We are called to be faithful. We are called to be righteous. But, we are also called to be God's friend. What do you do with your friends that you never do with God? How about sharing a laugh? Is it OK to laugh with God? (Hint: Who do you think invented humor to begin with?)

Sometimes, just when it seems we are improving and getting better, something from our past grabs us and holds us back. The good news is that we are not alone. It happens to some of the greats in the Bible. And, by studying them, we can learn our best way forward.

Sometimes we make a decision that affects us for the rest of our life -- not because it is so monumental that it can't be undone -- but because it sets us down a path that we never seem to realize we can leave. The momentum is what destroys us. But, how do we get off of the destructive path before it destroys us?

Why do you want great Faith as a Christian? Do you think God cares what we do with our Faith? Maybe we can't have faith like Abraham until we have some other characteristics of this "Father of Faith"

The Christian religion runs on Faith. We need faith to believe. We need faith to pray. We Need faith for everything. So... where do we get this faith? Every televangelist seems to have an answer for that. But what if they are all wrong? What about if real faith looks nothing like what we were taught it does?

How can we live a life of faith when we keep making huge mistakes? Do we ever reach a point where our screw-up is so big, God can't even use us anymore? If Abraham can make a huge mistake like he does in this week's lesson, what hope is there for us? Is there any way of avoiding these colossal errors that threaten to derail our whole life? How do we make it back to God after creating an Ishmael?

Abraham comes off one of the greatest military victories in the Bible. He has done — alone — what five kings failed to accomplish. And when he gets back home, God comes to him with an odd message: “Don’t be afraid, Abraham.” What did God know that we missed? Why does fear often follow our greatest victories?

Suddenly, the story in Genesis shifts to a battle between 9 kings — none of them named Abraham. But this story shows how far Abraham has come in his friendship with God. Because what he does next is something that Hollywood couldn’t have dreamed up…

Abraham is back in the Promised land. And he has learned a lot from his time in Egypt. We see what a man of faith does when he finds his way back to God’s Promise. And it is a lesson for us all.

No sooner does Abraham arrive at the Promised Land, than he faces his first test. And he doesn’t do well. Would any of us? How did you do when you faced “The Famine Test?”