Every believer longs to be led by the Spirit of God, but how does that actually happen in real life? In this message from Genesis 24, Pastor Todd walks through the story of Abraham’s servant searching for a wife for Isaac—a journey filled with prayer, discernment, and divine direction. Through this “case study in guidance,” we discover that God’s Spirit still leads His people today through an ongoing conversation with Him, through His unseen presence at work around us, and through the wisdom we gain from His Word. Like Abraham’s servant, we learn to recognize God’s fingerprints in our circumstances and to trust that He’s already at work before we arrive.

Pastor Todd also explores the tension between divine leading and personal decision-making—how we act in wisdom while remaining sensitive to the Spirit’s prompting. Sometimes, God’s guidance comes not through dramatic signs but through His peace, His Word, and a heart that longs to worship Him in every decision. Ultimately, the goal of spiritual guidance is not simply to get what we want, but to glorify the One who leads us.

Whether you’re facing a major decision or simply wanting to walk closer with God day by day, this message offers practical and biblical insight into what it means to be “led by the Spirit.”

Sermon Text: Genesis 24

Date: October 12, 2025

Preacher: Todd Pylant

In Genesis 22, Abraham faces the ultimate test of faith—God commands him to offer Isaac, the son of promise. This passage reveals not only the depth of Abraham’s faith but also the clearest foreshadowing of the gospel in the Old Testament. On Mount Moriah, where the temple would one day stand, God provided a ram in place of Isaac, pointing forward to the day when He Himself would provide the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who takes away the sin of the world.

Like Abraham, we make our confession of faith through our test of faith. God doesn’t test us to make us fail but to refine and reveal the reality of our trust in Him. Every believer will walk through moments where faith is proven, not just professed. This story reminds us that the testing of our faith is how our confession of faith becomes real.

Through Abraham’s experience, we see five ways faith is tested: the test of love (do we love God above all else?), the test of obedience (will we say yes to His commands?), the test of trust (can we believe His promises when His ways confuse us?), the test of provision (will we trust Him to provide something out of nothing?), and the test of worship (will we still bow before Him when we don’t understand?).

At the Lord’s Supper table, we echo Abraham’s faith—declaring that Jesus Christ, the true Lamb God provided, is worthy of our love, trust, obedience, and worship.

Sermon Text: Genesis 22.1-19

Date: October 5, 2025

Preacher: Todd Pylant

In Genesis 21, the story of Ishmael raises a pressing question: What do we do with Ishmael? Too often, he’s dismissed as the “problem child” while Isaac is celebrated as the child of promise. But a closer look at Scripture tells a different story—every time God speaks about Ishmael, He speaks blessing. God promises to multiply him, make him fruitful, and raise up nations from him.

This sermon challenges the simplistic Isaac-good/Ishmael-bad framework and calls us to think with the mind of Christ. God’s covenant line runs through Isaac, leading to the Messiah, but His blessing rests on Ishmael as well. History shows that Ishmael’s descendants became the Arab peoples, and later, Islam tightly bound Ishmael, Arabs, and religion into one cultural identity. Today, that raises difficult tensions. But followers of Christ are not called to hate the descendants of Ishmael—nor any people group. Instead, we are called to see God’s eternal purpose: that all families of the earth, including the descendants of Ishmael, will be blessed through Christ, the true offspring of Abraham.

The sermon highlights four truths: (1) Christians are not called to hate Ishmael’s descendants; (2) the real dividing line is not culture but which descendant of Abraham brings salvation—Christ or Muhammad; (3) Arab culture is no more resistant to the gospel than Western culture; and (4) we must be so gospel-focused and kingdom-minded that we rise above cultural hate and love the descendants of Ishmael as God does.

The gospel is for the world—for every tribe, tongue, and nation.

Sermon Date: September 28, 2025

Text: Genesis 21.1-20

Preacher: Todd Pylant