How many different ways can you cook (fill in the blank)? We recently had a chili cook-off to raise money for a mission trip to help hurricane victims. There were 13 different types of chili-from the sublime to the ridiculously hot. In all honesty, I chose to abstain except for the mac and cheese and cheesy potatoes. Forrest Gump used to say, “Life is like a box of chocolates.” Choices. Choices. and more choices.
The Scripture passage for this week’s message is from Genesis 16-34. That’s a long passage and it is filled with people making choices. Abram. Sarai (soon to be renamed Abraham and Sarah). Lot’s choice of Sodom and Gomorrah. His daughters’ decision to sleep with him. Hagar and Ishmael. Abraham being tested by sacrificing Isaac. Finding Rebekah for Isaac. Jacob and Esau’s whole wrangling. Jacob marrying Leah (not his choice) and Rachel (his choice). Jacob wrestling with God. Jacob meeting Esau. Whew! That makes me tired just thinking about all those choices. 🙂
So…where did I get the idea of Two Recipes? I decided to look at the Scripture in two ways: a recipe for disaster and a recipe for success. We all have choices. Some choices we make will be stupid and lead down the wrong path, maybe even to disaster. Can anyone say Abraham and Hagar and Ishmael? And the opposite is also true: some decisions we make will lead to success.
Providing the snow doesn’t visit us again (they are predicting a possible 4-5″ this weekend), I will see you at 9:00 and 10:45. If you can’t be here is person, you can watch our live stream. You can send a request to join our Facebook Group at Owen Valley Christian Fellowship or view our public page at Owen Valley Christian Fellowship-Spencer, In. Or you watch via YouTube at Owen Valley Christian Fellowship. Unless there is a weather event we will live stream both services.
Looking forward to the sermon Bill. Breaking life down is all about choices, do you choose to follow and trust the only true and wise King, Our Lord and Savior or someone or something else. If you choose to just follow a religion and not Christ, you will go down a long path of wrong choices, that will look enticing, and lead you to a disastrous end.
I agree Gail. Life is about choices. We all make them and not always the best ones. My hope and prayer is that we will begin to see the consequences of poor ones.
Yes, we are offered so many choices in life, Bill. May we all choose wisely!
Blessings!
I’m reminded of that scene in Indiana Jones III where the guardian of the Holy Grail says once, “He has chosen poorly” and when Indy chooses he says, “You have chosen wisely.”
I love Chili! But not the spicy fire-in-the-hole type! I really need to make my own instead of canning it from the store. Chili-cook off sounds fun.. but I would like it more outside when the weather is nice. My hands are too cold as I type this…
Decisions… we make them every day, weather we want to or not!
See what I did there? 😀
I’m a so-so chili fan Ed. Definitely not the melt-your-tongue-and-mouth kind. And yes, i saw.
‘a recipe for disaster and a recipe for success’
interesting how often in life the recipes that are easiest can end up in disaster and the recipe for success requires much diligence …
Very true Linda. Abraham’s patience (or lack of it) led to both.