Bible Study

Don't just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon:

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Sermon Notes

Introduction

• Illustration: rise of genetic testing → search for ancestry & health.

• Studying Exodus is like doing “spiritual DNA testing” → roots of Christian identity & health.

• Aim: overview of Exodus → background + major themes.

I. Exodus as Continuation of Genesis (1:1–7)

• Begins with “And…” → continuation, not a new story.

• Recap of Genesis: Abraham, covenant, Joseph in Egypt.

• Exodus picks up with Israel flourishing in Egypt (v.7).

• Problem: they are numerous, but not in the Promised Land; now enslaved.

II. The Overarching Theme: Covenant Relationship

• God’s actions in Exodus (plagues, Red Sea, Law, Tabernacle) flow from covenant.

• Definition of covenant:

  • A relationship, based in grace.

  • God commits himself fully.

  • Calls for trusting, faithful obedience.

  • Leads to blessing and flourishing.

• God remembers his covenant with Abraham (Ex. 2:24).

III. Three Sub-Themes of Exodus

1. Deliverance (ch. 1–18)

   • God rescues Israel from slavery in Egypt.

   • Freedom is not doing whatever we want, but serving God.

2. Law (ch. 19–24)

   • The 10 Commandments as a gift, not legalism.

   • Law preserves freedom & teaches human flourishing.

3. Presence (ch. 25–40)

   • God dwells with his people in the Tabernacle.

   • Not a distant God—he desires to be near.

IV. Fulfillment in Christ

• Covenant: Jesus establishes the new covenant in his blood (Luke 22:20).

• Deliverance: Cross and Resurrection free us from sin, Satan, and death.

• Law: Jesus fulfills the Law and teaches true Kingdom living.

• Presence: Jesus “tabernacles” among us (John 1:14); the Spirit now dwells in believers.

Discussion Questions:

1. What's your general feeling about the Old Testament?
2. How is a covenant different from other relationships?
3. What's the difference between "freedom from" vs. "freedom for"? How does that apply to a relationship with God? Where do we see that in Exodus?
4. How can you tell when God's Law is being misused or abused? What did Jesus think about God's Law?
5. How do Jesus and the Holy Spirit fulfill the role of the Tabernacle?

Resources

If you would like to dig deeper into Exodus, we recommend these resources:

• How to Read Exodus - a short, accessible overview with discussion questions  
• Bible-Study on Exodus - a 12-week Bible study with homework questions
• Bible Project Guide - videos, articles, and Q&A explaining Exodus
• Exodus Commentary - a detailed explanations of each passage, perfect for deeper study

Questions?

Do you have a question about today’s sermon? Email Randy Forrester (

).

Bible Study

Don't just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon:

Sermon Outline

• God takes from us the arrythmia of anger.
• God resolves in us dissonance of desire.
• God tunes our hearts to sing His praise.

Questions on Hebrews 13:1–8

1. Do you think desire is a good thing in and of itself? Why or why not?
2. Consider this quote from CS Lewis: "Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” What is Lewis suggesting about our desires?
3. How does the image of a "choir" reshape your image of the Christian life? In what areas of life do you find yourself operating as a soloist?
4. Who are the "strangers" in your life? What would it look like for you to love the stranger?

Resources Consulted

• Gareth Lee Cockerill, The Epistle to the Hebrews
• Harold Attridge, The Epistle to the Hebrews
• Origen of Alexandria, Homilies on the Psalms
• Pope John Paul II, "Undocumented Migrants"
• C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses
• The Tallis Scholars, Spem in Alium
• For the music nerd: False Relations in Renaissance Music

Questions?

Do you have a question about today's sermon? Email Sam Fornecker (

).

Bible Study

Don't just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon:

.

Sermon Notes

Introduction: The Race of Faith

• Faith = endurance race, not a sprint

• Requires commitment, laying aside sin & distractions

• Perseverance comes by fixing our eyes on Jesus

Main Question

• When we fix our eyes on Jesus, what do we see?

• Jesus = Founder and Perfecter (Pioneer) of faith

  • He makes faith possible and brings it to completion

  • He blazed the trail by running it himself

Three Things We See in Jesus

1. Empathy

   • Jesus walked our path and understands our struggles

   • Hebrews 4:15–16 → he sympathizes with our weakness

2. Guidance

   • As pioneer, Jesus shows the way forward

   • Not “Google Maps” style, but relational guidance: “Follow me.”

3. Joy

   • He endured the Cross “for the joy set before him”

   • Shares that joy with us to keep us going to the finish line of glory

Discussion Questions:

• Describe a time when someone showing you empathy gave you strength.
• Describe the difference between situational guidance (tell me what to do God!) and relational guidance (Jesus: "follow me").
• What did Randy mean when he said that joy in this life feels anticipatory?
• Where are you right now in your "race of faith"? Energized? Perplexed? Angry? Bored? Distracted? Tired?
• What do you need (or think you need) from Jesus? Empathy? Guidance? Joy? Something else?

Questions?

Do you have a question about today’s sermon? Email Randy Forrester ([email protected]).

Bible Study

Don't just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon:

.

Sermon Notes

• PT story: Overusing wrong muscles, learning what the right ones feel like.

• Spiritual parallel: Faith is our central muscle group.

• Often atrophied → we rely on self-reliance, control → strain.

• Goal: Learn what faith “feels like” and strengthen it.

