Podcasts about in exodus

Trusting God with the unknown is often harder than we expect—especially when the path feels confusing, delayed, or downright backward. This devotional gently reminds us that just like the Israelites in the wilderness, we are invited to trust God’s guidance even when we don’t understand the route. The journey may feel long, but God’s purpose is always at work, shaping our faith and leading us toward something worth the wait. Highlights We often struggle with uncertainty because we want clarity, timelines, and reassurance. God’s chosen path isn’t always the shortest or most logical, but it is intentional. Questioning the journey doesn’t mean God has abandoned us—it reveals our need to trust Him more deeply. Seasons of waiting or wandering can prepare us for breakthroughs we can’t yet see. Faith grows when we choose trust over control, even when fear feels close. Looking back often reveals that God’s plan was worth every step. Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: Trusting God with the Unknown Days Ahead By: Laura Bailey Bible Reading: “They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?” - Exodus 4:11 NIV“How much longer? It feels like we’ve been walking forever!”“Wait, now we are going downhill, I thought we were trying to get to the top of the mountain?” “Why are there so many switchbacks? Wouldn’t it be faster to go straight up the hill?”Last week, for fall break, my husband and I took our girls to the mountains. We’d found a reasonably short and easy hike that led to not one, but two waterfalls. My husband and I were excited to share our love of the outdoors and hiking with our girls. For us, the thrill of hiking is the journey to the top. We often don’t even look at the mile markers or ask other hikers, “How much longer?” We simply enjoy the fun of not knowing. Our three young girls did not share the same sentiment, as suggested by the comments made above. I tried to brush off the first few remarks, but then, I snapped, “We will get there when we get there, just enjoy the journey, and trust me, it will be worth the trip!” As we walked on in silence, I felt that familiar pang of conviction from the Holy Spirit. While I may not ask questions about direction, timeline, or purpose on a hike, I am undoubtedly guilty of asking God for information. I want to know where He is leading, for how long, and truthfully, I want to be able to determine if the journey is worth it. Bottom line, I often doubt God’s timeline and question the journey He has me on. And, well, I am not the first person in history to wonder if God’s plan is better than my own.In Exodus 4:14, we see the Israelites' response to seeing Pharaoh and his army coming to attack and take them back into exile. A sarcastic response to their situation was typical for the Israelite people, but I can understand their frustration. The Pharaoh recently freed the Israelites after they had been in captivity for 430 years. However, they look up and find their enslavers ready to take them back into slavery. It’s a natural response to ask, “What was the point of wandering out into the desert if we were headed back to captivity?” The Lord led the Israelites to camp near the seashore. God had already stopped them from going through the territory of the Philistines, even though it was shorter, instead choosing to lead them a longer way that led them by the shore of the Red Sea (Exodus 13:17-18). God then tells Moses that He wants them to turn back around, going the opposite way He’d initially led them. While this served to confuse the Pharaoh, the switching in direction and the “aimless” wandering caused the Israelites to become restless. They began to voice their annoyance and wonder if perhaps they would have been better off staying in Egypt.God is asking the Israelites to trust in His plan and to enjoy the journey, because He is working all things for their good and His glory. And just a short time later, we see that God calls the Israelites to walk by faith. Moses stretches out his hands, and the waters of the Red Sea part, allowing the Israelites to walk through on dry land to the other side. The Egyptians pursue the Israelites; however, Moses stretches his hands back over the sea, and the waters flow back over them, killing the whole army (Exodus 14:21-31).Like with the Israelites, God asks us to trust Him, even when it doesn’t make sense. It is natural to be fearful; we are creatures who crave comfort and security. When God asks us to go on a journey into the unknown, that’s hard. However, we can rest in the truth that God is good and can be trusted. When we reached the first waterfall, my oldest daughter reluctantly whispered, “This is pretty cool, I am glad we didn’t turn back.” The path God has for us isn’t always easy; there will be times when we feel like we are wandering, have to go backward before we move forward, and think that we are wasting our time. But God always has a purpose, and one day, we will most certainly say, “This was worth the journey.”Intersecting Faith & Life:Do you ever struggle to enjoy the journey? How does knowing that God has a purpose and plan for your life’s path help you find contentment in your current circumstances?Further Reading:Exodus14Unwavering Faith Amid Uncertainty Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Saturday, 13 December 2025   For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother'; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' Matthew 15:4   “For God, He enjoined, saying, ‘You honor your father and your mother,' and the ‘disparaging father or mother,' death – he expires!” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus challenged the scribes and Pharisees, asking why they sidestepped the commandment of God because of their traditions. He now explains how they were doing this, beginning with, “For God, He enjoined.”   There is a difference in source texts here. Some use the word legó, to speak or say. Others use the word entellomai, to enjoin. Either way, the word of God, when spoken to the people as a matter of law, is to be taken as a command. As for what God enjoined, Matthew continues, “saying, ‘You honor your father and your mother.'”   Another new word, timaó, to prize, is seen. The sense is to fix a valuation upon, and thus to reverence or honor. One will fix a value on something based on how he perceives its value.   If someone finds a stick, if he has need of it for a fire, the value set upon it is that it will be burned. However, if he finds a Van Gogh painting and knows what it is worth, he will put a high value on it and give it an honorable place on his wall.   Jesus cites the fifth commandment, that of honoring the parents. In Exodus 20:12, as the people gathered before God at Mount Sinai, they were commanded that parents are to be highly esteemed in the eyes of His people. This was repeated by Moses in Deuteronomy 5:16.   As a command of God, the parents are to be honored. And more, as this was His command, there were penalties for not upholding the edict. That is seen in His next words, “and the ‘disparaging father or mother,' death – he expires!'”   Still another new word is seen, kakologeó, to revile. It is derived from kakos, worthless, and logos, something said. As such, it would be to speak a word of worthlessness about another. A good word to match the intent is to disparage.   This precept is explicitly stated in Exodus 21:17. In this command of God to His people, to ensure that reverence was paid to the parents, the penalty for disparaging them was that their lives were forfeit. They were to be put to death. The forceful way Jesus states this penalty to these men is a clear indication to them that when He finishes, they will understand this is what they deserve.   Life application: When a person is given a word from a higher up that he is expected to be obedient to, how he responds to that word is an implicit assignment of value to the Lord who gave the word.   When a person is given a word from a boss to do something, he may ignore it, showing contempt for what he was told to do, and thus contempt for the boss who told him to do it. The same is true with parents, an official statute from a city, county, state, or national body, or even God.   In Jesus' words, and as will be analyzed in just a few verses, it will be seen that these people honor (the same Greek word, timaó) Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. In other words, they pay lip service to Him, but their will and intent, as it is worked out, actually disparage Him.   We could say, “Well then! They got what they deserved when the temple was destroyed and the people were carried away in the Roman dispersion.” However, every time we are disobedient to the word that has been given to us, meaning the directives that apply in any given dispensation, and as the context demands, we are doing exactly what Jesus rebukes the leaders of Israel for.   But more to the point, we may not even know what the Lord's word to us is. So, we could say, “I wasn't disparaging God. If I had known, I would have done what the word said.” This is a feeble excuse, and it actually shows a contempt for the word of God, and thus Him, because we didn't even bother to check and know what God expects of us.   For us, the old saying, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse,” could more rightly be stated, “Ignorance of God's word is inexcusable.” Think the matter through. We heard the word of salvation. We accepted the proposition and Jesus saved us, sealing us with the Holy Spirit. Our eternal state has now been changed from condemnation to salvation.   Does this eternity-changing state mean anything at all to us? In ages past, not knowing God's precepts may have been excusable. There were no Bibles at hand, and those who believed were at the mercy of the competency and caring of the one who possessed maybe the only copy of the word for many miles.   Today, however, a Bible can be obtained for free anywhere and at any time. If you are connected to the internet, you have no excuse. If you have a church you attend that cares about the word, it is certain they will give you a copy of the Bible. A used Bible that has never been opened can usually be picked up at a Goodwill for a dollar or two, meaning less than you spend on the cheapest of your daily purchases.   Don't make excuses! Get a Bible, pick the thing up, and read it, honoring God as you do. And then, be sure to do what it says, meaning in the proper context of the church age, thus honoring God through obedient adherence to what He expects of you. Anything less is truly unacceptable.   “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:16, 17   Glorious God, may our honoring of You be in spirit and in truth, not with lip service but no heart for You and what You expect of us. You are God. May we remember this and understand our lowly state before You without Your kind mercies as extended to us in the Person of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

