title. A better one may be Different Personalities According to God or Family Problems According to God.
Jacob and Esau are twins who are as different as night and day. And their births have a great impact on Isaac and Rebekah, mostly in a negative way.
But there is much to learn from this passage and from the story of Jacob as a whole so I pray that you will pick up a study guide and dive into God's Word this summer!
Study guides will be available in the foyer this Sunday. A $5 donation will help cover the cost of printing. You can also access a digital file online by visiting the Digital Resources section of our website, 516church.org.
This Sunday, May 18 (9am, 10:45am), is our 516 Vision Sunday.
Every year, on the Sunday closest to May 16, we take time to remind ourselves of our vision as a local church.
We desire to be the community of Christ in order to reach our community for Christ.
To be the community of Christ, we focus on God's love for us in Jesus Christ (John 3:16), our love for one another as believers in Jesus Christ (1 John 3:16), and our love for the Word of God as followers of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 3:16).
To reach our community for Christ, we recognize the importance of being a healthy church of vibrant believers who are praying fervently (James 5:16), walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), making the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:16), shining the light of Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:16), and rejoicing always in His grace (1 Thessalonians 5:16)!
This Sunday we will review these 316 and 516 verses, rejoice in God's faithfulness to CBC in the past, share some of the things going on at CBC in the present, and give praise for the hope that we have in Jesus Christ for the future!
May God fill our hearts with His Spirit so that we might bear fruit for His glory!
This week we will be exploring Genesis 24:29-67, Success According to God.
What does it mean to be successful?
What is your view of success?
Do you feel like you are successful?
Success is a tricky word. How you define success depends on what you think the goal or purpose of life is all about. Our world defines success as wealth, fame, and power. God's view of success is much different.
In Genesis 24, the Hebrew word for "success" is used four times. But it is never used in reference to wealth or fame. Instead it refers to God's guidance, direction, and achievement of His purpose in the lives of His people.
True success is being aligned with God's purpose.
This is the successful life. This is the blessed life.
On Sunday, we will share seven principles of a successful life based on Genesis 24.
May God fill us with His Spirit and empower us to fulfill His purpose for our lives!
This week we will be exploring Genesis 24:1-28, Guidance According to God.
Genesis 24 is a love story unlike any other love story (unless you can remember someone coming to your hometown on a load of camels with gifts galore and enticing you to travel 500 miles to marry someone that you have never met or even seen before 🙂.
Though it appears as merely a love story, Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis indicating its importance to the redemptive narrative.
Isaac, the promised seed, receives a bride!
How that bride is found is what makes this story so interesting, inspiring, and informative.
This week we will focus on the servant and his prayer for guidance.
Have you ever had a massive decision to make and did not know what to do?
Have you ever wondered what God's will is for your life?
Have you ever prayed that God would make your next step clear to you?
Life presents us with a multitude of choices every day...and sometimes those choices have major implications for our life, for our family, and for our future.
Genesis 24 provides us with some biblical principles for discerning God's will in our lives. We will explore those principles on Sunday.
May we trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding and may we acknowledge Him in all our ways so that He will direct our paths!
This week Pastor Zach will be teaching through Genesis 23, Grief According to God.
Genesis 23 kicks off the epilogue to the life of Abraham and the transition to the generation of Isaac. This transition begins with the death of the matriarch--Sarah.
Abraham grieves the death of his beautiful bride.
Grief and loss are realities in this world that we all have to face sooner or later. Often moments of grief and loss can cause us to doubt God. But when Abraham's moment of loss comes, his faith has matured. Abraham fears God and trusts that God's promises are not exhausted in this life.
God's people have a hope beyond the grave! Jesus conquered death in His resurrection. Therefore, God's people can persist in faith and look forward to the complete fulfillment of God's promises in the future.
With that kind of faith, Abraham buys a small plot of land and a cave in which to bury his bride. In the midst of his loss and grief, Abraham anchors himself to the land of promise with this purchase. There would be no turning back for him now.
May we rejoice in the hope of Jesus Christ as we face the realities of grief and loss in this world and may we remember that every promise of God will be fulfilled!
