FAITH (SERMON AUDIO)

amen, and amen Well, if you've got your Bibles with you, please open up the Genesis chapter 23. If you don't have your Bibles we're going to have the scriptures up on the screen as well. But we're in this chapter 23 really kind of wrapping up the life of Abraham and Sarah we've been on this journey with them is God called them to be a part of his Plan of Redemption restoration and Reconciliation. God looked upon his creation that had rejected and rebelled against him, but God did not react. with vengeance But rather with grace and mercy God doesn't give up on us and that beautiful doesn't give up even though we are faithless. God is faithful.

So after the people's reject him after mankind continuing not just once but over and over and over again move away from God's rightful rule from the relationship. The god longs to have with his imagers got calls this man Abraham and his wife Sarah. He calls them not because of anything great in and of them, he calls them in their Brokenness. He calls them in their weakness, but he calls them to a life of Faith. He calls them and says if you will follow me if you will trust me, if you put your faith in me. I'm going to do things that you could never imagine.

But you're going to have to act you're going to have to go you're going to have to get out of your parents basement. You're going to have to face the Wilds of life. You're going to have to enter into a journey. You going to have to go to place that you don't know. But when you get there, I'll be there where you go. I will be I'll be with you. And I will bless you and I'd only what bus you I will make of you a great nation.

Is an interesting promise to them because they were infertile. Unable to conceive had been that way throughout their marriage at the time. They were called they were already told. They're flirting with it.

But they trusted. And they obey. Some of you grew up second that old hymn trust and obey. There is no other way, they they trusted and they obeyed that's what faith is they trusted and they obey? And they followed him and we saw how God honored his Covenant promise. The Abraham and Sarah would have a child even though Abraham and Sarah kept trying to mess it up right amazing thing in the story right away. They get to the lands. They're there for a while a drought comes there like didn't work out. So well, let's go to Egypt.

Abraham's like yeah, she's my sister. Sophia was like, okay, I'll marry her. God has to step in and intervene. He puts a plague upon pharaoh and his household until 8th. April confesses all your she's actually my wife to do don't do that to me. Look what you've done. So Phil gives him a bunch of gold and silver and cattle and and and riches and and sends them on their way and they go back to the land and they're following God.

I think I did promise that we have a kid and Sarah goes but it's not really happen. So why don't you take my my maidservant Hagar when you have a child with Hagar and it'll be like it's close enough right close enough. in history bad ideas That's one of them is up there to help God out.

What it what is a slick but does not give up on them. Just God know you guys I'm done.

So I forgot deals with that issue and God God is merciful and gracious to Ishmael the son of Hagar and Abraham.

But God continues his Covenant faithfulness and Sarah is given a child Isaac. Isaac means laughter he's named after the response of not only Sarah, but Abraham when God came to them and by this time, they're old like old. By Sarah's Sarah describes herself as worn out.

The old and worn out and Godlike. All right now it's time. For that baby to come and what happened the baby comes just as God set.

this the story I'm walking you through it because

cuz we're in its conclusion now in this week last week. We're kind of the climax of this story. Isaac the child of Promise the child of God's covenant faithfulness. God comes to Abraham and says Abraham

I'm going to test you. test your face A test what's your faith is in? Abraham here's what I want you to do. I want you to take Isaac your son. I want you to go to Mount Moriah and on the mount. I want you to offer your son as a sacrifice.

Unbelievable story if you weren't here last week get on the web. Take a listen.

And the amazing thing that's worth every time does that he takes his son and Isaac participates in this process? With a I believe an understanding of what's going on, they choose together. the trust and obey and in that moment of

I'm paralyzed but at least unprecedented Faith as Abraham raises the knife over the Willing sacrifice of Isaac. God stops him Abraham Abraham says the angel of the Lord the pre incarnate appearance of Jesus. Stop it. Now. I know that you fear the lord in that moment God provides a ram to be a substitute sacrifice and their Abraham and Isaac sacrifice the ram together. And go down from the mountain. Abraham passed the path He revealed to himself.

But at the end of the day his ultimate hope and trust was not in the gifts that God gave but was in God The Giver of the gift. state what's secure?

We started out this morning in chapter 23.

