Walking By Faith

Stand and greet others who are either (leave your comfort zone)

three or more rows directly in front or behind them, or

at the opposite side of the worship area.

Have them form groups of between four and six within their immediate area and discuss these questions:

What’s the wildest most daring thing you ever tried?

Anyone ever jump out of a plane? Want to? Lets do it - what’s the worst that could happen?

Mosh pit - body surf? What’s it like? Back flip on a snowboard, trampoline?

Drive more than 100 MPH? Ride a bull or bronco? Sail a boat in a fierce storm (or get baptized in 3 ft waves)

Show some images on the screen of extreme sports - What would possess someone to do this?

Too much time on their hands? Mentally Challenged? Out of touch with reality?

Or are they more sane than most of us, knowing that we were designed for thrill and adventure

Car & Pop commercials adventure not comfort - Extreme is big because God is missing

You want every nerve in your body challenged?

We will spend the next month or so learning about Abraham - father of Nations

75 when God called him to a Promised Land - leave the city Ur - go to unknown place

100 when he and his wife had their firstborn

137 Sarah dies - he remarries and has more kids!

175 dies - 100 years as a tent dweller Imagine being a 70 yr. old camper - moving into a new land (Haiti - I would prefer Hawaii)

Abram is a Shemite (Noah’s son, Shem) later known as Semites...(anti-semitic)

God tells him to pack up and head for Canaan. Noah’s son Ham (dad naked) had a son Canaan

Noah prophesied Ham’s future was trouble...bad genes...sins of the father...

Canaanites were well known for sexual sins (Sodom and Gomorrah)

God rewards Abram giving him the Canaanites land

Suppose Abram decided not to go? But he did go.

Was Abe a spiritual giant? Think again Abe not wildly faithful but faithful still

Abe not the most spiritual man you ever saw, but his bit of faith justified him

1 Cor. 1:26-29 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.

Not qualified? So what!

Why Abraham? He was listening - Motivated - Willing

Gen. 12:1-8 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. The call is towards the future - unseen - to faith to a journey Have you heard the call of God on your life 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, Promise - it is all about God. "I will" is in there 5 times and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Blessing to all people - that means it is now our job - how are we doing in the blessing department? 4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. There is a direct relationship between taking steps and gaining further direction Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. Tree was the site of worship of false gods now build an alter to the true God. What false gods have you worshipped? At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. Why build an alter? To remember 8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.