Tuesday, October 12, 2010

God Is At Work - The Story of Ruth Part III - A Strange Proposal, Part 21 of 31

TEXT: The book of Ruth

IDEA: One way that God keeps His promises is by intervention in the bad situations in our lives.

PURPOSE: To help listeners see that God keeps His promises to us in different ways.

When we talk about a "miracle," what do we mean?

Do you think we might use that word too casually?

Have you personally ever witnessed a "miracle"?

I. One way that God keeps His promises is by the direct intervention of God for His people. The Bible testifies that God sometimes performs a miracle.

He either takes us out of a bad situation or takes the situation away.

In Exodus 14:13, Moses and the people he led experienced a miracle at the Red Sea that was significant in their entire history. What happened?

In Luke 18:35-42 we see Jesus perform a miracle for a blind man.

Is there a temptation to believe that a miracle is the major way or the only way that God works? Why would we do that?

Our experience as babies when the big people rescued us from without (John Claypool)

Our experience in Sunday school and church when the miracle stories were consistently read to us to make God look good.

II. Do you think it is wrong for a Christian to “expect a miracle”?

Can it be damaging to our faith and the faith of others to look for the intervention of God?

Is the intervention of God the MAJOR way or the ONLY way God works?

Was God at work in the story of Ruth? Did God perform a miracle for Ruth and Naomi?