David Jones, Harpeth Presbyterian, January 27, 2013

We show our values through the symbols in our lives.

At Harpeth, we speak of being the church with the red doors.

What might these doors mean to us.

Are they for coming in, going out, or both?

In a church, we know what the lights are for, the chairs, the pews, the doors, but what about us? Why are we here?

Abram was called by God and promised God's blessing so that Abram could be a blessing to the world. The passage challenges us to explore ways we can BE A BLESSING.

God's call to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac is a startling one. Perhaps there is a greater challenge for how we live in this dark passage and a challenge to treasure all God's children. Hear reasons some scholars think Isaac likely had Downs Syndrome.

We are often thankful for what's past, memories of family, friends, and events. We are often grateful for what we have, the blessings of today. Faith calls us to be thankful for God's future, what God will do, not just when it happens, but ahead of time. Being thankful for what's to come is an act of faith.