7 takeaways from this study The Sabbath is more than rest from fatigue. It is a celebration of spiritual fullness and a reminder of God's creation, designed to rejuvenate both body and soul. True rest and renewal come from honoring God's design for our lives, not from modern “machines of rest” or stimulants like caffeine. Spiritual growth and application require discernment. Avoiding logical fallacies helps us receive truth regardless of the messenger. Delegation and wise leadership, as exemplified by Moses and Yitro (Jethro), are essential for healthy, sustainable community and ministry. We are not meant to walk alone. Community, mutual support, and accountability are central to living out faith effectively. The Ten Commandments are not just rules but a framework for a just, loving, and purposeful life that honors God and others. Trust in God is the foundation for moving from bondage (of any kind) to blessing. Faith, confession and perseverance shape the journey of spiritual transformation. One man's life was, by any worldly standard, a roaring success. He led three companies, was responsible for 300 employees, was raising tens of millions of dollars annually, and made lengthy public appearances daily. Outwardly, it looked like everything he touched prospered. Yet on the inside, the pace was unsustainable. He found himself fatigued, drained, and spiritually confused, constantly struggling to “keep it all together.” With exhaustion mounting, he reached out to a trusted business adviser who happened also to be a pastor. In a vulnerable moment, he confessed: “I'm hitting a wall. I have more obligations than I have time. I'm drinking eight cups of coffee a day just to stay afloat.” His adviser listened, then posed a direct question: “Are you honoring the Sabbath?” This simple question ignited a journey. The man was struck, almost blindsided, by it — a gentle but firm reminder that perhaps running on caffeine wasn't a sustainable answer. He would later reflect: “Caffeine is not a performance enhancer, it's a loan shark. It robs from tomorrow to pay for today.” What caffeine does is it basically turns off your noticing that you're tired, not actually giving you more energy. That's what adrenaline would do. Caffeine just masks your fatigue. The pastor's question pressed: What if the tiredness, the restlessness, wasn't just physical? What if it was spiritual, too? The man began to explore what the Sabbath actually means, both in Scripture and practice. Delving into the Torah, he found its first appearance in Genesis 2: “By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (וַיִּשְׁבֹּת vayishbot) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work.” Genesis 2:2-3 NASB95 He was struck that this rest didn't come from exhaustion, but from fullness. As he later wrote: “This rest is not due to fatigue, but to fullness. It is not the withdrawal of power, but the crowning of meaning. It is the divine punctuation mark at the end of the most magnificent sentence ever spoken: creation. The world is not merely functional, but good—and that goodness is worthy of joy.” He went on to dig deeper, not only scripturally, but practically. Searching for the roots of Sabbath observance, he looked to Jewish tradition, practices like unplugging from all communications, setting aside technology, and turning yourself off from the world beaming itself into you, starting at sundown on Friday. The more he explored, the more passionate he became. He wrote: “The more I started to appreciate the Sabbath, the more I realized the great need to share its wondrous beauty with the world. If the Sabbath can change my life, it can change everyone's life.” He found it ironic that even though “today's world offers so many gadgets promoting rest — memory foam mattresses, sleep apps, white noise machines — never have we, as a society, been more exhausted. We are surrounded by the machinery of rest, but we've lost the theology behind it. Sabbath is the answer.” Opportunity for conversation You've likely heard this man’s name.1Sources for the preceding account, including book quotations: “Charlie Kirk's final book points at a truth we've forgotten,” Deseret News, Dec 12, 2025, accessed Dec. 13, 2025. “‘Stop in the Name of God’: Charlie Kirk’s Final Book Honors ‘Transforming’ Sabbath,” Paul Petite, CBN.com, Dec. 11, 2025, accessed Dec. 13, 2025. He’s Charlie Kirk, whose book Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life was released this week (Dec. 9, 2025) and has reignited a powerful conversation about the Sabbath in the Christian world. As we see the coinciding of Kirk’s book release with our reading this week of Exodus 18–20, within it the Sabbath commandment, there's a lesson waiting for all of us. Whether we are building companies, leading families, or seeking holiness: true rest comes from aligning with God's order, not man's endless striving. Keep an open mind When evaluating any teaching — especially on controversial topics like the Sabbath or from polarizing figures such as Charlie Kirk — it's important to watch out for logical fallacies that can cloud good judgment. The “shoot the messenger” fallacy happens when we dismiss truth — and attack the method of delivery — simply because we dislike the message. Similarly, the ad hominem fallacy attacks a person's character rather than considering the argument. The genetic fallacy rejects ideas based on their source, not their merit. Instead, focus on the message itself, weighing it against Scripture, regardless of our feelings about the teacher. A sign and a testimony The Sabbath — שַׁבָּת Shabbat — was never intended as mere ritual or recovery from fatigue. It is, as Charlie described, “the crowning of meaning.” Embedded in the book of בְּרֵאשִׁית Beresheet (Genesis) and reiterated in Exodus 20:8–11 (“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy”; Deuteronomy 5:12–15), the Sabbath is sanctified, set apart (קָדוֹשׁ kadosh). It is an invitation — more, a command (מִצְוָה mitzvah) — to cease (שָׁבַת shavat), be full and delight in God's creation. Shabbat is both a sign (אוֹת ot, Exodus 31:12–17) and a testimony (עֵדוּת edut) to Who our God is: a Creator who brings order from chaos, who invites us into His rest (וַיָּנַח vayanach, “and He rested,” Exodus 20:11). But Sabbath is also a battleground. For centuries, debates swirled: Is Sabbath only for the Jews? Has the resurrection transferred rest from Saturday to Sunday? Charlie is not the first to ask; in fact, Samuel Bacchiocchi's seminal 1977 dissertation-book “From Sabbath to Sunday” details this historical shift and its profound theological consequences. Yet, as followers of Messiah, we look to His example. Yeshua kept Shabbat (Luke 4:16). He reminded us: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27 NASB95 (see last Shabbat’s study: “Sacred cycles: Embracing God's rhythms of rest and labor“) Reclaiming Sabbath has meant returning to the root and fullness of what God invites us into — a taste of the world to come (עוֹלָם הַבָּא olam haba). Leadership and burden Charlie's story of being overwhelmed echoes that of Moses' experience. In Exodus 18, יִתְרוֹ Yitro (Jethro) wisely advises Moses to share responsibility: “You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.” Exodus 18:18 NASB95 The solution? Delegation. Equity in leadership. Bringing others into the work, each according to gifting and ability. The instructions for training leadership in the ways of Heaven is linguistically linked to the giving of the Ten Commandments. In Hebrew, the narrative is woven together with the וַ vav consecutive, indicating God's actions unfolding in beautiful, purposeful sequence — a pattern of rest, structure, and relationship. In honoring Sabbath, we are reminded not just to rest, but to participate in and build wise, healthy community. Priesthood of all believers As the Torah moves into Exodus 19–20, Israel is called to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ mamlekhet kohanim v'goy kadosh). Our role is not merely to obey but to draw near — to help others approach (הִקְרִיב hikriv) — the Holy One. In the Messiah, this calling is heightened: You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood. 1Peter 2:5 NASB95 Our observance of the Sabbath is a living testimony — an act of separation (קָדוֹשׁ kadosh) that draws others to ask about the hope and peace we carry. Fear and love “The fear of the LORD” (יִרְאַת יְהוָה yirat Adonai). This fear/awe (יָרֵא yare) is not paralyzing terror but reverent awareness. God sees — רָאָה ra'ah — beyond outward performance to our hearts. As Yeshua (Jesus) taught: “the greatest commandment is: ‘Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one; and you shall love (אָהַב ahav) the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might'” Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NASB95 Sabbath becomes a sanctuary for our returning, repenting and receiving God's love anew. The Ten Words: עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת Aseret HaDibrot The Ten Commandments are not rules alone, but a framework for relationship. The first — “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt” — is a declaration of deliverance, echoed every Shabbat. “You shall have no other gods before Me” is about allegiance. “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13) reminds us that life is sacred, for humanity is made בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים b'tzelem Elohim (“in the image of God,” Genesis 1:27). The commandments build a community of justice, kindness, and holiness — the very heart of Torah and the teaching of Messiah. Community, confession and healing It can be easy, in our brokenness, to withdraw. Many wonder, as did participants in our study, “Could God truly want me, after all I've done?” Yet the answer of the Sabbath is always “yes.” We are called not to isolation but to community, to confess our failings (“Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed,” James 5:16 NASB95), and to strengthen each other in faith. Sabbath gatherings are a time for restoration and encouragement — space for honest hearts and uplifted hands. Testing and trust: Wisdom for the walk In a world of many voices, the call to “test the spirits” (1John 4:1) is urgent. We must return to the Scriptures — TaNaKh and Apostolic Writings — measuring every teaching by the Word. As the Bereans modeled (Acts 17:11), search, question, discern. As we trust (אֵמוּנָה emunah) and obey, we encounter joy and peace beyond what striving ever brought. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 NASB95 An invitation to Sabbath Charlie Kirk's journey is not unique. His discovery is ancient and ever new: Sabbath is a divine gift — a rhythm of rest, joy, holiness, and communal healing. As we recapture what has been so often lost, we open ourselves to transformation, not just personally, but as communities and nations — a light to the world. So let's remember the Sabbath — זָכוֹר אֶת־יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת zakhor et-yom haShabbat —and keep it holy. In Messiah, every week is a new invitation to rest, rejoice, and be restored. Shabbat shalom (Sabbath peace). 1 Sources for the preceding account, including book quotations: “Charlie Kirk's final book points at a truth we've forgotten,” Deseret News, Dec 12, 2025, accessed Dec. 13, 2025. “‘Stop in the Name of God’: Charlie Kirk’s Final Book Honors ‘Transforming’ Sabbath,” Paul Petite, CBN.com, Dec. 11, 2025, accessed Dec. 13, 2025.

