CROSS MY HEART

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Don't Miss This Study

Episode: CROSS MY HEART
Hosts: Dave Butler & Grace Freeman
Release Date: February 8, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Dave Butler and Grace Freeman deep-dive into the story of Abraham as recorded in Genesis 12–17 and the Book of Abraham. The central theme is God's promises—what they mean, how they're symbolized (especially by the stars), and how the Abrahamic covenant remains a source of hope and relevance for believers today. The episode is filled with practical reflections, personal stories, and memorable quotes illustrating God's commitment to His children, even when promises seem impossible.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: God of Promises

• Symbolism of the Stars:
  Stars represent the multiplicity and infiniteness of God's promises. Every time we look at the stars, we are invited to remember His goodness and commitment to us.
  Quote (Dave, 03:29):
  "The stars are a symbol of promise. And every time you see them...you can remember all of those promises. That God is a God of a multiplicity of promises, of endless promise.”

• Promise to the Ordinary:
  Abraham and Sarah symbolize how God chooses normal, often overlooked people to carry out His extraordinary promises. Their barrenness and waiting underscore the theme of hope amid apparent impossibility.

2. Permanent Reminders of God's Promises

• Rainbows & Stars:
  The same symbols God used for Noah and Abraham endure today, reminding us that divine promises are timeless.
  Quote (Grace, 06:14):
  "There's a lot that has changed, but one thing that hasn't is we still get rainbows in the sky... every single night, there are still stars. And if those two things are true, it must mean that the promises that we read in this book are still true."

3. Stories within the Abrahamic Narrative

• Hidden Strength and Kinship in Scripture (Abraham 1):
  The story of Abraham's near-sacrifice links to the courage of others before him. Scripture binds us not only to God but also to the community of believers across time.
  Quote (Grace, 11:11):
  "One of the most beautiful parts of scripture for me is the ability to read one of those tiny verses and to let your imagination and creativity teach you through the Spirit.”

4. God’s Tenderness and Personal Approach

• The Introduction of Jehovah:
  God's repeated introduction ("My name is Jehovah") reflects deep tenderness—a familiarity like a father gently introducing himself to comfort a frightened child.
  Quote (Dave, 17:28):
  "Why is he introducing himself? ...I saw that picture image in my mind...their dad walked into the room and took him by the hand and said, 'Hey Jake, it's Dad.' And that's so sweet."

5. Catalog of Abrahamic Promises

Using their study journals, the hosts enumerate the core promises God makes to Abraham, cross-referencing Genesis and Abraham narratives:

• Genesis 12:2 – God Will Make You More

  • "I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great."
  • Spiritual principle: God multiplies and elevates those who follow Him.

• Genesis 12:3 – God Is On Your Team

  • "I will bless them who bless you and curse those who curse you."
  • Affirms a relational, protective partnership with God—He has your back.

• Purpose and the Blessing of Others:

  • Believers are not only recipients but also conduits of God's blessings; being part of this "rescue story" is itself a happiness multiplier.
  • Quote (Dave, 25:23):
    “The blessing God gives to us is, ‘I will let you be a part of this rescue story… I am going to use you and your descendants to take the message of hope...to the world.’”

• Rescue Narrative – Genesis 14:14

  • Story of Abraham rescuing Lot as a "type and shadow of the Savior."
  • Quote (Grace, 30:31):
    "Our first instinct should be the same as Jesus’. I'm going to go out of my way to get them. I'm gonna pursue them…That is the heart of God. That is who He is."

• Multiplication and Impossible Promises – Genesis 17:2

  • God promises things that seem impossible (children to the barren, laughter to the mourners).
  • Quote (Grace, 42:33):
    "Jehovah’s introduction: Hi, my name’s Jehovah. I can do impossible things for you."

• The Promise of Generational Impact

  • "What you will do is remarkable, but what will come from you will be even better."
  • God’s promises extend beyond individuals to future generations (Genesis 17:6,16).

6. Waiting, Faith, and Laughter Again

• Endurance and Restoration:
  God's timing often stretches beyond expectation—sometimes far beyond what seems reasonable (as with Abraham and Sarah), but He is a restorer of all things lost.