1. Faith grows in response to grace (10:19–22)

   • Sequence: Grace → Faith.

   • Grace = God’s free kindness in Christ; Faith = saying “yes” to it.

   • Ongoing: Grace sustains faith for life.

   • When faith feels weak: Seek grace, not just “more faith.”

   • Means of grace: Scripture, fellowship, worship, Communion, prayer.

2. Faith sees that which is unseen (11:1)

   • Assurance of future promises; conviction of present spiritual realities.

   • Not irrational—like belief in love.

   • Faith = “organ to see the invisible order” (F.F. Bruce).

Example – Moses

(11:26–27)

A. In Temptation

• Turned from Egypt’s visible wealth by looking to unseen reward in Christ.

• Application: Resist visible false promises (wealth, status, sex, control) by seeing greater unseen reward.

B. In Suffering

• Endured Pharaoh’s wrath by “seeing Him who is invisible.”

• Application: Fix eyes on unseen love, power, promises of God.

• Faith in suffering = visible witness to invisible grace.

Discussion Questions:

• How would you define grace? What about faith?
• In Eph 2:8, Paul says we are saved by grace through faith. What does he mean? How are grace and faith linked?
• Give examples of something real that you can't see.
• Temptation and suffering are often the context in which faith is used and strengthened.  How so?
• In what way is someone's faith amid personal suffering a benefit to the whole community? Can you give examples of where you have seen this?

Questions?

Do you have a question about today’s sermon? Email Randy Forrester (

).

Bible Study

Don't just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon:  

Sermon Outline

God's promise to us is that He will be with us always no matter what the circumstances may look like.While God is sovereign over everything in our lives, even when things are their darkest, God has the last word.In Jeremiah 32, the Lord gives us four promises:

1. God promises to be our God
2. God promises to change our hearts
3. God promises that He will not turn away from us.
4. God promises to do good for us.

God's greatest gift to us is the gift of Himself.

Sermon Questions

1. Is there a time or circumstance when you knew that God was with you?
2. What is your answer to the question of why God allows hardships in our lives?
3. What does Jesus say to us about the promises in the Old Testament
4. What does the fear of the Lord mean to you?
5. What do you rely on to wake up every morning submitted to God?
6. Have you ever been concerned about your ability to persevere in the faith?
7. Have you ever prayed that desperate prayer 'Don't let me go'?

Questions?

Do you have a question about today's sermon? Email John Burley (

).

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Bible Study

Don't just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon: Luke 11:5-13; Matthew 6:5-13; Matthew 18:10-20; Isaiah 55:8: Romans 12:1

Sermon Outline

Jesus first taught the disciples how to pray and then illustrated the need for persistence in prayer. In this parable, Jesus indicates that God can be trusted to respond to our prayers. The key point and question we must answer is: Do we believe that God can be trusted with our prayers? The man in the parable persisted (Greek word meaning shameless persistence) in asking his neighbor for bread for his visitor. Because of his persistence, his neighbor gave him the bread. Likewise, Jesus illustrates that God will respond to our persistent ongoing prayers.

Three questions to consider:

Why pray?

• Jesus tells us to pray
• There is power in prayer
• Prayer fosters a deeper connection with God

Why is persistence in prayer important?

• Our persistence doesn’t change God; it changes us and aligns our hearts with God’s heart
• Prayer is continual: ask, seek, knock
• Prayer exercises our faith muscle

How does God respond?

• Earthly fathers will not purposely give their sons bad gifts
• Heavenly Father gives His best gifts
• Heavenly Father does not hold out on you

Key point

In order to pray persistently and not give up we must know the character of God; that He is good, faithful and trustworthy.

Key concern

God does not always answer the prayers in the way that we would like, but He always has a “higher yes” ordered and governed by His Sovereignty and ability to see the big picture of our lives.

Sermon Questions

1. Do you think that God always responds to your prayers out of His character of goodness, faithfulness? Why or why not?
2. Is your prayer life persistent and full of trust believing God cares and hears you? Why or why not?
3. Do you pray until you get a breakthrough even if it isn’t the answer you were hoping for?
4. How have you seen prayer transform you?
5. What do you need to do to grow in your trust that God is for you and not against you? (Romans 8:31)

Questions?

Do you have a question about today's sermon? Email us ([email protected]).

Bible Study

Don't just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon:

Sermon Outline

• The miracle of the workings of grace and hope:1. Jesus found the dead young man.2. He came.3. He touched the bier.4. By His word the dead is risen.

Sermon Questions

1. Do you sometimes feel that your situation is hopeless?
2. Are you afflicted? Are you hurting? Have you suffered deep sorrow? Jesus hurts with you. No human being can say the right words or do the right thing in what you are facing. Only Jesus can. Only Jesus can raise you up from the ashes of grief and bring joy to your troubled heart.
3. Have you encountered His presence in times of trouble?
4. Have you experienced His healing touch?

Questions?

Do you have a question about today's sermon? Email Anthony Kowbeidu (

).

1. In your relationship with God, what are the ways that God gets your attention?
2. Have you ever prayed a prayer like the prayer this father prayed?
3. What are the places in your life that you are most vulnerable to doubt?
4. What are the ways that you know and trust that God is sure of you?
5. What is your conversation and prayer with Jesus like in your places of need?
6. How do you respond to the Lord's discipline in your life?

• The Gospel is not outdated.
• The Gospel does not mirror the culture.
• The Gospel does not faint.