Date: June 15-16, 2013
Series: The Bible
Message: Father’s Day
Passage: Hebrews 11 8-19
INTRODUCTION–5 MINUTES
Who are all the TV dad’s you remember?
Leader Note: In light of father’s day, we are looking to honor dads by naming the people who have influenced our ideas of good fathers.
Answers you may hear:
- Tim Allen
- Bob Saget on Full House
- Bill Cosby
- Sandy Cohen from The OC
- Red from That 70’s Show
- Michael Bluth from Arrested Development
- Mr. Brady
- Mr Cunningham
- Archie Bunker
OBSERVATION–20 MINUTES
Read Hebrews 11 8-19
What do you learn about faith?
Look for these four characteristics:
1. What are the challenges issued by God?
- Call to go—Abraham must leave his country.
- Call to believe—Abraham’s wife was barren, he was called to believe that they would have a child in old age.
- Call to sacrifice his son Isaac.
2. What is Abraham’s response in the face of each challenge? Faith or fear?
Leader note—When we face complex or daunting challenges, a natural human response is fear. Abraham showcases how the influence of our belief in our own scarcity effects our choices. When a challenge is placed before us, we must make a choice to react with either fear or faith. Discuss the fear/faith dichotomy in Abraham’s choices.
Answers you may hear:
Call to go—
a. Fear—Abraham is simply called to “go”, he does not know where or when. This means leaving behind his security, his comfort zone, the people he knows, and his way of life.
His fears are:
- I will be alone
- I will be a foreigner
- I will not know where to go
b. Faith—He obeys. Abraham goes without knowing where to go. The opposite of faith is sight; He goes without seeing because he trusts God’s sovereignty.
Call to believe—
a. Fear—Abraham and Sarah’s fears are rooted in giving birth at such a late life stage
- Physical—whether they will survive and be healthy
- Emotional—whether they will have the energy and vitality to raise a child
b. Faith—Since Abraham wholeheartedly believes God would take could take care of his child, he chooses faith over fear. He believes all things are possible with God.
Call to Sacrifice—
a. Fear—If he sacrifices his only son, he would have no heir.
b. Faith—Abraham thoroughly believed God would raise Isaac from the dead. He makes the courageous choice to believe in resurrection, though God was asking him to do the impossible.
3. What is God’s response?
Answer you may hear:
God is faithful and fulfills his promises. He took Abraham’s fear of scarcity and gave him abundant blessings because of his faith. His courageousness is honored by a God who follows through on all he has promised.
God provides the land He promised Abraham, an heir–though Sarah was past child-bearing age, and the Lamb to be sacrificed in Isaac’s place.
4. What is the result?
Faith is strengthened and grows!
UNDERSTANDING–20 MINUTES
On what self-serving altars do people sacrifice their families?
Leader tip: In light of father’s day, we are focusing on families, but if you have a group of singles, tweak the question to ask “on what self-serving altars do you sacrifice your responsibilities?” Ideas: purity, integrity, morals, etc.
These are questions of scarcity vs abundance. They touch on our fears that say, “If I do not do this, God will not provide.”
People frequently place important things and people on altars, this question simply stresses which alters we turn toward. When we say altar, we mean the self-serving platforms that we should sacrifice for the benefit of our own families.
Answers you may hear:
- Success—climbing the corporate ladder
- Indulgence—having an affir, addiction, material possessions
- Money
- Purpose
- Identity
- Image
What keeps them from offering their family on the altar of God?
Leader note: Abraham offered his son on God’s alter of obedience. A person who sacrifices on the alter of God altar is one who engages in relationship, embraces their family without image management, gives time, kindness, and character to their family. What keeps people from being this kind of father?
APPLICATION–20 MINUTES
What challenge is God putting before you?
Leader tip: rephrased: what challenge in your life is making you question, “will God provide?”
What is your response: faith or fear?
Leader tip—Pay special attention to body language in response to these questions. You can observe God’s work in people. Who gets it? Who is self-righteous? flinches? Leaders, observe where God is moving in your group.
There was a time when Abraham submitted to his fear over his faith:
Story of Haagar—Abraham believed that God’s promise to grant his family a child was impossible. Abraham’s faith was based on his sight—he believed Sarah was too old to bare a child so he took matters into his own hands and impregnated his wife’s servant Haagar. His attitude said “I will solve the problem myself because I cannot trust God to provide”
What is your Haagar plan? Where are you operating in scarcity?
Leader tip: Where are you operating in fear?
What is your God plan?
Leader tip: Where are you operating in faith?
LIVE IT OUT–5 MINUTES
Prayer—
This week, have each person to pray for themselves by placing their challenge in the blank. “God help me to be fearless this week by facing ______________________ and trusting that You will provide.”