Thank you for joining us for worship this week.
Today, we continue our message series - THE BLESSING. We are looking at the early fathers of our faith as we study Genesis 24-34. This week we study Genesis 26 the only chapter that is devoted entirely to God's faithfulness in the life of Isaac.
I pray that your participation in today's worship helps to move you closer to Jesus and reveals more of his plan for your life.
Worship Schedule:
9:30 am
Live at Wesley Chapel
Live on our Worship Line: (443) 252-2878
11:00 am
Live in person @Rock Hall Church
Live online @ https://yourrockhall.online.church
On-Demand
This week's announcements
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Order of Worship
Welcome
Morning Prayer
Opening Songs
Stewardship Moment
Pastoral Prayer
Message
Closing Worship
Benediction
Songs for worship:
9:30am
2031 “We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise"
2025 “As the Deer”
89 “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
337 “Only Trust Him”
672 “God Be With You Till We Meet Again”
11:00am
This is Amazing Grace
How He Loves Us
Reckless Love
How Great is Our God
Message Notes
Genesis #24: The Blessing - Ordinary Fear and an Extraordinary God
Bottom Line: Fear isn't a lack of faith, but faith in the "what if’s" of life.
Isaac: A man with ordinary fears and an extra-ordinary God
What if... famine?
Genesis 26:1–6 NIV
What if... death?
Genesis 26:7–11 NIV
What if... poverty?
Genesis 26:12–17 NIV
What if... enemies?
Genesis 26:18–22 NIV
Replacing the "What If's"
Genesis 26:23–25 NIV
Living Boldly
Genesis 26:26–31 NIV
Fear is overcome by acknowledging it and Trusting God
2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
Psalm 56:2–4 NIV
Psalm 34:4 NIV
"I have never known more than fifteen minutes of anxiety or fear. Whenever I feel fearful emotions overtaking me I just close my eyes and thank God that he is still on the throne reigning over everything and I take comfort in His control over all the affairs of my life.” -John Wesley
Take it home:
In Genesis 26, we saw Abimelech pursue a treaty with Isaac not because of what Isaac had done, but because of what God had done through Isaac. This is an important reminder that God deserves all the glory for what he did in Isaac’s life and what he does in our lives. What are some of the pitfalls in the following verses that could cause us to fall into the trap of seeking our own glory?
John 7:18
John 8:54
Matthew 6:1-4
How does Matthew 6:5-8 further help us avoid pursuing our own glory, while also giving us important guidelines for prayer?
We’d all like to see God answer our prayers like he did for Isaac. What helpful insights in the following Scriptures could help us make sure our prayer is “powerful and effective”?
Philippians 4:6-7
Romans 8:26-27
Psalm 145:18-19
Matthew 6:7-8
How could you incorporate these passages into your own prayer life?
Equally important to what we pray for is how we pray. What insights do the following Scriptures give to ensure our prayers are heard by God and aren’t blocked by our own behavior?
Proverbs 28:9
1 John 5:14-15
James 4:3
This week's prayer focus:
Sunday - Our Mission: God, grant boldness and opportunities for us to share the Gospel with others. Ephesians 6:19
Monday - Our Church: God, help us be financially responsible and good stewards of the blessings You’ve provided. Malachi 3:10
Tuesday - Our Leadership: God, allow nothing to hinder our ministers and volunteers from Your calling on their lives. Nehemiah 6:3
Wednesday - Families: God, help us recognize the importance of first making disciples of Christ in our homes. Proverbs 22:6
Thursday - Our Community: God, we ask for your healing of the broken structures and systems in our community. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Friday - Children/Youth: God, help our young people humbly submit to and honor those in authority over them. Ephesians 6:1-3
Saturday - Adults: God cause our adults to humble themselves and seek Your face. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Merger Prayer Focus for the week: Working through Difficulties
Pray for an awareness of the potential difficulties that may hinder the church. John 13:35
Pray for an openness to new traditions. Gal 1:14
Pray for conflict and hard feelings to be forgiven. Matt 6:14
Pray for ineffective systems to be set aside. Mark 2:22
Pray for clear communication of expectations. Jer 29:11
Pray that turf issues will be minimal. 1 Cor 1:10
Pray for a healthy grief process. Matt 5:4
Bible Reading Plan:
Join us for our 5x5x5 New Testament Reading Plan. 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week, & 5 questions to go deeper.
A Letter to our Church Family
Grace and peace to you all! 2020 was a year none of us will forget any time soon for sure. As a church, It began with our UMC denomination on the precipice of splitting along theological and ideological lines within the year; only to have that problem replaced by a global pandemic.