Sarah lived a hundred and twenty-seven years. These were the years of the life of Sarah. It is interesting to me. We've seen of a formula like this in Genesis already a description of how long somebody lived in and who they came from Sarah is the only woman in the Book of Genesis that this is done for patriarchal kind of lineage in the ancient near Eastern. So it's natural that we're going to see these families described by the lives of the fathers The Cure in Genesis in chapter 23, Sarah. We returned the focus now from Abraham right to Sarah and Sarah live a hundred and twenty-seven years. These were the years of the life of Sarah.

Sarah died at kiriath-arba. That is Hebron in the land of Canaan the land of promise. neighbor ham went in to mourn for Sarah

interweave for her the interesting when I think about that hundred twenty-seven years sounds like a long time.

But it's also incredibly short.

I've said time and time again, one of the things that I really love and appreciate about Genesis and not just Genesis. All the scriptures is how real they are. Like how it describes the realities of life. It doesn't paint this like picture perfect Disney utopian reality. It describes. The reality of life in the reality of life is that it is brutal.

And it's beautiful.

It is brutal and beautiful. shorts

But that doesn't mean it's insignificant.

Isis life is a challenge. Yeah, we are.

in the scope of History

Some of the most privileged humans that I've ever been on this planet, like if you're here this morning, if you live in this community, if you live in this time and this place in our way of life, we are not the top 1% would like the top .1% of all Humanity throughout history. Like we should wake up every morning and say I can't believe how good we have it, but we don't. I wish we did but we don't. Sometimes we go on these mission trips we get out of this incredibly blessed environment that were on and we begin to see the reality and the difficulties and the brutality of life.

And we need to be reminded of that because it is heart. Would you almost everything in our culture? Is designed to Blind us and numbness to the brutality of life.

Why we spend five hours a day on Facebook why we spend hours upon hours on the couch watching reality television.

Have nothing to do with reality. Neither does Facebook.

people generally post what they want us to believe about their lives on social media.

And when that's not good enough, we design a filter to make it look even better.

The reality is 99.9 and that's a scientific number folks. I don't know if it's accurate but it is a scientific number on Instagram. They're not real. We've been filtered and modify to make us think that they're better than what they are. But people people don't put reality on social media.

We surround ourselves in our culture with an attempt.

Phenom ourselves to the difficulty the challenge I said against the brutality of life.

reality

lie fence

Aren't you quickly? I like to shore. It's the Bible talks about this over and over and over again describes us as grass right the girls up one day and the next is gone. Describes us as a a mist of vapor.

This is what your life is.

surrogates 127 years

She's dad. and Abram does the right and reasonable thing he goes into more. to eat degree because the love of his life I've been taken from him.

when we deal with death so often we go to Ecclesiastes chapter 3 Like I've heard this text at Amore funerals in any other text I've ever heard. Says this for everything. There is a season and a time for every matter. under the heaven

time to be born and the time to die. A time to plant and a time to pluck up. What is planted our this Hebrew poetry of dualism is over and over again. We're going to have this contrast of beauty and brutality Beauty and brutality. There is a time to be born beautiful.

There's nothing more brutal. When the death of a loved one. Is it time to born a time to die time to plant a time to pluck up? What is planted There's A Time to Kill and a time to heal a time to break down and a time to build up a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a Time. Thank you Kevin Bacon Footloose to dance. There's a time to Cast Away stones and a time to gather Stones together a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing the time to seek and a time to lose a time to keep. The time to Cast Away a time to tear and a time to sow time to keep silent and a time to speak. Time to love and a time to hate a time for war. There's a Time For Peace.

It's interesting. Mostly we stop there. But that's the Preamble. That's the warm-up. For what follow?

Solomon the writer of Ecclesiastes says what game has the worker? From his toil. There's a time to be born at a time for this. There's a time for there's a time for Batali life. Is this incredible mix a beauty and brutality. It's incredibly difficult and he says what is the point? If this is the reality of Life at the end of the day, what game does the worker have from his toil?

I've seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I've looked at it like Suboxone and spent his life examining the reality in the nature of life. Look at it. That he's made everything beautiful in its time. And he has put eternity. in the man's heart It's already cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. credible bit of wisdom here since I've seen is this In the in the brutality of Life, there is Beauty and that beauty is God. God is in the mix of this. And God has put within us. He's not only formed our material physical bodies, but he's shaped and Infused and given us a spirit.

