Reality Boston

After grumbling about a lack of food, but receiving God’s provision, Israel continues to grumble in the wilderness where God has led her. Jason Hood examines how Israel resists the call to trust God, and instead turns her trials and needs into an opportunity to test her true Father.

To be human is to suffer from hunger. Our bellies crave food, but our souls hunger to be filled. God’s provision of Manna for his wandering exiles in the wilderness is a story about more than food; it’s a story about the Father’s heart. From Exodus 16, Al Abdulla explores how our soul hunger can find true satisfaction.

We all want to live free, but what does that really mean, and where will the path to freedom lead you? From Exodus 14:10-31, Al Abdulla explores Israel’s exodus out of Egypt through the red sea, showing how it foreshadows what it means to follow Jesus.

In this chapter Moses gives the Israelites detailed instructions for the first Passover. These instructions point to the protection and provision in God’s Passover, as well as providing an ongoing ceremony for the remembrance of the sacrifice of the lamb and God’s deliverance for his people. As these events look forward to the greater Passover worked by the Lamb of God, Jason Hood explores how we see God’s protection and provision for his children in all generations.

Suffering, injustice, disease and death are all part of our chaotic experience. At some point we stop to ask where is God in the midst of the Chaos? From Exodus 7:14-18; and 10:24-28, Al Abdulla talks about the God of all creation and how the display of God’s power reveals that even in the chaos, YHWH is in complete control.

What is the call of God? It can be confusing. Am I called to a person, place or particular profession? From Exodus 3:1-15, Al Abdulla talks about the call that can carry us through life.

Does God really have a plan for your life? After 400 years of pain and unanswered prayer, you would probably begin wonder where God is in the midst of the mess. Israel did. From Exodus 1:17-2:14, Al Abdulla explores the idea of finding God in the midst of life’s messiness.

All of us live by fear in some area of our lives - fear controls our decisions, our emotions, our relationships, our plans for the future, etc. In light of this reality, the invitation from God's Word is to live by faith in God and not by fear. Bruce Cooke explores how Moses' parents in the midst of a terrifying predicament chose to live by faith. We too can act with courage and hold on to hope by understanding how Jesus acted with courage as he journeyed to the cross, and held on to the hope of the resurrection while on the cross.

The Holidays can birth weary hearts. Consumerism threatens our contentment. Loneliness rises to new levels. From Isaiah 61, Al Abdulla explores God’s promise to a people living in exile, and how that promise can birth a joy that extends beyond broken hearts.

In this passage from the prophet Isaiah, God promises to rescue and restore his people. He comes to them in the middle of their chaos and confusion—he doesn’t wait until after they’ve pulled themselves together. We see three themes: Reality comes when God returns to his people; Reality is defined and controlled by God’s Word; and Reality is shaped by God’s Gospel.