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Life After Infertility with Sarah Sisson-Rollandini

November 30, 2020 by Jenna No Comments

Bridge of the Faithful

Life After Infertility with Sarah Sisson-Rollandini

00:00 / 26:10

Sarah had a 10-year journey with infertility that included waiting, miscarriages, tubal pregnancies, and failed IVF. These circumstances brought lots of questions like Where are you, God? Are you Good? and What do I do next? Her book Life After Infertility documents her hurting, her humor, and her hope as she learned to see life through God’s dreams and not her own. Infertility was painful and hard, but she wouldn’t change a thing as she looks back to recognize God’s faithfulness and foresight in bringing her three beautiful children: two through adoption and one through surrogacy.

“I learned that God doesn’t close doors to open windows so much as smash the whole place to smithereens to make way for new dreams, His dreams for us. That is my story. After years of chronic grief that followed me around like a black cloud, I said yes to a new idea of family. Would you believe me if I told you that you are not alone? That God cares even more about the child you are waiting for than you do? My book, Life After Infertility: A Story of Hope for Those Who Wait, launched into the world on May 2, 2020. My deepest desire is that you will count me as a friend in your struggle as you hold my story in your hands and read the truth in its pages”

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Resources:
Check out Sarah’s Website here.
Her book: Life After Infertility

Embryo Adoption with Maria Lancaster

November 2, 2020 by Jenna No Comments

Bridge of the Faithful

Embryo Adoption with Maria Lancaster

00:00 / 38:56

Maria Lancaster is no stranger to the journey and pain of infertility. After having several miscarriages yet knowing in her heart that God was going to give her a baby, she wasn’t sure what was left. Then, her husband heard Dr. James Dobson on the radio discussing embryo adoption. As a pioneer in this ministry, Maria became the mother of her beautiful daughter and a legacy began. She founded Embryo Adoption Services of Cedar Park, Inc where it is her joy to match and join new families in miraculous new ways. Through her services, she honors the donor family by recognizing the pain and sacrifice they make; a true and selfless gift to the adopting families. She credits the Holy Spirit in being with her during the match process, guiding and providing the perfect timing, with a 12-year track record of protection along the way. Embryo adoption is a beautiful representation of being born again and adopted into God’s family. Listen to experience how God truly cares about these families and the babies they are bringing into the world together.

Psalm 64:9- Everyone shall stand in awe and confess the greatness of the miracle of God. They will realize what amazing things He does.