Genesis 22 is holy ground.
This chapter is the climax of the Abraham story and one of the most powerful and beautiful pictures of the love of God and the sacrifice of His only Son.
Genesis 22 is called the Akedah ("binding") by Jews and it is perhaps the most read portion of Scripture in the Jewish faith. Seven days a week, twelve months a year, the story of the Akedah is read and prayed over in the Jewish morning prayer service. It is also read on Rosh Hashanah, as the blowing of the shofar looks back to the ram sacrificed as a substitute for Isaac.
We will reflect on the great love that Abraham had for his son.
We will walk with Abraham and Isaac to the mountain of Moriah.
We will consider God's provision of a substitute sacrifice for Isaac.
And we will rejoice in the powerful promise given to Abraham regarding his Seed, Jesus Christ!
May God captivate our imagination, deepen our faith, transform our hearts, and fill our mouths with His praise!
This week we will explore Genesis 21:1-34, Faithfulness According to God.
FINALLY! After many, many years and many, many heartaches and doubts, Isaac (aka Laughter) finally arrives!
Sarah is overjoyed! She sings in amazement at God's faithfulness!
Abraham is overwhelmed. He holds his son in his arms with unfathomable awe.
But all is not well.
Isaac's birth brings turmoil into the family. While Sarah laughs with joy, Ishmael and Hagar laugh in mockery.
Abraham is caught in the middle.
Genesis 21 is a chapter filled with laughter and anger, joy and heartbreak, delight and desperation.
Just like most of our lives today.
But God remains faithful! Through the ups and downs of life, He is the steady Rock. His goodness gives us reason to rejoice, His power carries us through times of pain, His mercy meets us in our desperation, and His peace gives us peace.
In the midst of the storms and the waves of emotion, may our eyes be fixed on Him!
This week we will explore Genesis 20:1-18, Providence According to God.
Abraham is growing in his relationship with God. In Genesis 18, we see him welcoming God into his home, showing great humility and worship, interceding for the city of Sodom, and receiving the greatest news that he could receive... that his wife, Sarah, would bear a son in a year's time.
He seems to be the model of faith.
But then, in chapter 20, Abraham fails again.
Out of his fear and unbelief, he falls right back into an old sin. He lies about his true relationship to Sarah and jeopardizes her and the promise of God.
It is a reminder to us all that let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).
Old patterns of sin have a way of resurfacing whenever we are stressed, depressed, bored, annoyed, or just distracted from our fixed gaze on Jesus Christ.
Abraham fails. Again. But God remains faithful. Always.
God's providence superintends over all events. His grace is always operational. His sovereignty is always in control. His faithfulness is always our comfort and our rock in difficult times.
Even in this predicament, God is at work.
And even in this pagan land, God is on the move.
We can rest in the providence of God!
May God protect us from the sin that so easily entangles and empower us to walk with Him day by day for His glory and our good!
This Sunday, we will celebrate communion together as fellow partakers of God's grace!
This week we will explore Genesis 19:17-38, Tragedy According to God.
Lot's story is tragic.
He began well. He was blessed. He was loved. He was joined to Abraham in family and friendship. He was enjoying the goodness of God.
But the world's lure was too strong.
His eyes were attracted to the wealth, popularity, and carefree lifestyle of Sodom.
Slowly, step by step, he moved closer and closer to its worldview, its values, and its temptations.
Soon he and his family were fully engulfed in the city life of Sodom.
When two angels arrive to announce God's judgment on the city, Lot is caught in the middle. He is literally torn between the lusts of Sodom and the life of his family. He freezes. He falters. He fails.
He loses it all.
This week we will explore the second half of Genesis 19. We will look at the historical and archeological evidence for the destruction of Sodom, the reality of God's judgment, the danger of the world's influence, and the amazing, redeeming grace of God.
May God open our eyes to His truth so that we will not be conformed to the world but transformed by the renewing of our minds!
This week we will explore Genesis 19:1-16, Compromise According to God.
Lot's story is tragic.
He began well. He was blessed. He was loved. He was joined to Abraham in family and friendship. He was enjoying the goodness of God.
But the world's lure was too strong.
