In the Word with Jeff Thompson

God promised Abraham a land and descendants like the stars, and he died owning a cave and holding two grandsons. Yet Scripture says he died “old and contented.” In this final study of Abraham's life in Genesis 25:1-11, we'll tie up some loose ends: what the New Testament says about Abraham's faith, a careful look at Sarah and 1 Peter 3, and the one question every listener has to answer...

A servant travels 500 miles to find a bride for a man she has never met, and her family asks her one question: “Will you go with this man?” In this verse-by-verse study of Genesis 24, Jeff Thompson unpacks the chapter's stunning picture of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and the Church — plus how God shepherds our decisions when no Bible verse tells us exactly what to do. SMALL GROUP QUE...

God promised Abraham an entire country, and the only piece of it he ever owned was the cave he bought to bury his wife in. In this study, we'll walk through the death of Sarah and what Scripture actually says about grief, losing a spouse, why death still feels like an enemy, and how gratitude becomes the floor you stand on when the waves hit. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - What stuck out to you from...

In this study, we'll look at a living parable - the controversial tale of Abraham's binding of Isaac. We'll discover the hidden imagery and prophetic details that point to the Father's offering of Jesus as the Lamb of God, slain for our sins. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Was there anything in the message that especially stuck out to you (encouragement, conviction, etc.)? - Read Micah 6...

God made Abraham and Sarah wait more than 25 years for the son He promised—and Paul later reveals why, showing that Hagar and Sarah, Ishmael and Isaac, were a hidden picture of two covenants: law and grace, slavery and freedom. In this study, we'll walk through Genesis 21:1–21 and Galatians 4:21–5:1 and show why God waited until no explanation remained but Himself, and why salvation is a gift...

Abraham had walked with God for over 25 years and had a promise from Jesus Himself — then fear sent him straight back down an old path of sin he'd never bothered to close off. In this study, we'll unpack why we return to sins we thought we'd outgrown, why a half-truth is a whole lie, and what practical steps actually mark the old road "DEAD END." SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Read...

Peter calls him “righteous Lot” — a drunk, a coward, and a failure as a father whose slow drift in Sodom warped his family’s thinking until the unthinkable seemed reasonable. This study traces the real cost of compromise, the call to hold the line at home, and the staggering grace that credits righteousness to broken people — and ran the line of the Messiah straight through Lot’s family. SMALL GRO...

Why did Jesus say the end times would look like "the days of Lot"? This verse-by-verse study walks through the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the prophetic parallels emerging in our own culture, and the sobering warning of Lot's wife — a picture of a heart that never left the world behind. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Read Matthew 5:13-16 and Genesis 19:1. Lot sat in Sodom's gate...

At 99, Sarah had quietly stopped believing God would ever keep His promise to her — until He overheard her cynical laugh and asked, “Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?” This study of Genesis 18 walks through Sarah’s unbelief, Abraham’s bold intercession for Sodom, and the God whose character is big enough to do wonders even for you. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Read Psalm 9:10. Has growing in you...

God was never after the mark on Abraham’s body — He was after his heart. In this study, we unpack circumcision, covenant, and the daily battle between flesh and Spirit, and discover why real faith obeys God now — before we have all the answers. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Read Ezekiel 36:26-27. Looking back, where have you seen God soften something in you that used to be hard? - Read Mark 7:20–23. Ar...

After 14 years of silence, God meets Abram — now 99 and drifting — and doesn’t open with a rebuke but with His own name: “I am God Almighty.” In this study, we explore what God says to a believer who has wandered, why He gives Abram a new name and an everlasting covenant, and how the strange sign of circumcision points to the heart of discipleship: lordship — surrendering every part of our lives,...

When a pregnant, frightened Hagar runs into the wilderness to escape a mess she didn't create, she discovers that the God she didn't even know already saw her. In this study of Genesis 16:4b–16, we unpack why waiting on the Lord is active rather than passive, how shortcuts around God's plan create fallout far bigger than we imagine, and why El Roi—"the God who sees"—still pursues the running, the...

