Save the Date! Christmas Party...

We'll be celebrating Christmas with a traditional family dinner on Saturday, December 12th at 5 PM. There will be an ornament exchange for the children, so please keep that in mind as you do your Christmas shopping. Please save the date early so we can enjoy the beautiful season as a church family! An E-vite will follow in a few weeks.

Abraham Pt. 6 -- The Climax

This week we will study the climax of Abraham's story in Genesis 22. I anticipate only covering one chapter this time because of the richness and depth of the story as how it relates to our story in Christ.

Please take the time to read this chapter and meditate on how it relates to us. you should see some obvious parallels between this story and the gospel, as undoubtedly many have heard them before.

Often in OT study these parallels are called "types". Types are people, events or even themes in the OT that occur repeatedly. Often we see these types as foreshadowing events and people in the NT. Chatper 22 is rich in these types, so see what comes to mind when readng it.

Also, here are a couple of questions to consider:

1. How could a good and loving God really ask Abraham to sacrifice his own son? Doesn't that seem barbaric?

2. The Bible says God was testing Abraham...what exactly was he testing Abraham for? Abraham had already left his home and family and circumcised himself in trust and obedience to God...what more did God want?

3. If God knows everything, including Abraham's heart and thoughts, why does He need to test Abraham at all?



-casey

Pumpkin Fun

We had a great time at the Pumpkin patch and Phil's tonight. We missed everyone who wasn't able to attend.

October Shopping Time

It's time to go shopping for good causes!
Shopping List- Candy, children's underwear, canned foods and toys!
HPBC is doing a lot in October and here is how you can be a part:
Bring a bag of candy for Fest 31 the Oct 31 Festival at the Quarries, then bring your family and invite your friends and neighbors.
All children's Sunday schools are collecting children's underwear (Undies Sundays in Oct) for an orphanage in Juarez, Mexico.
Its Fall food drive and boxes are by all the doors of the church. With the recession many are in need right here in Austin.
Coming up is Operation Christmas Child, where we will pack boxes for children all around the world (be looking more details on this one).
If you have any questions let me know:
elizabethharris01@yahoo.com
And remember it is more blessed to give than to receive!

Abraham Pt. 2 and 3

Just wanted to type a few notes about what we covered last Sunday and give a heads up on what we will be covering next Sunday.

First...last Sunday.

I want to correct a mistake I made in class...I said that, within the context of Chapter 16 that Sarai (Abram's wife) was already at menopause. I was wrong...that isn't explicitly stated until chapter 18.

Going back to chapter 15, we see that God makes a covenant with Abram regarding the promised land and Abram's descendants. Abram seems to doubt God's promises of offspring and land by asking God for some tangible evidence of their fulfillments. We might be temtped to think Abram shows a lack of faith, but the story doesn't seem to implicate Abram in the least and he is even commended for his belief and faith within the story.

How should we look at it, then? I think it actually paints a positive picture of Abram in that he aggressively asks God to fulfill his promises. God has already promised to Abram the things he asks for...so I don't think that Abram is so much doubting God as he is seeking the fulfillment of his promises...the blessings from God. It reminds me of Jesus' following teachings:

1. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled"
2. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all of these things will be added unto you"
3. The parable of the man who knocks on his neighbor's door in the middle of the night to borrow something. Jesus says that he who knocks repeatedly is who will be answered, versus the guy who knocks once and gives up when his neighbor doesn't wake up.

The lesson is that vibrant faith does not simply wait idly for God's blessing, but persistently seeks it from God. Here Abram is the father of faith and his reward is the covenant which acts as an unbreakable contract with God over the promised land.


For next week we will cover chatpers 17, 18 and 19 which deal with circumcision, Isaac, and Sodom and Gomorrah. Come with comments and questions!

until then...

casey

Reading for Sunday's Lesson

This Sunday we will continue to study the life of Abraham in Genesis. Specifically we plan to cover chatpers 15, 16 and 17. I know this is way short notice but please read ahead tonight or tomorrow morning if you have time. I think you will get more out of class if you take some time to do so...plus we might have more interesting questions and discussion in class.

Going forward we will try to do better as far as letting you guys know ahead of time what to read and maybe getting some points to think about as well.

See you tomorrow!