The Branch: Recent Episodes
The Branch
Paul calls the people of God to be united together through the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit as well as everything that we are given through them.
Love does not take revenge or retaliate. When we love like Jesus, we leave space for God to repay evil, we don't take matters into our own hands.
Bless those who persecute you and do not curse. Both Jesus and Paul said these words that are hard to live out.
How do we display hope and love in the face of adversity and persist to our eternal goal?
Devote yourselves to one another in love. Honor each other above yourselves. This is what Paul challenges his readers to do in Romans 12:10.
How does a countercultural message like this hit us?
In Romans 12, Paul tells us that love must be sincere, it should flee from evil and cling to what is good. What does this mean and what does this look like for disciples of Jesus?
Have you ever been accused of something you didn't do? We look at this idea and a few others through the film "The Shawshank Redemption."
We look at the themes of jealousy, faithfulness, and injustice through the film Amadeus.
Community. Anxiety. Culture. Connection. Looking at these themes through Scripture and Arcade Fire's album WE.
Looking at themes from Jelly Roll's "Beautifully Broken" album and connecting the to Scripture.
Are we paying attention to the questions people are asking? Are we communicating in a way that makes sense to them?
Summarizing our highlights from the UnLimited series and responding to questions that have come up.
Are we hiding our weaknesses or exposing them? Jesus appeared to be weak, but then he rose again.
What are we looking to for our status and identity? Are we looking to Jesus or something/someone else?
How do we look at finances and giving? Through an abundance mindset or through a scarcity mindset? God can take what we have and what we give and multiply it for his glory.
Are we limited by our experiences or does God use them to form us into who he wants us to be?
As Christians, we are limited by our mortality, just like everyone else. But we should not let that discourage us but use it as a chance to showcase Christ.
When we turn to Christ, the veil is lifted and we see through new eyes. We are transformed into the image of God and new creations.
What do we measure to determine our success? Where do our confidence and competence come from?
Jesus said that we should forgive as our Father has forgiven us. How are we at forgiving?
How do understand challenges and suffering? Do we see them as a way of God growing us and moving us towards reliance on him?
What is the Bible? What does it say about itself? How should we understand it?
This is the first of three episodes on the Bible.
What do we learn about ourselves on the journey of life? Do we realize just what we need?
Looking at some of the characteristics of God. Do we know about God or do we really know God?
We are called to be in relationship with one another, created for community. But relationships are hard and messy. How do we reflect Jesus in our relationships with others?
Joseph obeyed the angel's command, took Mary as his wife, and accepted Jesus as his own, pointing us to a greater theological truth.
King Herod brought chaos into the world while Jesus brought everlasting peace. Are you looking for your own peace or the peace of those around you as well?
The supporting cast member of Christmas we look at in this episode is Simeon. Simeon had waited his entire life to see the Messiah.
We look at the account of Zechariah and Elizabeth and the part that they play in the Christmas story.
The hope of those who are part of the upside down kingdom lies in the return of the king of that kingdom.
God warned Israel what a king would do to them and then he became the king who would do the opposite.
What does power look like in the upside down kingdom? We look at Jesus to see how he wields power in his kingdom.
What do poverty and wealth look like in the upside down kingdom? Can we ever have or be enough?
In the upside down kingdom, what are the characteristics that a king should have? God tells his people what a king should look like.
The Kingdom of God is an upside down kingdom compared to the kingdoms of this world. As followers of Christ, we are kingdom people. What does that mean for us?
What's the difference between the wise man and the fool? We answer this through the eyes of Solomon and Proverbs 10.
Solomon gives us wisdom to understand the difference between the foolish and righteous tongue. Our words are the food we eat. How healthy does that make us?
Our tongues are tools to build others up or tear them down. How are we using our words?
The tongue is a powerful instrument. With it we bless the Lord and curse man. Do we understand its power? How are we using that power?
We look at surrendering and sacrificing our treasures through an account of David in 2 Samuel 24. Are we giving God all of our treasure?
Jesus' final words in the Great Commission are a promise of his constant presence with his disciples. What does it mean for us?
In the Great Commission, Jesus instructed us to teach the disciples that we make to obey all that he has commanded us. That seems like a hefty task.
