The Open Word (Audio)

Sin separates us from a holy God. Before Jesus paid the penalty for humankind's sin, the Old Testament believers had sacrifices as a way to atone for their sin. God has always loved and wanted a relationship with His people, so the offerings were a way for sin to be forgiven. In his message, Pastor David shows how the animal sacrifices were never enough. They were pointing to Jesus, the perfect sacrifice that was to come. Your sin is wholly forgiven in Jesus, and the old laws are no more.

It is easy to believe that if you are unfaithful to God, then He will be unfaithful to you. However, in today's message, Pastor David shares with you that this is not true. When you fail, the enemy will try to tell you that God doesn't love you anymore. This is a trick the evil one uses to draw God's people away from Him. The truth is, God will never stop loving you. The sacrifice Jesus made on the cross covers all sin. God desires for all His children to have a relationship with Him. So today, draw close to God.

In his message today, Pastor David explains that you are called to be holy. You have the same purpose and calling that Aaron had as the first priest in the book of Exodus. Each Christian believer is a representative to the lost people of this world. You represent the grace found in God and the hope found in Christ. Your life can be an inspiration to an unbeliever to learn more about Jesus. If your life is not a perfect picture of an obedient follower of Christ, do not despair, but call on the Lord for help.

What's the first thought that comes into your head when you find yourself in a difficult situation? Do you panic, or immediately go to the worst-case scenario? How much anxiety and worry would you save yourself if you first turned to God for help? In Pastor David's message today, he encourages you that God will fight your battles, you need only to rely on Him. Whatever situation you find yourself in, God knows exactly what is going on. Today, trust in the Lord for strength and not yourself.

Have you ever been settled into a comfortable routine with your life and then God steps in and shakes things up? Well, that's exactly what happened to Moses. God came to Moses and asked him to lead God's people out of Egypt. Do you argue with God just like Moses did? Well, in Pastor David's message today, he will encourage you that God has not called us to comfort, but obedience. If you are striving to follow God's will for your life, don't expect to lead a comfortable life. Instead, willingly obey His leading.

Today you'll discover even more people, stories, and lessons of the book of Genesis. You'll meet Jacob and Esau, Jacob's wives, and his children. You'll follow Joseph through his immense trials and unwavering faith, and witness the glory of God being displayed through acts of evil. Can God do the same for you? Pastor David today will share that this is exactly the case! Because God is real and is working for the good of His children, He'll always be on your side, no matter how hard it gets!

The people you'll be meeting today in the book of Genesis weren't perfect people. In fact, they failed frequently! Today Pastor David shares that God didn't delete the imperfect parts of the Bible. He didn't pretty the stories up before sharing them with you. Instead, He reminds you that He can take broken people and messed up situations to create beauty and perfection! He wants to use you too! It doesn't matter what your background looks like – take it all to God and let Him make you new!

God has made promises to you in the Bible. The words may have been written long ago, but they're just as true today as they were then! In Pastor David's message today, you'll meet Abraham, a man who was given a great challenge and an even greater promise, and had to step forward in faith that God would keep His end of the bargain. God did, and Abraham was blessed, even though he made mistakes along the way. The promises God makes will be kept, and you can claim them in your life as well!

Today you'll meet the first human beings to walk the earth, and the first humans to sin. Despite God's overwhelming provision, Adam and Eve allowed temptation to enter their hearts and chose to sin, separating themselves forever from their Creator. Their children too chose to sin – Cain didn't accidentally kill Abel, after all! Pastor David wants to remind you that sin is always a choice, but it doesn't have to rule your life! You can turn away from your mistakes today and start fresh with God!

Today's message continues the story of Creation. This is the foundation of not only the Bible, but the world you know and live in right now! Some things you'll read may not make sense, and may cause you to question if God really did all He said. Pastor David will challenge you, though, to embrace the fact that the Almighty Creator of the universe is just to incredible for you to understand this side of Heaven! The bigger you allow God to be, the bigger problems you'll allow Him to tackle in your life!