Today, as Pastor Mike teaches about Abraham, he points out that the Bible refers to Abraham as a “friend of God.” But if we look at the events of his life recorded in Genesis, we see several noteworthy moral failures on Abraham’s part. This can cause us to ponder why exactly he is known as God’s friend. Pastor Mike reasons that what sets Abraham apart is his faith – his life was marked by faith. And the fact that Abraham did nothing to earn God’s favor is encouraging to us, who continuously rely on God’s grace.

Pastor Mike reminds us today that, while the builders of the Tower of Babel wanted to make a great name for themselves, instead the term “Babel” has become synonymous with “nonsense.” They intended to elevate themselves above God, but God reminded them who was really in control – He had the last word. To this day, people still forget this and choose to worship created things rather than the Creator. But ultimately, there will be a day when all that matters is how we responded to Jesus.

As Pastor Mike teaches on the Tower of Babel today, he remarks that we all have an innate desire for worship. This desire comes from God and is meant to lead us to worship the true and living God. However, throughout every generation people have turned from God and worshiped other things. This was the case in Genesis when people came together to build a tower to make a name for themselves. And it’s the case today – we so often miss the fact that Christ is the only one who can bring us true joy.

After Noah awoke from his drunkenness and remembered what his sons had done to him, he issued blessings and curses. Today, Pastor Mike emphasizes this prophecy and how it traces through human history. Ham sinned against his father Noah. So, in turn, Noah cursed Ham’s son Canaan. But Noah blessed Shem and Japheth, who showed him respect in his drunken state. Interestingly, we see the way this plays out in Scripture. For example, Israel, and eventually Christ, come through the line of Shem.

The Bible says that Noah found favor in God’s eyes, and so God chose to save Noah and his family from the impending flood. But shortly after mankind is preserved through Noah’s family, Scripture shows us the failures of this remnant. Today, Pastor Mike teaches this portion of the Bible to remind us that we are all fallen, and not one of us is above sin. The Bible speaks about Noah as a righteous man, yet he still failed in his old age. But the good news is that there is one who is faultless – Jesus Christ.

When Moses encountered God at the burning bush, he was quite old – although his life began with a lot of promise, he made decisions that led him into hiding for decades. As an old man, his life seemed like an opportunity wasted. But Pastor Mike shows us in Scripture today that this was the precise time when God chose to use Moses. Despite his past and his old age, Moses would be the man God used to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt. And like Moses, our future doesn’t have to be defined by our past.

Today, Pastor Mike reminds us what God did after flooding the earth: He created the rainbow. This rainbow was to serve as a sign to Noah and to every generation that followed that God would never flood the earth again and destroy it the way He did in the days of Noah. Pastor Mike shows us that, throughout Scripture, God often gives signs and symbols to remind His people of His character and goodness. And even to this day, we can look at many of these signs and remember what God has done for us.

As popular a story as Noah’s ark is, we often forget that he waited an entire year for the land to be dry enough for him and his family to leave the ark. There was no getting around it; he had to wait. Today, Pastor Mike offers us encouragement for when we go through similar seasons. We all have times when we just have to wait for God to change our circumstances. But even when we feel stuck, we can rest in the faith that God will never forget us, and that He will ultimately work everything for our good.

When God flooded the earth, He showed mercy on Noah and protected him from destruction. Yet Noah and his family remained in the ark for an entire year before the land was dry. Today, Pastor Mike reminds us that – like Noah – we all face seasons of waiting in life. These seasons can be extremely difficult as we are unable to change our situation, and must rely completely on God to bring us through. But the good news is that God remembered Noah, and He remembers all of His children!

God has offered His salvation to anyone who would accept it. And today, Pastor Mike reminds us that this is an urgent decision to make. He points to the Scriptures that declare Jesus’ return will be just like the days of Noah; that is, people will be going about their daily lives with no concept of what is about to happen. This warning reminds us that making a decision to follow Jesus is not something to be put off for later. These aren’t truths intended to frighten us, but Pastor Mike does want us to act.