  • "You can't complain about unanswered prayers until you're 100. Because that's how long they waited for theirs."(Dave, 48:04)

• Promise of Joy:
  God turns tears to laughter—symbolized in Isaac’s name ("he laughs").

  • “God promises laughter in the end… There will be laughter again at the end of this story. And this is the God we believe in.” (Dave, 48:36)

7. God’s Guarantee: The Covenant of Grace

• The Significance of “Cutting the Covenant” (Genesis 15):
  • God alone walks through the pieces, signifying that He bears the full weight of keeping the promises.
  • Quote (Dave, 57:09):
    “God walks through for Himself and in behalf of Abraham...I will fulfill every one of my promises. And Abraham, I'll fulfill yours...even in your mistakes, my promises can still be held true. This...is a covenant of grace.”

8. Practical Application: Living with Hope

• The promises of God are not conditioned on our perfection; their guarantee is the atoning sacrifice of Christ.
• The hosts invite listeners to use visual reminders (like glow-in-the-dark stars) and reflective study as anchors for faith and hope.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Symbolism of the Stars:
  "[The stars] are a reminder of God's multiplying goodness for each of his children." (Dave, 03:34)

• On Looking Forward to the Future:
  "What the Lord gave Abraham in that moment was something to look forward to." (Grace, 34:44)

• On the Heart of Rescue:
  "If it takes 318 people to rescue one, so be it. That is what Lot is worth in Abraham's eyes. That’s what I'm worth in God's. And you, too." (Dave, 29:14)

• On God's Compassion in Brokenness:
  "God promises to restore that which was lost." (Dave, 36:58)

• On the Certainty of God's Promise:
  "Every single one of these promises we've talked about today are guaranteed by the blood of the Lamb, that he laid his life down on the line to ensure that every one of those promises...can be fulfilled." (Dave, 58:29)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Symbolism of the Stars: 00:00–06:30
• The Permanence of God’s Promises (Rainbows & Stars): 05:43–06:50
• Abraham’s Story & Hidden Stories in Scripture: 08:53–12:02
• Jehovah’s Tender Introduction: 15:44–17:00
• Genesis 12—The Promises Begin (Abrahamic Covenant): 20:19–32:14
• Purpose & Blessing Others; The Rescue of Lot: 24:42–33:06
• Longing for & Waiting on Promises: 33:06–36:58
• Exalting, Multiplying, and Generational Blessings: 40:06–47:37
• Joy After Mourning—The Promise of Laughter: 47:37–52:31
• Cutting the Covenant—God as Guarantor: 52:57–59:04
• Closing Reflections—Look at the Stars: 59:04–59:10

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Tone & Language

Consistently encouraging, accessible, and personal. Dave and Grace use warm, conversational language, regularly referencing relatable moments (e.g., TikTok, glow-in-the-dark stars, sports teams) and personal faith experiences to illustrate deep scriptural insights. Both hosts emphasize practical application, empowerment, and the enduring relevance of ancient scripture.

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Final Takeaway

The story of Abraham isn't just ancient history—it's an ongoing invitation to trust in God's goodness, to participate in His work, and to find hope in even the most uncertain seasons. The promises made to Abraham are still alive, guaranteed by the sacrifice of Christ, and symbolized every night by the stars shining above.

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“Every night when you need a reminder, don’t worry. Just go look at the stars.”
—Grace Freeman (59:04)

Transcript

[A]

Hi there. Welcome to Don't Miss this, a scripture study podcast with Dave Butler and Grace Freeman.

[B]

Each week we point out things in the scriptures that we love and think you don't want to miss.

[A]

Thanks for listening. Hi, I'm Dave Butler.

[B]

I'm Grace Freeman.

[A]

Welcome to Don't Miss this, our weekly scripture study class. You guys cruising through the Old Testament? If you're just joining us, it's the first month, but we're cruising like a. I meant that as like a. You know, this is great. Like this is. We're in the first book and it's so good already. It just keeps getting better and better and better and better. If you're new with us, we love the Old Testament. We love the scriptures, we love Jesus. We point out things that we think are just uplifting and applicable and hope giving in the scriptures and hopefully it's a good experience for you. We are in some chapters today that are just winners. We have a couple of things to put into these chapters. First, we have a timeline piece. If you don't know this, we made a timeline for the Old Testament that has just got these cute picture icons so that you can see the whole story and you can fill it out as you go or you can print out one that is all filled out. They're free. I loved doing this with my seminary classes so much. I, I love showing my kids I did it in my mission prep. I just think it's helpful for people to understand this is the storyline of, of the scriptures and remember the stories.