Most Christians don't lose their faith in a dramatic moment; they lose it because their expectations of the Christian life were never biblical to begin with. In Genesis 16, Abram and Sarai get tired of waiting on God's promise after ten years and make a mess that's still playing out in the Middle East today. This message traces the cost of impatience from one couple's bedroom to th...

In Genesis 15, God doesn't meet Abram halfway—He walks through the bloody covenant alone, taking on Himself the consequences of every breach by either side. This message traces that picture from Abram's vision all the way to the Cross, where Jesus paid for the half of the covenant we could never keep. If you've ever feared you could blow it and lose your salvation, this one's for y...

As God comes to Abram while he's wrestling with fear and doubt, we are given a lesson on God's character and how believers are to approach wrestling with these powerful enemies. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Read Genesis 15:1-6. Have you ever experienced fear or doubt shortly after stepping out in faith, and how did God meet you in that moment? - How does the secular world (culture, medicine, p...

As we continue our study of what giving looks like for the Christian under the New Covenant, we'll answer the questions, "Is tithing a perpetual command that predates the Law?" and "Can I give time and service instead of money?" We'll also look at Paul's instructions to the Corinthians regarding giving, which offer many insights still helpful to us today. SMALL GROU...

Tithing first appears in Scripture in Genesis 14. But is it still something that's relevant to Christians today? How are believers in the Church to approach the subject of giving? SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - How does viewing yourself as a steward of God's resources rather than an owner change your daily financial decisions and priorities? - Should giving to God make you more or less worried a...

In this special Easter Sunday message, we'll dive into the wonderful hope of the Gospel and the picture painted for us through the tenth plague in Egypt in the Book of Exodus. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - We often judge ourselves, for better or worse, by comparing ourselves to others. How can comparing ourselves to Christ instead lead to greater freedom and humility? - Do you view Jesus as having...

Abram's ne'er-do-well nephew, Lot, gets himself and his family kidnapped, leading to a daring nighttime military rescue and dramatic encounters with the kings of Salem and Sodom - the mysterious Christ-like figure Melchizedek and the "son of evil" Bera. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - How have you seen Christians use wealth well to serve God? - How have you seen Christians be led astray...

God begins to grow Abram's faith by putting it to the test. We'll learn from both his successes and failures as we explore how fear and faith shape our actions under pressure. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Abram fled to Egypt during a famine rather than trust God to provide in Canaan. What areas of your life are you tempted to take into your own hands instead of trusting God's provision? -...

As Abram enters the Promised Land, we look ahead to see how God's initial counsel was designed to save him from a whole lot of trouble, and learn from his example of prioritizing worship. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Abraham partially obeyed God by leaving his homeland, but brought his father and nephew Lot with him. Have you ever experienced tension between honoring family relationships and fully...

As we conclude our study of Israel from a biblical perspective, we'll look at the events of 70AD and God's incredible plans to turn Israel's heart back to Him through the crushing of the Great Tribulation and the glory of the Second Coming. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - In Romans 11, Paul warns the Church not to be “arrogant” (V.20), “ignorant” (V.25), or “conceited” (V.25) concerning Israe...

As we continue our examination of who Israel is in Scripture, we see God's chosen nation walking in continued rebellion by rejecting Jesus, orchestrating His death, and persecuting His Church. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - Why do you think there were only 120 people in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost, following the ministry and Resurrection of Jesus? - Do you feel like you’ve observed 2 Timo...

In Genesis 12:3, God famously comes to Abram and says, "I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt." In this study, we'll do our best to address some of the controversial questions surrounding Israel, her identity, her relationship to the Church, and what Jesus and His Word have to say about these matters. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - God chose Isr...

In this study, the Lord begins His work of forming His own special people by calling Abram, a pagan, to leave his home and journey to a new land. We'll also discuss the relationship between revelation and accountability, why Jesus taught in Parables, and the famous apologetics question about "The Man in the Jungle." SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: - If, hypothetically, people are only account...