Raintree Community Church

1 Cortinthians 10:1-14 "Context Matters"  There are many sayings that are attributed to the Bible, but they actually are not.  One of those is "God will not give you more than you can handle."  This sermon explores the verses that most attribute to this saying.

Texts:  Eph. 6:1-4; Deut. 6:4-9; Prov. 22:6; Ps. 78:1-8 Gospel-Shaped Parenting Establishes Godly Authority (Eph. 6:1-3) God calls parents to require obedience from their children. God calls children to give honor to their parents. We must lovingly call our children to recognize our God-given authority and require them to obey God's Word. Gospel-Shaped Parenting Prioritizes God-centered Instructio...

Texts:  Eph. 5:22-33; 1 Cor. 11:1-3; Col. 3:18-19; 1 Peter 3:7   A Gospel-Shaped Marriage is Marked by Christ-centered Submission (Eph. 5:22-24; 1 Cor. 11:1-3; Col. 3:18) Christ calls and empowers wives to submission to their husbands in light of the Christlike headship that he is to model. The husband's weighty mantel of headship must reflect the servant-leadership of Christ, our Savior. A Gospel...

Texts:  Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 19:1-6; Eph. 5:22-33; Rev. 19:6-9, 21:1-3) God's Pattern For Marriage is Rooted in Creation (Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 19:1-6) God did not create us to be isolated, but for community and relationship. God ordained marriage to be a covenant between one man and one woman for a lifetime of love. God joins a man and woman together for a permanent relationship. God's Pattern For M...

Text:  Genesis 1-50 God Created Everything For His Glory (Genesis 1-2) God created all things by His powerful Word . Humanity was made in God's image, with dignity, purpose, and responsibility. God established a good creation in which humanity was meant to live in fellowship with Him and one another. Application: We were made to worship God alone and live in unity according to His good design. Sin...

Text:  Genesis 50:15-26 God is Sovereign Over Suffering and Evil (Gen. 50:15-21) Joseph's brothers fear retribution for the evil they caused him. Joseph acknowledges God's authority and power over his life. We need to recognize and rest in God's sovereignty over suffering and evil. God is Faithful to Keep His Promises (Gen. 50:22-26) As Joseph dies, he clings to God's promise of returning to the l...

Text:  Genesis 50:1-14 God's Promises Can Be Trusted in Sorrow (Gen. 50:1-6) Joseph and his family wept over Jacob's death. Joseph prepares to bury Jacob in the land of promise according to his father's dying words of faith. We must look to God's promises to carry us through times of sorrow. God's Promises Cannot Be Threatened by Death (Gen. 50:7-14) Joseph leads a grand procession for Jacob's bur...

Text:  Genesis 49:13-33 God's Sovereignty in Predicting the Future of His People (Gen. 49:13-21,27) Zebulun's inheritance would be marked by economic stability. Issachar's inheritance was marked by strength, but also bondage. Dan's inheritance would be marked by courageous leadership, but end with a legacy of idolatry. Jacob's hope: "I will wait for Your salvation, O Lord." (v. 18) Gad's inheritan...

God's Sovereignty in Predicting Future Generations (Gen. 49:1-7) Jacob assembles all his sons for a time of future blessing and foreshadowing. Reuben's inheritance would be tarnished due to his lack of self-control. Simeon and Levi's inheritance would be scattered due to their violent vengeance. We must consider how our sins can lead to lasting consequences. God's Sovereignty in Establishing His E...

Text:  Genesis 48 God's Sovereign Blessing Extended (Gen. 48:1-13) In His providence, God extends His covenant blessing to Joseph's sons as Jacob nears the end of his life. This is seen in God's sovereign election and adoption of His people in salvation (Eph. 1:3-6; 2 Thess. 2:13-14). God's Sovereign Care Reflected (Gen. 48:14-20) Jacob recounts the faithfulness of God as his Shepherd through all...

God is the Creator of the Heavens and creation responds to Him (Psalm 96:5, 96:11-12) God is great and to be glorified–The primary Hebrew word for glory is kavod , which literally means "heavy" or "weighty"– it's real, and substantive, carries true worth and importance (Psalm 96:3-6, 96:7-8) Psalm 19 says that the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1) Nature declares Him to be God (Psalm 9...

Thriving Under God's Providence | Dr. Stephen Conley Text:  Genesis 47 God's Providence Over World Leaders (Gen. 47:1-12) God fulfills His promise to His people as He sovereignly uses Joseph and Pharaoh for His purpose. We can trust God to be sovereign over all things – even world leaders. God's Providence Over Catastrophic Circumstances (Gen. 47:13-26) God was at work to save the His people and t...

This one verse breaks down into three separate phrases: 1-- "Deny Yourself" We must deny ourselves and our desires in order to follow Christ correctly and wisely. We cannot follow Jesus properly if we do not trust Him wholly and solely devote our hearts to His Will, not ours. 2-- "Take Up Your Cross" Second, we must realize the weight and cost of sin. As Jesus carried His cross and bore our sin, s...