[B]

Yeah, that's why it makes you proud because you see all of it. The pictures instantly remind you of the story you studied and then you get to feel so proud that, you know, the Old Testament is so good.

[A]

Yeah, I, I just, I love it. I love it. So today these pictures are the stars and this is what is going to be. So co lesson is, when God speaks to Abraham, who we're going to meet today in today's chapters, he's going to be a new character for today. But many but you probably already heard of him, when we meet Abraham, God is going to just pour out on him promises and show to us that he is a God of promises. In fact, we often associate promises with the name of Abraham because we'll use this phrase, the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And we do that because in these chapters we see God lay out what it means for him to be your God. Like this is what I promise to you. We talk a lot about our promises to him. And these chapters Are his promises to us. When we are in a covenant relationship, we are so fast to say that's a two way promise. And I think we forget one of the ways. Right. We focus a lot on mining. We forgot that God is a God of promises and he's a. And we'll find out next time. He's a God who provides. And I just think it's great. And the symbol for that in these chapters is the stars. So that's why we put the stars to represent Abraham's story. Because the stars are a symbol of promise. And every time you see them, especially if you go to Lake Powell or somewhere, there is a lot you can remember all of those promises. That God is a God of a multiplicity of promises, of endless promise. And that is what stars say and show. We were just talking about before we started on here. I had a dear friend who, when I was growing up, she lived with us and was kind of like a nanny and a friend. And I don't know, we had Mary Poppins, everybody growing up. And we used to go on these walks and Mia and I, and Scarlet the dog. And we'd walk at night and as we would walk, we would look up at the stars and she would say to me, david, God put those stars in the sky for you. And we would talk about the wonder of God and just the majesty of God. And I think about that every time I see the stars. They are a reminder of God's multiplying goodness for each of his children. I actually love that these chapters focus on a couple. They've become famous over time because of these stories, but really they were just these nomads, these wanderers, these tent dwellers. And it's sweet to me that we learn about the promises that God intends for his children through the stories of the most ordinary couple and a couple who probably feels like God's forgotten them for a while. This is maybe too early to get into this, but Sarah is barren. She can't have children. And that, that weighs on her. She says, I, you know, I. Children were the ultimate promise. They were the ultimate reassurance and assurance for parents in the ancient world. And. And they had none. And just these, these ten normal, messy people. And God uses their story to show us how. How good he is to. To his children. So it was. It was a long intro for this piece, but it really was a long intro for the. It was the intro for the whole chapter. So the stars are what you're gonna put on there. And I hope that after this lesson forever and Always that you'll look up at the stars and feel like God put them in the sky for you and that they can be a reminder of just the. His promises and his multiplicity of goodness in your life.

[B]

So I do think that's one of my favorite parts so far in the Old Testament. Obviously, we're not that deep into the Old Testament yet, but it's just something I've noticed, honestly, within the last couple. Couple of weeks in our study is you go through and a lot has changed since the ancient days. And we wear different clothes and we have cell phones and we drive cars. And that, like, the majority of our life looks very different than the lives of the people who lived clear back in the book of Genesis. But I love that the reminders God gave these people were permanent. And he looked at Noah and he said, I will give you a rainbow. So when you look at the sky, we both remember the promises that we have made. And when he talked to Abraham, he gave him the stars. And those are not things that went away, those promises. I think to me, the reason I love that is because it's evidence that those promises are still true today. And there's a lot that has changed, but one thing that hasn't is we still get rainbows in the sky. And one thing that hasn't is every single night, there are still stars. And if those two things are true, it must mean that the promises that we read in this book are still true.

[A]

Yeah. That's so awesome. Oh, my gosh. Okay. I was about to share a verse, but I'm not, because let's be systematic about this. I was about to just jump into this.

[B]

We just start doing whatever we want.

