God signs a covenant in blood — and then walks through it alone, for both parties. That's the whole gospel, 15 chapters into Genesis.

Pastor Jackson opens with kids on a rock wall at summer camp: they know in their heads that the rope will hold them, but the moment comes when they have to actually put their full weight on it. That's where Abraham is in Genesis 15 — learning to put the full weight of his faith on God. And he's not a highlight reel. Jackson counts at least five times Abraham dramatically drops the ball, which is exactly what makes the story land.

Three things the life of Abraham teaches: God grows our faith by testing it (faith is a muscle that only builds by tearing), God often brings your faith right to the edge before he comes through (25 years of waiting on a promised son), and the confidence to risk everything for God comes from understanding the commitment of God.

Then the covenant. In the ancient world, two parties would cut animals in half and walk through the blood together, each saying, "if I break this, let it be done to me." But when God makes his covenant with Abraham, Abraham is asleep — and God passes through the pieces alone. A king taking responsibility for both sides. If I break it, my blood. If you break it, still my blood. It's the clearest picture of Jesus in the entire Old Testament, and it points straight to a cross where the darkness fell and the blood ran like a river. It is finished.

Key topics: Faith as a muscle built through testing | Why God waits until the edge | The ancient blood covenant and what "to cut a covenant" meant | God walking through for both parties | Getting back up as an act of faith — "though the righteous fall seven times"

Church of the Cascades | Bend, Oregon | Genesis series