Greetings and thank you for joining us in the discussion of The Story.
Please select any one of the following questions and post your response to begin the discussion on Chapter Two.
1. God chose Abraham and his descendants to represent Him to others who did not yet know God. What parallels can you draw between Israel and the Church?
2. Consider God's interaction with each character in Chapter Two of The Story. What patterns can you identify? What do these patterns reveal about the character of God?
3. Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant, was treated harshly by Sarah, causing her to flee on two different occasions. What do you learn about God from observing His interactions with her?
4. What do you learn about Abraham and Sarah's faith from Hebrews 11: 8-9?
I love the story of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac. I love how God uses the most unlikely people to accomplish the most extrodinary! To think that through Abraham and Sarah we received Jesus!!! What an incredible faith to step so totally out of their comfort zones to follow God; even to be willing to sacrifice their miracle son. Because God uses the most unlikely people the results can only, and ever, be attributed to God.
This week it was confirmed, once again, that God is always faithful in His promises, it is ME who is impatient as it was with Abraham and Sarah. Sarah gave Haggar to Abraham because she felt that God was being slow, or kidding, when He promised she'd have a child. If only Sarah's faith had been stronger to KNOW that God is always keeps his promises.
And God is loving and merciful. He sent an angel to Haggar and promised that her son, Ishmael would be a great nation also, and his descendents would be too numerous to count. We know, now, that those descendents became Islam of today.
I know that God tests our faith, as He did with Abraham, He is forgiving, and merciful. What an awesome God we serve!!!
One parallel I see between Israel and the church is that we live in a world where making certain decisions is looked down upon or criticized by the majority, just it as was for Abram. Also, the Church learns to be patient through trying times, just as Abram and Sarai were to become parents (although they tried to take matters in their own hands and bring in the maidservant, Hagar).
One pattern I see is that if we are faithful and trust in God, all of our needs will be met. Sometime we must wait to see what God has in store for us, even though I find it hard to be patient for events to take a turn in my own life.
Hagar was faithful to God who provided for her needs. Even though her life was difficult, Hagar learned to trust in God.
I like what Hebrews 11:1 says about faith… “Faith gives substance to our hopes and convinces us of realities we do not see.” The verses go on to say that Abel’s sacrifice was greater than Cain’s because of Abel’s faith (going back to chapter one if The Story). It seems to me that a large part of the beginnings of The Story, is that God wants us to learn the profound importance of faith in Him, and the abundant rewards that faith brings, not only for us, but for others.
Sarah and Abraham learn that they cannot work God into their plans; on the contrary, God works this couple into His plans.
It was through faith in God that Abraham left his homeland and settled in a foreign land. It was faith in God that led Sarah to be a mother at such an old age.
Greetings and thank you for joining us in the discussion of The Story.
ReplyDeletePlease select any one of the following questions and post your response to begin the discussion on Chapter Two.
1. God chose Abraham and his descendants to represent Him to others who did not yet know God. What parallels can you draw between Israel and the Church?
2. Consider God's interaction with each character in Chapter Two of The Story. What patterns can you identify? What do these patterns reveal about the character of God?
3. Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant, was treated harshly by Sarah, causing her to flee on two different occasions. What do you learn about God from observing His interactions with her?
4. What do you learn about Abraham and Sarah's faith from Hebrews 11: 8-9?
I love the story of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac. I love how God uses the most unlikely people to accomplish the most extrodinary! To think that through Abraham and Sarah we received Jesus!!! What an incredible faith to step so totally out of their comfort zones to follow God; even to be willing to sacrifice their miracle son. Because God uses the most unlikely people the results can only, and ever, be attributed to God.
ReplyDeleteThis week it was confirmed, once again, that God is always faithful in His promises, it is ME who is impatient as it was with Abraham and Sarah. Sarah gave Haggar to Abraham because she felt that God was being slow, or kidding, when He promised she'd have a child. If only Sarah's faith had been stronger to KNOW that God is always keeps his promises.
And God is loving and merciful. He sent an angel to Haggar and promised that her son, Ishmael would be a great nation also, and his descendents would be too numerous to count. We know, now, that those descendents became Islam of today.
I know that God tests our faith, as He did with Abraham, He is forgiving, and merciful. What an awesome God we serve!!!
One parallel I see between Israel and the church is that we live in a world where making certain decisions is looked down upon or criticized by the majority, just it as was for Abram. Also, the Church learns to be patient through trying times, just as Abram and Sarai were to become parents (although they tried to take matters in their own hands and bring in the maidservant, Hagar).
DeleteOne pattern I see is that if we are faithful and trust in God, all of our needs will be met. Sometime we must wait to see what God has in store for us, even though I find it hard to be patient for events to take a turn in my own life.
Hagar was faithful to God who provided for her needs. Even though her life was difficult, Hagar learned to trust in God.
I like what Hebrews 11:1 says about faith… “Faith gives substance to our hopes and convinces us of realities we do not see.” The verses go on to say that Abel’s sacrifice was greater than Cain’s because of Abel’s faith (going back to chapter one if The Story). It seems to me that a large part of the beginnings of The Story, is that God wants us to learn the profound importance of faith in Him, and the abundant rewards that faith brings, not only for us, but for others.
Sarah and Abraham learn that they cannot work God into their plans; on the contrary, God works this couple into His plans.
It was through faith in God that Abraham left his homeland and settled in a foreign land. It was faith in God that led Sarah to be a mother at such an old age.
OH that God would just grant me patience and not make me learn to be patient. Life would be so much easier ;-)
Delete