In Genesis 26:1-33 we get a peek into Isaac's life and his character. Isaac is the cherished son of Abraham, and the one who lay himself down in obedience when Abraham was called to sacrifice him on mount Moriah. Isaacs life seems to be one of obedience and faith to the Lord, and God repeatedly assures Isaac that He is with him through some really tough seasons in his life.

But when Isaac is confronted with the possibility of his own demise, fear roars it's ugly head and Isaac's faith is overshadowed. So much so that he throws his own wife into peril. So much so that all of a sudden, this faithful man's life looks a lot like his father Abraham's did when Abraham was confronted with his own fears of death or violence.

How often does our faith seem strong and then something appears that trips us up and we find ourselves spiralling into fear based reactions? Our sin patterns, often learned from our parents, are ingrained in our bones - but our faith patterns are a choice and with the help of the holy spirit, we can learn to choose God's way.

God never left Isaac, despite his folly, and he'll never leave us either. We can depend on God to make a way through any fear or failure that we may find ourselves in, just as all of those who have gone before us experienced as well.

In Genesis 19:25-34, we are introduced to Esau and Jacob. Twin boys who battled eachother before they were even born into this world. Looking at each ones character, it's easy to see their humanity and their flaws - one, irreverent and thinking only of today, and the other, scheming and waiting for his chance seize power. Neither of them seem to deserve any of God's grace or mercy and yet one of them does receive it. But why? It's the same reason you and I receive God's grace - because God is good and in control and we are players in His grand plan for humankind. He chooses us for His purpose and plan. We don't get to vote for our favourites to be counted in as God's elect as much as we all want to and as much as we so often strive to. Instead, we are called to trust God in our calling as His children and do our best to walk in His ways and to partner with the Holy Spirit by spreading the gospel wherever and however we can.

Good Friday is good because all is not lost.

In the darkest, scariest times.

In the deepest pit.

In the depths of despair.

We can have hope because Jesus really did conquer death.

When we leave this earth, believers will enter into deep, everlasting peace.

Jesus calls each one of us to believe in Him. He calls all of us to have everlasting peace with Him.

In this world you will have trouble. Things hurt. But everything that you are suffering right now will be just a breath.

Have hope.

This world is not all there is.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus Christ rides into town on a donkey and is heralded as the saviour through whom the Israelites will finally be freed from oppression. But imagine you were there, amongst all the "hosannas" in the streets of Jerusalem that day, and you could look Jesus in the eyes. What would you see? The steely flint and rebellious gleam of a warrior king who was about to overthrow the government? The haughty shine of a man who had tricked himself and others into believing he was something he was not? No, none of these things.

If you looked in Jesus' eyes as He looked into the jubilant faces of the ones who were celebrating, you would likely see such a deep grief. Such unearthly wisdom. Such heartbreak. And yet such an unfathomable resolve to keep riding towards the death He knew He had to face, just a few days later. Jesus looked past the outstretched hands that were applauding Him and laying their coats at His feet and knew that those same hands would be the ones that would nail Him to a cross.

Our own hearts are just as fickle as the hearts of the Israelites were on that day. The Israelites were looking for a king who would save them from oppression. Likewise, we are always looking for a "king" who will get us what we desire. We will rage and we will plot and we will conspire to put the leader in charge who will benefit us the most. But when it looks like there might be conditions to receiving the benefits, like loss of popularity or safety, we turn tail and run. Psalm 2 called it out back then and it still calls it out today. Jesus Christ rode through Jerusalem with full knowledge of what was happening that day and what would still be happening thousands of years in the future. Yet He still chose to continue that path to the cross so that our ultimate freedom from the oppression of sin and death would be won. Praise God and Hallelujah.

One of the most fascinating things about Bible is how we get to witness the growing spiritual maturity of some of its central characters. In Genesis 16, we saw Abraham making foolish decisions because he had not yet learned to submit full control over to God. He chose to have a child with a woman who was not his wife because he feared God's promise of a son would not come to pass. Fast forward to Genesis 24, we see a much more spiritually mature Abraham, one who submits to God's will first and acts second.

How many times do we make decisions without praying first? Without checking our own motives? Without praying that our will be lined up with God's? It's a vulnerable thing to admit our lack of control in over our own lives and it takes an often painful amount of faith and discipline to remember that God is truly sovereign. But there is freedom in this.

Our position as God's children never changes, no matter what decision we make in our lives. Whether things work out or fall flat, believers are always God's beloved children. Abraham knew that God was for him, and likewise we should know (and grow) in the knowledge that God is for us too.

