When you're faced with difficult circumstances or decisions, it's an opportunity to decide if you'll ultimately trust God... but what do you do with your doubts?

Is there an area in your life that you are holding onto and need to surrender to the Lord?

Here are a few questions for you to consider as you listen to this message:

Are there some unmet expectations leading you away from the Lord?

Are your unmet expectations causing you to doubt God’s character and his goodness in your life?

What are some times that you’ve been faithless? Where has God continued to be faithful and gracious to you?

Takeaways:

Even those who are obedient to God will face difficult circumstances.

Trust and wait patiently in God’s timing.

God is faithful even when we are faithless.

This is a message about abiding in Christ, living in conversation with God, and being surprised by His presence.

In Genesis 11, we find another story where humans try to take charge instead of following through with God’s plan. After a while, it’s easy to think critically of these people because of how quickly they rebel. Yet, we’re no different. God’s people again and again found themselves in a downward spiral away from God, but each event opened up a new possibility for God’s grace.

If you heard the story of Noah and the ark as a child, you may not have realized how intense and dark it actually is. God’s severity and kindness are both revealed.

Here’s a few key takeaways from the account of Noah:

If you read on after the flood waters receded, you’ll find a story that shows Noah’s sinful nature. The whole earth was “reset” yet sin remained.

Sometimes we think we just need another try to get things right, but the reality is we need a redeemer more than we need a reset.

The story of Cain and Abel isn’t just a story about a conflict between 2 brothers- it’s an example of how our decisions can change the course of our lives and future generations. 

When you consider all of the elements at play in Genesis 4 and 5, there’s a lot of opportunity for self-reflection. Here’s a few questions from the message to consider:

God had a perfect design in mind for the world when He created it and one day the world will be made right again. Until then, we live with brokenness caused by the effects of choosing our own way instead of God's.

From the beginning of time, God knew that we wouldn't be able to maintain his design our own and Jesus' life, death, and resurrection would be the key to returning back to God's perfect design.

Life application:

When God asked Adam and Eve what they had done, both of them responded with blaming others for their decision. They deflected their responsibility and tried to rationalize their actions.

This week, consider areas in your life where you've tried reacted the same.

Is there something you're trying to deflect?

Someone you've been blaming?

Are you rationalizing your actions instead of turning back to God?

Jesus offers a better way.

As we get to chapter 3 of Genesis, things start to take a turn.

If you’ve ever wondered why God even allowed this tree with forbidden fruit in the garden, listen to this message. 

When Adam and Eve realized they had broken the agreement they had with God, they became aware of their nakedness and hid from their shame. 

Likewise, are you hiding from God? When we come to God with our brokenness, he doesn’t condemn us. He removes our shame and restores us in ways we can’t on our own. 

Whether you’re in school, a stay at home parent, or clock in and out every day, most of us spend the majority of our time each year working somehow.

Maybe you’ve imagined that after life on earth as we know it, we’ll spend our time floating up on clouds in heaven and finally get a break from work. But that’s not the case! God actually created us to work from the beginning of time, it’s actually a *good* thing, and we’ll be working for all of eternity in the new heaven and new earth.

Here’s 3 distortions we struggle with about work:

Being a follower of Jesus affects every area of your life- including your work! You reflect God by using the abilities he has given you to bring him glory and bless others.

Here’s 3 takeaways to consider as you work:

This week, ask God to give you a new view of your work and the ways in which he wants to use you to impact others.

When God created the earth and everything in it, over and over he declared it all “good.” It wasn’t until after God had created man that he said something wasn’t good: “It’s not good for the man to be alone.”

Whether married, single, widowed, etc- none of us are meant to be alone. God created us to be in meaningful relationships with one another. 

Here’s a few questions to consider as you listen to this message:

Are you alone?

Have you found your person (people)?

Are you hiding? Why?