Equipped 2026: Ladies: "Genesis in the Gospels" by Cherie Vestal

So welcome, we're glad you're here on a Saturday morning

I love seeing everybody's smiling faces and getting ready to think think about God and the things of God

Psalm 115 in verse 1 is important to me

It's it's on a my daughter wrote it on the edge of a plate and it's real pretty though her calligraphy and I have it

Displayed in my kitchen, which says not under us. Oh Lord not under us be the glory, but unto your name

So that's where I want to go I told my little introducer lady that she can just read that verse and I'd be alright

Because it's not about us is it it's about God

I've been assigned the topic. Of course, we're doing Genesis this time and it's really

Very comprehensive a lot of what the speakers are saying overlap one another so you're going to hear some of that for me as well

I was listening yesterday go. Oh, I'm going to say that

Because we if there are truth and different, you know, we should be getting the same truth out of this book

So this is something that you'll probably notice

Genesis in the Gospels though, and I'd like to start by asking you this

What and this is a like a question that needs answers

What?

Kind of photo albums. Do you have how do you store your images and pictures?

Do you have photo album on your phone? I

Do now which is really handy

Some people my daughter-in-law puts all hers on Facebook

So then she's got the albums and Facebook that she can go and find at any point in time

So it saves apparently good the memory on her phone

Does anybody still have the old kind of photo albums you can pull out of it?

You know in the baby book or maybe scrapbooking remember scrapbooking and they're so beautiful

You can pull those out and look at those photos

so I want you to keep the thought in mind as we go through this entire lesson of pictures and photos and photo albums and

Whatever yours looks like

Because photo albums give us some things one thing that they give us a family history

I've got some albums of things from my own parents and my own mom and my grandparents that that helps me see the family history

Another thing that photo albums or albums of pictures can do for us is they can show us the growth of something

So this baby here a little cute little infant baby picture

So from infancy to maturity now we get to see this in albums, right?

Every now and then my phone shows me the picture of the day and I pull it up and I'm like

You know that was six years ago and they look different now

so there's a growth that albums can point out to us and

Then another thing that photo albums and pictures can do for us is show us resemblances. Wow, you really look like your grandmother

You know

Or you look like your brother. No, you don't you look like, you know

So people start discussing who the baby looks like and of course it changes 25 times as the baby grows

Grows and matures, but we see some resemblances. So keep those things in mind a history of the maturing and

Resemblances and we're going to look at these from Genesis and into the Gospels because Genesis

Genesis is the first page of God's family album number one

the Old Testament and

Genesis is the beginning of that. So when we open this book of Genesis, we're going to see God's hand in the events

God's hand in the people and this is the infant stage of his plan that he had come up with before time began

It's starting to take place here in Genesis the beginning of God's family album number one

This is my travel Bible, by the way, because we fly we don't check bags and I have spaces a premium

so I've got this tiny little Bible and the font size is like three but

Anyway, and so then when we flip over to the Gospels

We're gonna just go about halfway through this book a little more and there's the Gospels

It's the beginning of God's family album number two

Okay, and the Gospels are the first pages in family album number two the New Testament

When we look here, we're going to see some maturity from the infancy in one some maturity in two and we're going to see some

Resemblances. Oh, wow, that looks like

somebody from back in the Old Testament

Then even in our own time in our own day in today's moment in history

We can still see and recognize the help in the hand of God

Genesis can be roughly outlined in eight parts

four big events and

four big personalities

So the events creation the fall

the flood

the Tower of Babel and

four big personalities

Abraham Isaac

Jacob and Joseph

so we're going to take these eight as

we look at Genesis in the Gospels to help us see God's plan from infancy into some maturity and

See his people with some family resemblances

So that these pictures can help build our own trust in God for our own place in history

Which is his story

Now these are going to be flyover views

We won't have time to look and analyze and take a bunch of time on each one of these eight things

So we're going to do a flyover

So we flew here and when you look out the window that plane you get a nice overview of wow, Nashville is so green

