Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for Your grace. Thank you for the great example of Father Abraham. May we have faith like him, great faith in you. Amen.
Reading: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: “Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring- not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham.” Hallelujah, hallelujah- we have been saved by grace! That is so powerful. We could never earn our salvation by our works, and I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful for that. Abraham is our faith super star; his faithful actions are amazing in the midst of struggling to conceive with his wife Sarah, and to then be asked by God to sacrifice his only son (sounds familiar…could this foreshadow Jesus’ sacrifice?). If we were to depend on how righteous our actions were, faith would mean nothing, and we would constantly miss the mark. The graciousness of God is what sets us free from this worry. If we put out faith and trust in him, we will continue to fall short in this life, but we can find peace in knowing God’s unwavering love. We do not have to fear, so make your mistakes boldly, as humans are prone to do. And then boldly proclaim Christ as your Savior by grace alone. And try, try again! --Anne Harshbarger
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