Stirred to Give: When God Puts Something in Your Hands In today's message, we walk through the powerful journey of Israel from Exodus 12 to Exodus 36 — and what it teaches us about obedience, stewardship, and the condition of our hearts.God never intended for His people to walk into freedom empty-handed.In Exodus 12, the Israelites leave Egypt carrying silver, gold, and garments, blessings placed in their hands by God Himself. But the real question is: What do we do with what God gives us?When God blesses us, we often start to feel like owners instead of stewards. From Exodus 13–24, the people lived selfishly, and by Exodus 25, when God calls them to bring an offering, their hearts weren't ready. And like Israel in Exodus 32, when what we have isn't surrendered to God, it becomes something that demands our worship.But everything changes in Exodus 35.Hearts were stirred. Spirits became willing. Obedience returned.And the result? In Exodus 36, the people brought more than enough — so much that Moses had to tell them to stop giving. Imagine a church overflowing with generosity because hearts were stirred by the Spirit of God!This message challenges us to ask:

In Exodus 11:1-13:16, God institutes the Passover in remembrance of how he redeemed the Israelites from the final plague that brought death to all of the Egyptian firstborn.

When the Lord instituted the seven feasts in Leviticus 23, He gave Israel a prophetic calendar that not only marked their national life but laid out, in exact order, the future timeline of the First and Second Advents of Jesus Christ. The seventh of these feasts, the Feast of Tabernacles, stands out as the great concluding celebration—a picture of joy, harvest, and God dwelling among His people.“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (KJB)On this episode of Rightly Dividing, because it is the seventh feast, it speaks of completion—and nothing is more complete than the finished work of Christ at His First Advent and the future restoration at His Second. To understand Tabernacles properly, we apply the Law of First Mention, which sets the foundation for how a subject develops throughout Scripture. The first time we encounter this feast is in Exodus 23:16, where it is called “the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year.” Immediately we see three themes: ingathering, ending, and completion. God is showing us that Tabernacles marks a final harvest and a time of rejoicing in His presence and provision. The first mention of the tabernacle itself also reinforces this. In Exodus 25:9, God commands Moses to build a sanctuary “that I may dwell among them.” This is the heartbeat of the Feast of Tabernacles—God dwelling with man. In the wilderness, God's presence was visible in cloud and fire above the Tabernacle; but this was not the final fulfillment. It was a picture, a shadow, a type pointing forward to something far greater.