I'm from the desert. It just hits me Nashville is so green. So we get some big

Pictures when we're up in a plane, right? We get a big overview

We want to think of this as a flyover view of Genesis and what we can see in the Gospels and then for us today

Picture number one out of the four big events number one picture one

creation

Creation is God's

preparation

Preparation God is preparing and this is from Genesis chapter 1 and 2

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

in the beginning

God

Genesis 1 1 here we read of God's very first activity in our realm

God

Created the heavens and the earth. Let's look closer

Genesis 1

We find a spiritual God preparing a physical place

He prepared a world for us in verses 11 and verses 28 of chapter 1 he prepared a garden

Chapter 2 in verse 8 this this world this physical realm that God

Prepared was pristine and beautiful. It was perfect. It was flawless

the design is amazing and it still is as

We look at our world today. We can continue to see the designs that our great God created

Psalm 19 1 and 1 through 4 reminds us to take a look

Yes, our God prepared this world for us to live in and even now it's still breathtaking

Then in Genesis 1 and 2 we also read that God prepared people

the first people Adam and Eve

People are the crowning part of his creation made in his own image

Genesis 1 27 he prepared their physical bodies

He breathed into Adam the breath of life and wallah

living soul

Genesis 2 and verse 7 by his design our creative God perfectly prepared people, too

Well, how is God's preparation

The creation of his preparation seen in the Gospels. So we're going over here to album 2 now

in the beginning

John chapter 1 in verse 1 sounds like an echo

John 1 · chapter mention

Again, we find in front of everything at the start of it all in the beginning

Was the Word?

Which is Jesus and the Word was with God and the Word was God

In the Gospels and I say Gospels because there's not four different ones

There's four different writers who wrote it down for us right in the Gospel accounts. We find Jesus God the Word

Preparing to enter the place that God had created this place our place where we live

His world our realm

He would come down come in and experience physical life with us life here

John 1 14 says and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us

Yes

Jesus left his heavenly place of glory to live in the most humble of circumstances Philippians 2 6 and 7

Then in the Gospels as an echo of Genesis creation. We see God's preparation for

eternal life for the people

Potentially all people John 1 in verse 4 in him and Jesus was life and that life was the light of men

We're all familiar with John 3 16, right?

So start it with me for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son

that whosoever believes in him should not perish but would have

Everlasting life

so and then John verse 17

317 goes on to say for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world

But in order that the world might be saved

through him

Jesus came to restore the spiritual beauty of life. That was first granted in the gospel

He brought us abundant life John 10 in verse 10

So summarizing this first big picture from the creation record of Genesis we see this we can summarize it in three words

God over all

We're here today with the beginning and an eternity because of God's preparation

So

What is our response to God's amazing preparation?

Well, I'm thankful and I'm amazed and I'm in awe of God

Do you know what the word all means a WB what's another word for that?

Wonder

Somebody say something else

Just being amazed, right?

Or a little, you know a child where would be wow

When I see and understand what God has done in his preparation, I can just stop and say wow his awesome creation

Can we step outside into the beauty of the world out there and still say wow?

and do we

One author that I was reading says that the secret to happiness is to have a moment of awe in every day

And I believe that I believe it is so important God intends for us to still

Look at what he has created and think about him and about Jesus in the gospel accounts and say wow

Wow

so our response to this amazing God is wow and

thankfulness

Let's be thankful to him

Picture number two from Genesis album one God's family. I'm a number one. This is

Orbit events event number two the fall. This is a problem. This is humanity's problem

So we saw God's preparation and in the creation, but now we see humanity's problem in the fall

Genesis chapter 3

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

Close on the heels of the perfect world that God prepared we find humanity's failure

Their fall happens when people thought that their own way was better than God's design

In Genesis 3 we see that their fall as we commonly call it brought a change of venue a change to the place

Their self-will and listening to the whispers of Satan resulted in an exit from God's pristine garden

Verses 23 and 24 and now the people found themselves in a different place a hard place a

Separated place away from their former closeness with God

The ground was cursed verse 17 and 18

The beauty of God's creation became defiled from its original glory Romans 8 and verse 22 tells us

So the fall changed the place that we lived in it

Well the fall also changed the people

Their choice made them flawed

imperfect

Broken it brought shame versus 8 through 13, which is the burden of guilt

Their choice brought pain sweat tears and eventually death

Verse 16 through 19. What a drastic turn

The fall brought this devastating problem that would affect humanity from then on

How sad?