[A]

We just start going everywhere. Your chapters for today are, they're going to be in Abraham and also in Genesis. So we get part of Abraham's story in the Book of Abraham, and then we get the Genesis story in Genesis 12 through 17. So, though there's going to be some overlap between the two of those same. Some of the same story, some details that are new and interesting. We're actually going to use both of them today because we want to show a couple of things in Abraham first, and then we'll move over to Genesis and stay there. But you should know those are pretty similar to each other. By the way, if you are a person who's like, I want to just be really smart about the Book of Abraham. I had a professor at byu, Hawaii, named Cary Muhlstein, who's a good friend of mine, and he's the smartest person in the world on the Book of Abraham. Go look up his podcast, look at his teachings on the Book of Abraham, if that is something that you're wanting to just become really smart and confident about. So we're going to talk about the lessons from Abraham. But if you're interested in the story and the history of that book and its authenticity, then that's where I would go if I were you. But let's open there first. Abraham won and I in. We're going to have Abraham one has a picture with it. Surprise everybody. This is. This was my favorite chapter. I used to always ask my mom when we were in church growing up, where's that book with the pictures? You know, and there is this one picture that we have a facsimile is what we call it, where it looks like a man's about to tickle Abraham on a table, but it's actually a knife, sadly. And we get this story in Abraham one of Abraham being offered up as a human living sacrifice.

[B]

And which, to be honest, I feel like we forget happens, like, majority of the time, right?

[A]

Yeah. And. And there's a.

[B]

We shouldn't. There's a picture.

[A]

Yeah, there's a picture to remind you there's actually one cool part in that story before I get to the. Where I was going, verse 11, I. There is this hidden story in Abraham 111 where Abraham is being offered up on this altar. And he tells you on. It's on Potiphar's hill. And here's where it is. And there's this side story where he says, now this priest that was about to sacrifice him had offered upon this altar three virgins one time, once upon a time, who were the daughters of Oneida, one of the royal descent directly from the loins of Ham. These virgins were offered up because of their virtue. They would not bow down to worship gods of wood or of stone. Therefore, they were killed upon this altar. And it's interesting. It's that same. It's that same altar. And I think that's some of the beauty of the stories of the past, because I imagine Abraham, who's about to be sacrificed because he won't bow down to worship gods of wood or stone, because he's going to be true to his virtue and his conviction. And how. I just imagine he gathered strength in the most terrifying of situations by knowing that story and remembering those three girls who gave their lives for the same thing he's about to give his life for. And just the value of us telling our Stories because they give courage and they give encouragement and they give faith and they give hope to people who are. Who are facing similar situations to them.

[B]

And this is the smallest little side note on that, but I think that's one of the most powerful. I'm sure the majority of us didn't even know that story existed. I think we've probably read over it a million times and didn't even know. Or maybe we've never even read over it once because we've never even read the book of Abraham. And something that I love about the Old Testament and you should be so excited about for the rest of this year is I feel like this happens all the time in this book.

[A]

It's hidden stories.

[B]