John 12:12-19,The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!”16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”This morning is doubly special. One, it's the second Sunday of Advent. Two, we get to witness 15 baptisms.This will be the most baptisms I've witnessed in one gathering. (In March of 2019, we baptized 14 on one Sunday.) I love when born-again people, with a credible profession of personal faith in Jesus, give public witness in the waters of baptism to the realness of Jesus, and his saving cross and resurrection. Baptism bears witness to Jesus. Which is a connection with our passage this morning. Verses 17-18:The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.We have two crowds: a smaller one and a larger one. The smaller one saw Jesus raise Lazarus. The larger crowd, gathered in Jerusalem, goes out to meet Jesus as he comes because they heard the witness of the first crowd.And baptism bears witness like that. Those who step into the water, and go under, and come back up, bear witness to the realness of Jesus: “he came, he died, he rose, he broke into my unbelieving life, he has won my faith and trust, he has changed me, and he is changing me.” And so, they say, “I bear witness to you that Jesus is real. And either you already know it or I invite you to experience him for yourself.”So, as we witness these baptisms this morning, we don't sit idly by. We don't twiddle our thumbs and watch the clock. We watch the waters with faith. We hear with our eyes the witness they bear in baptism. We see the gospel of Jesus's death and resurrection dramatized. And as we do so, we remember and enjoy what he's done for us — or we hear a promise of what he will do for anyone who will trust in him.So, this morning is special, to witness these 15 baptisms. And because it's Advent. And this is a surprising advent text.Jesus's ComingDo you know what Advent means (from the Latin adventus)? Arrival or coming. And this is a coming text: verse 12: “the large crowd . . . heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.” Verse 13, quoting Psalm 118: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Verse 15, quoting Zechariah 9: “behold, your king is coming.”So, let's take our cues from these three mentions of coming. All three represent daring moves by Jesus as he enters Jerusalem.1. He comes in dignity.Verse 12, that first mention of his coming:The next day [after the anointing at Bethany; it's a Sunday] the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.How will he come? Verse 14 introduces Jesus's daring move: “Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it.” Don't miss that: Jesus arranges for the donkey. All four Gospels are very clear about this. This is Jesus's idea. No one forced or tricked him into it.Now, we are 21st-century people. We don't have donkeys. We make fun of donkeys. We have cars. Who needs a donkey? But in the ancient world, donkeys were valuable. They can haul. They can work. You can ride them. To have a donkey was to have wealth.And this is not the first mention of a donkey in the Bible.First comes Jacob's blessing for his son Judah in Genesis 49. He foresees that Judah's tribe will have the kingship in Israel. His brothers will praise him and bow to him (Gen 49:8). Judah is “a lion's cub” (49:9) on the rise. The king's ruling staff, the scepter, “shall not depart from Judah,” and to him, even beyond Jacob's family “shall be the obedience of the peoples” (49:10). Then comes this strange mention of a donkey's colt:Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. (49:11)Strange as this reads to us, this is “deliberately the language of excess” (Derek Kidner). Hungry beasts hitched to precious grapevines, free to feed as desired, with wine in such plenty as to be used like water — these images suggest “exuberant, intoxicating abundance” (Kidner, 230). So, beginning here, both wine and the donkey's colt become symbolic of the lavish blessings to come through Judah's line.Then we find in the time of the judges that donkey ownership (and riding) is a mark of privilege and dignity. The rich ride on donkeys (Judges 5:10), and celebrated leaders give donkeys, as well as cities, to their sons (Judges 10:4; 12:14).And Judah's great descendant, King David, has a mule on which he rides, as do his sons (2 Sam 13:29; 18:9). Late in David's life, in the midst of national turmoil, a zealous supporter brings two donkeys “for the king's household to ride on” (2 Sam 16:2) — not an insult but an act of allegiance and royal hope. And when David appoints his son Solomon to be king, he has him ride to the anointing on the king's own mule (1 Kings 1:33).So, first, the donkey means dignity. Riding the donkey is an exalted position. Jesus comes in dignity.2. He comes as royalty.Jesus receives the crowd's praise as Messiah, the long-awaited King. Verse 13: So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”At one level, the crowds are right about this: Jesus is the Messiah. He is the King of Israel. But at another level, they don't get it yet. He is far, far more than just King of Israel, and King of just Israel. He is a vastly different and greater king than they expect.The palm branches hint at what the crowd has in mind. Almost two centuries before Jesus, in the Jewish revolt against the Greeks, palms became political and nationalist symbols. Then against the Greeks; now against the Romans. And this is especially so when paired with the people declaring Jesus to be “King of Israel.” These are very natural expectations that require no new birth and no Holy Spirit. The large crowd is right that Jesus is the Messiah, but he is so different than what they think, and what he will do in Jerusalem is not at all what they expect. He is far bigger than their little political and nationalist and temporal and very worldly hopes.Amazingly, the psalm they've reached for to capture the moment has the surprising truth about Jesus right under their noses. They quote Psalm 118:25-26:Save us [Hosanna], we pray, O Lord! . . . Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Yes, Jesus is the long-awaited King. But, right there in Psalm 118, the immediately preceding verses (22-24) say,The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.And not only does the large crowd not understand, but not even Jesus's disciples, as we've seen throughout John (2:22; 7:39; 13:7). Verse 16:His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified [raised from the dead], then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.What's “these things” referring to? Verse 15 and the Zechariah 9 prophecy. So, let's finish with that.3. He comes in humility.Now, we get the rest of the story on the donkey. Not only is the donkey a sign of his dignity; it's also a sign that Jesus comes in a very different way than the crowds expect. The donkey, chosen by Jesus, in line with Zechariah 9, is meant to refine and redirect the hopes of the people for their Messiah, and for us. Let me make this clear: these refinements are not letdowns. They are upgrades. Jesus doesn't refract their hopes down; he raises them up. He lifts them up. Jesus is so much more than an earthly, temporal, political, national king. So much more! He's not letting them down, unless they stay unbelieving; he's raising their gaze. Oh we are such half-hearted creatures, fooling about with such shortsighted and short-lived concerns, like getting free from Rome. We are far too easily pleased.So, verse 15, quoting Zechariah 9:9, says,“Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!” So, how does Zechariah 9:9–13 upgrade their hopes and ours?First, verse 10, he comes to offer peace. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth [Psalm 72:8]. The large crowds expect him to ride a war horse against Rome. But Jesus selects the donkey of Zechariah 9. In this first advent, he comes to offer peace. Later, in his second advent, he will come in judgment, on the white horse of war (Rev 19:11-12). But in his first coming, he is king on a colt, offering amnesty.And, verse 9, he comes to accomplish peace:Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.This is the heart of Zechariah, and why John 12 quotes this verse. There are two striking pairs here: “righteous and having salvation” is one; “humble and mounted on a donkey” is the other.We only have time for the second. We've already seen the dignity of being “mounted on a donkey.” Now “humble,” or better “humbled,” is paired with that dignity. Elsewhere in the OT, and in Zechariah, this word for “humbled” is translated “afflicted.” (And “afflicted” sounds like a faint echo of Isaiah 53.) The one on the donkey is both humbled and exalted, afflicted and yet seated in dignity. What's that affliction?Next, verse 11, he comes to shed his own blood:As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. At the Last Supper, Jesus will take up this very language of the “blood of the covenant.” In Exodus 24, “the blood of the covenant” inaugurated the first covenant with Israel. Then, Jesus will say, as he goes to the cross, he will shed “the blood of the covenant” which he will pour out for many, for the forgiveness of sins — to set prisoners free from something far bigger than Greece or Rome: from sin and death and hell.Finally, verse 13, he comes to gather all nations:For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword. We already saw in verse 10 that “he shall speak peace to the nations.” Now verse 13 mentions Greece. Why Greece?Jesus's WorldBack to John 12, verse 19. When the Pharisees see the large crowd praising Jesus, they get worked up again, like the end of chapter 11:So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”The world has gone after him. That's an exaggeration, right? Well, for now, it's Jesus on a donkey in one city with a large crowd of Jews shouting Hosanna. But they over-speak as they worry where this is going. And John loves the irony. Yes, they exaggerate, but their words turn out to be true. Jesus comes to gather all nations. Not just Jews. Even Romans. And Greeks. Which is exactly where John goes in the next verse:Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.So, Jesus comes in humility. He offers peace, and accomplishes that peace in his own blood as he is afflicted at the cross for our sins. And he comes to do it for a people he will gather not only from the Jews but from all nations. And so he lifts up our worldly eyes to a greater kingship and greater hopes that are spiritual, eternal, and transnational.In choosing the donkey, Jesus finds the perfect way to say, “I am the long-expected King, but not the King you expect.” You hope for an earthly king who will liberate you from an oppressive government. But Jesus says, “Yes, I am the King. But I come not to conjure war against a power as passing as Rome but to make peace with God Almighty and save my people from their sins.”To the WatersSo we come to the waters and witness of baptism. This is a one-time experience of grace for the believer in the water. And it is a repeated, ongoing experience of grace for believers who look on in faith. And it is an invitation to all: Jesus will do the same for you.

In Exodus 7:14-10:29, God sends 9 plagues on the Egyptians, slighting their false gods and making a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites.

This sermon explores the origins and significance of baptism and communion, tracing them back to their roots in the Exodus story. It explains that these sacraments are not random rituals but divine institutions commanded by Jesus, prefigured in the Old Testament, and practiced by the church for thousands of years.Scripture ReferencesMatthew 28:18-20: The Great Commission to baptize.Luke 22:7-20: The Last Supper, instituting communion.1 Corinthians 11:23-26: Paul's instructions on the Lord's Supper.Exodus 12:1-28: The Passover, the origin of communion.Exodus 12:29-51 & 14:1-31: The Exodus and crossing of the Red Sea, the origin of baptism.John 1:29: John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the "Lamb of God."1 Peter 1:18-19: Redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish.Key PointsCommunion: The Passover Fulfilled To understand the Last Supper, we must understand the First Supper (Passover). In Exodus 12, God provided a substitute (a lamb) to save the Israelites from judgment. This lamb had to be:Pure: Without defect.Personal: Kept in the home for four days.Killed: A true sacrifice.Applied: Blood on the doorposts (faith in action).Consumed: Totally devoured (we take all of Jesus).Taken in Faith: Eaten in haste, ready to move. Jesus is the fulfillment of this Passover lamb. He is the pure, personal sacrifice whose blood is applied to our lives, saving us from judgment.Baptism: The Red Sea Crossing Baptism is framed by the Israelites' crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14). It involves three movements of salvation:Leaving the Old Behind: Just as Israel left 430 years of slavery in Egypt, baptism symbolizes leaving our old life of bondage.Surrendering to God: At the Red Sea, Israel was trapped and terrified. Moses told them, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Baptism declares our trust in God to fight battles we cannot win.New Identity: Passing through the waters, Israel was born again as a free nation. They emerged on the other side with a new identity as worshipers, erupting in song. Baptism marks our entry into a new life and identity in Christ.Why We Do It We practice baptism and communion because Jesus commanded them, the early church practiced them, and they powerfully reenact the story of our salvation. They are not just rituals; they are "sacraments" that mark the church and remind us of who we are and whose we are.ConclusionThe sacraments of baptism and communion are God's way of "resetting our clocks" and marking us as His own. Just as the Passover changed the calendar for Israel, meeting Jesus changes everything for us. We leave behind the old, trust God to fight for us, and step into a new identity as His people.Calls to ActionRemember Your Baptism: If you are a believer, recall the moment you "crossed the Red Sea" and left your old life behind.Take Communion in Faith: When you participate in the Lord's Supper, remember the cost of the Lamb and apply His blood to your life by faith.Stand Firm: If you are facing an "impossible" Red Sea situation, hear the word of the Lord: "Do not be afraid. Stand firm... The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Support the show*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI. Please notify us if you find any errors.