We are physical and Spiritual Beings and God has put that within us and and that that spiritual part of us that has been placed within us is eternal. He put eternity within a sweet hunger from much more than a hundred and twenty-seven years.

Eternal nature and longing is trapped with a within a physical body. That is decaying. And ultimately is subjected to death. So we can't.

Get from the beginning to the end. on our own

I perceive that there is nothing better for them. Going to be joyful. Did you good? As long as they live it of all the Alternatives that there's other out there's other options the best way that I've seen that I proceed remember God grant me wisdom and parallel. You was the wisest man of his time or are the best the best alternative that you got before you? Find the joy in those moments of beauty where you encounter God and do good as long as you live. Also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil. That is God's gift to man. Live the life that God has given you to the fullest of your ability. That is the best that we can hope to do. So let me say this way life is short. But a life well-lived.

is significant a life well-lived is significant.

What do I mean by a life well-lived?

the life of faith to live well to live the life that song as describing in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 is to live a life of faith in God. To understand that the promises of God have an eternal nature and we are Eternal beings. But because we are in these physical bodies that have been broken by 6:10. We're not going to get to see the end of God's plan. in this physical body took the life of faith is the faith of trusting God in the present with the future.

Challenging for us because we are I want it all and I want it now kind of people.

We've actually never nobody in history has ever had more immediacy than us. You pay at the pump now don't have to walk into the gas station and go through the drive-thru and get your Starbucks don't have to go into the store. You want information. Hey, Siri. Talk to me in an Australian accent and tell me anything. I need to know. we have immediate access to information to all sorts of things and until we

We've Lowell ourselves into believing that that's the way life really should be and then we want to apply that to God. And there's all sorts of preachers and teachers if we want to call them that on TV who would tell you. that if you send them 999 a month and by their books do their little rituals that God will give you everything you want immediately.

That's not the god described in Genesis. It's not the god described in any of the scriptures. Dog got a big picture long-term agenda and we are short-term people. Our lives are sure. undoubtedly But a life well-lived is incredibly. Significant, I think that's the whole point of chapter 23 sarahdise 127 years. And what did she do?

She was a good wife.

And a good mother. She put her hope and faith in God. She trusted him even when it didn't seem like God might be trustworthy. Did she make mistakes? Of course? It did her faith falter of core. But at the end of her life at the end of 127 years. She lived a life that put its hope and got and we see that in her death. Where did she die she dies in Hebron, which is the land of Canaan which is the land of promise which is the land that God called her to it was not her Homeland was not where she came from. She died in faith. She died on the Journey of Faith doing what God had called her to do.

We live in a culture that values.

Great significance is wrapped up in fame or popularity. This significance has to include large paychecks and salaries photographers chasing us around taking our pictures. We think that that's what significance really means, but that's not what significance

The overall effect of misunderstanding significance is that it causes us to devalue the realities of Our Lives. I don't matter that much cuz I'm just a mom. Just a banker. I'm just a dad. I'm just a son. I'm just a kid. I'm just retired. I'm just busy. I just that I haven't accomplished much. I haven't done that much. I'm not very important. But here's the thing. God loves to take small unimportant a seemingly insignificant according to the world standards people and do amazing beautiful thing.

the reality is every single one of us is incredibly significant not because of what we do or what we have but because of who made us and who loves

Our Lives tan matter just incredibly deeply Our Lives can matter the matter to God Made us and shaped informed.

Psalm 116 verse 15 says precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his Saints?

What does God feel when Sarah died it was precious. He delighted in her. Does it mean he delighted in her death evil lighted in her. Doesn't Delight in Delight in the death of evil people, right Ezekiel 18:23. Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked declares the Lord God and not rather that he should turn from his way and live.

God Delights in US course, he does think about Ephesians 2:10. We are his workmanship.

Like this before in the Greek Palm, his Masterwork. Got his shape each and every one of us with intention.

Our our our our personalities are our experiences with the inner workings. Our intelligence are our curiosity or sense of humor at all of the things about us have been designed shaped by God's now undoubtedly. Been Too Faced by sin, but not erase. The image of God is within I think he has shaped us informed.

He has created us in Christ Jesus for good works. Doesn't say big works. It doesn't newsworthy works. It doesn't say Paparazzi or going to follow you around. We're just as for good.