Text: Genesis 46 1.        God's Promise is Reaffirmed (Genesis 46:1-4) ·        Jacob journeys to Beersheba to worship God ·        God renews His covenant promise with Jacob and promises to be with him. ·        We must trust God to be with us and keep His promises in the midst of fear and uncertainty. 2.        Jacob's Faith is Renewed (Genesis 46:5-27) ·        Jacob obeyed the Lord and journe...

Text: Genesis 45 Providential Forgiveness (Gen. 45:1-15) As Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, he traces God's providence through the evil his brothers had done to him. We must choose to forgive one another and seek to overcome evil with good, not vengeance. (Romans 12:14-21) Providential Provision (Gen. 45:16-24) God sovereignly provides for His people through Pharaoh's decree and Joseph's g...

Text:  Genesis 44 A Revealing Test of Character (Gen. 44:1-13) Joseph applies a final test to see if his brothers have truly changed. God tests our faith to reveal our character and produce steadfastness A Real Confession of Guilt (Gen. 44:14-17) Joseph's confrontational question leads to Judah's genuine confession. God was at work to expose the brothers' sin against Joseph (Gen. 37:18; 42:21-22)....

The Promise Given (Genesis 12:1-3) 1- The Sovereign Plan of God is Revealed 2- God calls one man to bless the nations 3- He establishes a covenant that will echo for eternity   The Promise Clarified (Psalm 67) 1- This blessing leads to a knowledge of God and global joy 2- The goal is for the nations to rejoice in God's Saving Power           The Servant Declared--- The Light for the Nations (Isaia...

Text:  Genesis 43   God's Providential Mercy Moves His People to Complete Surrender (Gen. 43:1-14) Jacob is forced to reckon with his fears and put his trust in God. Judah demonstrates sacrificial love for his family. We must respond to God's mercy with a surrendered trust in His providence.   God's Providential Mercy Places His People Under Abundant Grace (Gen. 43:15-34) Joseph's brothers are inv...

Text:  Genesis 42 Facing Perilous Circumstances (Gen. 42:1-5) Jacob and his sons face starvation due to a worldwide famine.  Jacob's response proves his lack of trust in God's promises and in his sons' integrity. God's providence can be misunderstood through affliction: God is at work within us, as He uses affliction to draw us into dependance upon Him.   Facing Past Sins (Gen. 42:6-28) As Joseph'...

Text:  Genesis 41 Providential Preparation (Gen. 41:1-13) In God's providence, Joseph continues to stay in prison for two more years.  In God's providence, Pharaoh has two troubling dreams that cause him great distress. God remains at work to prepare and position Joseph for His purpose. Providential Interpretation (Gen. 41:14-36) In God's providence, Joseph is summoned to appear before Pharaoh and...

Text:  Genesis 40 God's Providence at Work in Difficult Circumstances (Gen. 40:1-8) In God's providence, Joseph encounters two prisoners in difficult circumstances who have dreams they don't understand. In God's providence, Joseph offers to help the prisoners, listen to their dreams, and point them to God's wisdom. God's Providence at Work in Determining Destinies (Gen. 40:9-19) In God's providenc...

Text:  Genesis 39 God's Presence in Our Success (Gen. 39:1-6a) God was with Joseph through uncertainty and hardship as he is taken as a slave to Egypt. God was with Joseph as the source of his success in Potiphar's household. We must look to God through every season knowing that anything we receive is from His good hand of providence. God's Presence in Our Temptation (Gen. 39:6b-18) God was with J...

Text:  Genesis 38     A Disastrous Rejection of God's Ways (Gen. 38:1-11) Judah disobeyed God by marrying outside His covenant family. Judah's sons died by God's hand for their wickedness. Judah sinned against Tamar by cutting her off from the family.   A Deceitful Plot to Seek Justice (Gen. 38:12-23) Tamar acted in a sinful way to address the injustice Judah has caused her Judah's sinful heart is...

Text:  Genesis 37   Favoritism Leads to Jealous Resentment (Gen. 37:1-11) Jacob's favoritism paved the way for sibling rivalry. Joseph's dream caused division among his brothers.   Resentment Leads to Hateful Betrayal (Gen. 37:12-36) Joseph's brothers plot to betray him by selling him into slavery. Joseph's brothers deceive their father by telling him that Joseph was killed. Jacob is crushed with...

Text:  Genesis 36:1-43   A Persistent Rejection of God's Ways (Gen. 36:1-8) Esau was driven by his own desires (Gen. 25:29-34; Heb. 12:16-17). Esau was driven to disobeying God (Gen. 26:34-35; 28:6-9).   A Perilous Pursuit of the World's Values (Gen. 36:9-43) Esau prized wealth and prominence over faith in God. Edom eventually faced God's judgment for their wickedness (Obadiah 1:10; Malachi 1:4-5)...