In Exodus 2:15–22, we meet Moses in a season of dislocation—fleeing Egypt, finding refuge in Midian, starting a family, and naming his son Gershom, “a foreigner in a foreign land.” This moment opens a deeper question the passage raises for us today: What does it mean to leave a legacy? Not a legacy of success, achievement, or family status, but a legacy shaped by the ongoing work of God in a life that is still in process. Recorded November 30, 2025.

In Exodus 3, Moses encounters a burning bush—a fire that blazed with God's presence yet did not burn out. That same picture reveals God's desire for us today: to move from a life that fizzles to a faith that sizzles with passion and purpose.Be part of what God is doing at Mount Holly. To learn more about our ministries, our pastor, and to plan your visit, click here: https://www.mountholly.orgBecause of your generosity, we're able to continue leading people into the life-changing presence of God. If you feel led to give, click here: https://www.mountholly.org/give

Last week we considered why God saves His people. But God's salvation and judgement often go hand in hand. Indeed God' s judgement of His enemies is often the means by which He saves His people. In Exodus 7:8-10:29, we are given three reasons why God judges the Egyptians; To reveal Himself to the world, to display His power and authority and humble both His enemies and His people. The implication for God's enemies is that they should repent and turn to Him for salvation while His people should learn to serve Him in humility because they recognise that except by His miraculous power, no one can be saved from his judgement.

In Exodus 6, we find a seemingly dry genealogy delivering a startling truth: God knows exactly who He calls, why He calls them, and how their small story fits into His gigantic redemptive plan.Today, we continue our year-long Bible study in the book of Exodus, The Gospel: One Rescue at a Time. In this episode, Paul shows how Moses' lineage reveals a God who calls us intentionally, equips us purposefully, and weaves our stories into His covenant promises.For more of these Bible studies, visit PaulTripp.com/Exodus.

In Exodus 6, we find a seemingly dry genealogy delivering a startling truth: God knows exactly who He calls, why He calls them, and how their small story fits into His gigantic redemptive plan.Today, we continue our year-long Bible study in the book of Exodus, The Gospel: One Rescue at a Time. In this episode, Paul shows how Moses' lineage reveals a God who calls us intentionally, equips us purposefully, and weaves our stories into His covenant promises.For more of these Bible studies, visit PaulTripp.com/Exodus.

Moses wasn't looking for God—but God came looking for him. In Exodus 3, the eternal Jesus appears in the burning bush, revealing His holiness, His compassion, and His plan to rescue His people. The same “I AM” who stepped down to deliver Israel is the One who steps into our world and calls us into His mission.

This week in our series Follow: The Story of Exodus, we step into one of the most profound moments in all of Scripture—the Passover.As God brings the final plague upon Egypt, He reveals His ultimate authority over life and death…and the way of salvation that would echo for generations. In Exodus 11–12, we see the spotless lamb, the applied blood, and the night when God both judged and redeemed.But this moment wasn't just Israel's deliverance—it was a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the true Passover Lamb. From the timing of the week to the shedding of blood, every detail pointed forward to the cross where Christ would become our substitute, our atonement, and our life.In this message, Pastor Tommy shows:Why the Passover is the clearest picture of the gospel in the Old TestamentHow Jesus fulfills every part of the Passover patternWhy the blood of the Lamb is our only hopeAnd how remembering His sacrifice keeps our hearts anchored in graceWe closed the service at the Lord's Table, remembering that our redemption came through the blood of a spotless substitute—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.If you've ever wondered how the story of Exodus connects to the cross, this message will open your eyes to the beauty of God's plan from beginning to end.

Exodus 10:1-20

Ever felt like God isn't showing up when you need Him most? In Exodus 17, God's people—fresh from miracles—face thirst in the desert and start demanding answers. This story isn't just about water from a rock; it's about hearts under pressure. What happens when we put God to the test—and discover He's testing us too? Join us as we explore a God who can do the impossible, who reveals what's inside us through trials, and who responds with grace even when we fail.

As we read Moses' birth narrative, we are introduced to some very interesting people. In Exodus, chapter two, we will learn about Miriam, Moses' sister, and the role she played in his early life. We will wonder why Pharaoh's daughter, who pulled Moses from the Nile, let a Hebrew woman nurse him (instead of hiring an Egyptian). We will be amazed by the "rest of the story"" of Pharaoh's daughter's later life. And we will try to determine who gave Moses his name. This episode is all about the women in Moses' early life!

Every story of redemption bleeds. From Genesis to Revelation, the theme is the same: sin brings death, but God provides a substitute. In Eden, He clothed Adam and Eve with the skin of a sacrifice. In Exodus, a lamb's blood on the doorposts saved Israel's firstborn. But at the Jordan River, John the Baptist pointed and declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”For centuries, people had brought their lambs to God. That day, God brought His Lamb to the people.Jesus wasn't a victim of Rome or religion. He was the willing substitute. Isaiah 53 says, “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities.” The cross wasn't an accident — it was an altar.Sin demanded justice. Love supplied Jesus. When He hung there, He absorbed every ounce of wrath that should've been ours. Every sin, every shame, every secret — nailed, judged, and finished.You don't need to carry guilt another day. Grace doesn't deny your sin; it declares it paid in full. The Lamb of God didn't just cover sin temporarily — He canceled it eternally.So when you stumble, don't hide in shame. Run to the Lamb. He's not surprised; He's already paid.

What if the obstacles in your life aren't punishment—but God exposing what you trust more than Him?In Exodus 7–10, God unleashes the plagues of Egypt—not as random acts of judgment, but as a divine confrontation with false gods. Each plague tears down an idol Egypt trusted for life, pleasure, security, and control. And the truth is, God still does the same today.He confronts our idols—not to shame us—but to set us free.Freedom begins when we stop worshiping what cannot save and remember that our God alone reigns.

In Exodus 25, God gives instructions for building a sanctuary—not because He needs a place to live, but because He desires to be close to His people. This message explores what it means to serve a God who doesn’t stay distant, but chooses to dwell with us. From the tabernacle in the wilderness to the presence of Jesus and the Spirit today, we’re reminded that God’s greatest desire is relationship, not ritual.

