Through difficulty, God produces in us that which we would never have seen without trial. When Abraham finds a wife for his son Issac, we can glean principles about waiting in faith to apply to many areas of life, including finding a spouse. Speaker: Brad Bell

If one verse summarizes the entire Old Testament, it is this: "Where is the lamb?" When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, Abraham trusted that God would provide. Just as Abraham trusted God when he was being tested, we can trust because God has already provided the final sinless substitute in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.  Speaker: Mike Slayden

All our regularly scheduled gatherings have been relocated to 9am at the Clovis Campus, where we will rally as one body for Serve Fresno. From there, we will launch various serve projects throughout Fresno. Speaker: Brad Bell

Even though we have a new life in Christ, old habits are hard to break. We see Abraham struggle with this when he reverts to his old ways and demonstrates that we are all in an ongoing process of sanctification.  Speaker: Brad Bell

The purpose of Abraham's waiting is revealed when he is able to pray and intercede for others while Lot is distracted and seduced by the world. This passage reminds us that if you find yourself waiting on God, it is probably for your good, and it affirms that there is no profit in gaining the world at the expense of your soul. Praise God that we have a Savior who came to seek and save the lost- both the Abrahams and the Lots.  Speaker: Brad Bell

After waiting over a decade for God's promise of a child to be fulfilled, Abraham and Sarah take matters into their own hands with a decision that reaps consequences beyond themselves. May we wait well and be wholly dependent on the God who was faithful then and who will be faithful now. Speaker: Mike Slayden

God's promise to Abraham is unconditional, secured by Abraham's faith, and sealed in blood. The Abrahamic Covenant gives us a picture of God's unconditional promise to us, secured by our faith and sealed by the blood of Jesus. May we believe God as Abraham did, that it might also be credited to us as righteousness.  Speaker: Brad Bell

After Abraham repented and returned from Egypt, God blessed him during his moment of submission. We see that true blessing is not material treasure, but rather God Himself. Through Christ, we have a savior unlike any other who was both king and priest, with no beginning and no end, who brought us the greatest blessing of all through reconciliation to God. Speaker: Brad Bell

Immediately after demonstrating an incredible act of faith by leaving his homeland, we see Abraham falter and fail when he tries to escape famine by going to Egypt. Through it all, we see that our identity is not found in our sin and mistakes, but rather in how we repent and respond to them. Speaker: Mike Slayden

In Abraham's first refining moment, he leaves his homeland following the call of God. The Abrahamic Covenant shows us that even when Abraham demonstrates only partial obedience, God is still faithful. God's promise to us is not an "if-then" bargain, it's a simple and faithful "I will." Speaker: Mike Slayden