Exodus 17:8-16 Pastor Dave began by reviewing how God has tested His people in the wilderness through difficult circumstances to reveal what He already knows – whether they will follow and obey Him, or not. In this week’s passage, God seems to be testing their leader, Moses, as the...
Encouragement from Psalm 121 Guest preacher John Tebay began by saying that he and Grace memorized Psalm 121 during the pandemic year 2020. It was clear that he has also reflected deeply on the psalm. Let’s pray for one another, that we would follow the Tebays’ example and turn to...
Matthew 2:1-15Against All Odds In the faceoff of King Herod and the newborn king, Jesus, the smart bet was on Herod. He was a man with power, a hustler who had manipulated his way to the throne as the king of the Jews. He was a narcissist who was so determined to protect his status as king that...
Exodus 17:1-7 In this week’s passage, God tests the Israelites again – Will they trust Him when they’re thirsty? – but the people also test God by demanding that He solve their problem on their terms. If someone asked me, “Do you ever put God to the...
Exodus 16:1-36 God used difficult circumstances – no potable water in sight, food supplies depleted – to test the obedience of His people in ancient times. He uses difficult circumstances to test our obedience, too. Pastor Dave emphasized that God doesn’t test us to discover...
Exodus 15:1-21 The first song recorded in the Bible is Moses’ song of praise after God parted the Red Sea for the escaping Israelites and closed it again to wipe out the Egyptian army. The LORD is the focus of Moses’ song, and He should be the focus of our prayers. Too often, though...
Exodus 14:1-31 Pastor Dave asked rhetorically, “Is it egotistical of God to want glory?” His answer was that, while it is egotistical for a human being to want glory, it is completely appropriate for God. It is easy to point a finger at egotistical people who actively seek glory...
International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians – November 1 Some American Christians interpret Covid-19 restrictions on worship services as the beginning of persecution. Regardless of your opinion on that topic, I think we can all agree that any persecution we face pales in...
Exodus 12:29-49God Makes Good on His Promises As Pastor Dave taught this passage, he pointed out eight specific details (if I counted correctly!) that God had promised ahead of time and then fulfilled on the night of the Passover. For example, in Exodus 11:4, the Lord tells Pharaoh, through...
Exodus 12:1-28 The tenth and final plague would bring death to the firstborn in every household. Only the blood of an unblemished lamb daubed on the doorframe of a house would protect the family within. As John the Baptist, by divine inspiration, understood, the blood of the Passover lamb...