Thrive Harbor

When Abraham's wife, Sarah, dies, Abraham does something unusual: he buries her in a foreign land. But Abraham knows that God has promised him that land and that one day Sarah will rise again. In this message, Thrive alumnus David Baumgaertel unfolds the hidden significance of Genesis 23 and the Christian's future hope to which it points.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 3:15; 12:1-3; 13:15; 15:6, 18-19; 22:20-23:20; and Hebrews 11:17-19.

The most dramatic moment in Abraham's life is when God asks him to sacrifice Isaac, his beloved son. But at the last minute, God spares Isaac and substitutes an animal instead. In this message, Tim Cedarland, Thrive's director emeritus, looks at what Genesis 22 teaches about trust, obedience, and God's provision.

It's been said that all of our problems in life come from lack of belief in the goodness of God. When God made a promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son in their old age, it sounded too good to be true—but then He fulfilled it! In this message, Joe Schneider, one of Thrive's board members, looks at the miraculous birth of Isaac in Genesis 21 and what it shows us about the riches of God's goodness.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 21; Proverbs 8:22-31; and 2 Corinthians 5:21.

God often uses us in spite of us, and Abraham was no exception. In this message, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, unpacks Abraham's blunder with Abimelech and how the gospel gives us the power to be faithful witnesses to the world around us.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 12:10-20; 13:18; 18:1; 20; 22:1-19; 50:20; Galatians 3:9; Matthew 6:33; and Romans 8:28.

When you become a Christian, God changes you from the inside out and makes you new. But how should we relate to old people and patterns as we live out this new life? In this message, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, explores what Genesis 19 says about how God's people should relate to the world. Only as Christians maintain their distinctiveness from the world can they actually serve and bless the world as Jesus would.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 12:4; 13:10-13; 14:12-13; 18:16-33; 19; 23:3-5; 2 Peter 2:7-8; Ruth 4:1-12; and James 1:13-15.

What would it be like to meet God? In Genesis 18, Abraham finds out. Through his encounter with God, Abraham learns that God desires to meet with His people, that He is a righteous judge, and that He at the same time delights to show mercy. This message was given by Tim Guenther of Thrive Harbor.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 18; Exodus 33:20; Psalm 19:1; John 17:24; Luke 24:13-35; Romans 10:9; Matthew 26:42; 2 Corinthians 5:21; and Isaiah 53.

God is a promise-making and a promise-keeping God. In this message, Cedric van Duyn, pastor of Anthem Church, explores some of the ways the promises God made to Abraham in Genesis 17 echo in the New Testament.

In Hebrews 6:12 we read that "faith and patience inherit the promises”—or in other words, trusting in God means waiting. In this message Jake Chambers, pastor of Local Church, looks to the story of Abram and Sarah in Genesis 16 to unpack the messy and frequently painful fallout of taking matters into our own hands when we feel God isn't coming through for us—but also God's incredible patience with us even when we're impatient with him.

One of the most significant moments of Abraham's life happens in Genesis 15. God made an agreement with Abraham called a covenant—and He promised him He would fulfill it no matter what. In this message, Conner Dill, a member of Thrive Harbor, explains why the covenant with Abraham is so earth-shaking and how it reveals to us the character of God.

No one follows God in a vacuum. For Abram, his walk with God was lived out against the tough backdrop of paganism, cross-cultural experiences, and—in Genesis 14—Middle Eastern politics. In this message, Dustin Polley, director of Thrive Kitsap, expounds the story of Abram defeating a coalition of kings who had taken his nephew captive.