Can we narrow down the commands of Jesus to make it less overwhelming?
What is baptism? What does it mean for a follower of Christ? We look at three things that baptism is and one thing that it isn't.
After Jesus tells his followers of the authority that he has been given, he tells them to go. How did they hear that? How should we hear it? What do we do with that instruction?
Jesus' last words to his followers before he ascended to heaven have become known as the Great Commission. What do those words mean to us? As we kick off this new series, we look at these last words of Jesus one phrase at a time.
What happens when things don't go the way we'd like them to? Do we trust that God's ways are higher than our own and that his plan will endure forever? We ask these questions and see how the truth of God's sovereignty is illustrated through the film Father of the Bride.
Proverbs says that our lives reflect our hearts. How are our lives reflecting our hearts?
Continuing our Summer at the Movies series, we look at these and other questions through the film Stranger Than Fiction.
What happens when government authorities conflict with the Law of God? With the backdrop of Nazi Germany in A Hidden Life, we look at our duty and responsibility, the cost of following Jesus, and the metrics of making a difference.
We kick off our summer at the movies series looking at the Disney Pixar film "Cars" and learning from the transformation that takes place in Lightning McQueen.
In this episode, we recap our Where Life and Faith Meet series and respond to some questions that were raised along the way.
What do we do when life gets messy? What does grace have to do with it? We look to Ephesians and James to answer these questions.
In the Body of Christ, there are no extraneous parts, no parts that simply sit on the sidelines and watch. We all have a role to play to build up the body and to reach the fullness of Christ together. We look at this through Paul's words in Ephesians 4.
How do we seek comfort in others when we may not naturally lean towards their comfort rather than our own? This week we look to the story of The Good Samaritan to see how Jesus calls us to give up our own comfort for the sake of others.
Jesus met us where we were and continues to meet us where we are. How do we embody Christ more fully by meeting people where they need the love of Christ, just like how Christ continues to meet us? In this episode, we look at how Jesus showed up for the woman at the well in John 4.
How do we places others needs above our own when it doesn't come naturally? How do we become more like Christ and willingly sacrifice for others? In this episode, we look to Philippians to see what Paul has to say about placing relationships above our preferences.
What do we do when we want answers, ask God, and don't hear a response? Is the silence an answer in itself? Looking at the story of Job, in this episode we look to better understand what it looks like for us to sit in the unknown.
What does it look like to disagree but stay united? Is it even possible? In Paul's letter to Ephesus, we see how unity does not come at the cost uniformity and how God made a way to experience it.
Are you tired? Are you weary? Where do you turn for rest?In this episode we look to Hebrews 4 and hear how God leads us into rest.
After David is confronted by Nathan the prophet, he writes Psalm 51. It is a picture of the Lord's forgiveness to us.
What does it look like to love others as Christ first loved us? What do we do with the limitless love of Christ that has been given to us?
David sees the Lord as his salvation in Psalm 27. Do we see the Lord as our salvation? As our light? Do we believe that we simply need a one-time salvation or are we being saved and will we be saved?
When we look at the Lord as our teacher, what posture do we take? David gives us a picture in Psalm 25 of how we approach the Lord as our teacher.
In Psalm 16, David looks to the Lord to be his guide. How do we see the Lord as our guide?
Although the Lord is righteous and holy, David was able to approach him with boldness and confidence. What does the righteousness of the Lord mean to us? How do we approach him in his righteousness and how do we live out that righteousness?
As we enter into the season of Lent, we look at the Psalms to learn more about the character of God. In Psalm 3, David sees God as his protector.
As we come to the end of our series on the life of Joseph, we look at some of the big takeaways and respond to a few questions that have been asked.
In this episode, we come to the conclusion of our look at Joseph's story. We see how God has been sovereign the whole way and that he was putting the pieces together to achieve the exact purpose that he wanted.
Sometimes, God uses our circumstances to teach us lessons and sometimes he uses our circumstances to teach lessons to others. God used the circumstances of Joseph to help him and his brothers grow.
While Joseph is in prison, it seems like there are opportunities to get out, but God's timing and his timing aren't necessarily the same. What do we do in the waiting?
In Genesis 39, we read the continuing story of Joseph and see how Joseph maintains his integrity even in difficult circumstances. We also see how God has not left him, even as a slave and a prisoner.
