Hesed means: Loyal Love, Unfailing Kindness, Faithfulness, and Steadfastness.

“...he genuinely cares about humans and holds toward them a tender attitude of concern and mercy.”

- Douglas Stuart 

“...he does things for people they do not deserve and goes beyond what might be expected to grant truly kind favor toward people, favor of which they are not necessarily worthy.”

- Douglas Stuart 

“Hesed cannot be translated with one English word. It is a covenant term, wrapping up in itself all the positive attributes of God: love, covenant faithfulness, mercy, grace, kindness, loyalty. In short, it refers to acts of devotion and loving kindness that go beyond the requirements of duty.”

– Daniel Block

God reveals Himself as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and rich in faithful love. This hesed is not casual kindness but covenant loyalty. It is love that remains steady even when undeserved. This is who God is at His core. That same description echoes throughout Scripture:

- Numbers 14:18

- Nehemiah 9:17

- Psalm 86:15

- Psalm 103:8

- Psalm 145:8

- Joel 2:13

- Jonah 4:2

- Nahum 1:3

These are not isolated statements but a consistent reminder of His character across generations. God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

This is not only something to understand, it is something that transforms us. As we behold God, we are changed. What we fix our attention on shapes who we become. Being with Him and keeping Him before our minds forms us over time into that same kind of life.

“Who we are on the inside, we will eventually become on the outside.”

- Pete Scazzero

Saint Irenaeus wrote, “The glory of God is a human being fully alive; and to be alive consists in beholding God.”

“The first and most basic thing we can and must do is to keep God before our minds... This is the fundamental secret of caring for our souls. Our part in this practicing the presence of God is to direct and redirect our minds constantly to Him. In the early time of our 'practicing' we may well be challenged by our burdensome habits of dwelling on things less than God. But these are habits - not the law of gravity - and can be broken...

A new, grace-filled habit will replace the former ones as we take intentional steps toward keeping God before us. Soon our minds will return to God as the needle of a compass constantly returns to the north. If God is the great longing of our souls, He will become the pole star of our inward beings.”

- Dallas Willard

This Easter Sunday, Grant Clark explores the cross through the stories of those present at the crucifixion, including the two thieves and Simon of Cyrene. Some reject Him. Some believe. Some are completely changed. From the thief who comes with nothing but a humble request to be remembered, to Simon whose life is reshaped by carrying the cross, this message invites us to consider our own response to Jesus. Wherever you are in your faith, Easter is an invitation to come as you are and encounter Him.

Verses:

Luke 23:32-43 (CSB)

Luke 23:42

Luke 23:26-27 (CSB)

Romans 16v13 (ESV)

Mark 8:34

Galatians 2:20-21 (CSB)

This week’s message explores the tabernacle in Exodus and what it reveals about God’s desire to dwell with His people. From Eden to the cross and into the future, we see a story of access, redemption, and restoration. Through Jesus, the barriers are removed and we are invited to approach God with confidence and experience His presence in a real and personal way.

“The tabernacle was God’s earthly dwelling during the period from Moses to David. As his dwelling, the tabernacle emphasizes God’s presence with his people, continuing a theme that has run throughout the book of Exodus.”

- Longman and Dillard

“Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”

- St Augustine

“Jesus became flesh and TABERNACLED among us.”

“Those in whom the Spirit comes to live are God's new Temple. They are, individually and corporately, places where heaven and earth meet.”

- NT Wright (Simply Christian)

Verses:

Exodus 25:1–9

Genesis 3:24

Genesis 4:16

Mark 15:37–39

Ephesians 3:12

Hebrews 10:19–22

John 1:14

Ephesians 2:22

1 Corinthians 3:16

Revelation 21:3

Dependence:

We are a church who strives to live dependently on the power of the Holy Spirit in every area of our lives. We aren’t trying to fix ourselves or anyone else with our own power, but trusting His power to work in us and through us.

“Three months after leaving Egypt, Israel arrives at Mount Sinai, a location where they spend almost two years. Even more striking, the rest of the book of Exodus, all of Leviticus, and the first part of Numbers (through 10:11) take place at Sinai.”

- Tremper Logman 3rd and Raymond Dillard

“The people heard the voice of God for themselves and thus could not doubt his presence among them, a presence more directly manifest at Sinai than in any other mode previously since they had first learned of his interest in them. All the people were hearing the voice of God just as Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, and the patriarchs had heard it and as Moses had heard it earlier at Mount Sinai when God first called him. And this time the voice of God was accompanied by such audio and visual displays as to leave no doubt in their minds as to both his presence and his uniqueness…”

- Douglas Stuart

“This commandment highlights the twisted desires of mankind and the sin of discontentment. Instead of having a thankful heart, the coveter desires what others have. Notice also that this commandment is about the inward nature of the law. Covetousness is about the heart. It is about desire. It may or may not lead to an act, but even if there is no act, it is still wrong because our desire should be on the God who made us and redeemed us. Covetousness, then, involves breaking the first commandment.”

