Today we are starting a new series on Abram and going on a completely different journey. This will be a four week journey. Today we are talking about Faith. What does the bible say about faith. Abraham father of faith is about how he was tempted, faced adversity, failed, triumphed and overall kept the faith. When Abram went to Egypt to escape the consequences of a devastating drought in Egypt, Abram feared that he might be killed in Egypt on account of his wife who was a woman of exceptional beauty. Instead of relying on God's protection, Abram lied and claimed that Sarah was not his wife, but his sister. In the process, Abram not only put his marriage at risk (the Egyptian Pharaoh actually took her into his harem), but also exposed his wife and the Pharaoh to possible adultery. Amazingly Abram repeated this attempted deception when he went to Gerar. Instead of relying on God's protection, Abram again resorted to deception to try and save his own skin. Even though God had promised Abram numerous descendants, Sarai's infertility was a challenge to both Abram's and Sarah's faith. So, instead of trusting God, Abram and Sarai decided that they needed to "help God out" -they decided that Abram would sleep with Sarai's maid-servant, Hagar, and build a family through her. Hagar conceived and bore Ishmael to Abram, but this act of Sarai and Abram would cause them both a lot of anxiety and discomfort. God knew that Abraham would struggle with the call before him, but He also knew that Abraham's struggle would produce great growth and faith. There are 4 things that helped out in this situation. (1) Abraham was an old man when God called him to set out on this journey. 2. Abraham laughed at God and so did his wife Sarah...and God heard them. 3. Abraham lied about his wife being his sister, not once but twice. 4. Abraham trusted God when many of us wouldn't have. God said to Abraham, "'Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." Genesis 22:2

Today we are starting a new series on Abram and going on a completely different journey. This will be a four week journey. Today we are talking about Faith. What does the bible say about faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Perhaps no other component of the Christian life is more important than faith. We cannot purchase it, sell it or give it to our friends. So what is faith and what role does faith play in the Christian life? The dictionary defines faith as "belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof." It also defines faith as "belief in and devotion to God." The Bible has much more to say about faith and how important it is. In fact, it is so important that, without faith, we have no place with God, and it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). According to the Bible, faith is belief in the one, true God without actually seeing Him. Faith is not something we conjure up on our own, nor is it something we are born with, nor is faith a result of diligence in study or pursuit of the spiritual. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that faith is a gift from God, not because we deserve it, have earned it, or are worthy to have it. It is not from ourselves; it is from God. It is not obtained by our power or our free will. Faith is simply given to us by God, along with His grace and mercy, according to His holy plan and purpose, and because of that, He gets all the glory. Some examples of faith are: Hebrews chapter 11 is known as the "faith chapter" because in it great deeds of faith are described. By faith Abel offered a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord (v. 4); by faith Noah prepared the ark in a time when rain was unknown (v. 7); by faith Abraham left his home and obeyed God's command to go he knew not where, then willingly offered up his only son (vv. 8-10, 17); by faith Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt (vv. 23-29); by faith Rahab received the spies of Israel and saved her life (v. 31). Many more heroes of the faith are mentioned "who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies" (vv. 33-34). Clearly, the existence of faith is demonstrated by action.

Today we are starting a new series and going on a completely different journey. This journey we will be on for only three weeks. Today ends our three week Journey on the One Flesh Series. I hope you all enjoyed this journey and are excited to see what more journeys we can go on.

Today we are starting a new series and going on a completely different journey. This journey we will be on for only three weeks. So please come on this journey with us where two shall become one. There are four things that really destroy marriages. They are called "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. First Horseman - Criticism. The first one is criticism. In criticism, you frame your complaints as if there's something defective in your partner. One puts the other one down. It is a global description of a flaw in your partner's personality. There is a direct implication that something is wrong with your partner's character. e.g.: Second Horseman - Defensiveness. The second horseman is defensiveness. When you feel under attack, people get defensive. Defensiveness is an attempt to protect yourself; to defend your innocence or to ward off a perceived attack. Sometimes it is done by counter-attacking, or by whining (innocent victim stance). e.g. "Me? What about you?" The Third Horseman: Stonewalling. The third Horseman is Stonewalling. In Stonewalling, the listener withdraws from the interaction while staying in the room. There is an effort not to give a clue that he or she is even listening. You will see this type of non-verbal behavior: The final Horseman is contempt. Contempt is really something to eliminate when it exists in a relationship. It includes things like threats, name calling, and insulting. To do that, we have to change a lot of things in your way of relating.