His eyes were attracted to the wealth, popularity, and carefree lifestyle of Sodom.
Slowly, step by step, he moved closer and closer to its worldview, its values, and its temptations.
Soon he and his family were fully engulfed in the city life of Sodom.
When two angels arrive to announce God's judgment on the city, Lot is caught in the middle. He is literally torn between the lusts of Sodom and the life of his family. He freezes. He falters. He fails.
He loses it all.
This week we will explore the first half of Genesis 19. We will look at Lot's slow conformity to the world, his futility in trying to protect his family, and the depravity and sexual immorality of the city around him.
May God open our eyes to His truth so that we will not be conformed to the world but transformed by the renewing of our minds!
This week we will explore Genesis 18:16-33, Intercession According to God.
In Genesis 18, God not only reveals the miraculous birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah but He also reveals the impending judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah.
Abraham is certainly aware of the sins of Sodom. His nephew, Lot, has been living in Sodom for some time and Abraham has even rescued the people of Sodom from their captivity to four eastern kings. So he is not ignorant of the city's sin, rebellion, and depravity.
But he still has a great concern for Lot, Lot's family, and the people in the city.
So when God reveals His intent to judge, Abraham immediately stands in the gap and intercedes.
Abraham's prayer for the people of Sodom reveals his heart.
A.W. Pink once said, "The measure of our love for others can largely be determined by the frequency and earnestness of our prayers for them."
It is a quote that has always convicted me and challenged me. If my prayers for others is weak or non-existent, then it reveals that my heart toward them is cold.
There are a lot of principles on prayer that we can learn from Genesis 18. We will explore these principles on Sunday and spend some time in confession, intercession, and supplication for one another, for our church, and for our city.
May our love for Christ and for others grow so that our prayers to Christ and for others will grow as well!
This week we will explore Genesis 18:1-15, Laughter According to God.
Have you ever noticed that there are different kinds of laughs?
There is the laugh of joy. The laugh of entertainment. The laugh of mockery. And the laugh of disbelief, usually a quiet laugh, under the breath, accompanied by a slight shaking of the head.
In Genesis 18, God visits Abraham and Sarah. He shows up in human form. He comes to talk with them and even to receive their hospitality and to share a meal.
It is a fascinating scene. Almost hard to imagine.
Can you imagine the sovereign God of the universe stopping by your house for a meal of steak, biscuits, butter, and milk?
God visits Abraham in order to give Sarah the confirmation that she would indeed bear a son.
Sarah laughs.
Not a loud, gut-shaking laugh.
No, just one of those inward, shaking of the head, kind of laughs. The kind of laugh you might have if someone told you that the LSU men's basketball team was going to win the SEC tournament and then go on to win the national championship. "Yeah, right." (snicker, snicker)
Sarah laughs because her heart and mind have faced too much disappointment, too much doubt, too much heartbreak to grasp at the fading hope of a child.
In some sense she can't even allow her heart to believe the Word of God because she can't take the thought of another painful disappointment.
I think many of us are just like Sarah. We hear the Word of God. We hear the promises of God. We hear the hope of the future. But our circumstances and pain are just too great to know how to respond. We want to believe but there is something in us that just wants to shake our head in quiet disbelief.
But God's Word is the only thing that is certain in this world.
And even in our quiet struggles to believe, God still remains faithful to His promise.
And one day all of our quiet laughs of struggle and doubt will be replaced with the joyous laugh of praise and wonder.
Hallelujah!
May God open our hearts to receive His Word...and to believe His promise!
This Sunday, February 23 (9am, 10:45am), we will have a special Sunday with Walt Heyer and Dr. Jennifer Bauwens on the topic of Embracing God's Design.
This week we will explore Genesis 17:1-27, Names According to God.
What is your name? How did you get it? What does it mean?
We all have names...and stories behind our names. Sometimes we like them, sometimes we don't.
In Genesis 17, God changes Abram and Sarai's names. Linguistically it is not a big change. Abram and Abraham are pretty close in meaning, so are Sarai and Sarah. But there is a world of difference in the significance.
Abram and Sarai are names given to them by their earthly fathers.
