I want to welcome you back for this the tenth chapter of The Story, the Bible in a narrative or story format.   We have been journeying through the period of the Judges now for several chapters and if anything is to be said about Israel – God’s chosen people its this “they just don’t seem to get it”.   Six times they are sent a judge to rescue them from oppression and six times they slip back into their sinful ways.  Sadly, we are really no different than Israel, even when we have a leader we often don’t get it. Like Israel we believe that its ok to “bend the rules”

We have been journeying with Moses in the wilderness, Joshua has just guided the nation of Israel into the Promise Land, and all in all it would seem like The Story is finally getting back on track after originally derailing in the garden of Eden.  Yet that is not the case, it seems that the Israelites just cannot win at life.  Just as with the golden calf they no sooner get on the God given pathway than they think they see a better way and take wrong path.  The Lower Story is that the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence,

WEEK 6 – The Story

WANDERING:   The place between where we are and where we want to be.  This “In Between” place.  This place between jobs, this place between wanting kids and having that first child, this place between wanting to get married and getting married, this place between wanting to buy a house and having a house, these are all places of uncertaintly, of waiting and waiting can be uncomfortable.  In a world that tends to be all about becoming or going someone or someplace.  We don’t like to be “in between”, we don’t like wandering. 

The idea of building a nation is truly beyond understanding and to think that God was going to begin with one couple.  On a basic level I can grasp what it takes to building a basketball team, or a football team, players who are willing to commit to the idea of team first, to working hard, to taking care of each other, integrity, character, and a willingness to make sacrifices for the sake and success of the team.  Yet these thoughts are just a small part of what it takes to simply build a successful tea, and God was building a nation. 

Thank you for joining all of us here at First Church as we begin an incredible 31 week journey through God’s incredible story.  The Bible is often described as, “The Greatest Story ever told”  and it is just that a story of God pursuing and striving to rescue lost and hurting people, a story of God’s love affair with humanity. The Story condenses this into 31 accessible chapters, and sweeps you away into the unfolding drama of people and events.  Using the NIV Bible it allows you the read The Bible like any good story book or novel, and like every good story there is plenty of drama,