Today we are starting a new series and going on a completely different journey. This journey we will be on for only three weeks. So please come on this journey with us where two shall become one. In the Gospel of Mark, the Lord Jesus teaches that "from the beginning of creation 'God made them male and female.'" He then declares a great and beautiful truth inscribed in creation: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh" (Mark 10:6-8).

The Bible is filled with journey upon journey. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is full of people on the move and today we finally got to the end our journey and reached our destination. Hope you had fun with us on our journey through the 66 books of the bible. Now we are going to end our journey with the book of Revelation. The Revelation is lavish in colorful descriptions of the visions which proclaim for us the last days before Christ's return and the ushering in of the new heaven and new earth. The Revelation begins with letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor, then goes on to reveal the series of devastations poured out upon the earth; the mark of the beast, "666"; the climactic battle of Armageddon; the binding of Satan; the reign of the Lord; the Great White Throne Judgment; and the nature of the eternal city of God. Prophecies concerning Jesus Christ are fulfilled and a concluding call to His Lordship assures us that He will soon return.

The Bible is filled with journey upon journey. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is full of people on the move and today we are continuing that journey with 2 and 3 John. The Book of 2 John is addressed to "the chosen lady and her children." This could either have been a lady of important standing in the church or a code which refers to the local church and its congregation. In those days when Christians were being persecuted such coded salutations were often used. The Book of 2 John is largely concerned with an urgent warning concerning deceivers who were not teaching the exact doctrine of Christ and who maintained that Jesus did not actually rise in the flesh but only spiritually. John is very anxious that true believers should be aware of these false teachers and have nothing to do with them. John is writing with his usual strong emphasis on truth to this much-loved brother in Christ, Gaius, a layman of some wealth and distinction in a city near Ephesus. He highly commends Gaius' care and hospitality to his messengers whose mission was to take the Gospel from place to place, whether they were known to him or were strangers. John exhorts him to continue to to do good and not to imitate evil, as in the example of Diotrephes. This man had taken over the leadership of a church in Asia and not only refused to recognize John's authority as an apostle but also refused to receive his letters and submit to his directions. He also circulated malicious slanders against John and excommunicated members who showed support and hospitality to John's messengers. Before John concludes his letter, he also commends the example of Demetrius, of whom he has heard excellent reports.

The Bible is filled with journey upon journey. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is full of people on the move and today we are continuing that journey with the book of 2 Peter. Knowing that his time was short (2 Peter 1:13-15) and these churches faced immediate danger (2 Peter 2:1-3), Peter called upon the readers to refresh their memories (2 Peter 1:13) and stimulate their thinking (2 Peter 3:1-2) so that they would remember his teaching (2 Peter 1:15). He challenged the believers to become more mature in their faith by adding to it specific Christians virtues, thereby becoming effective and productive in their knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-9). The Old and New Testament writers were set forth as their authority for their faith (2 Peter 1:12-21, 3:2, 3:15-16). Peter desired they become strong in their faith to withstand the false teachers that had crept in and adversely affected the churches. In his denunciation of them, he described their conduct, their condemnation, and their characteristics (2 Peter chapter 2), and also that they ridiculed the Lord's Second Coming (2 Peter 3:3-7). For the Christians, Peter taught that the Second Coming is the incentive for holy living (2 Peter 3:14). After a final warning, Peter again encouraged them to grow in the grace and knowledge of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He concluded with a word of praise to his Lord and Savior (2 Peter 3:18).

The Bible is filled with journey upon journey. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is full of people on the move and today we are continuing that journey with the book of 1 Peter. Though this time of persecution was desperate, Peter reveals that it was actually a time to rejoice. He says to count it a privilege to suffer for the sake of Christ, as their Savior suffered for them. This letter makes reference to Peter's personal experiences with Jesus and his sermons from the book of Acts. Peter confirms Satan as the great enemy of every Christian but the assurance of Christ's future return gives the incentive of hope.

The Bible is filled with journey upon journey. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is full of people on the move and today we are continuing that journey with the book of Matthew. As an apostle, Matthew wrote the Gospel of Matthew in the early period of the church, probably in A.D. 55-65. This was a time when most Christians were Jewish converts, so Matthew's focus on Jewish perspective in this Gospel is understandable. Matthew intends to prove to the Jews that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah. More than any other Gospel, the Gospel of Matthew quotes the Old Testament to show how Jesus fulfilled the words of the Jewish prophets. Matthew describes in detail the lineage of Jesus from David, and uses many forms of speech that Jews would have been comfortable with. Matthew's love and concern for his people is apparent through his meticulous approach to telling the gospel story.