There are hidden stories all over that you will read and you will love. And I think one of the beauty. One of the most beautiful parts of scripture for me is the ability to read one of those tiny verses and to let your imagination and creativity teach you through the Spirit. And it's so, like, that's so beautiful to me, like sitting here and thinking as David was sharing that story about three friends, and you just like, can't help but imagine, like, who knows if they were actually friends? But like, in my head I'm like, oh, think about those three girls who were like. And my mind just starts singing like, oh, that we're best friends. And looked at each other and said, we'll be strong enough if we do this together. And that is the beauty of scripture, I think, is sometimes we get really caught up in trying to understand everything. And I think in all reality, like, we believe in a creative God who gave us imaginations. And when you read these stories, let the spirit teach you what you want. In my head, I walked away and I was like, oh, I need to find the two. Like, I thought of my two very best friends and I was like, oh, I'm so glad I have them. And I want to, like, band together spiritually with them so in our lives, like, we can believe like those three girls did.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And I think scriptures do this. I think you should have real friends that are living and alive right now. But in a way, in a way, scriptures are like that. Remember Elder Scott talking about one time memorizing scriptures so that they could become friends to call upon in time of need. I think he would think you want real friends, too. But there is something about that that you, you almost stand in kinship hand in hand with, with the, with the people of these stories. And we're going to get into this all throughout this book, but how normal they are. And I actually like some of the details it shows and some of the mistakes that they make and some of the moments where they're like, whoops. You know, just to make them so relatable and to say, look at God working through the most normal and most sometimes backwards people. I just. I love it. So you feel a kinship. You feel connected. So anyways, these three ladies, we can't wait to meet them. So he's talking about this, and he is laid down on this altar. And then you get to verse 15. As they lifted up their hands upon me, that they might offer me up and take away my life. Behold, I lifted up my voice unto the Lord, my God. I. I have gotten used to circling and underlying. Anytime there is that possessive word, I don't know what the form of speech is, but he is my God. And I reached. I lifted my voice. And the Lord hearkened and he heard. And he filled me with a vision of the Almighty. And the angel of his presence stood by me and immediately unloosed my bands. And what a verse about who God is and what it means to pray and what it means to ask him for help, to fill me with vision, send me your presence and. And unloose my bands. Those are three prayers you and I could pray for every day. And this is a God who answers all three of them. Give me vision. Give me your presence. Stand by me and unloose my bands. And he does. And he says, abraham, Abraham. And just so you know, every time there's a repeated name in scriptures, it is a sign of tenderness. It's the Old Testament writer's way of giving you an emoji that says, this is the way a dad would talk to his son. Abraham. Abraham. My name is Jehovah. I have heard the. And I have come down to deliver thee. What a line, right? And to take away you from your father's house, this house. That's just such a terrible experience for him. Skip to 18. I will lead thee by my hand. Which is the most tender verse, Right. Take my hand. Think about whose hand you want to ever hold. Right. When you hear a verse like this, you don't just want to hold anybody's hand. So there's something so familiar about this. I'll take you by my hand, put my name on you, and my power will be over you. As it was with Noah, your hero, so shall it be with you through thy ministry. Your name will be known in the earth forever. For I am your God. I mean, this just introduces already in those verses. We can underline and mark so many things for what it means to be a person of faith, what it means to be a person who trusts in the God of heaven and earth, the God we're learning about in the Old Testament. These are the beginning of his promises.

[B]

And I think it's so sweet that when Jehovah shows up, he introduces. And he, like, looks at Abraham in the middle of a mess and he says, oh, in case you weren't sure, my name is jehovah in verse 16. And as we, like, dive into these scriptures and these promises that are made, I just can't help but think, like, let this be your introduction to the God you believe in. And start these verses the Same way verse 16 does with that same line, I am Jehovah. This is who I am. And now let me tell you what I will do for you. And how beautiful. Like, I just think that I don't even know how you could do this, because I know it's impossible for the human brain. But I. Like, if I was teaching a lesson or if I was teaching a class or if I was doing my personal study, what I would wanna do right now is pretend I knew nothing about God. I never had met him ever before. And start right there with that brain. My name is Jehovah. And write Jehovah at the top of my notes in my scriptures or in my journal or wherever you're writing. Jehovah, my name is Jehovah. And then every single promise that we go through today, let this be your introduction to who Jehovah is.

[A]

Yeah. And I didn't think about this until you were just saying that, about how he introduces himself. And I was thinking to myself, why is he introducing himself? Because he prayed to him. And, you know, he already knows who he is. But he comes, he says, my name is. You know, it's such an interesting line. And it made me think about this time. I was in a hospital room with somebody who was in an accident, and they were somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness. And their dad walked into the room and took him by the hand and said, hey, Jake, it's Dad. And. And I saw that picture image in my mind when you were saying that about him coming down, taking him by the hand and just reminding him, hey, you know, a voice he'd be familiar with, a name he would be familiar with. You know, a person he would be familiar with. And that's so sweet. So we're going to move over to Genesis now and we're Going to camp in Genesis not because we don't like Abraham, but it just is easier than jumping back and forth. Everybody. But so do two. We got to have you. Do three things. Go to Genesis 12. Open up Genesis 12. Also open up your study journal. And in this, for this chapter, in this digging deeper section, we have a page here. It's the promises of the Abrahamic covenant. And just a page for you to just fill these promises out. And we're gonna. That's. We're gonna. We're gonna go through these and just talk about these and how much. How fantastic they are and what they might mean. And so we've got this. We're gonna be camped in Genesis 12, Abraham 1. We've already done a few verses, 18 and 19. Those verses. There's other verses in there that we're gonna leave for you to fill out on your own, but we're gonna be in this Genesis 12 column altogether. So get this out and get ready to take notes on what you love about these promises. And we also this week have a tip in. So before we jump into those promises, if you don't know what a tip in is, it is these small, thin scripture paper like things, little pieces of paper. I said paper twice. That you can glue into the margins of your scriptures. So you just take a glue stick and put it down the side and then you stick it in there. And these help your scriptures become like a study Bible. We've talked a lot about study Bibles, but we're gonna make our own with the tippins. So this tip in that you're gonna do is called the Time of the Patriarchs. And it's gonna give you an overview of the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph in the book of Genesis. So I'm gonna put mine right here in Genesis chapter 12. Because this is the beginning of a time period that the Bible calls the time of the Patriarchs. And there's reminders of the stories you love in there. So it's kind of this overview that's in the beginning of this section of. Of the Old Testament. Okay, so P.S. if you are new with us, when. If we talk this journal, that's kind of your workbook for our class together. You can get this@good newsbrandco.com or at Deseret Book if you're a local person and want to pick that up. Both of those tippins and journal posters, you can get at those places. Okay. Okay. Are we in Genesis 12? Are we ready?

