Video Transcript: God’s Covenant with Abraham

David - So if you follow along, and kind of keeping track of how many lessons  there are where we're at, at this point, you would see that we're about halfway  through, you might start to think, Alright, 12 out of 24 halfway through this  process, but we want to encourage you not to think that way, because that  misses the point in a variety of different ways. You know, as you're walking this  journey with somebody else, the reality is there may be things we need to camp  out more here or there. This is very fluid, it's not okay, I just got to check these  boxes off week after week after week, then that misses the point. And then  remember, this has all about a lifestyle. And so just to continue to bring back in,  okay, the person or people you're deciphering? Are they? Are they already  starting to teach some of these things to other people? Are you encouraging  them to do that? Or is that? Is that being reproduced in their life? Are they  planning to do that soon? And so this is a continual process. It's not just okay.  Once I get to this, I'll check this off and gotta make sure.  

Francis - I also think it's a good time, though, for you to evaluate yourself as a  leader going, Okay, does this person know me yet? You know, are they really  seeing my life? Or have I just been going through a study because and I can't  emphasize enough, that's where we learn. That's where our kids learn. That's  where we learn from our parents wasn't so much the lessons they taught us, but 

we saw the way they lived, you know, was caught not taught, you know, they  say we saw we caught, I mean, I remember, when I was in college, the first year in college, I lived with this family, this, this couple with a young baby. And I had  no idea just for that one year living with them. That years later, when I got  married. It's crazy. I naturally did what that husband because he was such a role model to me, like the way I would treat my wife, I think, what would Mike do in  this situation? You know, and then once I had a kid, as a man, what would Mike  do, because he was such a great father, such a good dad. And it's weird how he  never sat me down and said, Hey, this is how you treat your wife, or this is how  you raise your kids or, you know, this is how you share your faith. I just naturally  caught it. And so it's a good time for you to think through. Okay, is that  happening here? Am I really sharing my life as well as the word you know, like  Paul says, I You saw my life? So is that happening?  

David - So avoid getting into just Bible Study mode in this whole picture? Yes,  there's Bible study. We're teaching people to obey everything Christ has  commanded us. But it's so much more than that. And that's really even  illustrated in this this lesson. Because this is this is a critical picture in the story  of Scripture when we see God enter into a covenant with His people through  Abraham. Now, there's some words in here that you kind of tossed around in the church sometimes that I think we don't always really understand what we're  saying. But covenant is a picture of relationship that's built on promise. And, and

the storyline of scripture really revolves around God initiating covenant  relationship with his people, God saying, I'm going to make some promises to  you to be faithful to you that I'm going to keep those promises to you. And that's  the basis upon which our relationship with Christ is built.  

Frasncis - Yeah. And let your disciple admit, if they don't understand, like, almost pull it out of him, like, Are you sure you understand what covenant means?  That's kind of, you know, he understands like a promise, you know, bringing out  redemption. I mean, that's, that's spoken of a lot in the material. But redemption, I didn't understand what that word meant, until someone broke it down simply  and said, it's like a bottle, you know, you see how it went on, you know, like, on a glass bottle or whatever, it'll say, redemption value, five cents. And like, okay,  that's redemption, that means this thing was gonna be tossed in the trash. And  someone's gonna say no, give that to me. I'll give you a nickel for it, you know, I  want that I'm pulling it out. And it was like, Oh, I get it now. So my purpose for  Yeah, after the fall, yeah, after the fall, it's like, throw me away, I'm a waste and  God saying no, no, I want to purchase I want to, I want that there's actually a  value to that. In fact, I'll pay for that. And, you know, jumping ahead of myself,  but you know, it's that whole idea of, I'll pay I'll pay with the cross. It's that  valuable, the redemption value. And so explain these things simply as you're  explaining to your disciple because you want them to be able to repeat it,  

David - you know, even a word like faith. So that that's that's it, but what is faith  really mean? I mean, this is more than just intellectual belief that that and that's  where a lot of people kind of stop with faith. Okay, I believe that Sure. But let's  just put your life in the in I mean, basically staking your life on a promise that  God is going to be faithful and and trusting Him with everything and following  Him that to really flesh out that idea of faith.  

Francis - Yeah, I just want to say, the stupidest thing I ever did at church. Okay,  I'm a visual person. So that's why I'm telling you about a bottle or whatever, you  know, it's just the way my mind works. But I wanted to get that explanation of  faith and what does it mean to believe and please don't do this ever. Like this is I did not model this don't follow my example on this, but it is a good story. One  time I was teaching, and I brought this little balloon to church, you know,  probably about the size of my fist, and I just taped the to a wall, you know, on  the other side of the stage, and I brought a BB gun. And so I stood, stood on the other end stage, and I go, how many guys believe I can hit this and it's about  80% of them, you know, raise their hand. And so I said, Okay, how many of you  are willing to hold that in your hand, then? You know, and some of them kept  their hand out, you know? And I said, Okay, would anyone stick this between  their teeth? You know, and this one guy kept his hand up. And I didn't think 

anyone would. So I like, come on forward, you know. And I actually just in case,  there was someone, you know, I had this medical release form, and I had him fill it out and sign his name, you had him fill it out, I did right in front of everyone. So 

he signed it, he gets, and I didn't think, you know, I'm trying to scare him,  because I'm thinking, you know, he;s not going to do it. So he's all the way on  the other side of the stage. And he sticks this thing between his teeth and just,  you know, it's just smiling going sideways. And so I want to just scare him. So I  pulled the BB gun up, right up, you know, look in the scope thinking he's gonna  get scared. And you know, that was gonna put it down. And guys, just kidding,  you know. But once I got lined up, I thought I could hit this. And I pulled the  trigger. And I just, everyone was so mad. I thought everyone would be like,  yeah, everyone's just like, are you stupid? What are you 12? Well, you know,  attorneys are coming up to me, like, you could have lost the whole church and,  and so pleased that that was dumb, but it was a good illustration. I was really  stupid. It was stupid. But my point was at the end, I'm going, Okay, how many  believers were in the room? How many true believers? Was it? The 80% of you  that raised your hands? And yeah, I would do Yeah, I think you'll hit it. Was it?  You know, the few of you that sit on hold it, you know, the tip of my fingers? Or is it the guy that's going to stick it between his teeth And everyone's like, there was one believer in the room. And, and it was just that idea of faith. That was  Abraham, Abraham was saying, You know what, I'll leave. You say, I'm gonna  have a new nation, everything else. I'm gonna stick this thing between my teeth,  and I'm gonna go for it. And those are the things we want to make sure people  understand. When we say believe in Jesus and Abraham believed in God.  That's what we're talking about. He stuck it between his teeth. There was an  action that went with his posted belief.  

David - So flesh out these words, these really important Biblical words, in the  context of sharing life with the people that you're discipling