This Sunday we continue our series, Abraham: Journey of Faith, with Genesis 14. This chapter shows Abram at his best. It’s a dramatic chapter that would make for a great movie or miniseries - a riveting plot, villains, a crisis and a hero, strategy, battles, a surprise twist, and character development. We see the man of faith act in great faith both in the risks he took and in the opportunities he passed up. By the end we are also introduced to one of the most mysterious figures in all of Scripture: Melchizedek, the King of Salem. This Sunday we will see a profound example of the ways that the whole Bible holds together with strong threads of a narrative tapestry.
King & Priest
Genesis 14
September 10, 2023 • Pastor Bill Riedel • Genesis 14
More from
Abraham
End of the Road
December 17, 2023 • Pastor Bill Riedel • Genesis 25
As we close our series, Abraham: Journey of Faith, we come to Genesis 25:1-11, Abraham’s death. Like Sarah’s death, it feels kind of sudden after so much story and time together. There are some interesting details in the passage that we will look into. Most of our time, though, will be spent looking at Abraham’s life. We will look at his importance and place in Redemptive History, God’s plan for redeeming humanity and renewing and restoring all things. And we will see how Abraham points us to Advent, the longing, waiting, and anticipation of what God would ultimately accomplish in the coming of Christ.
Mission Impossible
December 10, 2023 • Pastor Bill Riedel • Genesis 24
This is a long chapter, but we’re going to cover it in one go. I encourage you to take the time to read it between now and Sunday so you can come in with some familiarity. After Sarah’s death, Abraham realized that it was time to find a wife for his son, Isaac. He sent his servant on a journey that led to an intriguing encounter at a well with a young girl name Rebekah. The chapter shows us something of God’s care and will for us. In Abraham’s Journey of Faith there have been a lot of ups and downs. He finally came to the point of complete surrender and God was faithful to provide exactly what was needed. Everyone else in the story shows steps of faith as well, showing us the beauty and freedom we can have in self-surrender.
Eulogy for Sarah
December 3, 2023 • Pastor Bill Riedel • Genesis 23
This chapter details the legal negotiations and contract for a piece of land containing a cave in Hebron. At first reading it might feel boring to most. With a closer look, though, we can come to realize that this is the first piece of the land God promised to Abraham that was secured as Abraham’s own, and at a high price. Our focus on Sunday, though, will be Sarah. The reason Abraham bought the land with the cave was to bury his wife, the Matriarch of the Promise, after her death. On Sunday we will take a look at Sarah’s life as a whole, and lessons we can learn from her, in a kind of Eulogy for Sarah.