Resources:
www.adoptembryos.org
www.donateembryos.org

Infertility is Never the End of the Story

October 19, 2020 by Jenna No Comments

Bridge of the Faithful

Infertility is Never the End of the Story

00:00 / 22:52

According to the CDC, approximately 13% of women between 15-44 years of age suffer from issues affecting fertility, ranging from endometriosis, PCOS, to the unknown.
- I was blown away after polling my Facebook friends, I had never realized how many brave people were facing it and willing to raise their hands. I know that there are many more out there that are afraid to talk about it.
This episode is dedicated to those people struggling to understand why, feeling “less than,” or having an identity crisis through this journey. You are all important to God, the one who carries you through who made you, who knows you and loves you more than you could ever understand.
How do I know? Because I’ve had my own journey in the lonely and painful land. For over three years (which I realize is not as long as some of you) I wrestled with all of these issues, including keeping a journal as I dealt with my anger and grief.
- The words of my journal are not easy to share. They show a lot of the ugly that God needed to deal with (and still does).
- However, God grabbed my heart and reminded me that He’s got this.
Infertility is not a subject that is ignored in the Bible:
- Sarah (wife of Abraham)
  - Genesis 12 God promised Abraham that he would be “the father of many nations” and “extremely fruitful.”
  - There was a waiting period. The promise was not fulfilled until we get to Genesis 21, 25 years later. God does not shy away from letting us know about the wait.
  - Sarah made mistakes during the waiting period, losing hope, and forgetting the promise.
    - But God still kept His promise.
    - God’s faithfulness does NOT depend on ours.
- Rebekah (wife of Isaac)
  - Genesis 25:21 – Isaac pleaded with the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The LORD answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins.
  - Isaac and Rebekah traveled through 19 years of infertility because they had their sons.
  - Isaac was more patient: he had seen God answer these prayers first hand. He was the answer to one of these prayers.
  - Our God is generous.
    - Isaac pleaded for a child. He got double that.
    - Psalm 23:5 – You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.
    - John 3:16 – For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
    - God’s blessings and promises are extravagant.
- Leah and Rachel (wives of Jacob)
  - This story is interesting because it includes the competitiveness of these women, something we all deal with today.
- - Genesis 30:1 – When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob “give me children, or I’ll die!”
    - It seems dramatic, but we’ve all been there, right?
    - Rachel knew the pain of infertility, and the Bible doesn’t shy away from that.
  - When we give in to the lie that our value and worthiness depends on our fertility, it changes our outlook and our choices.
    - In this story, it began a war between sisters, seen in Genesis 30. Between the lines, you can see there was hostility, pride, fighting, and bragging mixed in and fueled by the pain.
    - Rachel gave her maid to Jacob to get sons.
    - Leah did the same when she stopped having children.
    - Despite the competition and tension ruling this house, God was still working.
  - The naming of children is incredibly important in the Old Testament. They were either chosen to commemorate something (like Isaac, based on the laughter of Sarah) or as a declaration of God’s faithfulness like Samuel (see further down).
    - After giving her servant to Jacob, Rachel names the child Napthali. Genesis 30:8- “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I am winning!”
    - God worked in Rachel’s heart and answered her prayers. She named her son. Genesis 30:22-24 “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. And she named him Joseph, for she said “May the LORD add yet another son to my family.”
      - The name Joseph means “he will add.” In the time between Napthali’s birth and the birth of Joseph, Rachel was able to see God’s love and promises, and know that she could declare that He had more in store for her.
  - Tamar (daughter in law of Judah)
    - This marks the 4th generation of infertility in this family. It is definitely not conventional.
    - Genesis 38 gives us this juxtaposition story.
      - Tamar was married to Judah’s oldest son. He died before they had children, so his brother was obligated to give them a son. He refused, prevented her from getting pregnant, and he died as well. Afraid that she was a curse, Judah sent her away.
      - Tamar was forced to take things into her own hand, pretended to be a prostitute, and had relations with Judah.
      - This resulted in her becoming pregnant with twins.
      - This story is told in the middle of the story of Joseph in Egypt. Both Tamar and Joseph did nothing wrong but were blamed and punished for it. Judah and Potiphar’s wife were both inadvertently used by God turning their selfishness into blessing the entire world.
      - God is simultaneously able to give justice AND grace.
        Psalm 89:14- Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
        Hebrews 4:16 – So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.
        These are NOT contradicting verses. These are two facets of the character of God- He is both just AND merciful. He makes wrongs right while also being completely gracious.
        Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of both God’s just making right the wrong of all our sins) and God’s mercy (grace toward us, His beloved creation).
  - Hannah
    - In Samuel 1, Hannah goes to the closest place she can get to God: the temple. She prays so fervently that Eli the priest thinks that she is drunk! In this prayer, she begs God for a son. She doesn’t stop there though, she tells God that she will dedicate her child completely to Him.
    - She names her son Samuel, meaning “God heard.”
    - Samuel became the prophet anointing Saul and David to be the kings of Israel.
  - Manoah’s Wife
    - Judges 13 tells a story about a man named Manoah and his wife. The Angel of the Lord visits her, telling her that she will bear a son and that he is to be set apart.
    - This son was Samson (as in Samson and Delilah), who had the famous strength and hair.
    - Samson ended up killing thousands of Philistines and therefore giving the Israelites a huge victory.
  - The Shunamite Woman
    - 2 Kings 4 tells the story of the Elisha and the Shunamite woman.
    - This woman built on to her and her husband’s house just so Elisha would have a room when he visited their area.
    - When Elisha asked her what he could give her to repay, she didn’t ask for anything.
    - Elisha’s servant realized that she didn’t have a child, so he suggested this as a blessing.
      - She was so afraid of the hope of having a child that she couldn’t even bear the idea of that conversation.
    - She did end up having a son, who ended up dying while still young.
      - She ran straight to Elisha. 2 Kings 4:28 – “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘don’t raise my hopes?'”
      - This woman was often afraid to speak her hopes and desires in fear of the pain that would come. if God did not grant them.
      - Despite her fears to actually voice her hopes, she knew that she could go to the place that God proved to her that He knows her heart and cares about what she holds in it. She knew she could fully trust God to know what she wasn’t able to let go of and that He could do something with that pain.
  - Elizabeth
    - Luke 1 tells us the story of Elizabeth, the wife of Levitical priest Zechariah.
    - Luke 1:6- Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and decrees blamelessly.
    - In the culture of this time of history, physical ailments such and infertility were considered to be a consequence of sin. The above verse proves that this was not the case.
    - Later, when Jesus was healing a blind man, he explains in John 9:3- “neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
    - Gabriel the angel announced to Zechariah that Elizabeth would give birth to a son and name him John. However, due to their age, Zechariah did not believe and therefore lost his ability to speak.
      - Despite Zechariah’s unbelief, God was still faithful to His promise.
    - When Elizabeth heard the prophecy she said in Luke 1:25 – The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken my disgrace among the people.”
      - There has to be so much behind this quote. There was so much shame being childless, especially in their higher position as priest and wife. There were likely lots of comments both privately and to her face. We all know how that feels.
  - Mary
    - I realize her story is not exactly infertility, but it is still a story of God’s victory and power over our fertility, no matter how impossible the situation may seem.
God knows that we live in a fallen world and meets us in that, all while doing whatever it takes to move us toward restoration.
- In the book Grace Like Scarlett, Adriel discusses her pain of miscarriage. In it she says “I wanted to linger in the romance, believing perfection was within my reach. But seeing the lifeless ultrasound screen was a stark reminder that we still live. in the tensions between now and not yet. Jesus has come but he is still coming. Restoration has drawn near but it’s still approaching. Heaven is at hand but it’s still descending. Every tear will be wiped away but for now, we still have a reason to cry.”
- I’m not sure where you find yourself in this story. But no matter where you are, INFERTILITY IS NEVER THE END OF THE STORY.
- In the book Surprised by Motherhood, Lisa-Jo Baker tells a story about a man who randomly came up to her and said “God wants you to know that whether you have children or not, He loves you for you.”
- Every time I look at these stories of infertility, I see God preparing to show Himself in a big way. And in all of it, He is showing you that He loves you for you.
- God has proven Himself victorious 100% over these fractures of His original conception of our world.
- Infertility was NOT the end of the story for Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Tamar, Hannah, Monah’s wife, the Shunamite woman, the mother of Samson, Elizabeth, Mary, and it will not be the end of the story for you.
- I am NOT promising that you will have children. I am NOT promising that if you have children you will suddenly be fulfilled and life will be perfect.
- What God does promise is Ephesians 3:20-21 – Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever. Amen!
I know it is hard to wait, that there is pain, doubt, despair, and so many questions.
- There is so much more. And God absolutely and abundantly holds that “more” for you victoriously in His hands.
- God has proven that He is faithful over infertility time and time again. Infertility never has and never will be the end of the story.
Romans 5:3-5 – Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Thrown off Script: Mike Domeny