Human beings have always prided themselves on the advantage gained from possessing knowledge that others lack. We boast of being smarter, more informed, more enlightened—as if we were the elite guardians of some secret insight reserved for our sect, our institution, or our circle. Whether the advantage lies in religious doctrine, education, status, political ideology, or modern technology, it always devolves into the same pattern: insiders against outsiders, the few who “know” against the many who do not.From ancient cults, esoteric associations, and manufactured religions (steeped in symbols wrongly appropriated from sacred texts) to modern marketing campaigns promising the “secret to success,” humanity's obsession with exclusive knowledge endures. Yet all of it is vanity—corruption and folly dressed as wisdom. Whether through ritual, ideology, or playground-style cliques, every claim to possess hidden knowledge and to exercise control over others is sublime vanity, doomed to folly.There is only one source of knowledge—the Father of all—and he alone is the fountain of might, power, and strength. Scripture repeats this warning at every turn, and when human beings ignore it, all things collapse in ruin. The arrogant, trusting in themselves, gleefully amplify human chaos in opposition to him, emboldened by misguided self-confidence.Indeed, their knowledge springs from self-importance, and their strength from oppression. In their false eschaton, the work of men's hands turns to dust, even as the God of Abraham remains—ever present, all-knowing, all-wise, and all-powerful. Moreover, as Matthew wrote, this God stands as the enemy of those among them who invoke his name, “Lord, Lord.”But Yahweh, our Elohim, is always in control despite the schemes of Baal's followers who deceive the devout who have fallen for the institutions he destroys.“For they plan, and God plans; and God is the best of planners.”وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَwa-makarū wa-makara llāhu, wa-llāhu khayru l-mākirīn(Qurʾan, Surat Āl ʿImrān سورة آل عمران “The Family of Imran” 3:54)Every time the human being seizes power or claims insight as his own, the result is the same: pride, decay, and judgment. Yet each collapse becomes Elohim's opportunity to remind us of his immutable sovereignty. He alone commands and restores. As it is written by Paul's right hand:“God is not mocked.” (Galatians 6:7)His wisdom is not ours to possess, let alone to control or co-opt. His dominion is written into the fabric of creation itself. The heavens do not father the earth; both submit to the patriarchy of the one God of Abraham, the Master of all things.This is the reality encoded in Scriptural grammar and function and fulfilled in the obedience of Jesus. It is the recognition that knowledge and strength proceed only from God's command, which has the power to heal even Israel.This week, I discuss Luke 8:46.“ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· Ἥψατό μού τις, ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔγνων (י-ד-ע) δύναμιν (ח-י-ל) ἐξεληλυθυῖαν ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ.”“But Jesus said, ‘Someone did touch me, for I was aware [ἔγνων (egnon) / י־ד־ע (yod–dalet–ʿayin)] that power [δύναμιν (dynamin) / ח־י־ל (ḥet–yod–lamed)] had gone out of me.'”(Luke 8:46)γινώσκω (ginosko) / י-ד-ע (yod–dalet–ʿayin) / ع-ر-ف (ʿayn–rāʾ–fāʾ)In its scriptural itinerary, יָדַע (yadaʿ) functions as relational recognition rooted in revelation and obedience. Gnostics invert this by treating knowledge as an object of possession: a secret commodity that grants status or liberation to a spiritual elite.The Itinerary of Knowledge“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew [וַיֵּדְעוּ (wayyedaʿu)] that they were naked.” (Genesis 3:7)When Adam and Eve transgress the divine command, their eyes are “opened,” and י-ד-ע (yod–dalet–ʿayin) marks the moment of realization. They do not gain divine insight; they recognize their separation and vulnerability.“You shall know [וִידַעְתֶּם (widaʿtem)] that I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” (Exodus 6:7)In Egypt, Yahweh assured deliverance. Israel will know him as the mighty one who was victorious against the elite rulers who burdened his people. Knowledge comes through divine encounter (in this case, remembrance at the opportune time) and obedience, not human speculation.“Then they shall know [וְיָדְעוּ (weyadeʿu)] that I am Yahweh.” (Ezekiel 6:7)The same Yahweh declares judgment upon Israel for their idolatry. Weyadeʿu means that through destruction and exile—the opportune time—through divine encounter, the people will come to recognize his immutable sovereignty.“The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge [דַּעַת (daʿat)].” (Proverbs 1:7)Wisdom begins not in self-referential discovery but in submission. Daʿat, י-ד-ע (yod–dalet–ʿayin), denotes divine instruction. It is submission to God's ordering of creation that begins with fear, that is, reverent submission to his command.“But Jesus said, ‘Someone did touch me, for I was aware [ἔγνων (egnon)] that power had gone out of me.'” (Luke 8:46)When the woman touches Jesus' garment, ἔγνων (egnon) expresses not psychological awareness but recognition of divine power at work. In Genesis 3:7, Adam and Eve know [wayyedaʿu] only after breaking the divine command. What they perceive is separation, not illumination. In Exodus 6:7, Israel knows [widaʿtem] Yahweh because at the opportune time, they remember his act of deliverance; the exiles know [weyadeʿu] Yahweh through judgment. In every case, knowledge is not a self-referential human discovery but an encounter with God's judgment. Even in Proverbs 1:7, daʿat signifies not human moral or ethical insight but awareness of divine instruction grounded in reverent fear.When Jesus knows that power has gone out from him (Luke 8:46), the same dynamic unfolds: divine initiative, human encounter, recognition, and restoration. The “knowing” is God-referential. It is an acknowledgment of divine operation rather than an act of introspection.This same itinerary and literary pattern continues in the Qurʾan, where the Arabic triliteral root ع-ر-ف (ʿayn–rāʾ–fāʾ) appears frequently. Its core function is to know, recognize, acknowledge, or make known. It parallels the Hebrew י-ד-ע (yod–dalet–ʿayin) and the Greek γινώσκω (ginosko) in expressing knowledge as submission to God rather than human possession.“And say, ‘All praise be to God! He will show you his signs, and you will recognize them [فَتَعْرِفُونَهَا (fa-taʿrifūnahā)]. And your Lord is never unaware of what you do.'” (Qurʾan, Surat al-Naml سورة النمل “The Ant” 27:93)The Prophet is commanded to proclaim divine praise. God will reveal his آيَات (āyāt, “signs”), and humans will recognize them. تَعْرِفُونَهَا

Ever feel like following God has made life harder, not easier? Like you traded predictable pain for terrifying freedom? This is a message for anyone who has ever stood at a Sea moment and thought, “Maybe I should just go back.”In Exodus 13–14, the people of Israel are finally free… and immediately feel trapped. Pharaoh changes his mind. A sea blocks their path. Fear rewrites their memories and freedom suddenly feels overwhelming.We look at why God sometimes takes “the long way,” how fear convinces us that slavery was easier, and how Jesus (the better mediator/Moses) accomplishes for us the greatest Exodus, from sin, shame, and sorrow.Download this week's group discussion guide here.

God doesn't call his people to cookie-cutter faith. The tabernacle was crafted with intentional detail, not to impress others, but to welcome God's presence. In Exodus 39:32-43 we'll explore what it means to be “built differently” as followers of Jesus: shaped by God's design, committed to his standards, and marked by his presence in everything we do. When we build our lives according to God's blueprint, he delights to put his glory on display.

First Thanksgiving Feast - "Take, Eat: Thankful for the Hope of Salvation" - Exodus 16:1-15; Matthew 26:26-28 From manna in the wilderness to bread at the table, God's story of redemption has always been told through a meal. In Exodus, He provided the first taste of His provision—and Jesus completed it when He broke bread with His followers. Over that simple meal, He gave thanks for what symbolized His own body and blood, soon to be broken and shed for us. Even facing the cross, Jesus was thankful—joyful—for the Father's perfect plan. This serves to remind us that gratitude isn't just for blessings we can see, but for the salvation we've received.

Life moves fast—and in the rush, our souls get weary. We push harder, run faster, and wonder why we still feel empty inside. But God built a rhythm into creation that helps us rest, remember, and recover.In Exodus 20:8, God commands us to “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” In Deuteronomy 5:15, He ties rest to remembering where He brought us from. And in Hebrews 4:11, we're told to “make every effort to enter that rest.” These verses remind us that rest isn't a luxury—it's a spiritual necessity for soul recovery.This message unpacks what it really means to find rest for your soul in a restless world. When you stop striving and start trusting, you'll rediscover peace, clarity, and the presence of God in ways you may have forgotten.

