Pastor Bill teaches on Exodus 18.

This week we will be exploring Exodus 17:1-16 together, Winning Our Battles.
There's a quote that I like that goes something like this: "Be kind because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." It is attributed to all kinds of different people (which means no one really knows who said it) but regardless of who said it, it conveys a lot of truth.
We are all fighting some kind of battle. In this sin-impacted world...and in our sin-impacted bodies...this is practically a given.
These battles hit us on two fronts...from the inside and from the outside.
On the inside, we face battles from our own minds, from our own family, and from our own friends and community.
On the outside, we face battles from the world, from the evil one, and from the sins and temptations all around us.
In Exodus 17, Israel faces these two battles.
On the inside, they begin to complain and attack Moses, even threating to stone him! They are without water and their thirst almost brings the entire community into a war against Moses, against one another, and against God.
On the outside, they are suddenly attacked by the Amalekites who target the weakest in their community and seek to plunder and destroy them. Without warning, Israel is suddenly thrown into a battle that they did not expect nor were they adequately prepared for.
The wilderness is hard enough without having to face these additional challenges.
So how does Israel win the battle? And how do we win the same kinds of battles today?
We will look at God's answers in Exodus 17.
May God strengthen our hands, unify our body, and give us the victory in the battles that we face today!
This Sunday we will also celebrate communion together as fellow partakers of God's grace!

This week we will be exploring Exodus 16:1-36 together, Receiving Our Daily Bread.
Manna.
What is it?
Actually, that is not just a question but an answer.
In Exodus 16, Israel is still in the wilderness, still facing difficulties, still complaining to Moses and Aaron.
The cycle has begun and it will continue for the next 40 years.
Discomfort. Discontent. Grumbling. Grace. Growth.
Well, that last part of the cycle (Growth) is the goal but it is not always the reality. God wanted them to grow in dependency and trust in Him but they often chose to remain in their stubborn complaining mode.
They are not too much unlike us.
That is why Exodus 16 is more than just a historical narrative. It is our spiritual narrative as well. These things were written for our admonition and instruction. These things were written to open our eyes to our own hearts as God's redeemed people stuck in the discomforts of the wilderness.
But even in our grumbling, God gives grace. Daily grace. Sufficient grace. Amazing grace.
In Exodus 16, God provides the miracle of manna...and teaches us a lot about living day by day on our daily bread of God's Word and His grace.
May God expose our hearts so that He can heal our hearts and give us His joy and strength!