At first glance, the events of Genesis 22:1-14 look abhorrant. What kind of God calls a man to sacrifice his son? It looks like an incident divine child abuse. But upon closer inspection, we see this story for what it really is and what it reveals about the character of God.

Far from being the command of a blood thirsty spiritual tyrant, God's request that Abraham sacrifice his son Isaac - his most prized possession - was a call for Abram to trust Him. It was a call for Abram to set his heart on God and not on the layers of importance that he had placed on his son.

We're all guilty of placing undue importance on people or things that cause us to look to them for fulfullment and identity. Abraham looked to Isaac as the thing that mattered most in His life, not God. Good things are good things except when they become the sole purpose of our existence. Then the good things become idols and in this case, Isaac had become an idol for Abraham.

Like in Abrahams life, God, in His mercy, will call us to put ourselves to the test and set our idols aside. It is in His mercy and love for us that He calls us to do this, no matter how painful it might be. Genesis 22:1-14 is also filled with incredible foreshadowings of our Lord Jesus Christ, join us as we take more than a quick glance at this incredible story.

For additional content relating to this sermon, please see Episode 41 "Divine Child Abuse" of our Clearer Thinking Podcast.

Some of us have heard of Sodom and Gomorrah. Some of us have heard about Lot's wife being turned into a pillar of salt. But no children's storytime Bible will ever feature the details of what's going on behind the scenes here in Genesis 19.

We've got a father who sells his own daughters out, for reasons we can only speculate. We've got a mother who can't bear to leave the cesspool of a city that God is rescuing her from, so much so that she and her family literally have to be dragged away by angels. We've got daughters who are convinced they are the last of humanity and go to desperate lengths to continue their family line. We've got lust-crazed villagers who are blinded by their hedonistic obsessions, even as as a dire warning comes from their neighbour.

But do you know what else we've got? A God who worked His grace and mercy through it all. A God who sent His angels to cover Lot and his daughters with protection, even as they were sent into the unknown. From the ashes of Sodom, God weaves redemption through the broken lives of broken people. Even through the perverse acts of Lot's daughters, we find a child whose lineage will include our Lord Jesus Christ. Despite Lot's families sinfulness, God is still faithful to His promise to Abraham (Gen 18:16-33) and despite our own sinfullness, this same God will redeem us too.

For roughly 25 years, Sarah walks under a promise of God that not only hasn't come true yet, but was not given directly to her. She's walking in the dim light of an unmet expectation. She's bitter, cynical and cruel to those around her. She's lost sight of God and she can only see the barrenness inside herself and her future. But God sees her. And He knows her. And He appears to her - a woman in a patriarchal society that gave no voice to a woman, no matter who she was married to.

God's unwavering commitment to His promise shines through in Sarah's life, illuminating not only her barren womb but her own sin. Sarah emerges completely changed, carrying her son Isaac as a trophy of God's grace to her and the steadfastness of His love.

It's stories like these that encourage us as modern day believers. The God who promised Sarah and Abram is the same God that promises to wipe our own tears away for eternity. This promise will be fulfilled as it was for them. We walk in faith and not by sight, but how glorious will it be when we finally see God's glory, illuminating our very souls forever and ever and ever.

In Genesis 16, we begin to see the cracks in both Sarah and Abraham's faith. Here we see a desperate, grieving, barren wife who has been told her worth is only in the sons she bears. We see a victimized young Egyptian woman who has also been told a whole other set of lies. And we see Abraham, caught in an emotional storm between two women and tripping over his own doubt and self interest.

But when God sees these three people, He does not turn away. He sees a broken and hurting and desperately vulnerable Hagar and He draws near. He sees Sarah and Abraham and does not go back on His promise that He would bless them with heirs beyond their imagination. God doesn't look at us with disgust, or repulsion, or scorn. He doesn't push us away when we are unpalatable. He draws us closer. This week, we walk through Genesis 16 and we see how our God is the the One Who Sees us

In Genesis 15, we find ourselves witnessing an intimate moment between Abram and the God who has called him out into the wilderness. Abram is overwhelmed with confusion and doubt of God's promises to bless him. He brings his doubt to the Lord's feet and God answers Him with kindness and care. God doesn't shame Abram for wondering. He is tender and He assures Abram that He will do what He said He would do. Pastor Paul takes us through the remarkable promise of God in this passage and the historical and cultural context surrounding it. When God promises, He delivers. We can trust that all of His promises that have yet to come to pass, will indeed be fulfilled in days to come.