The Works meaning for works of value you have been designed by God to do good thing. They might be small things but they're good things. They might be simple things, but they're good thing.

I know that in my life far too often. I've missed or belittled the small good things God puts before me because I was throwing a pity party didn't give me the bigger things that I wanted. I know I'm probably the only one in the room that's live that way but

it's a real challenge for a to look at the ordinary. simple small mundane lives that most of us live and we'll live for the entirety of our walk on this planet.

and remember that we've been made by God for God that we are His Image bears and that we can live a significant life of substance even in the small and simple thing.

This is what Sarah stands for us in Genesis 23 your life matter and the things that you do. Maybe they won't matter in the short-term. We don't have a short-term got somebody say Amen. We don't have a short-term God. We got a long-term. Who declares the end before the beginning? What a God we have. This is Sarah's reality. Some of the promises that God had given to Abraham and Sarah she experienced before she died some of them. But not all. And that's the reality of faith.

So let's jump back into the story Abraham rose up. From before his dad and said to the Hittites Abraham is in the land of Canaan. He's there. You better now for what? for decades But he's been there a Sojourner as an alien as an exile. He's not one of the people that live there and as of this moment.

Abraham owns exactly one well That's why he's got that one. Well. We saw that just a couple chapters go where you bought the well for seven. Perfect Lambs. one well That's all he's got. Play Abraham rose up from before his dad said to the Hittites. Who are the indigenous at least at that moment people of the land and he says I'm a Sojourner in a foreigner among you. Please give me property among you for a bearing place that I may bury my dead out of my

Abraham is and Sarah been trusting God and following to the best of their bill. He is just past this ultimate test of offering Isaac and sacrifice. Now, his wife has died. He's in there morning with her begin a present of her dead body Rises up and he turns the people there goes to the city Gates. Which is where business is done. And he says to the people there, please. Give me some property that I may bury my debt.

That's an Act of Faith y'all. It really is. Because culturally what he should have done is take his wife and go back to their Homeland. Go back to the land of her and go back to Asia where he was when God first called him go back to his family with their family burial places where they ancestors have been buried for generations and their bury his wife, but he had left his homeland for the land that God had promised.

remember got to promise not only to give him a son with a give him that very lands. remember that. Genesis 13 Justice League come out of there now wealthy the prospering lot is with him lot as wealthy and prospering they're so prosperous that it's causing conflict. And so Abraham goes to Lawton says, alright you choose which direction you go and I'll go the other direction after Lot leave the land of promise and heads off toward Sodom and Gomorrah God comes to Abram and says to Abram after lot of separated from lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward 360. And all the land that you see I will give to you and to your Offspring Forever This is the promise of God. Has God been faithful in his promises absolutely has God given him The Offspring absolutely has God given him the land that he promised not yet.

Let's not minimize that reality. Abraham's just lost Sarah at 127 Abram is old as dirt at this point to. Who knows but she's going to be next it's coming soon. the temptation to go back

to say well, yeah, I got to give us a child, but he didn't get us lands in quite work out, but we'll just do the best we can with we'll just go back in. He doesn't do that. He stays committed. He knows that he's facing the end of his short life and from a worldly perspective. Yeah, he's doing all right. He's got a big household. He's got his kid. He's got some welfare, but he's not that important compared to the peoples and Nations around the God has promised in his lamp all he's got his one little well.

the Abram wants to dance with the one who brung it. Aren't you going to stay with God? I'm a very Sara here. Not only Sarah buried there. He's going to be buried there either. He's going to be buried there. Rebecca's going to be there.

I'm I'm I'm putting my faith in the long-term Promises of God, even though in my short-term existence. I may not see it all happen.

So he digs in? The Hittites answered Abraham in that. So this is culturally the opposite of how we barter but this is an ancient near Eastern a type of bartering that's based on honor and politeness. When we barter what what do we do? If you're selling something you start high right and expected in negotiation, you know, you're going to have to come down a little bit but you're going to going to give you know, that that upper and that that's how we barter we start hot in ancient near Eastern cultures and really in some Eastern cultures up today. You can still find another place in the world. This is not how they barter there. Actually they barter out of politeness and honor and then we're going to see that in the story so bury your dead in the choices of our tomb. It's the opening Salvo of the negotiation station. None of us will withhold from you is to hinder you from burying your dead Abraham Rose and bowed to the Hittites honor. It's all about respect. He said to them if you're willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight hear me and then treat for me Ephron the son of Zohar. That he may give me the cave of machpelah that he owns it is at the end of his field for the full price. Let him give it to me in your presence as property for a varying play. So Abraham responds with politeness and respecting says okay. This is the land that I want. So, please let me pay full price for it. I'm going to I'm going to I'll give you whatever you want for it.