Abraham and Sarah are names given to them by their heavenly Father.
God declares to them their identity and their destiny.
The Abrahamic Covenant assures Abraham and Sarah that despite their failures and mistakes, God's faithfulness and love remain the same. God will bless them. He will multiply their descendants. He will give them the land. He will be their God for all generations.
As a sign of the covenant, God calls Abraham and all males in his household to be circumcised.
That seems like a strange sign of the covenant?! The rainbow seems a lot better
But God has meaning in this act. It is the dedication of the most intimate part of myself to Him. It is a picture of the cutting away of the flesh and the need for a new heart.
There's a lot to cover in Genesis 17! But, praise God, we also learn in this chapter that He is El Shaddai. He is all-sufficient and all-powerful. He is more than enough!
And we will celebrate communion together as a reminder that we are part of His New Covenant with us!
May we come to a deeper understanding of who we are in Christ and may we know our true name in Him!
This week we will explore Genesis 16:1-16, Failure According to God.
Have you ever failed?
Or perhaps a more important question...
Have you ever felt like a failure?
Deep down we all want life to work. We want to succeed in our plans. We want to feel secure, to be significant, to fulfill God's purpose for us.
But life often doesn't happen that way. Disappointments, discouragement, doubts, mistakes, fears, sorrows, confusion, conflict, loss of control...all have a way of confronting us with our own weakness and sense of failure.
Genesis 16 records the low point in the faith of Abram and Sarai.
They are tired. They are broken. They are confused.
Life is not shaping up the way that they expected. And God's promises seem like a carrot on a stick... always just out of their reach.
In their pain, Sarai decides to take matters into her own hands...while Abram grows increasingly passive and takes a backseat.
A young Egyptian servant by the name of Hagar is stuck in the middle.
In trying to fix a problem, Abram and Sarai create a mess.
Yet, even in their failures, God's faithfulness remains the same.
He is the God who sees.
He sees our deepest sorrows and failures and loves us still the same.
May God minister to the depths of our hearts like only He can do. And may we come to a deeper and deeper understanding of His incomprehensible compassion and grace!
🌍 This Sunday’s featured speaker for The Great Commission 101 is Abram Ebersohn! He will be teaching “How to become a World Christian.” 🌍
Abram is married to his wife, Helen, and is a proud father of three. He currently serves as the Sending Director at The Chapel. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree at Dallas Theological Seminary and is a graduate of Radius International, a program focused on cross-cultural missions training. Before his role at the Chapel, he and his wife served as missionaries in China for two years with Global Serve International.
This week we will explore Genesis 14:1-24, Courage According to God.
Abram was a man of peace.
In chapter 13, Abram took the initiative to live at peace with Lot. He acted in humility and grace to resolve their conflict.
But in chapter 14, Abram takes up arms and rescues Lot from his captivity to a group of invading kings from the east.
Abram was a man of peace prepared for battle.
There is much that we can learn from Genesis 14. On the surface, it may seem like a strange chapter but it highlights the historical reality of Scripture, places Abram in the middle of a world conflict, and shows how a person of faith is to live in the midst of a dangerous world.
Genesis 14 also introduces us to one of the most mysterious figures in all of Scripture -- Melchizedek. Who is this man? Where did he come from? And what is his significance in this story?
We will explore all of this on Sunday... and celebrate communion together as fellow partakers of God's grace!
May the God of peace and strength give us wisdom and courage to face the challenges of our day!
🌍 We are excited to have John LaRavia this Sunday teach on “Where Christ is Not Named: The Remaining Task of World Evangelization” for The Great Commission 101! 🌍
John has been married to his wife, Katie, for nearly 18 years, and they have two children. In 2009, The Chapel sent them to plant churches in East Asia. They believed college students were the key to seeing gospel movements spread from the campus to the unreached peoples of East Asia and beyond.
John and Katie helped start Campus2Campus, an organization focused on church planting in global university cities around the world! John serves as the director of C2C while Katie works as the Member Care Director.
This week we will explore Genesis 13:1-18, Peacemaking According to God.
Conflict is a reality in all of our lives.