This ugly picture in album one broke God's heart

Yet don't forget this. He knew it would happen and he thought

That humanity was worth it and worth the costly solution that it would take Ephesians chapter 1

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

So God back in Genesis 3 spoke a glimmer of hope in verse 15

Not leaving the people hopeless in their sin, and that's our good God

Well, how is this fall humanity's problem seen in the Gospels album 2 well

Jesus came to offer humanity a rescue the choice to accept God's solution to the problem in

John 14 1 through 6 Jesus begins. Let not your hearts be troubled

Believe in God believe also in me. He's pointing them to the solution and then he concludes in verse 6

I am the way the truth and the life. This is the way back to the father

In the Gospels Jesus offers a new place

While we live in this physical realm that's fallen and broken in some ways we get to now enter his spiritual kingdom

Matthew 16 in verse 18

I will build my church and the gates of hell or Hades shall not prevail against it. Jesus said

In John 10 in verse 9 Jesus said I am the door if anyone enters by me that sounds like a place doesn't it?

He will be saved and go in and out and find pasture

Jesus says this a new place for us his church spiritually and then

Jesus came to restore the people themselves from the problem of the fall

People could be mended and cleaned up and made whole and their guilt their shame of their guilt could be removed by him

The angel foretold in Matthew 121 he will save his people from their sins and

Then Jesus personally invites in a well-loved passage Matthew 11 28 through 30 come unto me

All you who labor and are heavy laden. I will give you rest

He's offering a renewal isn't he? I am gentle and lowly and hard and you will find rest

His offer still stands

So summarizing this picture to the fall and humanities problem we see this

God already with a plan

God was already had already had a plan and he was already working his plan. God is not surprised by problems

We are I am

But even in this most monumental of all the problems God already had the solution Romans 8 and verse 29

Do we trust him with our other problems by the way? He already knows what they are. He already has the solutions

So what's our problem? I'm sorry

What is our response to the problem of sin and the fall and God's action on our behalf in the Gospels?

What's our response to that well if we're wise what are we gonna do

We're gonna reach out and accept that solution that Jesus offered

We're gonna reach out and take his hand as the only rescue from the problem. That is way too big for us

Think of Peter in Matthew 14 and verse 30 when he's sinking down in the water and he reaches out says Lord save me

You know a storm like that will help you realize where your only

Health is coming from and sometimes life takes us to a storm like that doesn't it and we realize there's only one way

There's only one help from this storm. There's only one person big enough to see us through life's problems

Picture number three the flood

The flood can be summarized by God's loving patience and

Judgment

This is a two-sided coin God's loving patience and his judgment

Genesis chapter 6

Genesis 6 · chapter mention

Sometimes I think we want to rush straight to the flood his judgment without noticing his patience

Did you notice that God waited until there were only eight people in the world who even acknowledged him?

before he

decided

To bring the flood and the judgment

The rest of the world had exchanged his design in verse 11 for violent corruption

That's terrible. The world was terrible before God initiated the flood

Now that's a lot of patience

God's patience was finally exhausted though and his judgment ensued

with the flood

The place changed again the venue changed the cursed earth underwent a drastic upheaval

By water, did you know that today's archaeologists are still unearthing and I know you know this evidence of the flood

Just in January of last year

a bed of about 200 dinosaur

Footprint fossils were found in the UK the largest yet in that region

The interviewed professor said this and I quote

Something must have happened to preserve the fossil record. We don't know exactly what

but it might be get this that there was a storm event that came in and

Deposited loads of sediment on top of the footprints that meant they were preserved rather than just being washed away