Sometimes, following God makes life harder before it gets better. In Exodus 5–6, Moses obeys God's call — and immediately faces resistance, disappointment, and doubt. But even in the weight of opposition, God is working. When the burden gets heavier, it's not because He's forgotten you — it's because He's strengthening your faith for the miracle to come. This message reminds us to remember who He is, what He has done, and to trust what He will do.

Everyone has a defining moment. What if yours already happened—before you were born?In Exodus 12, death is coming. God commands His people: slaughter a lamb, paint its blood on your door, then gather your family and eat. This meal becomes THE moment that defines them forever. And it's the moment that helps us understand what Jesus meant when He said, "This is my body, broken for you." The Passover doesn't just explain communion—it IS the gospel. Substitution. Blood covering. A feast that sustains you for the journey.If God can take traumatized slaves and give them a new story, a new identity, a new beginning... He can do the same for you.Download this week's sermon discussion guide here.

Many believers live forgiven but not free. We believe Jesus can save—but struggle to believe He can truly set us free. In Exodus 4, Moses stands before God still bound by doubt and fear, yet God reveals His power through three signs that foreshadow the Gospel: authority over sin, healing from shame, and redemption through the blood. Freedom doesn't depend on our strength—it depends on His victory already accomplished.

In Exodus 24, God establishes His covenant with Israel—sealed in blood, confirmed by sacrifice, and celebrated with a shared meal in His presence. Though His people later broke that covenant, God's mercy endured. In Jesus Christ, the true Mediator, God formed a new and better covenant, sealed with Christ's own blood and inviting us into lasting relationship, redemption, and fellowship with God.

The first step in knowing God is unlearning everything you think you know.In Exodus 7–10, God doesn't just free His people from Egypt—He dismantles Egypt's entire way of seeing the world. Through the Ten Plagues, He reveals Himself by unmaking their reality and tearing down the false gods they had trusted for meaning, security, and control.In this message, we'll explore our response to the God who hides in plain sight, kills our "gods," and thrusts our lives into emptiness and chaos... so that he can make us new.Download our group discussion guide here.

God provides the tabernacle to serve as a microcosm of Creation and God's glory. In Exodus 35, the Israelites gather the materials to build and collect everything for the construction of the tabernacle. As Exodus hinges to focus on the construction of the tabernacle, we too are called to tabernacle everywhere we go as the tabernacle, and us, are a glimpse of heaven on earth and an invitation to worship the one true God everywhere we go.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, his face shone because he had been in the presence of God. Israel saw it, and they could not deny it: God's glory had left a mark. In Exodus 34, we're reminded that the God who renews His covenant also transforms His people. His presence doesn't just stay on the mountain; it changes hearts and lives. God's radiant presence also points us to Christ, in whom the glory of God is fully revealed. Through Jesus, we are called to reflect that glory in our everyday lives.

God doesn't just save us—He calls us.In Exodus 3, God meets Moses in the wilderness, reveals His holiness, declares His name, and sends him on mission to set His people free. This same God—revealed in the burning bush as “I AM”—is the One who calls and sends us today. His holiness humbles us, His compassion moves us, and His presence empowers us to go.

In Exodus we see Moses serving a mediator: representing God to the people and the people to God. How does this role point forward to how Jesus redeems us by God's grace?

Persistence may be hard, all things in life are hard. In Exodus, Moses is tired and weary but he is supported by Aaron and Hur to fulfill what the Lord wants. Then, Jesus in the gospel of Luke also speaks on persistence and to pray unceasingly without being weary. Jesus was weary on the cross with no assistance but he still cried out to his father that “thy will be done”. His sacrifice and his permanent patience is the reason we come to mass, to praise, to adore and to unceasingly embrace our God who came down to Earth for our sins.

God didn't just redeem His people to obey Him—He redeemed them to walk with Him. In Exodus 23, we see that God leads, protects, and provides through His presence, sending His angel to guard and guide His people on the journey. Along the way, He calls them to trust His process, remembering that His blessings often come through obedience and that His work unfolds not all at once, but through steady growth—little by little.

When life feels like a battle, where do you turn for strength? In Exodus 17, Moses, Joshua, and the Israelites discover that God’s provision comes not only through His power, but also through His people. In this message, Pastor Felix Arellano unpacks how God’s power is made perfect in our weakness and how true victory comes when we rely on His strength and lean on one another in faith. The story of Moses raising his staff, supported by Aaron and Hur, reveals that God designed us to live in community, not isolation. If you’ve ever tried to face life’s battles alone, this message is a reminder: you were never meant to. God’s provision flows through dependence on Him and connection with others.

In Exodus chapter seven God shows up as Judge! And pastor James Kaddis believes it's a good place to turn to to learn about the judgement of God. He'll point out a few noteworthy lessons flowing from it today on Light on the Hill. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