As much as we may want peace, we can often find ourselves struggling with tension, frustration, disagreements, disappointments, and arguments with others.
This Sunday’s featured speaker for The Great Commission 101 is Shane Folks! He will be teaching “The Unstoppable Advance: A History of Global Missions.”
Shane Folks earned his PhD in World Religions from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where his doctoral research examined the Islamic view of the Apostle Paul. He also holds an MA in Muslim Studies from Columbia International University and an M.Div. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
With over fifteen years of ministry experience, Shane has served as a musical worship leader, pastor, adjunct professor, and Christian K-12 educator. He has taught courses on missions, evangelism, and world religions around the world.
Shane currently works for LSU Online and worships with Christ Covenant Church in Baton Rouge. Above all, he is a devoted husband to his wife, Hannah, and a loving father to their daughter, Addie, with another child on the way in April.
This week we will begin our journey through the life of Abraham with a look at Genesis 12:1-20, Blessing According to God.
Genesis 12 is one of the key chapters in the Bible. In this chapter, God calls Abraham to leave his country and his family and to follow Him. He promises to bless him and to make his name great. And He promises to bring blessing to all the families of the earth through him.
ALL the families of the earth.
Every nation.
Every person.
Blessed through the seed of Abraham.
This is the foundational promise of the Abrahamic Covenant.
This is the redemptive promise of the coming Messiah.
This is the unconditional promise of God's grace.
As we study Genesis 12, we will see Abraham's obedience to God's call. We will see his great faith and his heart-felt worship of God. And we will also see his short-sighted failures and fear-driven mistakes.
But through it all, God's grace remains consistent and abundant.
And His promises are sure.
May we rejoice in the super-abundant grace of God and remember His great promises to us in Jesus Christ!
We are excited to have Pastor Steve this Sunday teach on “Unleashing the Gospel: The Book of Acts” for The Great Commission 101!
Steve is a graduate of Southeastern Bible College (BA), New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.), Dallas Theological Seminary (S.T.M.) and Biblical Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry). In 1991, he married Liz and they have four boys: Nate, Noah, Jonah and Joshua. Steve became the pastor of CBC in May 2010 after spending seven years in New Orleans as youth pastor at Berean Bible Church and twelve years in New Jersey as associate pastor at Sayre Woods Bible Church.
This week we will begin our 12-week journey through the life of Abraham (Genesis 12-22).
Abraham is a key figure in biblical and secular history. He is considered the father of three major religions--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
More importantly, he is a model of faith and a man called "the friend of God."
He is also real.
His life is not a bed of roses. He struggles. He doubts. He fails. Yet despite all the ups and downs of his life, he continues to follow after God.
As we explore Abraham's life over the next twelve weeks, may God deepen our faith and grow our love for Him!
Church History 101 | Week 7 of our 7-week series. Through viewing this course, you will learn about our history from the time of Christ to the reformation.
🌍 We are excited to have Steve Elworth as our guest speaker this Sunday, for the first week of The Great Commission 101! 🌍
Steve currently serves as the Site Pastor for The Chapel's Siegen Location. He's been a part of The Chapel staff team for 15 years, where he also served as the Sending Director, helping the church reach the nations through sending missionaries around the world, training senders to send them well, reaching international students in Baton Rouge, and serving the city.
He and his wife Amber also own Light House Coffee with the mission to serve the refugee community in Baton Rouge.
Church History 101 | Week 6 of our 7-week series. This course will teach you about our history from the time of Christ to the reformation.
This Sunday, we will be exploring Genesis 9:1-29, Promise According to God.
Do you love the promises of God?
Do you know the promises of God?
If you think about it, the only sure thing that we have in this world are the promises of God. His Word. His covenants. His faithfulness.
After the Flood, the earth is cleansed. It is different. It is new in many ways. But it is also still plagued by the problems of sin, selfishness, and death.
Noah is like a "second Adam," blessed and empowered to repopulate the earth. But, just like Adam, he fails. He gets drunk in his tent and one of his own sons gloats at his foolishness.
It is another sad scene.
