The Patriarchs

Conrad Hilario

Genesis 37:3-45:11

Joseph was a man whose life was characterized by both immense success and intense suffering. Despite the constantly changing circumstances of his life, he maintained his faith in God and adopted a godly perspective on his trials. Joseph's story serves as an example of how God can redeem even the worst circumstances to His glory and our benefit.

Moses

Dennis McCallum

Exodus 2:1-14:31

The author of Hebrews continues through the Hall of Faith, describing the life of Moses. As a Hebrew child raised by Egyptian royalty, Moses decides to reject the material wealth and power available to him and chooses to bear the burden and oppression of the nation of Israel. After he makes a tragic error he wanders for 40 years in the land of Midian. Eventually God send Moses back to Egypt to reclaim the Israelite nation and lead them not only to their freedom but to a restored faith in their God. God also prepares us for the role he wants us to play, and chooses to use us in spite of our insecurities and weaknesses.

Abraham's Faith

Conrad Hilario

Genesis 22:1-19

Abraham was an Old Testament figure who demonstrated biblical faith [Hebrews 11.1] throughout his whole life. He was called by God to leave his homeland to go to a distant country, he waited on God to fulfill His promise of a son, and he trusted in God enough to voluntarily sacrifice that same son to Him. Throughout all of these circumstances, Abraham clung to what was unseen, and his perseverance and trust in God influenced the course of human history as a result.

Avoid Dull Hearing

Dennis McCallum

Hebrews 5:11-6:12

The author addresses legalism and assimilation to avoid persecution. His audience were those who most likely grew up in Jewish culture were practicing Jewish traditions. They thought this would have no bearing on their spiritual lives but the result was they were becoming insensitive to the Holy Spirit and misrepresenting Christ.

Saying "No" to God

Dennis McCallum

Hebrews 3:1-19

The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish believers struggling with disbelief and persecution. The author compared their struggles with the challenges the Israelites faced when Moses led them. The Israelites also struggled with disbelief concerning God's power and provision. They ended up saying ?no? when God called them to enter the promised land. When we undergo persecution we may also be tempted to say no to what God is calling us to do.

The God Who Speaks

Scott Risley

Romans 2:15

God speaks to humanity, declaring His existence, through His creation. Science agrees with what the Bible tells us about the origins and organization of the universe. A video and red-dime analogy are included that explain the fine tuning of the universe and ultimately reveal the need for a higher power who guided the creation process. Nature and science can abolish our doubts about the existence of a God. However, there is only so much we can learn about God through science, so God also speaks to us through His Word, and His servants. God is speaking to you--will you hear His voice?

I Have My Doubts (Part 2)

Jim Leffel

Romans 2:15

Painful experiences, shattered expectations, and a lack of sensing God's presence can all lead to a crisis of hope. A crisis of hope can open the door to doubt. Doubts are not uncommon to the great people of faith in the Bible. God allows his people to come places of extreme need so that their faith will be tested and strengthened into a faith that can't be shaken.

I Have My Doubts (Part 1)

Jim Leffel

Numbers 13-14

Doubts of the heart can originate from inactivity. This was the case for the Jewish people when they were on the brink of entering the promised land. Their struggle with fear led to doubt, then defiance, and finally despair. Two spies, Caleb and Joshua, provide the antithesis of caving to fear. These two men trusted that God is true to His word and so they obeyed Him. They got to reap the rewards of faithfully acting in spite of their fear by entering the promised land.

Doubt

John Lennox

John 11:30-44

Doubt is a universal experience, but contrary to popular belief, so is faith. Many people segregate the term "faith" to only the religious sect, but the truth is that all humans exercise faith on a daily basis. We do this because there are exceptionally few things in this world (outside the realm of mathematics) where we can have one hundred percent proof. Not even physical science can have this. Instead, we regularly place our faith into things that have reasonable or overwhelming evidence that they are true. Christianity is no different. We grow in our trust of God as we continue to know Him more. Our doubt of God shrinks as we build a relationship with Him and as our faith continues to build upon increasing evidence.