Lamoille Valley Grace Brethren Church
May 24, 2026

      • Luke 1:46–47LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

  • How Firm A Foundation
  • By Faith

      • Genesis 12:1–9LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • 2 Corinthians 9:6–7NASB95

  • Scripture Reading: Genesis 21:1-12
    Kid’s Time: [1, 2] [1]
    A sturdy, empty gift box (labeled "God's Big Promise")
    A marker
    Four index cards or pieces of paper
    Write one name on each of the four cards: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.
    Place the cards inside the gift box and close it. [1]
    Action: Hold up the closed gift box.
    Say: "Imagine someone handed you this beautifully wrapped box and said, 'Inside this box is the best gift ever, but you aren't allowed to open it yet. You have to hand it to your kids, and they have to hand it to their kids, before anyone finally gets to open it.' Would you keep it safe? Or would you throw it away because you couldn't see what was inside?"
    Tie to Scripture: Explain that this is exactly what happened in Hebrews 11:17-22. God gave a massive promise to one family line, and they had to pass that trust down through four generations without ever seeing the final result! [1, 2]
    Action: Choose four volunteers from the kids. Hand the closed box to the first volunteer.
    Runner 1: Abraham (Hebrews 11:17-19)
    Say: "Our first runner is Abraham. God told Abraham that his son, Isaac, would start a huge family. But then, God tested Abraham by asking him to give Isaac back. Abraham trusted God so much that he knew even if Isaac died, God could bring him right back to life! Abraham kept holding the box."
    Action: Have the first kid run across the room and hand the box to the second kid.
    Runner 2: Isaac (Hebrews 11:20)
    Say: "Isaac grew up and received the box of promises. When he was old, he blessed his sons, Jacob and Esau, telling them about the great things God would do for them in the future. He didn't see it happen yet, but he passed the box forward!"
    Action: Have the second kid run and hand the box to the third kid.
    Runner 3: Jacob (Hebrews 11:21)
    Say: "Jacob grew old and wrinkly. Even when he was dying, he leaned on his walking staff, worshiped God, and blessed Joseph’s sons. He knew God’s promises were real, so he handed the box down again!"
    Action: Have the third kid run and hand the box to the fourth kid.
    Runner 4: Joseph (Hebrews 11:22)
    Say: "Joseph was a powerful ruler in Egypt, but he knew Egypt wasn't his true home. Before he died, he made his family promise that when God finally took them to the Promised Land, they would pack up his bones and carry them along! He trusted the promise so much, he wanted his skeletal remains to be there!" [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
    Action: Take the box from the final runner and open it. Pull out the four cards one by one to show the kids the names of the generational line.
    Say: "Every single one of these men died before God's biggest promise came true. Do you know what that promise was? Hundreds of years later, from this exact family tree, Jesus was born! Jesus is the ultimate prize inside the box. Because these four grandpas kept trusting God and passing the faith down, the Savior came to change the world." [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
    Trusting the Unseen: Faith is trusting that God is working on something big, even when we can't see the finish line right now.
    Your Turn in the Race: We are part of this relay race too! When we trust God during hard times, we show the people around us—and the people who grow up after us—that God can be trusted completely. [1, 2, 3, 4]
    Proposition: The patriarchs demonstrated their faith in God.
    Interrogative: How did the patriarchs demonstrate their faith?
    Transitional Statement: The patriarchs demonstrated their faith in 2 ways.

    I. Tested Faith

    A. Faith in God’s Promise Tested

    Hebrews 11:17 NASB95
    17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;
    Genesis 22:10–12 NASB95
    10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
    Begotten — Isaac was not the oldest. Ishmael was the oldest. This cannot mean just physically born. Begotten must mean the child who is the special son who will receive the blessing. This is important when referring to Jesus, it means that Jesus is God’s special Son who is chosen.
    Abraham serves as a type of the Heavenly Father offering up His Son Jesus Christ on the cross. Except, their was no authority over the Father to tell him, “stop.” The Father, knowing all things, knew the Triune plan to raise Jesus from dead and conquer death once and for all.
    Because Isaac was the only begotten son of Abraham, the author of Hebrews continues…
    Hebrews 11:18 NASB95
    18 it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.”
    Isaac not Ishmael. Sarah’s Son not Hagar’s. Abraham and Sarah thought they could help bring about God’s plan by providing a son through Hagar, but that is not what God had promised. God promised that through Sarah the world would be blessed.

    B. Faith in God’s Power Tested

    Hebrews 11:19 NASB95
    19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.
    Genesis 22:10–12 NASB95
    10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

    II. Blessed Faith

    A. Isaac (20)

    Hebrews 11:20 NASB95
    20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.
    Genesis 27:27–29 NASB95
    27 So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed; 28 Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine; 29 May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, And may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you.”

    B. Jacob (21)

    Hebrews 11:21 NASB95
    21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
    Genesis 48:14–16 NASB95
    14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
    Genesis 48:17–22 NASB95
    17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 He blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’ ” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 “I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”
    Leaning on his staff — the significance of this is that was still a pilgrim, ready to walk. He knew that Egypt was not his home, so he kept his staff in his hand

    C. Joseph (22)

    Hebrews 11:22 NASB95
    22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.
    Genesis 50:24–26 NASB95
    24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.
    Joshua 24:32 NASB95
    32 Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph’s sons.

    Hebrews 11:23 NASB95
    23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
    Exodus 6:20 NASB95
    20 Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the length of Amram’s life was one hundred and thirty-seven years.
    The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Ten: Faith—The Greatest Power in the World (Hebrews 11)

    A home should be the first school of faith for a child

    Hebrews 11:24 NASB95
    24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
    Hebrews 11:25 NASB95
    25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

    Hebrews 11:26 NASB95
    26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

    Hebrews 11:27 NASB95
    27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.
    The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Ten: Faith—The Greatest Power in the World (Hebrews 11)

    As Dr. Vance Havner said, “Moses chose the imperishable, saw the invisible, and did the impossible.

    Hebrews 11:28 NASB95
    28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.
    Hebrews 11:29 NASB95
    29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

      • Hebrews 11:17LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Genesis 22:10–12LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Hebrews 11:18LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Hebrews 11:19LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Genesis 22:10–12LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Hebrews 11:20LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Genesis 27:27–29LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Hebrews 11:21LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Genesis 48:14–16LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Genesis 48:17–22LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Hebrews 11:22LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Genesis 50:24–26LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Joshua 24:32LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

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Lamoille Valley Grace Brethren Church
pastorethan@lvgbc.net
8028883339
http://www.lvgbc.net
26 members