Tuesday, 14 October 2025   The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. Matthew 13:38   “And the field, it is the world. And the good seed, these, they are the sons of the kingdom. And the weeds, they are the sons of the evil” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus began His explanation of the parable of the darnel, explaining that the One sowing good seed is the Son of Man. He continues with, “And the field, it is the world.”   The word kosmos is used. It signifies an orderly arrangement. By implication, it thus speaks of the world. However, that can be the world as the globe, the inhabitants of the world, the state of the world (as in “they are not of the world”), etc.   Jesus' parable goes far beyond a single field or the several fields of a landowner. As such, it would explain why the parable would not be understood without really thinking things through, and maybe not at all.   When evaluating such things, the human mind will make images of what is happening, such as in the sowing of a field. To expand out to the entire world takes a real leap in thought. Jesus continues, saying, “And the good seed, these, they are the sons of the kingdom.”   Having already heard the explanation of the parable of the sower, the imagery here is understandable. The seed reflects people. Obviously, if the sower wants a good harvest, he will sow good seed. The same would be true with Jesus. He will only bring forth that which is good. However, “And the weeds, they are the sons of the evil.”   Pretty much every translation adds in the word “one,” saying, “sons of the evil one,” “wicked one,” etc. This is a correct thought, but it is not a true rendering. It only uses the adjective as a descriptor. Hence, italicizing it is appropriate. Jesus will continue the explanation in the next verse.   Life application: There is a standard method of interpreting Scripture that has been set forth for eons: “Let Scripture interpret Scripture.” In other words, when something is recorded in the Bible, the way to interpret it, first and foremost, is to let the explanation of it be what the Bible says about it.   For example, the story of Sarah and Hagar is recorded in Genesis. For almost 1500 years, it was “just a story” with a meaning that was not understood. Scholars would give their ideas about why it was included in Scripture, normally ensuring that it was understood that the line leading to the Jewish people was highlighted as the true line, chosen of God.   This is not incorrect, but it is incomplete. There are exacting details in the narrative that could have just been left out, and that premise would still be understood. But every word of Scripture has a particular reason for being there.   Only in the coming of Christ and the introduction of the New Covenant is the reason for the story understood. Paul gives a brief explanation of it in Galatians 4, stating “which things are symbolic” in verse 4:24. As Paul has given the explanation under the inspiration of God, we do not need to look for any other explanation for the story. We are thus letting Scripture interpret Scripture.   This is true with incense. In both testaments, incense is explicitly stated as being a metaphor for prayer (see Psalm 141:2 and Revelation 5:8). Therefore, we don't need to speculate about its set typology when looking at the times when incense is mentioned in the Bible.   In Exodus, great detail is given concerning incense. Understanding that it signifies prayer, the meaning of all of those details becomes evident and can be properly analyzed. This is true with something found in the parable of the darnel. In this verse, Jesus said, “And the field, it is the world.”   Therefore, because Jesus has explained what the field signifies (in Hebrew, sadeh means field), we don't need to go anywhere else to understand what is being seen in the typology of a given passage. All we need to do is consistently stick to what Jesus has said.   Unfortunately, translations may fail to translate sadeh as field at times, or they will translate something else as field from another word that actually has a different meaning. Therefore, we can make errors in our figuring out typology by trusting in a given translation that has failed to be consistent. An example would be Genesis 32:3 –   “And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom” (KJV).   The KJV failed to translate sadeh as field, instead rendering it “country.” The NKJV followed that translation, but they thankfully footnoted it as “field.” If one were to read only the KJV, he would never know that it was a faulty rendering of the word. If he were attempting to typologically explain the passage, his explanation would be faulty because of the already faulty translation.   Therefore, when doing an analysis of a passage, attempting to understand what it means, 1) first and foremost, let Scripture interpret Scripture, 2) be consistent in your typological meanings, (if you are to divert from a particular typology, you must have a valid reason for doing so), 3) don't trust a single, faulty translation (like the KJV), and expect proper results. Check with the original. It is not difficult to do, and it will keep you on a sounder, surer path of properly explaining the passage.   Lord God, may we be careful with Your word, never making stuff up in order to provide an explanation that we want. Rather, may we go where You are leading as we carefully evaluate the set purpose and intent that You have for each passage. Amen.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen Forming relationships is foundational in every aspect of our lives. From early relationships formed with family and childhood friends, to our experiences in sports, school, and work, we are made for relationships. God is relational. He was never alone. At the beginning of Genesis, we can see the unity God has in the trinity—one God, three persons: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Father) The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Holy Spirit) (Genesis 1:1-2). While Jesus is not specifically named in Genesis one, in Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let us make man in our image” (Son). As John 1:1-4 states: In the beginning was the Word (Jesus) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Thus implying Jesus. The essence of the Almighty is one body with three distinct members. I love the simple way one person described the Trinity as “one what” and “three whos”. We are made in God's image (Genesis 1:26); we are not made to do life alone. But what are relationships with one Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? The more I look externally at my relationships, the more I desire to see how this one relationship could impact every other relationship I have. For most of us, there may be a relationship in our live that is not what we hoped it to be. If you can say boldly, no Lauren, everything is terrific with everyone in my life, I would simply love to meet you! This is not my experience, nor is it my experience with many of my close friends and colleagues. Watch the news or read an opinion article. Our relationships are very broken. Have you ever heard the phrase “born sinner”? This is a theological phrase from the concept of the original sin born by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Yes, the one with the fruit and the snake that leaves Adam and Eve hiding in the bushes naked from God. From this, we have inherited a sinful nature from birth. My aim is not to paint a depressing picture about a lifetime of doomed connections but rather to stress the importance of our personal relationship with God and his trinitarian nature. Each person of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—plays an important relational role in our lives. Each is a model for how we can outwardly express ourselves in relationship with others. The early age relationships we form are called attachment relationships and help children from birth to 6 years old develop a sense of security and trust which can impact their future relationships as they get older. Can you join me in having the mind of a young child? I want you to deeply consider how you can develop a deep attachment relationship with the persons of the Trinity. A secure and trusting relationship can impact every future relationship you have! After all, some of you are God's child! You have a fresh and new start! In John 3:3, Jesus tells us unless we are born again, we cannot see the kingdom of God. In fact, the Trinity is seen all together in verses in John 3:1-8. While we worship the triune God, let's carefully consider the attributes of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit while recognizing one is not greater than another, and they exist in perfect harmony. How do these specific attributes help us relate to others? God the Father. The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation (Exodus 34:6-7). In Exodus 34: 6-7, God describes himself to Moses. We know he is God, and we are not. Yet, we can consider his attributes in our own relationships. Are we merciful and gracious to others? Slow to anger?

We love “a little extra”—filters, toppings, bling. But sometimes the extra hides the real you. In Exodus 33, God told His people: “Take off your ornaments.” Not because He hated jewelry, but because He wanted their hearts. This episode is about stripping away the distractions so you can walk lighter, freer, and closer with God. Listen on your favorite platform.

5:40 - How do I approach my Catholic children? / 16:39 - Revelation 3:9, what is the Synagogue of Satan? / 24:56 - Do you think the man in prison for Charlie Kirk's murder is the actual killer? / 30:00 - How can I talk to my pastor about putting feelings over truth? / 47:37 - In Exodus, why does a bull that's killed a man have to be stoned to death? / 52:25 - If a church is pastored by a woman, is it backsliding?

In this message, Terry Timm explores the life of Moses, the prototype prophet. In Exodus 19, God calls His people into covenant, reminding them they are His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. Through Moses we see what it means to be a prophet: one who encounters God directly, leads God's people in freedom and faithfulness, and intercedes on their behalf. Moses is remembered in Deuteronomy 18 as the prophet par excellence, and the New Testament points us to Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of Moses' role — the One who mediates a new covenant of grace and truth.

In Exodus 4, Moses resists God's call out of fear, pleading for someone else to be sent in his place. Today, we continue our year-long Bible study in the book of Exodus, The Gospel: One Rescue at a Time.In this episode, Paul shows how God responds with both a vertical reminder of His power and presence, and the horizontal help of Aaron, revealing the same patience and grace He offers us when we resist His call.

In Exodus 4, Moses resists God's call out of fear, pleading for someone else to be sent in his place. Today, we continue our year-long Bible study in the book of Exodus, The Gospel: One Rescue at a Time.In this episode, Paul shows how God responds with both a vertical reminder of His power and presence, and the horizontal help of Aaron, revealing the same patience and grace He offers us when we resist His call.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen We love it when things happen quickly! Wouldn't it be great if the dream that came to your mind could just—poof—happen tomorrow? I admit, the thought of a good vision suddenly happening muses in my mind. Culturally, this is sometimes referred to as manifesting something. Basically, if you think about it enough and envision it as done, then it will be so. You and I know only God can perform a mighty miracle like this, and more often than not, he prefers to use the long game of endurance to help us build that one fruit of the Spirit we are talking about this month—patience. The more I thought about enduring in patience, I realized it is part of how God created us in his image. About 4,000 years passed from the fall in Genesis to Jesus in the Gospels. During this time, God endured in patience while his people fell in and out of obedience. Our God is a super patient God. As his people, we really need to work on this enduring part! Let's consider the story of Moses and Mt. Sinai. This is the time he had to go up to meet with God to receive the commandments for the people of Israel. First, he had to cut two giant tablets of stone. While we don't know how long this took, I can imagine this took patience in the form of endurance. Next, he went up for 40 days in the presence of the Lord. The Lord himself inscribed those stone tablets with the 10 Commandments for his people. During those 40 days, the people of Israel did not endure patiently! In Exodus 32 you can read more about the Israelite's impatience and their demands on Moses's brother Aaron to create something for them to worship—the golden calf. They were so impatient in waiting on God, they used their worldly possessions of gold and jewelry to create this golden calf. Moses comes down from Mt Sinai to this sight and drops the tablets—breaking them into pieces. The word of God—his own penmanship—shattered! After the destruction of this man-made idol, Moses again cuts two more tablets and heads back up Mt. Sinai for another 40 days. God must redo the tablets for Moses to take back down to the remaining people of Israel. How often are you trading the endurance God may be calling you to for something you are making for yourself? Are you leaning into what culture tells you to do? Going it alone—creating your own destiny? We are created in God's image, and God is very patient! He wants us to be patient with him! God's timing is always perfect!

In Exodus 4, Moses is still filled with doubt and fear. Yet instead of turning away in frustration, God meets Moses with grace.Today, we continue our year-long Bible study in the book of Exodus, The Gospel: One Rescue at a Time. In this episode, Paul reminds us that the same God who met Moses in his doubt meets us too with reassuring grace in the face of our fears.

In Exodus 3, God promises Moses that Pharaoh will only release Israel when compelled by “a mighty hand.”Today, we continue our year-long Bible study in the book of Exodus, The Gospel: One Rescue at a Time. In this episode, Paul reminds us that the same mighty hand that delivered Israel is our comfort today.