Sermons on Patriarchs:

A Meal & A Promise Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 20, 2005

What would you do if God came to dinner? Abraham gives his best to the Lord and receives fellowship, promise, and plans for the future in return.

Two things are accomplished in this chapter - a visit from God Himself for two reasons: blessings and judgment. God is reminding Abraham - and especially Sarah - of the promised son, and to engage Abraham in a discussion about judging sin. It teaches about God’s character and intercession. Verse ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 18:1-33

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Mistakes Re-Made Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 20, 2005

Abraham gets reprimanded by a Cannanite king - what happens when we don’t learn the lessons God is trying to teach?

There are times to stay and face situations and times to leave. Hagar gets to leave (after the first time when God told her to go back), and Abraham must face his mistakes (after getting to leave without rebuke the first time). We all like to think that we learn from our mistakes. Truth is it ...read more

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

The Biggest Tent Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 20, 2005

Abraham faces his biggest challenge yet. And through it God shows a wonderful picture of Jesus Christ through the sacrifice of Isaac.

Abraham didn’t wake up one morning and say "Oh, I better get my prayer life in order - today’s a big test day from God." We don’t get that chance either - and our relationship with the Lord needs to be in order so that on any day a test comes - we’ll be ready. We learn today about the nature of ...read more

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Sibling Rivalry Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 20, 2005

Learn how two brothers fight from before birth - and how differences in attitude towards God can mean a big difference in how your life goes.

Verse 1 - 4 Abraham remarried and had kids - the kids were of no consequence and moved to different areas around Palestine - the point is that Isaac is the focus of the blessing. Verse 5 - 8 Abraham started giving away the inheritance before he was dead. Even though Isaac was the focus of ...read more

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Backfiring Schemes Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 20, 2005

What happens when everyone does the wrong thing? We find that in this chapter - and how God gets His way despite our best efforts to mess up!

Do you ever find a situation where absolutely everybody does the wrong thing - and yet God still gets His way? That’s what we find in Genesis 27. Everyone - Isaac, Essau, Jacob, and Rebekah - all have plans they want hatched and so they go about trying to maneuver God’s blessing to their benefit. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 27:1-46

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Killing The Flesh - The Spiritual Jounrey Of Jacob Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 20, 2005

Jacob begins a relationship with God after the Lord strips away everything he has. It is a process God brings each of us through.

Verses 1 - 5 So you’re Jacob. You’ve just wrangled the biggest deal of your life - by cheating your brother first of the birthright then of the patriarchal blessing. But far from celebrating, Jacob now has a death threat against his life and is going to be sent away on a journey hundreds of ...read more

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Confrontation! Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 20, 2005

Laban confronts Jacob after God tells him to leave and go to Canaan. We learn how God peels away the flesh and transforms us with His character through the confrontation between Laban and Jacob.

I don’t like confrontation - especially with people who I know have ulterior motives and are trying to trip me up and get the best of me. I get obsessed about it - and it makes my stomach churn. I’m sure Jacob was feeling some of those feelings as he thought about Laban - who at every turn cheated ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 31:1-55

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Jacob's Final Transformation Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 20, 2005

After Jacob gave his heart to God, and saw the Lord change his character, there was a point where God needed to break Jacob so that he would be fully devoted. God does that in our lives as well - what does it mean?

You give your heart to the Lord - saying "I’m yours, be my Lord and Savior." Then the Father begins a process of transformation. The Apostle Paul put it this way: "being transformed into His image with ever increasing glory" (1 Cor 3:18). That transformation process often involves the tearing ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 32:1-31

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Unexpected Welcome - Unexpected Sin Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 20, 2005

After dreading the meeting - Jacob and Esau have a family reunion. But then jealousy and violence take over as Jacob’s sons do something unthinkable.

Jacob has had a really tough time - back in Padan Aram he finally left his uncle Laban, who had cheated him for 20 years. Laban would have probably killed him had God not intervened but even still Laban gives Jacob a really hard time and then makes this agreement asking that God judge Jacob if he ...read more

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

What To Do If You Make A Big Mistake Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 20, 2005

We all make small errors now and again. But what do you do if you make a big blunder? We learn from Jacob and what he did after Shechem about how to get back with God.

When we make small errors we often just breeze over them or remind ourselves not to do that anymore. But what happens when we make a really big blunder - something that affects other lives and our own in significant ways? Sometimes we panic, or we throw up our hands and do nothing, or we allow ...read more

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Moving Out Of Your Comfort Zone Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Jun 3, 2005

Joseph had it all - favored by his father, in a position of power - yet God moved him out of the place of having it all to having nothing. What does that teach us?

Genesis 37-38 Sometimes when we think about the patriarchs and the leaders of the tribes of Israel they take on sort of a patina glow – a sort of holiness – like they were not quite human. But here in chapters 37 and 38 we see the very human nature of Jacob’s twelve sons. We see the dirt swept ...read more

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Promises Kept Series

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Feb 5, 2001

Three facts to help us understand why the nation of Israel rejects Jesus as their Messiah.

Note: This sermon was introduced by the drama "The Perfect Bonds of Love"). God has a plan. It’s a plan that started at creation, and it has continued even when human sin corrupted God’s wonderful creation. It’s a plan that’s taken lots of twists and turns along the ways, a plan full of surprising ...read more

Scripture: Romans 9:1-13

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Abraham's Most Important Test Series

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Feb 12, 2001

Passing Life’s Challenges

ABRAHAM’S MOST IMPORTANT TEST *What was the most important test in your life? ACT? SAT? For some it would be passing the bar, getting into med school, All of us would probably agree, except for a few, that we really don’t like taking tests. God tested Abraham A fact that comes with ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-22

Joseph The Favoured Son Series

Contributed by Robert Robb on Feb 16, 2001

Favouritism bred jealousy and hatred in a family

Limavady Reformed Presbyterian Church Studies in The Life of Joseph Study 2 Introduction We began a series of studies last week on the life of Joseph by looking together at his family background. And what a family background it proved to be. We hear a lot today about dysfunctional families. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 37:1-36

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Building Your Alliances Series

Contributed by Denn Guptill on Feb 21, 2001

What alliances have you built to get you through life and into eternity?

Building Your Alliances January 28th Tonight’s the night, no not the Super Bowl, tonight is the night that Survivor two begins on CBS, you know, outwit, outplay, outlast. How many people watched all or part of the first Survivor, it’s OK you can admit it you’re among friends. I watched parts of ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 13:1-13

Denomination: Wesleyan