Grace Church Teaching

God calls us to be neighbors—to engage those around us with compassion. Hospitality is about more than welcoming others into our home; it is extending the grace we receive from God to others.

God calls us to be neighbors—to engage those around us with compassion. Hospitality is about more than welcoming others into our home; it is extending the grace we receive from God to others.

We have a responsibility to share our story with others because we have been rescued from our sin. Our lives should cause people to notice that we are distinct, and we should be ready to answer their questions with confidence and humility.

God reveals Himself to a world that doesn’t recognize Him, He redeems a world that is too bound by sin to hear what He is saying, and He extends hospitality to a people who are too broken to notice Him. How are you engaging others in the same way that God engages you?

God instructs the Israelites to build a tabernacle in the center of their community—the tabernacle that would establish His presence among His people. Through the Israelites’ obedience, God is creating a way to be in relationship with those who trust in Him.

Moses’ life is oriented around his dependence on God. Not only does he desire God’s presence over anything else, but he knows that His presence is what sets His people apart.

When we feel like God isn’t coming through for us on our terms, we tend to fall back to sin that feels comfortable to us. In the same way that the Israelites revert to creating something tangible to worship, we create our own gods in times when we feel disoriented. However, what would it look like if we stopped ourselves from reverting to our cyclical sin and instead reflected on God’s kindness to us? What if we reacted out of obedience rather than disregard? As we look at Exodus 32, let it serve as a reminder to walk in faithful obedience not out of duty but because of His kindness to us.

Obeying God’s commands produces freedom, not bondage, and brings life, not death; they are refreshing to the soul and give joy to those who follow Him. As we walk in obedience to Him and surrender to His direction and guidance, we are able to love others well—even our enemies.

As we continue to walk through the book of Exodus, we continue to be reminded of the truth that we are broken in the same ways as the Israelites. While we may not be worshiping idols in the same shape or form, we choose our own functional gods and idols to fuel our own desires every day.

In Exodus 19:1-25, God shows fierce kindness in the way He delivers His people and draws them into a relationship with Him. Despite our brokenness, God wants to draw us to Him in the same way. Only when we recognize our need for Him can we fully recognize His great mercy in delivering us.