This is the first in our sermon series called "Nothing Is Wasted" looking at the story of Joseph to see how God can use the hard parts of our lives, for good.
God is love and he shows us true love by giving us his son. True love is selfless and sacrificial. In this episode, we look at John 15 and see how Jesus calls us to display love on our front porch.
The Prophet Isaiah spoke words of hope to God's people in Isaiah 35. God makes a way where there was no way before and joy springs up.
David writes of hope in Psalm 33, knowing our tendencies to falsely place our hope in anything other than God. God is our living hope. How do we live with a front porch of hope?
As we open the Advent season, we look at Isaiah 9:1-7 and the prophet's words of the Prince of Peace who would bring us peace. What do people experience on our front porch? Is there evidence that we have met the Prince of Peace?
When God's people were led into the Promised Land, God gave them instructions for how to bring their praise and thanksgiving to him. As we consider all that God has done for us, what do we learn from all that God told his people?
Through the beginning of Paul's letter to the Philippians, we take a look at what it means to be part of a community that encourages and is thankful for one another.
In this episode, we look at John 7 and talk about God's timing and what it means to wait or move forward when God calls us to.
Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and tested by the devil in Matthew 4. We look at how Jesus responds to this testing and how we apply it to our lives.
We look at Matthew 14 and learn the importance of setting time aside for ourselves as well as the importance of giving what we have to the Lord, knowing that things in his hands will be multiplied to be much greater than they are on their own.
The disciples followed Jesus into a boat which ended up in a storm in Matthew 8:23-27. We follow Jesus and end up in a storm but we wonder whether or not he is with us or if he has abandoned us.
In this episode, we look at the account of Nicodemus in John 3 and see his progression towards Jesus, out of the darkness and into the light.
What does it mean to break down the barriers that stop us from connecting and being with God? We look at Luke 19 and the story of Zacchaeus.
In this episode, we dive into John 4 to discuss how our past can be used for God's future.
When we spend time in communion with the Father and one another, it leads us to service of God and one another as well. We look at Matthew 25:31-46 and Jesus' parable of the sheep and the goats.
In this episode, we look at Ephesians 4 to learn how we grow as people and a community through communion with Christ and others .
The Church has celebrated the Lord's Supper/Eucharist/Communion since Jesus instituted the meal with his disciples. The meal that Jesus shared with his disciples was actually the Passover meal and the celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread that we read about in Exodus 12. We look at what that means for us as we come to the Lord's table.
In this episode, we talk about how to have communion with one another and Christ through prayer.
In this episode, we talk about God's intention for us to commune with him and with each other.
How do we discern the voice of the Lord from our voice and others voices? Through the account of Samuel and Eli in 1 Samuel 3:1-10, we look at how we discern and know God's voice.
How do we discern between our flesh and our spirit? We look at Romans 7 and 8 to gain a better understanding.
In this episode, we look at John 18:38-40 as we learn the difference between our truth and God's Truth.
There's a difference in doing things because we are trying to be better or look better versus doing them because the grace of Jesus Christ has changed us. In this episode, we see that difference in the example of Jesus' disciple, Peter.
Continuing our (Re)Construction series, what does it mean to be a Christian? Is it more than just a label? Is it a way of life?
In Paul's letter to the Colossians, he tells them to set their minds on things above and that their hearts and minds are made new through Jesus Christ. As we being our series looking at deconstruction and reconstruction, we consider what informs our foundation, theology, and ideology.
In our last episode of this series, we look at the film "Secretariat." We consider what it takes to persist even when things are difficult, when the odds seem to be against us, and when we feel like our faith is waning.
We look at the film "The Peanut Butter Falcon" and see how the Gospel offers hope during the everyday struggles of life. We look at the themes of family, community, and identity.
As followers of Jesus, we don't always understand what it costs and means to follow Jesus. We experience difficult things and we don't see how they all connect. We look at the difficult journey of following Jesus through The Karate Kid and take away some of the spiritual lessons that we see there.
In this new series, we take a look at movies through the lens of Scripture and see what kind of insights we find. In this episode, we look at Disney Pixar's "Inside Out" and consider our own emotional health, spiritual maturity, and the role of emotions in our lives.