The opposite of what we do the seller sets the high price in our culture in their price. The buyer sets the high price.

Now Efron was sitting among the insights and Ephron the hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the hittite Saul who winning out of the city the gate to the city and actions were done. So he's there. Abraham knew he was there. I promised him on his side step on the hit side answered Abram in the hearing of Hittites all who won in the gate of the city. No my Lord hear me give you the field. I give you a kiss in the side of the sons of my people. I give it to you bury your dead.

Abraham looks like thank you and goes off and taste now they're negotiating.

And Abraham bow down before the people of the land. You said the Efron in the hearing of the people land, but if you will hear me, I give the price of the field except it for me that I may bury my dad there. All right, how much is it worth? Ephron answered Abraham Lord, listen to me a piece of land.

Just beautiful dance of negotiation between friends. What's 400 pieces of silver? Stop. No big deal.

Abraham listen to Efron neighbor him wait out for Efron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites 400 shekels of silver according to the weights current among the merchants. So the field of Efron in McCalla, which was to the east of mamre the field with the cave that was in The Landing all the trees that were in the field throughout its whole area was made over to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the hittite before all who went in at this gate of his City. after this Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of machpelah east of Mary that is Hebron in the land of Canaan the field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by

God's promise to give Abraham the land begins to develop.

Is that the real the first real piece of property of the owns? Is a place to bury his dead wife and where he himself will be very very very soon.

and Abraham in faith buys the cave trusting that ultimately God is going to fulfill his promise that land will be given to his descendants. beautiful beautiful story

the author of Hebrews start at chapter 11 often called the chapter Faith this right now Faith is the Assurance of things hoped for the conviction of Things Not Seen is that not this story in a nutshell about Abraham and Sarah and then the other saints that we find in the Hebrew scriptures how they invested their faith in God. They trusted God in the present for the future. That's what faith does. Trust God in the present even if it doesn't look like we think it should look for the future. But even though our lives are even though we've got a short time on this life our lives can be significant because God can take the small things of our lives and make them incredibly significant. You and I are here today. trusting in Jesus the king and great Messiah

in no small part because Sarah was a good wife. And a good mother and lived in ordinary mundane life trusting God in the present for her future.

She died and she was buried and her life was short and her life was small, but her life was unbelievably significance.

Our lives are short. Our impact is small. Let's not fool ourselves.

But a life well-lived the life of faith. Can be incredibly significant. not because of who we are but because of who God is that's what faith.

Last week I was talking about the faith of Jesus. I spent a long time in the church.

Talking about Jesus and talking about faith, but never even thinking about the faith of Jesus.

Because here's what it is. Jesus Is God so we're tempted to read the gospels the accounts of Jesus's life and say well Jesus just did those things cuz he was God and we're absolutely missing the point. Jesus Is God but Jesus is man, he's surrendered his Divine rights to be embodied in flesh. And come as a man. It's other things that Jesus did the life that Jesus was not.

Any difference than the lives you and I are supposed to live. Jesus lived a life of faith

Here's the difference. He actually pulled it off. He didn't have the ups and downs that we have. He just had the UPS. He didn't turn and fail like we all do he was tempted in every way just as we are what yet was what without sin.

Jesus entrusted himself to the fire. We see the faith of Jesus. Throughout the store he trust in the father and how does he do it? If he could become to the Earth as a human in Pomp and Circumstance if he born in a in a in a palace know he comes and enters our world in a stable. He lives an ordinary life. Is the son of a carpenter he's a carpenter. I'm sell for 30 odd year. Lives an ordinary life, but he doesn't trusting in God perfectly. Jesus shows us in all of his life hell ordinary small things take on significance when they're lived in faith. As I was studying through Genesis 23 going to the story in the gospel. We find it in Matthew 14 in one place. It says this When Jesus had heard this was it that Jesus had just heard you just heard that John the Baptist was beheaded by heron.

