Love Story
The Story Behind The Love Story
March 17, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • Ruth 4:13–22
Bottom line: The story behind the love story is a story of God's redeeming love for you. The story behind the love story of Ruth and Boaz was a story of God's better plan. God worked a better plan for Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. Even though what happened in their lives was not what they had plan, God worked a better plan. And this is a principle we can apply in our lives. When our life is not going the way we planned, when our love story is not working out the way we had hoped, we need to remember that God is good, kind, merciful, and wise, and in His providential grace is working a better plan. Our choice is to trust Him. The bigger story behind the love story is the story of God's redeeming love for lost mankind. Ruth is picture of every believer redeemed by Christ. Boaz is picture of Jesus, the One who redeems because He is near kin, able, and willing. Jesus became a man to redeem us through His shed blood. Jesus was not only able to pay the price (i.e. shed blood), He was also willing. He did what He did not simply because He had the legal right or felt an obligation. He did what did in going to the cross because He wanted to redeem us and make us His.
The Love Story You Will Tell
March 10, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • Ruth 4:1–13
Bottom line: The love story you will tell one day will be shaped by the choices you make today. Ruth and Boaz both made choices that shaped the love story they would tell one day. The writing out of that love story included God's providence, Boaz' intentional pursuit, the elders' faith-filled prayer, marriage's pledge, and God's presents (the gift of sex and a son).
Hopes & Dreams
March 3, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • Ruth 3
Bottom line: Our dreams for our love story (marriage) are born out of hope, but they are fulfilled by implementing our plans with "strategic righteousness." Ruth and Naomi turned to God, and He turned the page on their story. God renewed their hope. Out of that hope a dream was born regarding Ruth and Boaz' love story. Dreams are born out of hope, but they will die without a strategy implemented to achieve the dream. In chapter 3 of Ruth we see that 1) Naomi made a plan to see if Boaz could be the one who would marry and redeem Ruth. 2) Ruth made a proposal. She proposed that Boaz propose to her. Ruth proposed that Boaz ask, "Ruth, will you be mine?" And she guaranteed him a yes in response. And 3) Boaz made a promise. He promised that he would would be her kinsman redeemer...if he could. He loved Ruth and wanted to redeem her but there was another kinsman who had the first right to redeem/refuse. He promised, if at all possible, "Ruth, I will make you mine."
God Turns The Page
February 25, 2024 • Pastor Chad • Ruth 2
Bottom line: Turning To God leads to God turning the page to a new chapter in our story, e.g. life story, love story, etc. Because Ruth turned to God, trusted Him, and came under His wings, God turned the page on her love story. God providentially worked to bring about the right man, the right woman, in the right location, at the right time to begin a love story between Ruth and Boaz. You cannot manufacture your love story, but you can trust God and turn to Him and watch Him providentially work through natural circumstances to fulfill His supernatural plans for your love story.
Love Story's Backstory
February 18, 2024 • Pastor Chad Thompson • Ruth 1
Bottom line: We may not know what hangs in the balance of our choice to return, but we can trust that it is something good from the One who loves us. The backstory of Ruth's love story is a story of famine, wrong choices, pain, death, sorrow, running away from problems, returning home, and renewed hope. Love story's backstory is a story of God's providence to take the good, bad, and ugly and work it to the good both cosmically and individually (i.e. for Naomi and Ruth). And God does it for us too. He wants us to be a part of the Love Story He is writing.