September 6, 2020 by Jenna No Comments

Bridge of the Faithful

Thrown off Script: Mike Domeny

00:00 / 47:33

Mike Domeny graduated from Cedarville University in Ohio in 2009 with a BA in Organization Communication with minors in Theatre, Psychology, and Bible. As the title of his new book Throw off Script suggests, his life didn’t necessarily go the way he expected. From 2009 to 2011, Mike and his wife traveled the country, living out of suitcases and driving a cargo van to host character-building assemblies in public schools. In 2011 he joined 321 Improv, a hilarious traveling improv comedy ministry (not exactly where he expected to land). Since starting, God has shown him how the tactics of improv can be used in our lives as we face those unexpected moments (*cough* 2020 *cough*). True to form, God showed his sense of humor through Mike by having his book release right in the middle of a global pandemic, where He could bless so many through the wisdom of Mike’s words.

Proverbs 16:9 – The heart of the man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

Connect with Mike:
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikedomenyimprov
On Instagram: @mikedomeny

Racial Reconciliation: An Interview with Faith Mamas

June 13, 2020 by Jenna No Comments

Bridge of the Faithful

Racial Reconciliation: An Interview with Faith Mamas

00:00 / 1:11:22

Our world has been through a lot in 2020 (I think that’s the understatement of the century). First, we had the COVID Crisis; and then here in America, a palpable change in racial tension. After my last episode The Next Right Thing, I realized that my next right thing was to LISTEN. I wanted to give you that opportunity as well. I met with the amazing women of Faith Mamas, who graciously and bravely gave their time and their words to describe their experiences with racism, racial reconciliation, identity, and the faithfulness of our God even in uncertain times like these.

The questions of this conversation include:
- What are your favorite things about African American Culture?
- Define racism. What has it looked like in your life?
- Building a strong identity is pivotal to seeing our true value through Jesus. Describe how racism has affected how you view your value as a person. How has God helped you grow from that?
- What are some ways for people to show respect to African American people and culture?
- As a parent, how can we help our children grow up to defend, love, and respect all ethnicities well?
- In our world’s climate, there is so much lost hope right now. What examples of hope has God provided for you in this time?
- Despite all of the horrible things happening right now, is God still faithful? How has He shown that faithfulness to you?