Just heard that John the Baptist the Forerunner the one who came to prepare the way the one who proclaimed Here Comes Behold the Lamb of God, John. The Baptist has been the headed.

When Jesus heard this he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place. By himself, what's Jesus doing? He's morning. Grieving. He loved John John was his friend if John was actually connected familiarly. Just lost the ability to be with drawers to a desolate place a lonely place to Betty can grieve. Jesus we see it all the time later on when Lazarus died. Jesus stands outside his tomb and what what did he do?

Weak because we're short-term people.

Jesus Jesus with drawers to find a decimal place by himself it when the crowds heard it. They followed him on foot from the town. They won't even give him an opportunity to mourn and to grieve their so enamored with what he is doing and what he is saying what they they can get from him. The big follow him they walk around the lake right behind him in this desolate place. when he went ashore Imagine just wants to get away and have a break and grieve and there's no Snickers yet for him that you know. Take that moment. When is sure he saw a great crowd and he had compassion on them?

Heal their sick love that. I love that line. Jesus is hurting. He's grieving.

suffered losses

The circumstances around it won't even let him get away to grieve. Any looks out at this crowd, he's not angry at them. frustrated by them That's what I would have been really turn the boat around. Go find another place.

Jesus looks with company sees them. I'm hurting their hurting too.

So it begins to heal their sick not when it came to the evening. The disciples came to him and said I wear in the desert Jesus and the getting dark. Send the people away to go to The Villages and buy food for themselves. They're starting to get angry.

Subjects Jesus. It's been a fun day administrational. It's late and we should eat and they should eat so send everybody away. You know this story right? Jesus said they don't need to go away you give them something to eat.

Can you imagine what you're looking at this in? This is a giant crab week. We learn at the end of the SEC. There's at least five thousand men and women and children besides. This is a large group of people Jesus turns to the 12 disciple couple of fishermen tax collector some Rebel who was trying to start a war a bunch of really nobody's he's like 5,000 really probably more like ten thousand twelve thousand people you go give them something to eat.

they're like Okay. But all we got is Five Loaves and two fish. We know from other gospel accounts. It's not even theirs they like steal somebody's lunch. Like some little kid over there his mom packed him some bread some little sardines right to take that with you and they're like heck.

This is all we've got.

Do you ever feel like that?

Do you ever feel like God is calling you to be or to do something? That is beyond you. Seeing if you've ever actually been called by God. That's what you should have felt because God never calls us to something that we can accomplish in our own strength. God never calls us to something that we can pull off without him that's not his design. He doesn't call us to walk by sight or confidence. He calls us to walk by faith. Anytime God calls URI to do something. He's calling us to something Beyond de you want me to do what this is all I've got I got I got two loaves and five sticky starting right?

Jesus is

bring them to me.

I know that's all you got.

But that'll do. Bring me what you got.

Bring me your small insignificant life. Bring me the boring mundane reality of your bring me what you got. Because I can turn that small insignificant thing into something that changes the world.

Bring them to me.

Can we order the crowds to sit down on the grass and taking the Five Loaves and two fish? She looked up to the heavens and said a blessing. Then he broke the laws and gave them to the disciples and the disciples gave them to the crowds and they all ate and were satisfied. Hook up 12 baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

too low 5 fish in the hand of Jesus with the faith of Jesus last by the father become more than enough to make a difference in the lives of 12,000.

This is how God works. He takes small well-lived lives of faith. And make something significant out of them.

All those who are about 5,000 men besides women and children.

I'm looking out.

a group of men and women made by God for God and one very wheel real way you're just an ordinary group of people. But in another equally true way. There's not an ordinary person in the room because we've been made by God for God. so the small seemingly insignificant things of Our Lives Ann matter when we entrust them to God

to whoever you are. And whatever you have don't judge it according to the standards of this world don't judge yourself according to the patterns of power in this world. because our God isn't awesome a guy who declares the end before the beginning of God who takes the small? Mustard Seed of faith That is our lie. and can turn it into something that matters for eternity Church in Jesus Christ you matter You matter and your life matter and Jesus is calling you to give your Loaves and fish to him to trust him with the things of your life to walk by faith. Not by sight and let him do what only he can do take the breath of your life and make it into something that last forever. Amen, and amen. Let's pray.