In this episode, we conclude our look at the fivefold gifting that Paul outlines in Ephesians 4. We look at the Sermon on the Mount as a reference to how those with the gift of Teaching ought to orient themselves as teachers, like Christ.
Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd and he shows us the example of the shepherding gifting. We look at his words in John 10 and the characteristics of the shepherd in this episode.
Focusing on the gifting of the evangelist, in this episode we look at Jesus displaying the characteristics of an evangelist in Luke 4:16-19.
In this episode, we look at the role of the Prophet that Paul lists in Ephesians 4. We see Jesus embody this role in Matthew 23 when speaking with the Pharisees. What are the characteristics of a prophet? How do we lean into those gifted as prophets within the body of Christ?
In this episode, we look at the role of the Apostle that Paul lists in Ephesians 4. How does Jesus embody the role? What are the characteristics of an apostle? How do we lean into those gifted as apostles?
In 1 Peter 5, Peter encourages believers to lead like Jesus by demonstrating countercultural characteristics.
In 1 Peter 4, Peter talks about how we are called to live as Christians and the ramifications of what happens when we speak as Christians. We are called to live differently.
In light of the cross of Jesus, how do we suffer? Peter encourages early Christians that in their suffering, they are like Jesus and challenges them to act like him in that suffering as well.
Peter's charge to the early Christians was to submission because submission aligned them with Jesus. We see Christ's example of submission to the Father as we head into Holy Week hear this same call to submission for our lives.
Peter reminds the early church that God is building a new kind of temple with Jesus as the chief cornerstone. This spiritual building is a representative of Christ to the world.
This is the first episode in our series through 1 Peter. In 1 Peter 1, Peter encourages his readers to consider who they have been created to be.
In this episode, we walk through the mission and vision of The Branch to remind ourselves of what we have been called to as believers; focusing on rest, and how all else flows out of intentional time resting with the Father.
In this episode, we close out our Christoformity series and look at how Jesus trusts the Father in Mark 14:32-42 and how we are called to imitate Christ.
Through the lens Mark 10:42-45 and John 13:1-17, we look at how Jesus serves and how Jesus embraces both authority and vulnerability.
In this episode, we look at how Jesus advocates for those in the margins in Matthew 18:2-5 and 19:13-14. We learn how to become more like Christ by advocating for others in the second episode of our series on Christoformity.
In this first episode discussing Christoformity, we look at forgiveness, how Jesus forgives, and how it is a gift to us from God. Jesus demonstrates forgiveness on the cross in Luke 23:32-43.
Answering questions on the four spaces of belonging.
We make reference to Joseph Myers' book The Search to Belong throughout this series. Here is a link to purchase the book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Search-Belong-Rethinking-Intimacy-Community/dp/0310255007/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1675619727&sr=1-1
Feel free to send any questions you might have to thebranchashland@gmail.com.
We conclude our series on the four spaces of belonging looking at Intimate Space and Genesis 2:18-25.
In the third episode of the series, we look at personal space and how Jesus and the disciples inhabit that space in Mark 14:12-26.
We kick off our Give Me Space series on the 4 Spaces of Belonging. In this episode, we look at the largest of the 4 Spaces (Public Space) and the woman who needs healing in Mark 5:25-34.
There are various journeys to the manger in the Bible: Mary, the shepherds, the wise men. When we consider their journeys, there are parallels to our own journeys. What do we learn from those journeys?
There are a lot of definitions of love out there but only one is the true definition. God shows us love by giving us his son, Jesus, who lays down his life for us. How are we showing that love to others around us?
Are we in need of peace? Where are we looking for it and finding it? Do we pass the peace to others?
Where are we looking for hope? What are we doing once we find it? What's that hope grounded in?
This is the beginning of our Advent series for 2022.
Since the Branch was formed back in 2019, God has taught us a lot of lessons about who he is. We look at some of those lessons today.
Special needs advocate Michelle Munger shares from 1 Corinthians 12. The Body of Christ has many parts, big and small, seen and unseen.
Are we interruptible? Do we leave room in our day to be interrupted by people who need to be seen and loved? Matthew 9:35-38
Psalm 22 - How do we cope with our experiences with grief and give it the margin it needs?