But it reminds us that all of us have issues... all of us struggle with sin... all of us will fail at one time or another.. .and this present world will always disappoint.
So what do we lean on in this crazy, frustrating, difficult, disappointing, still sin-cursed world?
God's promises!
In Genesis 9, God gives His covenant promise to Noah... and not just to Noah, but to all humanity, to every living creature, and to the earth itself. Never again will He destroy every living creature and the earth with a flood.
In some sense, it sounds basic. "Okay, but He can destroy it in other ways." But, in its truest sense, the Noahic Covenant promises us that God's heart is passionately and unconditionally directed towards redemption.
He is going to redeem the earth. He is going to redeem us!
He is not bent on our destruction. His heart is bent toward our redemption.
To assure us of His heart, God puts a rainbow in the sky.
The rainbow.
Unfortunately it is now a symbol for something very different than its original design.
But its true purpose remains.
God loves us! God will redeem us! And God keeps His promises!
This is what gives us hope in this world.
Don't ever forget that God's heart is toward your good... and, in the end, all that is broken will be made whole again.
May God encourage, establish, refresh, revive, and delight our hearts with His promises!
Church History 101 | Week 5 of our 7-week series. This course will teach you about our history from the time of Christ to the reformation.
Church History 101 | Week 4 of our 7-week series. This course will teach you about our history from the time of Christ to the reformation.
Church History 101 | Week 3 of our 7-week series. This course will teach you about our history from the time of Christ to the reformation.
Church History 101 | Week 2 of our 7-week series. Through viewing this course, you will learn about our history from the time of Christ to the reformation.
Welcome to the first week in our 7-week Church History 101 course. Through viewing this course, you will learn about our history from the time of Christ to the reformation.
This week, we will be focusing on Genesis 5:1-32, Death According to God.
Genesis 5 isn't the most encouraging chapter, at least on the surface. The refrain that is repeated over and over in this chapter is "and he died...and he died...and he died...and he died..."
One Bible teacher compared reading Genesis 5 to walking through a cemetery.
But even in the so-called "death chapter" there is hope.
And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (5:24)
Walking with God.
Step by step.
Being faithful each day.
That is what God calls us to. Not the "big things." Not the social media "like" posts. Not the Billy Graham-type evangelistic crusades. Not the incredible "miracles," amazing "prophetic words," or "change the world" mission testimonies.
God can certainly do big things through us for His glory.
But what He asks us to do is to walk with Him.
To know Him...to love Him...to commune with Him...to talk with Him...to learn from Him...to journey through life with Him always at our side.
Even in the craziest, busiest, most stressful times of life...and even in a world that is filled with sin, division, and death...God just asks us to walk with Him and to trust Him.
Enoch walked with God.
That is his testimony. Nothing else is mentioned. No miracles. No great acts. No big victories. No incredible feats of faith.
Just a simple, faithful, daily, consistent, loving walk with the Lord.
A walk so close to God that eventually Enoch walked straight into the Lord's presence. The transition was instant...and apparently as natural as any other day in Enoch's life.
Enoch died to himself, walked with the Lord, and found life in a world of death.
May the Lord capture our hearts with His grace and His love and may each day be filled with joyful communion with Him!
This week, we will be focusing on Genesis 4:1-26, Anger According to God.
We all get angry. It's a common emotion.
We get angry at traffic...at politics...at our sports team...at people.
Oftentimes our anger feels justified...even comforting. We hold onto it. We nurse it. We let it simmer and grow. We justify it. And then we act on it in ways that we may have never expected.
Anger in itself is not a sin. In a sin-cursed world, it would be odd if we never felt anger at the unjust and unfair things that happen to us or to others. But there is a serious danger to anger, especially when we let it reside in our hearts over time...and when we never stop to think about what's driving our anger nor allow the Lord to search our hearts and expose the fear, envy, selfishness, and pride that often lie at the root of our bitterness.
The story of Cain and Abel is well-known.
But there is much truth in this story that needs to be explored and applied to our daily lives.
Sin is crouching at the door of our hearts, eager to attack, waiting to consume us.
When we ignore God's Word and choose to act on our own impulses, we experience the consequences...and others suffer the collateral damage.