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

1 John 4:7 – Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Luke 10:27 – And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

You’ve Got Talent

February 15, 2020 by Jenna No Comments

Bridge of the Faithful

You've Got Talent

00:00 / 27:46

Talents are an interestingly vast topic. What is talent? How do you get it? Does everyone have one? In this series, we will discuss all of these areas and get you started in using your very own God-designed talents the way He purposely made you.
Matt 25:14-20 – Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,^[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
I feel like this ending is surprisingly intense. I originally wanted to leave it out. While I really want to encourage you and make you feel good about the talents that you’ve been given, it was important to leave this ending in.
- It was important to Jesus to end the story this way, so taking it out would be cutting Him off.
- It proves how serious Jesus takes talents. God entrusted specific ones to you and He expects you to do something with them. This is a warning that there are consequences if you don’t use them.
What was a talent worth at this time anyway?
- At this time, the currency wasn’t based on what was printed, it was based on weight.
- The currency word that I am most familiar with is “shekel.” A shekel weighed 17 grams, approximately 2 grapes.
- A talent weighs as much as 3,600 shekels or about 75 pounds.
- The modern equivalent worth of a talent differs depending on who you talk to, but many scholars say it should equal about 20 years of a typical day laborer’s salary; $400,000 each.
- Bottom line, when God gives us talents, He is putting us in charge of something incredibly valuable
How do we define “talent” today?
- The dictionary has multiple definitions, but the one I’m using for this is “A power of mind or body considered as given to a person for use and improvement.”
- Some are evident: it’s easy to spot the smart kid, hear the good voice, read a great story, or eat a delicious meal.
- Others are more internal but no less valuable: the ability to feel and understand other people’s emotions, to encourage people to become their best, to be able to communicate points well or to have self-discipline.
- Whether or not you could audition for America’s Got Talent, you have something to offer, and it’s incredibly valuable to the person who gave it to you.
What happens when we don’t use our talents?
- Ultimately, the servant who buried his talent and did nothing with it was cast out of the land.
  - God takes talent very seriously. When He gives us something to take care of, He is not asking us to neglect it and pretend it’s not there in fear of losing it altogether.
  - When fear is the excuse to not use our talents, we are telling God that either we think He made a mistake, or that we don’t trust His gift (and therefore don’t trust Him!)
- Fear is a terrible motivator, it is a lie from Satan set out to keep us from making a difference. In my life, there are two main fears that affect the use of my talents:
  - Fear of failure: I’m often afraid of making a misstep, losing my progress, and being unable to get back to where I was.
    - I’ve learned that in these situations, God proves that He is able to use me way better when I’m weak than when I’m “perfectly nailing it.”
  - Fear of not being good enough: Not that I make a mistake, but that I was never up to par in the first place. A fear that I will put in a lot of work and expectations to find that I don’t qualify or am unworthy.
    - We cannot make our standard of worthiness be the first place or highest level. First of all, it’s just not possible. Secondly, if only the absolute best at something did it, then we wouldn’t have a lot of great teachers, musicians, actors, chefs, etc.
  - This both sum up to one thing: fear of rejection. Who am I afraid of being rejected by?
    - People. Unfortunately, I can’t promise that you are not going to be rejected by people. Jesus actually promises that we will have trouble. But He also promises even bigger things than acceptance by people:
      - John 16:33- I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
      - Matthew 19:29- And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.
      - Those are some pretty big promises!
    - God. This is one person I can absolutely promise will not reject you if you use your talents. He gave them to you in the first place! The only way to get your talents rejected by God is to do nothing with them, as seen in the parable.
How do we find out what our talents are? Everyone is different, but here are some places to start:
- Try new things! See what you enjoy or don’t.
- Ask your friends and family what they see, you may be surprised.
- Take a personality test like Meyers Briggs or Enneagram.
- Look at our last episode and see how my friend Jenn helps people find their strengths.
How should we use our talents?
- Proverbs 21:5- The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
- Jesus chose money in this parable for a reason. Our talents are like currency, we’re meant to cultivate them, use them, give them purpose. We are not meant to hide them away.
  - Some ways to invest in talents are lessons, practice, sacrifice time, research, study.
- Do not compare! Comparison only discourages.
  - Natural talent is easy to spot: the most graceful dancer, the baseball player who inherently knows how to hit a ball, etc. But natural talent does not mean that you should not invest more in them.
  - People who do not have as much natural talent as others can easily become as good as, if not better, than those with natural talent when they invest well (listen to the episode for a true-life story).
- We need to manage them well.
  - Ecclesiastes 9:10- Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
  - Colossians 3:23-24- Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Our talents belong to God, not us.
- Matthew 5:14-16- You are the light of the world. A town, built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (emphasis mine)
- Galatians 5:13-14- You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- 1 Peter 4:10-11- Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
We are not meant to have the same talents.
- In this extremely public and social media-driven world, it is easy to look at others’ talents and accomplishments and wish we had theirs.
- God made you with your talents for a reason!
- Life would be extremely boring and incredibly competitive if we were all designed exactly the same way.
- In the New Testament, Paul calls us to be a team, working together as one body.
  - Romans 12:3-8- For by the grace given me I say to every one of you; Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Whether or not our talent is “glamorous,” its purpose is to glorify God, not ourselves.
- I have a lot of tools in my kitchen that I use. Arguably the least glamorous one that I have is my Dobie Pad (or kitchen sponge).
  - If I didn’t have tools like this that do that dirtier jobs, I would never be able to clean, restore, and reuse my other tools like mixers, whisks, spoons, etc. Sounds kind of like some talents I know, like servanthood and encourager.
  - No matter what our talent is, God designed it for a specific use.
    - Ephesians 2:10- For we are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
    - 1 Corinthians 12:12-25- Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
  - Some day in the (very) distant future, someone may come into my house and say “Wow! What a clean kitchen!” They will not think that it is so clean because I have an amazing Dobie pad, they will know that the work was done by me, the welder of the tool. Our talents need to work that way: show God’s greatness through what He did with us and not taking all of the credit ourselves.
We have a very, very rich God!
- When he talks to the servant with five talents (roughly $2,000,000) he calls it little!
- We serve a God who has endless resources and loves us so much, enough to entrust us with them. When we look at it that way, it makes it so much easier to trust his judgment and use those talents that He gave us.
Matthew 25:21- His master replied, “well done, good and faithful servant: You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.”

