Righteousness

God made Abraham a promise, "Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You're going to have a big family!" And he believed! Believed God! God declared him "Set-Right-with-God."

We may strive to be good Christian people, but God is the one who sets us right with himself.

Just because we are declared righteous by God, it doesn't mean we won't still face our share of troubles: God said to Abraham, "Know this: your descendants will live as outsiders in a land not theirs; they'll be enslaved and beaten down for 400 years. Then I'll punish their slave masters; your offspring will march out of there loaded with plunder."

Good news: God's people will be well established.

Bad news: 400 years of slavery.

God does indeed work in mysterious ways.

We welcomed Ryan & Lora Cosmini and their 10 month old son, Dominic, to our family this morning. Please welcome them. They are your sister and brothers in Christ.