- Tony Merida

Verses:

Exodus 19:1-2

Exodus 12:37

Exodus 19:4-6

1 Peter 2:9

Exodus 19:16-20

Exodus 20:1

Exodus 24:9-11

Exodus 20:1-2

Exodus 20:3-4

Exodus 20:7

Exodus 20:8

Exodus 20:12-17

Leviticus 18:1-4

Exodus 20:18-21

Exodus 20:21

What is trust, and what happens when yours has been shaken? In this message from Exodus 13-17, Grant Clark follows the Israelites through their journey after leaving Egypt. They see the Red Sea parted, follow pillars of cloud and fire, and experience God's provision in incredible ways. But when new challenges come, their confidence fades quickly. It's a pattern most of us know well. This sermon is an invitation to see that God is both greater than we can imagine and closer than we could hope, and that real faith is built not only in the big moments, but in the ordinary, daily act of trusting Him with what's right in front of you.

BIG MIRACLES and ORDINARY OBEDIENCE

Trust “is confidence born from experience.”

God is both greater than we can imagine, and closer than we could hope.

Pictures of the Pillar of Cloud and Fire

“Even though they left “in battle formation”, this does not mean they were ready to fight.”

- Tony Merida

“The most accurate test of your faith is not how you respond when miracles happen, but how you respond when they don’t.”

- JD Greear

"Follow me"

- Jesus

“In the old covenant God faithfully remained with His people, accompanying them in the tabernacle and the temple. Under the new covenant, the only temple is the believing community itself, and God dwells not only among the community corporately, but also in each member individually.”

- James Hamilton

“[A] case can be made that the Holy Spirit may be the same as the pillar of fire and the cloud.”

- James Hamilton

Verses

John 1:14 (MSG)

Exodus 13:21-22 (CSB)

Exodus 13:17-18 (CSB)

Exodus 14:10-14 (CSB)

Exodus 14:21-22 (CSB)

Exodus 14:30-31 (CSB)

Romans 8:32 (NIV)

Exodus 15:11-13 (CSB)

Exodus 15:22-25 (CSB)

Exodus 17:7 (CSB)

Exodus 16:2-4 (CSB)

Exodus 16:35 (CSB)

John 10:27 (CSB)

“Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?”

Post-truth: “Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”

- Oxford Dictionary

The 10 Plagues:

1. Water turned to blood -- Exodus 7:14–24

2. Frogs -- Exodus 8:1–15

3. Gnats (or lice) -- Exodus 8:16–19

4. Swarms of flies -- Exodus 8:20–32

5. Death of livestock -- Exodus 9:1–7

6. Boils on people and animals -- Exodus 9:8–12

7. Hail and fire -- Exodus 9:13–35

8. Locusts -- Exodus 10:1–20

9. Darkness over the land -- Exodus 10:21–29

10. Death of the firstborn -- Exodus 11:1–10

What are these Plagues about?

1. The Plagues Reveal the Glory of God

2. The Plagues Are Judgments on Egypt’s Gods

3. The Plagues Are a picture of De-Creation

4. The Plagues Expose False Security

5. The Plagues Prepare the way for Passover 

“These nine plagues against Egypt are not just a display of God flexing his muscles. They are, as we have seen, the unleashing of God’s creative forces against the enemies of God’s people (and therefore the enemies of God himself).”

- Peter Enns

“The plagues are creation reversals: Animals harm rather than serve humanity; light ceases and darkness takes over; waters become a source of death rather than life; the climax of Genesis 1 is the creation of humans on the last day, whereas the climax of the plagues is the destruction of human beings in the last plague.”

- Peter Enns 

“Just as the plagues were a sign to Egypt of God’s justice and judgment, now the Passover was a sign of God’s mercy to Israel!”

- Tony Merida

Verses:

Exodus 5:1-2

Exodus 6:6-8

Exodus 9:14-16

Exodus 11:1

Exodus 12:1-14

John 1:29

Ephesians 1:7-8

"What makes life worthwhile is having a big enough objective—something which catches our imagination and lays hold of our allegiance; and this the Christian has in a way that no other person has. For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?"

- J.I. Packer (Knowing God)

“I have witnessed, time and time again, two people in the same gathering come away with completely different experiences. One had a burning bush moment, leaving with a heart warmed and transformed, while the other left cold and unchanged, with no worthy takeaway save for an opinion of the worship and a score for the preacher. “

- Alan Frow

“The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 AM for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.”

- Tim Keller

“Spiritual formation is a process of being formed in the image of Christ for the sake of others.”

- Robert Mulholland (Invitation to a Journey)

Chekov's Gun:

“One must never place a loaded rifle on the stage if it isn’t going to go off. It’s wrong to make promises you don’t mean to keep.”

Excuse 1: “Who am I?” (3:11)

Excuse 2: “What do I say?” (3:13)

Excuse 3: “What if they don’t believe me?” (4:1)

Excuse 4: “I’m not gifted enough.” (4:10)

Excuse 5: “Please send someone else.” (4:13)

“This final excuse was not so much an excuse as it was Moses’ desperate plea to pass the responsibility to someone else. He was out of excuses. Every one of his questions had been answered in stunning ways. Now he basically said, “Here I am, send someone else.”

- Tony Merida

“Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses…” (4:14)

# Reflection Questions:

- Where are you resisting God in your life?

- Where are you letting insecurities, fears, doubts and a lack of trust in God hold you back from what He is leading you too? 

- Where is your past determining what God can do with your future?

- Like Moses, if the layers are pealed back, where do you see that actually you are just saying “No” to God?

The answer to Moses’ insecurity isn’t more self-confidence.

It’s more confidence that God’s presence is with him.