[B]

Genesis 12.

[A]

All right.

[B]

We did all our responsible things okay.

[A]

Should I do the first one?

[B]

Sure.

[A]

Or yeah. Okay. We have Genesis 12:2 where we're going to start. And he just says this. I, I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and I will make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. I think the one I want to do from 12:2 is this idea. I. I'm going to make you great and I'm going to bless you. Those are words that mean I'm going to make you more than what you currently are. I would put next to that Abraham, chapter one, verse two. Because that verse, I think. Let me just read you part of it. Put this as a cross reference there. Because he just says this. Find, he says, and finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for these blessings to be a greater follower, to have a greater knowledge. So I like that there's that, er, next to all those words like that. God is a God who intends on making you more. He asks us to multiply and replenish, and also promises, I will multiply and replenish you, your offerings, your heart, your spiritual gifts, your opportunities. I will make you greater. I will make you better doing this together. And I think that's one of the things I love from that verse too. Beautiful.

[B]

Verse number three is immediately after it. And the promise that I, I love and everyone loves. I love when our relationship with the Lord all of a sudden feels like a team. And this is the moment that it does to me. And he says, and I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee. And like today, this is the silliest thing in the whole entire world. But we are recording this in advance. Okay, everyone? And right now it's the NFL playoffs. And I had all these kids come into my class today, and all, all of them were like, wearing their team stuff and they like walk in and all of them were wearing different team stuff except for two of them were wearing the same. And all of them were talking about their teams and they were like, all like, no.

[A]

Why weren't they all wearing Broncos stuff?

[B]

Yeah, and that's what she do. That is what I brought up. I said I had two of them. Like, one of them walked in, two of them walked in together, and one of them was wearing the team that the Broncos are playing. And I was like, sir, you can't come in here. Thank you for asking. You're not.

[A]

This clown's gonna look at the team they are playing like it's vulgar.

[B]

We do not say in this home. And all of them were talking about their teams, and they're like, all kind of, like, going after each other. And all of a sudden, like, the two people that were wearing the same, like, team's merch looked at each other, and they just, like, started going after on all the other kids. And all the other kids, like, one by one, those two were just taking them out. And anytime one of them said something like, the other one just backed the other one up, and they were like, yeah. And all of, like, you could see, like, the defeat in all the other people's faces. And it was so funny to me because I was like, your teams aren't even playing. You're not even watching anything real. But the fact that you have someone that's going to have your back makes you unstoppable. And this is the moment in scripture that you look and you say, oh.

[A]

No matter where you are. I want to say, yes. I was walking down the streets of the old city of Jerusalem, and a guy had on an Astros hat during the post season. And how. It's like, my guy. And he was like, my guy. Like, we were like, had anyone tried to mug me at that time, which doesn't happen. Everybody safe. Safe. But, you know, he would have had my back. Yes. If I needed a dollar for a.

[B]

Do you need to know anything about him?

[A]

No, no, no.

[B]

His hat.

[A]

Does anyone have change for a 5? I have a 5.