That's quoted in the BBC

Okay, and then last May

Just last May

Researchers find compelling evidence of Noah's Ark remains

Possibly Noah's Ark theory gains momentum as soil tests reveal the organic remains and that's Fox News

Well, yes a storm event that we call the flood

Created many of the archaeological discoveries that we find today

The Holy Spirit gives us a flood commentary in 2nd Peter 2 verses 4 & 5 where he

Through the through the pen and Peter says God did not spare the ancient world

But protected Noah a preacher of righteousness

With seven others now notice. There's just two people groups here the rest of the world and Noah and his family, right?

When he when God brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly

Ungodly

Now it took Noah about 120 years to build the Ark of Genesis 6 and verse 3

But what was he doing during that time besides building?

He was preaching righteousness

even with the judgment on the horizon

God's patience provided a message of righteousness

This is our good God

So how is God's patience loving patience and judgment seen and echoed in the Gospels

well

Jesus foretold a

Time of judgment on the Jewish nation and it came to pass that's Luke 20 verses 9 through 19 and many other passages

Luke 20:9–19

But Jesus also spoke of a time when God's patience would finally be exhausted for the last time and

Judgment will again be exercised on the whole earth

Jesus brought this message, but he also embodied this message as the way out

the righteous message

Here Jesus in Matthew 24 37 through 39 when he says

But concerning that day an hour no one knows

Not even the angels of heaven nor the Son but the Father only for as it were in the days of Noah

So will be the coming of the Son of Man

For as it was in those days before the flood

And he goes on to say so will be the coming of the Son of Man

There's going to be a repeat here

And we can find this in Luke 17 Matthew 11 and Luke 10 where Jesus speaks again of God's patience, but his judgment, too

But then back in Matthew 24 here Jesus urges in verse 44

Therefore he doesn't just tell us about it. He tells us what to do

Therefore you must also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect

Again we are going to see just two people groups the ones who say are saved who follow Jesus and the ones who are lost

So how do we summarize picture three well we see God in control

Disappointed in the people yeah, he was disappointed Genesis 6 and verse 6, but he was waiting

He was offering mercy and safety and then he was judging perfectly

God continues to lovingly and patiently wait now, but he won't wait forever 2nd Peter 3 and verse 9

so

How do we respond to such a loving and patient and just God?

Well, I want to live ready. Don't you I want to live ready Matthew 25 Jesus says and working for him and

Like Noah and Jesus and the gospel writers

Let's encourage others to enter the safety that Jesus has provided that God has provided in Jesus John 20 30 and verse 31

So that's picture three

Picture four from Genesis 11

The Tower of Babel and in this we see man's

presumption

Man's presumption

man's presumption

This is a fourth picture from God's family album number one, and it's a fiasco at Babel

Now back to the photo albums that you have and I have one picture that

Perfectly embodies what I'm about to say do you have any pictures where someone's eyes are closed?

Or maybe somebody you know trying to get the whole set like all the grandkids and whatnot and somebody's making a terrible face

Or you know something that that you'd rather not have but a lot of times if we are going to put one of those on

Facebook we choose the really best pictures and put those out for everyone else to see and maybe those are the ones that actually do

Make it into the album

God shows the bad along with the good

Because as one philosopher says those who don't remember the past our past mistakes are doomed to repeat it

It's wise to see mistakes in order to avoid them

So in Genesis 11 and chapter 4 we read their mistake, and this is what it is presuming to do fine without God

And here's how they speak come let us build for ourselves a city and a tower whose top will reach into heaven

And let us make for ourselves a name

Otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the earth

So they wanted heaven a name and security

They decided to make their own way to heaven

These people built a centralized tower it was higher than anything else

They'd seen before and by stacking up the bricks they were exalting themselves

They were self-focused. They wanted fame and safety so they came up with a plan that didn't include God at all

Look in Genesis 11 and verse 4 and let's see how many personal pronouns. Do you count I me we us ours I?