How do we live with margin in the area of money in our lives? Are we putting God first and letting him be part of the equation? Proverbs 3:9-10
How are you at keeping margin in your life? Do you respect the margin of others? Kicking off a new series in this episode and looking at Deuteronomy 5:12-15
Paul closes his first letter to the Thessalonians with words of encouragement, of instruction, and challenge. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
How are we showing brotherly love to those within and outside the church? 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
As followers of Christ, we are under a higher authority, the authority of God. Answering to that higher authority will put us at enmity with the world and culture around us. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Do we care for people beyond their initial decision to follow Jesus? Are we invested in them and concerned for their care and growth? Is the love of God overflowing out of us? In this episode, we look at 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13.
When we share Jesus, we need to share our lives with them as well. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20
In this episode, we look at the first chapter of Paul's first letter to the Church in Thessalonica, a church that endured hardship and persecution. Throughout their troubles, they exhibited faith, hope, and love and displayed it to the world around them.
What cost are we willing to pay for sacrifice and freedom? "Saving Private Ryan" gives us a picture of sacrifice and the price people are willing to pay for it. Jesus paid a price for our freedom and we are called to live a life worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We see the theme of exile throughout the Bible in God's people. The "fish out of water" theme is also seen in lots of stories and movies as well. This episode, we look at the film "The Terminal" and connect to the exilic theme in the Bible.
We often see the monomyth in popular stories as well as seeing depictions of Christ-like figures. One of the places we see that is in The Green Mile. We look at some of the lessons we pull out of that story in this episode.
Woody and Buzz deal with the transition of their owner going off to college while also navigating relationships and the personality of a manipulative and evil toy named Lotso. What do we learn from people who might be like Lotso? How do we love them?
Fear and love don't mix. God has given us the Holy Spirit, not a spirit of fear. Do we live in such a way that we show others the love of Jesus Christ or do we evoke fear and other emotions from people? 1 John 4:13-21
Jesus tells his disciples not to be afraid of those who can only damage our bodies or our reputations while we should be more worried about the One who can touch our soul. Luke 12:4-12
Sometimes we find ourselves straining at the oars, fighting the storms of life and needing Jesus to show up. When he does, do we recognize him and receive his help? Mark 6:45-54
Do we believe that God can bring healing? Do we need a healing touch from Jesus? Mark 5:21-43
Our friend Mike Abbamonte looks at Matthew 4:1-11 and how we follow Jesus's example when we encounter dry places and wildernesses in our own lives.
God tells his people that he will fight for us and invites us to have a front row seat and see his provision and his deliverance. 2 Chronicles 20:1-17
God invites us to come and see and then to go and tell what we have witnessed. Matthew 28:1-10
Do we fear being alone? God tells us that he will never leave us or forsake us so that we might be strong and courageous. Joshua 1:1-9
The Lord goes before us to show us the way, so we do not need to fear or be anxious. Deuteronomy 1:19-33
When we do something wrong, we can be filled with fear of being found out and caught. God calls us to confession and repentance. Genesis 3:1-12
We meet a woman in Luke 7:36-50 who pushes past barriers to sit at Jesus' feet. What do we learn from her about our own identity in Jesus?
Why did God form relationships? What are we looking for our relationships to be? Are we looking for others to fix us or are we looking to fix others? Looking at Genesis 2:18-25 as we see this in context of what God created.
How do Christians engage politically? We look at Paul's words in Romans 13:1-7 to find a way through these difficult times.
Through the lens of Joseph and his treatment by his brothers, we look at how we respond to hurt and pain in our lives. Do we let bitterness and anger take root and let our pain and hurt define us or do we allow God to use it for good?
Are you generous with what you have? Are you looking to what you have to give you life and save you? Luke 12:13-21
What motivates us to do what we do? Are we looking for an immediate reward and payoff? Matthew 25:31-46
As we look at the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42, we ask ourselves questions about what we do in and with our work.
It's easy to look at all that we don't have. Do we look at what we do have and look at it in the hands of Jesus? John 6:1-15
Are we trying to save ourselves? Are we looking to something else? Only in God can we find ourselves clearly.
The shepherds were the first witnesses to the arrival of Jesus. We are all called to bear witness to Jesus wherever we are.