[B]

And how much more do you need? And how much more do you need? And that is, like, it's the simplest thing in the entire world. But one thing like that can bond you on a level that doesn't even make logical sense. And this, to me, this verse doesn't make logical sense when you read it. That is the type of love and support that has no logical reason. I will bless those that bless you and curse those that curse you. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. That is just simply what the Lord's going to do. And I love remembering that he's on my team.

[A]

That's so awesome. Then at the end of verse three is another one. There's a. There's a bonus friend here. This line that you're going to see repeated again and again. It was in two at the end. Thou shalt be a blessing in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Now, that's interesting that he says, I will use you to bless other people. It's interesting initially to say, how is that a blessing? Right. That I'm going to use you as a worker for me. I was just talking to my good friend Brooke Romney today, and she was talking about listening to this podcast by Arthur Brooks. You know, he's the guy who talks a lot about happiness, and he started to list all of these things. And she said, it's so interesting that the things he's listing that research finds actually makes a person happy are the blessings we find in the Abrahamic covenant. And they were these. He was like, the things that make people happy are when they have purpose, when they see relevance in their life, when they are a part of something bigger than who they are. Those things clinically make people happier. And the blessing God gives to us is, I will let you be a part of this rescue story. He says, abraham, my intention is to rescue the whole world, and you get to be a part of the rescue story. I am going to use you and your descendants to take the message of hope, to take the message of rescue and redemption and exaltation to the world. I am calling you out of this other place you lived to come be a part of this work that is bigger than you and it will matters. And so you're going to see that line again and again to be a part of the blessing for all the families of the earth. One of the stories that's in our chapters today is chapter 14. So I just want to kind of jump off of that promise and show it in action. In chapter 14, Abraham has this nephew he's traveling with, and his name is Lot. He's going to be in next time's lesson also. And Lot, they get to this spot of land that they're going to live, and their herds are too big for them to stay in this same area with the same water source. So Abraham says, lot, pick your Lot first and I'll pick mine second. And Lot takes the better of the two. And he takes this area of land, and it's near cities that are famous for their wickedness, Sodom and Gomorrah. And he finds himself first living kind of near those cities and then eventually moving into those cities. I telling you that background, and I'm sure in your Sunday school you're going to talk about this idea of from chapter 13, verse 12, that he pitched his tent towards Sodom, that his view was toward wickedness. And then in chapter 14, verse 12, now he lives in Sodom. And those who pitch their tents toward wickedness are eventually going to end up in it. And that's a great lesson, but I'm telling you that background to remind you that his capture, which happens right after this, the kings of the area start battling with each other and he gets wrapped up in the battle and he gets kidnapped and captured and taken away. And when that happens, it says in verse 13 and there came one that had escaped. This is a crazy story. Use your imagination on this one. And told Abram the Hebrew for he dwelt in the plains, about his nephew has been kidnapped and has been taken by these kings. And I told you that beginning part about him pitching his tent towards it and then living in it. Because a natural response might be, well, that's what you get when you pitch your tent and that's what you get when you go and live in that place. But I would like to remind all of us that's not the God we worship. And Abraham has the heart of God, so he doesn't have that line, but rather this one in Genesis 14:14. And when Abram heard his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants born in his own house 318 and pursued them unto Dan and rescues Lot and takes him back home safe and sound. Verse 14 is, is a type and shadow of the Savior. And read it like this. And when Jesus heard his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants born in his own house 318 and pursued them until the happily ever after is what happened there. And you and I get to be those trained servants. We get to be a part of the rescue. And I love a God who thinks it's. If it takes 318 people to rescue one, so be it. That is what Lot is worth in Abraham's eyes. That's what I'm worth in God's. And you too. And I think I love that story. I love the thought of how Lot felt being rescued. But even more so what it felt like for Abraham to be a part of the rescue, that it gave him purpose, it gave him relevance, and it helped him to be part of something that was bigger than him.

[B]

And it just makes you. Elder Kiran helped us love that word from the very beginning. But it makes me, at the end of verse number 14, circle the word pursue.

[A]

Oh yeah.