May the Lord deliver us from our own sinful desires, strengthen us inwardly, and call us to a deeper love and trust in His goodness and grace!
This week, we will be focusing on Genesis 3:14-15, The Real Battle According to God.
We are going to spend an extra week in Genesis 3. The topic is too important, especially with the election coming up on Tuesday.
Our nation seems to be in the balance. Emotions are high. Anxiety is even higher. Based on surveys, this is one of the most frustrating, divisive, expensive, and nerve-racking elections in recent history.
24/7 news...social media...YouTube videos...only amplify the anger and the angst.
So how do we live in this present generation? How do we think? How do we respond?
Genesis 3:15 is one of the most important verses in all of Scripture.
It is the first prophecy, the first promise, the "first gospel."
And it reminds us that we are part of a bigger story.
There is bigger conflict going on in the world.
The seed of the woman and the serpent.
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.
All of history...all of Scripture...is the playing out of this one cosmic conflict.
Earth is the stage. And we are in the middle of it.
As believers, the seed of the Messiah, citizens of His kingdom, we are to think differently, see differently, live differently.
Our weapon is truth. Our motivation is love. Our hope is Christ.
There is no reason to fear. There is every reason to rest in God's sovereignty and to rejoice in His final victory. This is what it means to live by faith and not by sight.
May God open our eyes to His truth and empower us through His Spirit so that we can live faithfully for Him in this present generation!This week, we will be focusing on Genesis 3:14-15, The Real Battle According to God.
We are going to spend an extra week in Genesis 3. The topic is too important, especially with the election coming up on Tuesday.
Our nation seems to be in the balance. Emotions are high. Anxiety is even higher. Based on surveys, this is one of the most frustrating, divisive, expensive, and nerve-racking elections in recent history.
24/7 news...social media...YouTube videos...only amplify the anger and the angst.
So how do we live in this present generation? How do we think? How do we respond?
Genesis 3:15 is one of the most important verses in all of Scripture.
It is the first prophecy, the first promise, the "first gospel."
And it reminds us that we are part of a bigger story.
There is bigger conflict going on in the world.
The seed of the woman and the serpent.
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.
All of history...all of Scripture...is the playing out of this one cosmic conflict.
Earth is the stage. And we are in the middle of it.
As believers, the seed of the Messiah, citizens of His kingdom, we are to think differently, see differently, live differently.
Our weapon is truth. Our motivation is love. Our hope is Christ.
There is no reason to fear. There is every reason to rest in God's sovereignty and to rejoice in His final victory. This is what it means to live by faith and not by sight.
May God open our eyes to His truth and empower us through His Spirit so that we can live faithfully for Him in this present generation!
This week, we will be covering Genesis 3:8-24, The Fall According to God.
It is sort of funny how the preaching calendar lined up this week. The Sunday that we are having our annual Fall Fest is the very Sunday we are talking about the fall of mankind.
Obviously, they are vastly different .
Genesis 3:8-24 tells us what went wrong with the world after our first parents sinned.
Shame.
Separation.
Selfishness.
Suffering.
Every aspect of our lives and our world has been impacted by sin.
We don't live in Eden any more.
Just look at the newspaper or listen to the news and that becomes painfully evident.
Understanding Genesis 3 gives us perspective on the world. It enables us to see things properly. It expands our view of the spiritual battle that we are in. It exposes our own selfish tendencies. It helps us understand the impact of shame. It shows us where the true problems of our culture lie. And it points us to the only hope that we truly have in this life.
Genesis 1-3 are absolutely essential if you are going to understand reality.
Let's dig deep into God's Word...and ask Him to open our eyes to His truth!
This week, we will be covering Genesis 3:1-7, Sin According to God.
What's wrong with the world?
What's wrong with you and me?
Why are relationships so hard...and so hurtful?
Why does God allow pain and suffering?
Why is there death?
And why did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden in the first place?
Genesis 3 has been called "the seed plot of the Bible." In this chapter, many of the doctrines of the Christian faith take root.
Genesis 3 teaches us about temptation, sin, Satan, deception, guilt, shame, self-justification, conflict, pain, suffering, and death. Thankfully it also points us to the grace and hope that we have in Jesus Christ!