Counted five

They're all about themselves

Do you see any mention of God in verse 4?

God who?

No, and this is an ugly picture of humanity God's own creation acting as if he doesn't exist I

Have to chuckle a little minute when it says that God went down to see this tower

That's how

Apart even our best efforts are from our exalted God

He had to go down to see it, and then he took them down

He confused and dispersed them to prevent them from continuing in the wrong direction

Their presumption

Are there any echoes of this picture from Babel in the gospel accounts is there any babbling?

In spite of the Genesis account humanity does repeat its mistake

The ugly mistake are presuming to do fine without God. Let's notice two ways, but there are more

But let's notice two although we may not build a tower of bricks to the heavens with many trust in a tower of riches

bank accounts

retirement plans stuff in Luke 12 verses 18 through 20

Luke 12:18–20

Possessions were being stored up so that this person could take his ease

Beware the ivory tower of our own comfort

God required that man's soul of him suddenly

his tower of riches left him unprepared for eternity in

Mark 4 and verse 19 Jesus comments on this

These deceiving and deceptive riches and the desire for other things that will choke our spiritual growth

Like weeds now. I don't know about you beautiful lush green place where you live

But in my yard the weeds grow the fastest and the tallest I

Can mow the grass and live in four days the weeds are this high and the grass is this high

What is the deal with the weeds those weeds they grow so fast and tall

Jesus says the weed of trusting riches sprouts tall beware this tower

So maybe we don't trust in a tower of bricks and we're doing pretty good about not trusting in our bank account and our riches

Jesus says in Luke 8 9 18 and verse 9 that some trusted in their own righteousness

We would never do that right

Their religion pushed God over to the side and became a tower of their own good deeds

Like Babel of old the devout

Religious Pharisees wanted a name for themselves

They wanted to do the righteous acts to be seen by men Matthew 6 and following and the Pharisees prayer in Luke 18 is a

tower of his own

accomplishments

Romans 9 and verse 32

Upholds that thought he was babbling quite literally about all his good and all his own

You know

Accomplishments look what I've done giving himself accolades not giving glory to God

This is a danger Jesus warns in the same chapter here in Luke 18 and verse 14 whoever exalts himself

like Babel's tower

will be humbled and

Then self-justification is an abomination and that's the word in the text

to God Luke 16 verses 14 and 15

Luke 16:14

To

Avoid this danger

We won't create our own tower when Jesus is truly our rock

But we're on the rock and the rock of ages and he is the chief cornerstone of life

I think that we can avoid these towers Romans 9 and verse 33 so summarizing picture 3

We see

God will

Confound

God will confound all human based attempts at salvation

Jesus is the only way to heaven acts 4 in verse 12

We walk in his steps and not our own way Jeremiah 10 in verse 23, so how do we respond to this picture?

Here's Babel. They're being all presumptuous trying to get to heaven without God. We see these New Testament examples

What are we going to do? How are we going to respond?

Well, I put a big caution sign big yellow watch out the floors wet right here

beware

presumptuous self-reliant religion in any form

one writer said suggests stop asking what do I want and

Begin asking what will matter to God?

That kind of thinking can bring us clarity it can help us hold our blessings with

Gratitude instead of clinging to them as if our blessings were permanent clinging to the gifts instead of the giver, right?

Earth is not the end of the story in this present age is not the final measure of reality man-made towers are distorted

Reality and must be torn down

Jesus clarifies in Matthew 5 in verse 3 blessed are the poor

That means humble that means small in spirit

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven we need God

So we looked at four big events in our flyover of Genesis and we're halfway through we're going to look at four big

Personalities, and I'm going to talk really fast on these last four. They're actually shorter points

the other day

My daughter who worships with us this year her husband and kids worship with us at Westside of it

She brought her six-month-old baby in and she was all had this look on her face

I thought what's that look on her face about and then I looked and her six-month-old baby was wearing an outfit that she had worn