Facing the Red Sea

April 4, 2019 by Jenna No Comments

Bridge of the Faithful

Facing the Red Sea

00:00 / 18:45

Recap: I do think that it is OK to question God. However, I do think that it is a bad thing to question God without ever waiting for the answer.
When I was a kid, I used to get so frustrated at the Israelites for their continual loss of trust in God’s faithfulness after all that He had done for them. That’s the key that I am finding: to be able to trust God in our future, we need to get a good look at what He’s done in the past.
Exodus 14 has a huge story in Israel’s history: the parting of the Red Sea.
- This event happened right after the plagues that convinced Pharoah to “let my people go.” Even though the Israelites had seen God’s miraculous assault on Egypt and its gods, they still felt betrayed and scared when they faced the Red Sea.
- I can’t honestly blame them, they were facing extreme danger in front and behind all while sleep deprived and physically exhausted. I don’t think I would have done much better.
- But even when the way looks hopeless, if we’ve followed the clear path that God leads we shouldn’t be afraid. Exodus 14:13-14- But Moses told the people “don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
- The big thing that this story proves is that even when we freak out at our situation, God is still faithful. He doesn’t need our calm or our strength to get us through it, but it would be more glorifying to Him if we do.
- What happened next? God took over! God had been leading the Israelites in a pillar of cloud/fire and He changed from leader to protector. It moved to the back of the group and protected them from the oncoming Egyptian army.
- At the same time, God sent a powerful East Wind to part the Red Sea so that the Israelites could safely cross. For me this isn’t the peaceful parting that I had originally imagined growing up. Science has shown that it would take winds around 63 miles per hour to part the sea in this way. Perspective: the typical tornado ranges from 40-100 mph. I feel this is often how God answers our prayers in these big life-changing moments: with a little bit of turbulence and a big push forward.
- This is our starting point: the escape from Egypt. God loves His people, He works out our rescue, and His plan is always in motion even when we don’t understand. And then, He does even more than we expect!
- Not only did God provide escape, but after the Israelites had crossed safely, He used the same Red Sea to defeat the Egyptian army. So not only did God provide an escape but through that escape, He also completely destroyed the danger that was pursuing them. All through the same tempestuous rescue. So many times I forget that not only did God provide liberation from the sin that enslaved me, but He destroyed it and it cannot overcome me again.
- How does the Israelite’s escape from Egypt apply to us today? It proves three main things: 1. God keeps His promises. 2. God is so much more powerful than anything else we could worship. 3. He cares about and protects us.
Joshua 1:9- Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
Isaiah 43:1-4- But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says “DO not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name, you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom. I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.”

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