The Beauty of Sacrifice

Have you ever had an experience that you never want to forget? Or maybe an event that looking back, meant your life would never be the same? Like the thrill of starting fresh in a new city, the excitement of landing your dream job, the magic of meeting the love of your life, or all the feels that fill you when you hold your child for the first time. For the people of Israel, such a moment has arrived, one so monumental that their God reset their entire calendar for it: the Passover. 

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

Why was the first Passover necessary? Reflect on the idea that God is serious about who He is and what He has promised. How does the Passover demonstrate God's character as both just and merciful?

Discuss the difference between “passover” faith and passive faith. Which do you feel best describes your faith right now? What’s one way you can grow in active and obedient faith?

In what ways did the New Testament writers see Jesus as the ultimate Passover lamb? Does it change your heart/appreciation for the word of God in any way? Why or why not?

Jeremiah 17:9 reads, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?” 

The answer to Jeremiah’s question is “God, and God alone.” He not only understands the heart but is completely sovereign over the heart and is the only one wise enough, good enough, and great enough to use even the most wicked of human hearts in accomplishing His perfect plan and purpose.

Don’t believe me? I give you Exhibit A: The Heart of Pharaoh.

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

How does the reality of God’s hardening Pharaoh’s heart challenge your understanding of God's sovereignty and human responsibility?

Reflect on the implications of God's sovereignty and mercy in your own life. How does understanding these concepts affect your relationship with God and your response to His word?

Consider the call to not harden our hearts in response to God's voice. How can we cultivate hearts that are receptive to God's leading and mercy?

We’ve reached the infamous showdown between God and Pharaoh with a capital “P,” who in a way represents all of us. He is the archetype of the wickedness and stubbornness of the human heart. “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice?” Pharaoh asks. The Plagues are God’s answer to the question. He is God and there is no other. How will we respond?

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

How does God’s purpose in the plagues—that people would know that He is Yahweh—represent the opportunity for Pharaoh and Egypt (and the Israelites, too)  to experience His grace and mercy?

How was Pharaoh’s false repentance, prompted by the plagues, different from genuine repentance? What are some characteristics of false humility and repentance?

Pharaoh’s actions as the plagues progress reveal that we oftentimes qualify our repentance and submission to God. Some of these reservations persist for many years after our conversion. What are some ways God is calling you to move toward complete submission and obedience to Him?

After Moses and Aaron first confront Pharaoh, things go from bad to worse for the people of God, and understandably, the people can't deal with it. It’s not a question of “if,” but “when.” Jesus once said that we can all expect trouble in this world. How will we ever learn to deal with it? God has the answer to our question.

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

When facing the troubles of the world, hatred and/or hardship in life, where do you typically turn for help? How might you better turn to God?

The sermon discusses the concept of "Pharaohs" in our lives—things or people that bring hardship. Can you identify any "Pharaohs" in your life currently? How do you typically confront or deal with them?

Genuine faith is tested faith. Have you experienced times when your faith was tested? How did you respond? What did you learn from those experiences?

Reflect on the "I will" statements of God in Exodus 6:6-8. How do these statements reflect God's character and His promises to His people? How can we trust in these promises during times of trouble?

Moses lives in our memory as one of the greatest leaders in the history of God’s people, but it's important to remember where he began: insecure, uncertain, unprepared, and unworthy. He was entirely insufficient (in every sense of the word) for facing Pharaoh, but he’d soon learn that the LORD was sufficient enough. 

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

What is your regular rhythm for spending time in the presence of God in your life? What might you change to better practice His presence this week?

Which of the five excuses of Moses do you most resonate with? Why? How does God’s response to the excuse help you in your struggle?

Jesus uses the phrase ‘I AM’, which is central to the revelation of God’s identity in Exodus 3, in John 8:58. What should we conclude from this about the relation of Jesus to the God of the Old Testament?

This week we are introduced to Moses. Moses' remarkable story reveals to us that God desires a relationship with His people and goes to great (often unexpected) lengths to make it happen. 

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

How can we be more attentive to the work God is doing in our lives, especially in those aspects that we might not think to look?

Are there areas in your life where you might be tempted to think that God is not actively involved or has forgotten? How does this passage in Exodus encourage you to trust in God’s ongoing care and guidance?

What comfort do you find in the unchanging nature of God and His Word? How does this motivate you to think, say, and do differently?

The Book of Exodus tells an important story. And by story, I don’t mean a fictional story, but a factual one. It is a timelessly true story about God and what He does for His people—He was, is, and ever will be the God who provided ‘a way out’ for his people, who were slaves in Egypt, and He is still providing a way out today.
 
In fact, right from the opening chapters of the book, it becomes clear that “God knows” He knows you. He knows what you are going through. And He knows what He is doing to make it right.

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

Consider the two types of fear: The fear of God and the fear of man. How can we cultivate a greater fear of God in our lives, and how might this impact our decision-making in various aspects of life?

Explore ways to trust in God's sovereignty, recognizing that His plan will always prevail. How can we align our lives with His purposes and trust in His wisdom even in the face of uncertainty?

God hears. God sees. God knows. Which of these most encourages you today? How can we practically live out our faith in a way that reflects our understanding of God's covenant and love for His people?

This week we wrap up our ALL IN series with the call to love God with all of our strength. What is strength? What does it mean to have strength? How do I love God with all my strength? The answers from scripture might surprise you. Thankfully, it’s got little to do with moving monster trucks with ropes.

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Questions for Personal Reflection and Group Discussion

Reflect upon your understanding of the term me’od and how it goes beyond physical strength. How might you explain it if asked?

Consider the significance of loving God with your "muchness" in private, personal, and public aspects of life. Which of these is a strength of yours? Which of these needs the most help?

What are some instances from your life or the lives of others where God has proven Himself trustworthy. How does knowing Him contribute to your ability to trust Him?

Consider how the revelation of God's character, as seen in Exodus 34, influences your trust in Him. How does knowing who God is impact your ability to love and trust Him?

This week we discuss the importance of loving God with all of our minds. I find it interesting that the Word commands us to love God with all our mind. We don’t usually speak of love in terms of intellectual activity. In fact, most of our understanding of love today is described in passive categories. We speak not of jumping in love but falling in love, like it is an accident that just happens to us. But loving God is no accident. And it cannot happen without the mind. Let’s talk about it.

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

What are some of the ways you intentionally engage your mind in thinking about God and the things of God? How often do you do this? How often do you think for the sake of loving God? What stands in the way of you doing it more often?

Completely. Correctly. Consistently. These were the words used to describe what it might look like to love God with all of your mind. Which of the three is your strongest? Which may need adjustment to align more closely with a love for Godly men?

What practical steps will you take to ensure that your thinking about God leads to a deeper love for Him? 

Loving God with all our heart makes sense to us. What else would we or could we love God with besides our heart? Well, God commands a few things. The next to discuss is loving God with all our soul.

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Questions for Reflection & Discussion

How does the OT and NT understanding of the soul challenge the common understanding of the soul? What difference does this make in your understanding of the command to love God with all of your soul?

God alone is the satisfaction of our souls. Does your life reflect this truth? How so? How not? What stands in the way of the change needed for your life to better reflect this truth?

What’s one thing you want to or ought to do differently this week to better love God with all of your soul?