When she was little and I was like oh

You know it's so sweet

The outfit is and it was so cute, and it just brought back memories to me, and you know it makes your heart happy

so

These Bible stories from the past they're going to fit us to let's don't just look at this as a history lesson

This is a way to see and know God

Jeremiah 9 23 and 24 reminds us

That's the whole goal of the Bible and Paul says it to in Philippians. I want to know God

I want to know Christ and the power of his writings, so let's don't just tune us out. You know all his three tower of Babel

Yeah, I know about that. No. This is these are things. They're very very relevant for us today the outfit still fits

picture 5 Abram or Abraham and God's promises

Our culture has a saying on a wing and a prayer

It started in World War two to mean relying on limited resources and luck the dictionary says it means

Not much chance of success

If you look at Abraham's wife or Abram then at the beginning you might describe it with this phrase a wing and a prayer

He left the Calvary's and there he went not even knowing where he was going to go

except for one thing

Abram did not just have luck he had God and God's promises

God's promises to Abram are first recorded in Genesis 12 1 through 7 in that section

I love it because God repeatedly says two words. I will I

will do this and this I will I will and I will God promised a name a

nation blessings and the blessing

We read later on in the chapter in verse 10 and following that even when Abram walked

imperfectly with God, which we all do

That and he acted faithlessly

That God was still faithful and I love that fact when God makes promises that makes all the difference in life

We don't have any need for luck

In the Gospels

In the Gospels

We find the last one of God's promises to Abram later called Abraham fulfilled

It's Jesus. He's the blessing and Jesus claims this in John 8 and verse 56 where he says

Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it from the other side and was glad

So in Jesus God blesses all nations of the earth

That's Genesis 12 and verse 3 and this is the promise that keeps on giving

So what does picture 5 look like for us God's promises?

How are God's promises true for us?

in Jesus

In Jesus, I quote all the promises of God are yes

2nd Corinthians 1 and verse 20

Even when we falter

Jesus remains true 1st John 2 and verse 1 if we are faithless

Because we struggle or of humans God remains faithful for he cannot deny himself

2nd Timothy 2 13

in Jesus

we are connected to the ultimate promise keeper and

His promises for us are great and precious 2nd Peter 1 and verse 4

picture 6

Isaac and God's

provision

From Genesis 22 now, there's a lot of things that happened in the life of Isaac, but we're just going to focus on one

Isaac found himself in an awkward position. His life was required

Listen to this conversation in Genesis 22 verses 7 and 8 between a young Isaac and his death

Genesis 22:7

Isaac said behold the fire in the wood, but where's the land for the burnt offering?

Abraham said

Who learned a few things by then?

God will provide for himself a lamb for the burnt offering my son

Abraham's father. I'm sorry Isaac's father Abraham knew that God would provide he learned to trust the promises a little better

But Isaac he had questions didn't he

But he complied and sure enough in verse 13 God provided

God provided Isaac learned that lesson that day

in the Gospels

Jesus speaks of God of God as the God of Isaac Matthew 22 and verse 32

Abraham and his promised son Isaac were both in the care of God the God who provides

The Gospels go on to remind us that God provides for his people physically Matthew 6 and verse 33

All these things shall be added unto you

God knows we need physical provision and then in John 6 and verse 35

Jesus says that he's our spiritual provision. He provides for a spiritual and he will never thirst our spirits

He provides every spiritual blessing Ephesians 1 and verse 3

So it's pictured six true for us. Do we know that God provides?

How do we even get to this place where God is providing spiritually because you know, our deaths were required to

like Isaac

But unlike Isaac we earned our death by our own choices Romans 3 and verse 23 and

Echoing Isaac's concern people wonder. Where's our lamb?

Will one be provided?

Yes, John 1 in verse church

29

Behold the Lamb of God

Who takes away the sin of the world and that's our Jesus provided by God God gave him up for us all Romans 8 and verse

32 we have a God who richly provides

Picture 7 Jacob and God's purpose

From Genesis 25 and following

Jacob and God's purpose

Jacob's entrance into the world was marked by struggle wasn't it? He came out at birth doing what?

