Pastor Matt's Podcasts Matt Bower

When the children of Israel were in the process of leaving Egypt, Pharaoh began to pursue them, God was leading them in a roundabout way to the Promised Land, and they ended up getting caught between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army.  In this episode we discuss the slavish mentality.  There are easier ways, there are more logical ways, but in the end it must be God's way. 

In this sermon, we examine God's requirment of the firstborn.  The firstborn represents the family entire, giving the firstborn to God then speaks of giving the entire family and all they have to God. The lamb could redeem the firstborn donkey in our example given by Moses, just as Jesus, the Lamb of God would ultimately redeem us all.  

In this session, we discuss the importance of patterning our child-training after God's own ways.  While this does not guarantee that the heart of the children are kept by the parents, it does guarantee that parents are not limiting their children's obedience to God. 

When the children of Israel left Egypt, they left with a mixed multitude.  That means that the there were Hebrews, Egyptians, and other slaves that came with them.  God gave specific instructions regarding these "foreigners".  In order to partake of the Passover, they had become circumcised, that is, the cutting away of the flesh.
Churches today also have mixed multitudes in their congregations.  The foreigners in the body, those not part of the covenant, must have a circumcision of the heart before being able to partake of communion.  Unfortunately, churches today are not making any requirements on the people in the church to become partakers of that covenant community.  We need to rediscover God's requirements.  

In this sermon, we examine the nature of the final judgement on the Egyptians, the death of the firstborn.  Scripture only gives us two verses describing this judgment when it happened.  Most of the time is spent on describing the purpose of the Passover Meal.  We study how the Hebrews had to be ready for this judgement, because everything in the Egyptian society would change.  
     In our society today, we know that God has been judging the United States for years.  How are Christians to prepare for God's judgments?  This sermon is especially relevant today.  

Bringing up children to become Christ-like in their character is challenging.  However, God gave us a pattern to follow in order that we may teach and train our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  This lesson in the child training series is a great resource for new parents, old parents and even grandparents.  Christian maturation is lacking in the culture today, this will be an excellent tool to bringing faith back into the family.