Pastor Nick and Pastor Roy dig deeper into the problem with Idols.

Idolatry poses a grave threat to our relationship with God.  However, the passage for this weekend serves as a reminder that we have the potential to break free from the idols that reside in our hearts with the aid of a mediator who intercedes for us before God.  The story is incredibly powerful and can encourage us to turn to Jesus, the only one capable of liberating us from our constraints. 

We are continuing our exploration of the book of Exodus.  In this week's section, we come to the famous giving of the 10 Commandments. The 10 Commandments are a law code that Western society has looked to through the ages as the basis for all laws and morality. Sadly, this has led to the impression among many that this is ultimately what God came to do: to give us laws to obey so that we will be welcomed in. But that is not what Exodus tells us. Rather, we learn that God has already welcomed us in and now gives us laws to guide us as we learn to live as His people. This encounter between God and His people is about what it looks like to live as new people, free people, godly people who are called by the Lord’s name and set apart for His purposes in the world.

In the second half of Exodus, we begin to learn that although God has gotten His people out of slavery in Egypt, He still has to get the slavery out of them. There is still much that holds them in their old way of life, and where this shows up is in the wilderness when the people find themselves running short of food and water. Though they have been freed from Pharaoh, their selfish hearts lead them to complain against God and want to return to Egypt. But in the face of their complaints, God responds with gracious provision. In these encounters, we learn some important things about God Himself. We learn about the process of God, the provision of God, and the patience of God.

The story of the parting of the Red Sea is seen by many as the climax of the book of Exodus. It is the final escape from slavery in Egypt and the moment in which the Israelites are finally freed from the rule of Pharaoh. And what it reveals to us is that we all need rescue. Specifically this encounter reveals what we need rescue from, how we can escape it, and who makes it possible. We need rescue from all the things that would enslave us apart from God. We escape from it only through a decisive act of God in which we pass from death to life. And finally, it is only through Christ, the greater Moses, who makes it all possible.

Dr. John Walton joins Pastor Nick in discussing how we should approach reading the plague narratives in the book of Exodus.

The plague narratives are some of the most dramatic scenes in the whole Bible. They’ve been powerfully and visually depicted in films like The Ten Commandments, The Prince of Egypt, and Exodus: Gods & Kings. But what we often miss in these dramatic re-tellings is that all of the plagues are intended to answer one simple question from Pharoah: “Who is Yahweh that I should obey him?” The answer is that Yahweh is the unique, natural, and saving Judge over all the earth. He is the one apart from whom everything else falls back into darkness. He is the one to whom we must all eventually give an account. And He is the one who ultimately provides forgiveness and mercy for those who trust in Him.

This weekend, get ready to venture on an unforgettable spiritual journey as we explore one of the most iconic encounters in Western literature - the meeting of Moses with the burning bush. 
Are you yearning for a deeper spiritual relationship? This encounter with God will teach you everything you need to know about what it takes to have a genuine spiritual experience. 
Discover how to tap into spiritual reality, what an actual spiritual encounter feels like, why it is possible, and how to recognize when you've had one. Come face to face with the Lord of Salvation, the Savior and ruler of Israel and the world. 
Join us this weekend and heighten your spiritual journey to new elevations!

What is so significant about Exodus? How does it contribute to our understanding of God and His story? Explore these questions and more in this midweek episode.

Pastor Nick is joined by special guest Dr. John Walton, Professor of the Old Testament.

The opening section of Exodus sets the stage for all of the drama that follows. But even here, we learn some important things about salvation. Specifically, in this story of midwives and mothers, we learn that salvation is rescue from the misery and slavery of serving anything in your life as more important than God, that we are usually prepared for salvation by God working behind the scenes through bad and difficult circumstances, and that, surprisingly, salvation happens through the weak and the powerless, not through the strong and the powerful.