Finishing up our Faith of the Faithful series in Hebrews 11 and answering some questions people ask about faith.
We will face hardships as followers of Christ but we need to focus our eyes on our future reward rather than our momentary afflictions. Hebrews 11:23-30
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and others passed their faith to the next generation and blessed them. What are we passing to the next generation? Hebrews 11:20-22
Abraham and Sarah followed God without seeing all of the promises he made come to reality. Hebrews 11:8-19
Enoch and Noah walked faithfully with God and were rewarded for their obedience. Hebrews 11:5-7
Do you bring your best to God? If you don't, what are you forfeiting when you don't? Looking at the story of Cain and Abel.
Faith seeks understanding, it is not the suspending of doubt and disbelief. Faith is belief in action. We start our series in Hebrews 11 looking at faith.
How do we respectfully and truthfully engage the culture. We look at Paul's example in Acts 17.
Part of our discipleship is learning the ways of Jesus and living the ways of Jesus. How are we doing living as Jesus lived? Are we loving others the way that Jesus tells us to love?
Disciples of Jesus are prayerful. Jesus modeled that prayerfulness in his life on earth, finding time to intentionally connect with the Father. Do we set aside time to speak and listen to God in prayer?
What are we inviting others to? Are we inviting them to something bigger than themselves? Do we trust that the Holy Spirit is doing the work and we are simply reaping the harvest? John 4:27-42
Who are we imitating? What are we conforming ourselves to? As disciples of Jesus, we are called to conform ourselves to Christ. John 13:12-17
What does it look like to be a Spirit Led disciple? We look at how Moses led the Israelites by the Spirit in Exodus 33.
What does it mean to be a disciple who invests in others? How do we become an Investing in Others disciple who invest time, wisdom and experience, and resources into the people and opportunities that God places around us?
What is a disciple of Jesus? What does he call us to? We are called to humbly live, putting others before ourselves and being fully dependent on Jesus.
Cron Gibson looks at Jonah 1 and 2 and how God can even use our disobedience for his purposes.
God provides for his people even when they lose their focus and get distracted. Exodus 17:1-7
God gives us rules and regulations for our own benefit. God established the Sabbath at creation but gives a mandate to his people in Exodus 20 with additional instructions in Exodus 23.
Are our lives lived with justice, fairness, honesty, and transparency. Looking at Exodus 23:1-9.
How do we give to others? How do we give to those in need and on the margins of society? How do we give to God? Do we give God our best and give to him first? We look at Exodus 22:21-31 and how we apply this to the ways that we give.
Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, visits Moses in Exodus 18. As he observes what Moses is doing, he offers him so advice that will help him avoid burnout. Who do we have in our lives who can speak the voice of wisdom and experience and has our best interest in mind?
In Exodus 17, the Israelite army wins when Moses raises the staff of God above his head. When he tires and lowers his arms, the army begins to lose. Aaron and Hur hold up Moses' arms so that God's people would have the victory. Who is holding up your arms?
God provides for his people, we see that in Exodus 16 and other places. What does that look like for us? Do we trust God to provide for what we need?
After God rescued his people by bringing them on dry ground through the Red Sea, they sing a song of praise to him for who he is and what he has done. We have this song recorded for us in Exodus 15 and we look at how we celebrate and reflect on what God has done for us.
In Exodus 14, Pharaoh finally releases the Israelites but then he has second thoughts and sends his army after them. The Israelites are terrified but God tells them through Moses not to be afraid and that he will rescue them if they only be still.
In Exodus 12 and 13, we see the origins of Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. God gives the Hebrew people these celebrations to remember his faithfulness and to pass them on to future generations.
Moses carries our God's instructions in Exodus 5 but things don't go the way he thought they would.
Looking at Exodus 3 and 4, we see Moses expressing his feelings of inadequacy, inability, ineffectiveness, and incompetence to God.
In Exodus 2:11-25, Moses makes a poor decision, but it doesn't disqualify him from being used by God.
In Exodus 2, Moses is born and his mom keeps him hidden until she can't do it any longer. She has to give him up, but God protects Moses and allows his mother to continue to be part of his life.
We begin our journey through the Book of Exodus. We look at Exodus 1 and consider the struggles and hardships that the people of God have to endure and who and what we trust along that journey.