Holding on to Esau's heel

Apparently that was a struggle even in the womb and then he finagled that birthright got that and then he deceived

For the blessing and then he ran away from home all alone

then when he got where he was going he had to struggle with Laban over his bribes and his flocks and

Finally we find Jacob in a hand-to-hand struggle with the Lord in the middle of the night

Jacob had a lot of struggles in his life that last one though

It left him limping remember and he finally seemed to learn to walk with the Lord

At last in all of that struggle God had a purpose

God taught Jacob to trust and lean on him lean on him capital H

Not lean on him

Jacob

Because God has the best purpose for life, you know and some other aspect about Jacob's life is he had a lot of heartbreak

When he had to leave home

To not get killed by Esau he was away from his family. They didn't have cell phones back then

He was I mean, he didn't know what was happening with his parents back home. He was gone for years

Separation from them and then the death of Rachel

His beloved wife and then the disappearance of Joseph

Whom he presumed to be dead all of these things filled him with disappointment sadness and sorrow, but in all of that

disappointment

God had purpose

God was blessing Jacob's path even before his birth and God directly assured him

I love this in Genesis 28 verses 12 through 15. I am with you. I

Genesis 28:12–15

Will keep you I will bring you back

There we see God speaking his own purpose

in the Gospels

We read Jacob's name along with Abraham and Isaac in the lineage of Jesus Matthew 1

Jacob's line would produce the promised Messiah. Wow. There's a big purpose and

Purpose accomplished and one day we'll get to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven Matthew 8 and verse 11

So how does the purpose of God picture 7 look for us? Jesus tells us to focus on his kingdom HIS

Matthew 6 33 even when life has struggles

God's purpose is bigger Matthew 6 25 through 34 and we don't have to worry

Even when life brings disappointments and troubles Jesus intends for us to have his deeper and bigger joy John 16 and verse 33

In Jesus our purpose is clear. Let's follow him Luke 18 22 all the way home

picture 8 Joseph

Joseph and God's presence

Joseph 37 through 50

You know

Joseph's boyhood kind of seemed like it was a charmed life as he was his father's favorite

He got the new coat and all that stuff, you know, here's Joseph and he's doing great

But we know the rest of the story the brothers hated him and envied him. He got captured sold to slave traders

Showed up in Egypt bought by a wealthy man. You can't say that's a charmed life

Can we God provided something for Joseph that was better than a charmed life?

Genesis 39 resounds with this phrase over and over again. The Lord was with Joseph

The Lord was with Joseph

The Lord was with Joseph. The Lord did not give up on Joseph and Joseph didn't give up on him either

God's presence was there to override

life

circumstances

In the Gospels, you know that Joseph's never mentioned. I mean we have Mary's husband Joseph a namesake

We have Joseph of Arimathea a namesake, but we don't have this Joseph in the gospel

But we do find the sequel to the phrase the Lord was with him. The Lord was with him

Matthew chapter 1 in verse 23, they will call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

Jesus is present and

Jesus left the earth. He assured his followers. I am with you always

Even to the end Matthew 28 in verse 20. Don't miss it. I am with you. I

Am with you. Do we have picture seven now? Well, we aren't charmed. We have no idea what life holds

There's twists and turns, but neither are we abandoned John 14 in verse 18. God is with us

We have we still have a vine. We still have a shepherd and we still have another helper as a Holy Spirit John 15

14 and Romans 8 God with us

So looking at these snapshots, what are we going to do now? Are we going to close this album?

And go away and forget our own resemblance James chapter 1 in verse 24

James 1 · chapter mention

We're gonna stay stuck in our own problems and presumptions or are we gonna get the bigger picture and trust God?

Getting God's big picture results and seeing his big love and his big power in every event and throughout life. I

Can't wait to see our pictures because there's another album coming after this one

God's family album number three yet to be revealed

The Lamb's Book of Life