The Intentions of God | Bitterness Divides

Deliverance | Say I Won't

My first year of college was a wild ride. Move-in day was interesting, deciding on what belongings to bring, setting a bed that wasn’t mine, meeting my roommate, and then meeting the guys on my hall. It was an excitingly odd experience. During orientation, the administration says to all the freshmen, “Look to your left and look to your right, one of you will not graduate college.” Fast forward a couple of years, and I was attending my roommate's funeral. Another year or so, and I’d gotten news that my hallmate had died. Both men passed away in drunk driving accidents. Its not often that we consider our mortality when meeting someone for the first time, especially at such young ages. Both of these men made decisions that led to their demise, and it's easy in the moments after to blame, ask questions, and judge, particularly of God’s involvement in loss like this. In this message, we examine the narrative of the Plagues God uses to set His people free, addressing the hard heart of Pharaoh, who refuses God’s plan Israel. I hope that we will walk away with a better understanding of how God invites, loves, and executes His will even when we don’t like His plan. If you want to read ahead, we’ll be in Exodus 5-10. Pastor Matt McCarter

Deliverance | Introdus to Exodus

I recently posed this question to several members of our staff, “When did you first imagine your life to be what it is today?” The answer that made me chuckle was, “Yesterday!” Maybe you feel the same, many unexpected twists and turns along the way. But either way, here you are. And what bends my mind is to think back on the thousands of details that conspired perfectly to lead me to what is my life today. In this message, we are going to build a bridge between the story of Genesis and the incredible drama of Exodus. If you want to prep, take some time and read from Genesis 45 into Exodus chapter 1. What I find fascinating is that all of the good and bad in the story of Joseph and his family proves to be the precisely refined components setting up the epic of Exodus. This story has been greatly expanding my concept of the power and sovereignty of God which has immediate bearing upon the way I see my world. Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

The Intentions of God | Bitterness Divides

“Hello darkness my old friend I’ve come to talk with you again”. How many of you remember "The Sounds of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel? We are showing our age on this one! Art Garfunkel (yes, that’s his real name) said, “the song is fundamentally about the inability to communicate and, consequently, the inability to genuinely love one another.” Joseph experienced his own “Sounds of Silence” and darkness, his old friend. Nearly killed, thrown in the pit, sold into slavery, tossed into prison, and then the “sound of silence” waiting 2 years for a former prisoner to remember him before Pharaoh. Can you imagine the level of frustration? I mean we get frustrated when someone doesn’t respond to our text right away. The nerve of some people! What was Joseph’s response to the “sound of silence” he endured? Hmmmm. It’s amazing how God had a plan and a purpose through it all to raise up one man, to save his own family and ultimately God’s people. Read Joseph’s story again in Genesis. I dare you! Bill Wilkinson

The Intentions of God - One Perfect Score

Have you ever run into a kid who needed some sense knocked into them? I’ll never forget the first time I realized that my child’s hubris was out of control. It's that moment when your infantile child looks at you and what you’re doing and tells you that they know how to do it better. That statement was so utterly preposterous that words could not be formed in my mouth. I looked at my child, smiled, and thought that in time, the pressures of this life will mellow you out, and then went back to chopping wood. When I read Joseph’s story, I think that boy needed a good slap upside the head. Sure, you had a dream, a prophetic dream, but you didn’t need to tell all your siblings how they were going to bow down to you. So God directed a plan to set Joseph up in power from a position of humility, and that plan looks like death, misery, and slavery, all options we would not choose, yet Joseph kept his eye on the prize, knowing and walking with God. This Sunday, we examine the life of Joseph as an exile in Egypt and how suffering bears fruit in our lives that is impossible to receive otherwise. If you would like to read ahead, refer to Genesis 39-41. Pastor Matt McCarter

The Intentions of God - God's Plan

In this message, we are going to jump into a three weeks series covering the life of one my favorite Biblical characters. We get to meet him as a teenager and my hope is that his story will encourage and inspire those who are in their teens and early twenties. But maybe not in the way you would expect... Our main character is Joseph, and he was definitely going to do great things. Right after some really terrible but necessary things. If you get a chance, read Genesis 37 and then buckle up. Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser