Do you remember in Scripture when Jesus was tempted by the enemy? He was in the wilderness, away from all that was familiar– tired and hungry – and Satan shows up. Satan does his best to pull Jesus away from the mission of saving the world. But Jesus responds in the way you can too – He quotes Scripture! Pastor Mark will share a similarly dire situation the Israelites find themselves in – they’re in the wilderness too, away from the familiarity of Egypt and the enemy is showing up. But God was with them – and He would save them again! God is with you too – hold fast to the truth found in the Bible and believe that He will rescue you again.

Today we find the Israelites in a terrible situation – they’ve left Egypt, which is exactly what needed to happen – but now they’re at an impassible body of water, with the Egyptian army closing in. Picture yourself in that situation – you’d be afraid, right? Maybe looking to blame someone – like Moses? Or even God? As Pastor Mark said, it was God after all who led them there. Think about this too – God’s led you to this hopeless situation, but He doesn’t expect YOU to find the solution. He may include you in the process, but it’s ultimately up to Him to figure it out. So instead of blaming God, TRUST HIM! He knows what He’s doing.

God didn’t rescue the Israelites from Egypt and then just set them out on their own. He didn’t say “well, I did my part – go do whatever you want.” God’s not like that – He wasn’t then, and He isn’t today! Pastor Mark will talk today about the guide provided to the Israelites as they headed toward their new home – the Promised Land. By day, it was a cloud they followed, and by night a pillar of fire – but both were the presence of the Lord. He was WITH them through it all, guiding them to their destination. And today, when you give your life to Christ, you get the same presence – it comes in the form of the Holy Spirit!

If you’re a parent, you know how much there is for your children to learn. And you also know how much influence everything has on them – and why you need to protect them. Today Pastor Mark will remind you what an important job you have in raising these gifts from God, in teaching them the truth of the Bible while you still can. You are molding them into the men and women who will lead the future – and they’re ready to learn! If you’re not a parent, don’t think you’re getting off with no Responsibility. You likely have young people in your circle who you can impact – how are you influencing them by how you live your life?

The whole idea of the Passover makes it clear that God blesses His children. As you’ll see in today’s message with Pastor Mark, God gave everyone the opportunity to be saved from the 10th plague – the death of the firstborn. The Israelites were instructed to do specific things in order to be exempt from this terrible thing – but the Egyptians could have chosen to follow the example of the Israelites too! Today, people will see that you’re a follower of Christ if you are indeed following Him. And they will have the option to change their lives too – then they can know the incredible blessings of God as well!

The Israelites FINALLY leave Egypt! The final plague has swept the nation, and Pharoah has relented – they can leave! And as you’ll discover in today’s message, they were given gifts to take with them. They had nothing, but God would provide all they needed for the next journey. Doesn’t that fit with your relationship with God today? Pastor Mark will draw another parallel between this event and the life a Christian has in following Jesus. You may not have everything you need to fulfill the plans God has for you right now– but He WILL equip you. Don’t be afraid to ask – request the spiritual gifts that are available because of your faith in Christ and see what God will do with them.

Today Pastor Mark will continue teaching about what we now know as Passover – and why it points to Jesus. As the final plague was about to start, God asked His people to do something unique – they needed to put blood on their doorposts. This was a sign to the Angel of Death – these houses are set apart for the Lord. They’re under HIS protection. Now – think about the cross that Jesus died on – His blood was shed for you. It covers your sin and places you in God’s family, in His love forever. It’s a sign that death cannot claim you. You are forever protected by this blood if you choose to accept it.

Did you know that about the Bible? That Jesus is found throughout Scripture? It’s true, and Pastor Mark will show you many examples today just from this chapter in the book of Exodus! God had a plan from the very beginning, because He knew sin would separate us. And He knew we’d need help - He’d have to do the work for us. Because God loves us more than we can understand, He wants to establish a personal relationship with each person. And that came because He was willing to give the ultimate sacrifice. Now, all you need to do is accept Jesus as your Savior and that broken relationship is restored.

Have you ever had someone tell you to be less religious? You can have your beliefs, but just keep it to yourself – that’s for you, not for me. Well, as you’ll find out throughout the Bible and in today’s study, that’s not how God operates! God wants EVERYONE to have a chance at a new life, a forgiven life. One that doesn’t rely on what YOU can do, but on what God already did for you. Today Pastor Mark will encourage you toward this type of life if you haven’t yet met Jesus personally. And if you have, Pastor Mark will remind you to tell everyone. Give every person you meet the opportunity to know what you already know and live by.

Think about the darkest place you’ve ever been – maybe a cave or a room completely pitch black. You may enjoy the lack of light, but what if that’s all you knew for several days? Maybe for weeks? That kind of darkness begins to mess with your mind, joy and hope seem to disappear. And that’s exactly what this next plague has brought to the Egyptians! Pastor Mark reminds you of an incredible truth today though – God is light. He’s everything the spiritually dark world is waiting for. He’s the joy and hope that can’t be found – and what love for His children! Anyone can have this light in their life, if only they come to Him and believe.