This Sunday we will examine more closely the goodness of God, the strategy of the serpent, and the fall of our first parents into sin.
May God deepen our faith in His Word, strengthen us against temptation, and awaken us to the beauty of His goodness and grace!
This week, we will be covering Genesis 3:1-7, Sin According to God.
What's wrong with the world?
What's wrong with you and me?
Why are relationships so hard...and so hurtful?
Why does God allow pain and suffering?
Why is there death?
And why did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden in the first place?
Genesis 3 has been called "the seed plot of the Bible." In this chapter, many of the doctrines of the Christian faith take root.
Genesis 3 teaches us about temptation, sin, Satan, deception, guilt, shame, self-justification, conflict, pain, suffering, and death. Thankfully it also points us to the grace and hope that we have in Jesus Christ!
This Sunday we will examine more closely the goodness of God, the strategy of the serpent, and the fall of our first parents into sin.
May God deepen our faith in His Word, strengthen us against temptation, and awaken us to the beauty of His goodness and grace!
This week, we will be covering Genesis 2:18-25, Marriage According to God.
Marriage has certainly hit rough times in our nation. The current marriage rate in the U.S. has declined 60% over the last 50 years and is at the lowest rate that it has ever been in the history of our nation. We are seeing the fruits of this decline.
When marriage rates fall, that means that more and more children are born into homes where there is little stability and often a missing father or mother.
Trace just about every problem in America to its source and you will often find a broken home.
What is God's design of marriage?
Why is the family so important?
And how can we strengthen marriages and families in our own church and community?
It could be argued that these questions are the most important to answer if we truly want to see revival and transformation in our own nation.
As marriages go, so goes the family. As the family goes, so goes the nation.
May God speak to our hearts with His truth and strengthen our marriages, families, and relationships for His glory!
This Sunday, September 29, we continue our sermon series through the book of Genesis, The World According to God. This week, we will be covering Genesis 1:26-28 and 2:4-23, Sexuality According to God.
Male and female.
Both made in the image of God.
Both equal in essence but different in design.
Both together reflecting the fullness of God's character.
Yet we live in a world that resists, redefines, and rejects the unique design of male and female.
So what does it mean to be male? To be female?
We will explore God's creative design of male and female in Genesis 1-2 and talk about how we should live in light of these truths.
May God open our eyes to His truth and change our hearts by His grace!
This Sunday, September, we continue our sermon series through the book of Genesis, The World According to God. This week, we will be covering Genesis 1:1-31, God According to God.
Who is God?
How did He create the world?
When did He create the world?
And what can we learn about Him from His creation?
Genesis 1 is one of the most debated chapters in the Bible. How you interpret it will have a major impact on how you interpret the rest of the Genesis account... as well as the rest of Scripture.
It is important to understand the historical reality and literary beauty of the creation account.
But beyond the particulars of Genesis 1, we have to be careful that we do not miss the focus of this passage.
GOD
The primary goal of Genesis 1 is to introduce us to God, Elohim, the All-Powerful One, the God of creation, the God of Israel.
From Genesis 1, we learn about God's invisible attributes, His eternal power and His divine nature (Romans 1:20).
God creates. God speaks. God sees. God separates. God names. God blesses. God gives.
These actions of God reveal His essential nature.
May God open our eyes to His glory as we study His creative power!
Is God really there?
Does He care about me?
Life hits us with some tough questions. Genesis gives us some answers.
Genesis is the foundation of God's revelation. If you don't understand Genesis, then you really can't understand the rest of Scripture.
This Sunday, we will introduce the book of Genesis and zoom in on only one verse...Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Or in Hebrew: Bereshith bara Elohim et hashamayim ve'et ha'aretz.
There is so much in this one verse! Get this right and everything else begins to fall into place. Deny it and everything falls apart.
We will look at four essential truths from Genesis 1:1 that will get us started on the right track in Genesis.
May God overwhelm us with His majesty, sovereignty, and power so that we will be filled with awe, worship Him in spirit and in truth, and walk in His ways!
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