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A Unique Story Series
Contributed by Russ Barksdale on Jan 15, 2018 (message contributor)
Summary: Our story and God’s story are intertwined: 1. Our story begins with and revolves around God.2. Our story is designed by God.3. Our story is wrapped up in worship.
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A Unique Story Genesis 1 & 2
Until you understand God’s story,
you will be missing important pieces of the puzzle in your own life.
Our story and God’s story are intertwined:
1. Our story begins with and revolves around God. Psalm 90:2 Genesis 1:1
God is Eternal: there has never been a moment that He wasn’t
God is Creator of all: everything hidden or seen was created by God
God is All-Powerful: His power is infinite and never depleted in any way
God is All-Knowing: there is nothing He doesn’t know
God is Love: not that He is loving, but He is love
God is Holy: He is different from anything and everything else.
2. Our story is designed by God Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7
a. We can reason and choose
b. We have a moral compass
c. We can have a relationship with Him
3. Our story is wrapped up in worship Luke 4:8
Everyone loves a good story, right? What is your favorite story? Think for a moment…favorite story. I’m going to mention some of the most popular stories ever according to a couple of compilations I checked out on the internet. Among the most favorite stories is “To Kill a Mockingbird” (pic) by Harper Lee, the story of justice and compassion featuring Atticus Finch and his daughter Scout, and Tom Robinson, a black man unjustly accused of raping a white woman in the deep south. “The Great Gatsby”(pic) by F.Scott Fitzgerald, the story of a young man chasing the American Dream only to find out it can be a nightmare. Miguel de Cervantes’s Don Quixote,(pic) the story of a man on a quest to bring chivalry and romanticism back to the forefront of his own life and in his country. Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. (pic) One of my favorites, Pride and Prejudice (pic)by Jane Austen. Then there are more contemporary stories like Lord of the Rings (pic) and Hunger Games (pic)…Catness! On the other end of the literary scale from those stories are stories like that of Rocky Balboa (pic) the story of a down and out thug who rose to take on and almost defeat the world champion boxer, Apollo Creed. Adrian! And of course, the great literary work “Princess Bride”: (pic of Montoya) “My name is Inigo Montoya: you killed my father, prepare to die.”
Good stories, all! We love a good story. What’s your story? Unless I miss my guess, your story is marked with joy and sadness, struggles, triumphs, tragedy, and perseverance. Each one of us has a story. This series we’re going to talk about your story, and how your story fits in God’s story.
Why is that important? Because life is a puzzle, right? Why am I here? What am I supposed to do in this situation? Where am I going? Why am I feeling this? How do I overcome this challenge? Why did God let that happen to me?(can these build randomly on the slide??)
And until you understand God’s story, you will be missing important pieces of the puzzle. (pic of puzzle with important pieces missing) Let me say this again: Until you understand God’s story, you will be missing important pieces of the puzzle in your own life.
This is going to be an incredible series that will open your eyes to know what God’s story is and how your story fits in it.
I find that most people don’t know God’s story. “The Bible isn’t mainly about you and what you should be doing. It’s about God and what he has done. . . . The Bible
is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne—everything—to rescue the one he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life! You see, the best thing about this Story is—it’s true. There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.” Sally Lloyd-Jones
Can I just pause here and say that this series will not only help you, but it will help people you know who are struggling with life, struggling with God, struggling with themselves. I’d really encourage you to invite people you know to be a part of these next 4 weeks. In fact, let’s stop right now—why don’t you call someone you know and invite them to come this morning—we’ll wait on them! JK. But seriously, who would you invite? Someone you know who seems to missing a piece of the puzzle and can’t figure life out? Let’s pray now…