October 12, 2023 | Pastor Robert Lee
Passage: Genesis 15:1-6
Following Jesus requires that we wait on God to fulfill His promises, no matter how unlikely it appears. In this message titled, He Believed the Lord, we learn this crucial lesson by studying the way Abram waited on God, even when it looked like God was never going to come through.
► Genesis 15:1
6 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
CROSS REFERENCES
► Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. (Genesis 12:1–2)
► What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness… (Romans 4:1–5)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- What were some of the highlights and lowlights of your week? Everyone needs to get a chance to answer!
- In our passage tonight, twice it says that the “word of the Lord” came to Abram. If you really believed that God still speaks to us today through the Scriptures, how might that change your life?
- Like Abram, Christians today still struggle with periods of waiting on God, whether it’s a spiritually dry season, dealing with a sickness or injury, or feelings of loneliness from not having good friends or a desire for a spouse, etc. How about you? Describe a time when you were waiting on God, and it felt like He was never going to come through. Maybe you’re in that time, now?
- Some statistics say that 49% of teenagers struggle with anxiety; that means, statistically speaking, half of your small group wrestles with this issue. How do you personally handle your fears, worries, and anxieties? What are some specific ways you can turn to God’s Word for comfort in those times?
- Abram waits on God by praying with humility and complete honesty. He doesn’t hold back his true feelings and doubts and questions. Do you feel like you can share the real and raw doubts you have with God? Or do you feel like you have to hide and say the “right” things when praying? Explain.
- Abram “believed the LORD, and [God] counted it to him as righteousness.” In the midst of waiting, we often have doubts and questions. What could it look like to believe and trust God through it all?
- Pray!
RISEN is a ministry of the Sheboygan eFree Church for students in grades 6 - 12 that aims to transform lives by proclaiming the resurrected Jesus Christ in all of His grace and glory.
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