[B]

A million times over and over and over. Because it would have been so easy for him to say, okay, well, like, yeah, like if we see him, we'll grab him. Like if we're journeying somewhere and we like, see Lot, like we'll go out. We'll go out and get him and like that'll be convenient. But there is so often times that there are people in desperate need of Rescue. And our first instinct should be the same as Jesus'. I'm going to go out of my way to get them. I'm gonna pursue them. I'm gonna chase them down. I'm gonna run after him. That is the heart of God. That is who he is.

[A]

If it takes 318 people or dollars or minutes or hours, it is going to be worth it. We were talking before we started about the Salvation Army. Interestingly, you know, the people that ring the bells at Christmas time, which. What a great reputation, you know, like, I know it's more than just that, but if that were my reputation, then that's it. Then I have.

[B]

But that's the only thing on my.

[A]

Resume in my tombstone, too. Yeah, right. But William Booth, who I like, his words inspire me. He was the founder of the Salvation army. And one of his most famous quotes. And it's so funny because I said to Grace, I just found the. The greatest quote of all time that I want to read to you. And then she showed me a picture of it on her phone from this last weekend when she went to New York and found it on a wall. Where was that wall?

[B]

Randomly on a street.

[A]

I don't know, just a random, random street.

[B]

We just looked up and read it and then cried in the streets of New York.

[A]

This is the quote. And this is the essence of the heart of Jesus. While women weep as they do now, I'll fight While children go hungry as they do now, I'll fight While men go to prison in and out, in and out as they do now, I'll fight While there's a drunkard left While there's a poor lost girl upon the streets While there remains one dark soul without the light of God I'll fight, I'll fight to the very end. That might be the quote you want next to that verse about pursue and Elder Kieran's great talk. That is the heart of who God is and what the work he calls us to be a part of.

[B]

Oh, it's the best ever. It's interesting that you bring up all the things you need to be happy because I don't know what they are. I'm not a scientist. I don't know any of them. But I did like, watch TikTok probably. That's where I probably learned this. And one of the things it mentioned was having something to look forward to and. Don't laugh. What? Don't laugh.

[A]

Just keep going. Sorry, I am not a scientist, but I did watch TikTok is the greatest line I've Heard today.

[B]

That's how, you know, I'm just in my twenties. Just a girl.

[A]

Rate line.

[B]

I'm just a girl, and that means something to me. But it did say that. And listen, I stopped. It was like, you need, like, someone to love, something to be thankful for.

[A]

Don't say it. Good. This is good. It came from a scientist, probably. Yeah.

[B]

We don't know, but it was good.

[A]

Again, sorry, I was talking.

[B]

Well, I just. Honestly, I only remember that one. So I was just, like, kind of, like fumbling through the others because I'm not confident that's what it was. But like, someone to love. I'm pretty sure it was something either. Something to give you purpose, something to be thankful for, something to look forward to. The only thing I remembered was something to look forward to because it, like, felt like a reason to plan a trip in my head. So I was like, oh, that's perfect. That is gonna make me happy. But anyways, it's so interesting because as you go through this, the Lord's promise follows that same pattern, I feel like. Because you already mentioned those. And then you go back to chapter 12 of Genesis, and, well, you have to start in verse number one for this to make sense. And the Lord says unto Abraham, 12, 1, 12, 1, get thee out of your country and from thy kindred and from your father's house unto a land that I will show you from the very beginning that you kind of need to know that this is the beginning of. Like, we talked about him being a wanderer. This is it. He's like, you actually need to leave where you're at. You've got to get out from there. And then all of a sudden, verse number seven, and you already see a little glimpse of a promise that he's like, I'm gonna show you where to go. That is a promise in and of itself that the Lord's like, I have somewhere in mind. But then you get to verse number seven. And the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said unto your seed, will I give this land? And what is so interesting to me is that in that moment, I think we expect the Lord to say, here, have this land. This is your land. I'm promising it to you. This is exactly what you need right now is a place to go. And instead he says unto your seed, will I give this land? And Abraham loves it. Look. And there buildeth he an altar unto the Lord who. Who appeared unto him. That is like. He's like, that's great. I'm gonna take it. That's gonna be Good for me. But what the Lord didn't give Abraham in that moment was exactly what he needed. What the Lord gave Abraham in that moment was something to look forward to. He said, I will promise you what you are going to need. And it's so cute to me because then you see in verse number nine, a little tiny line that starts to mean a little bit more. And Abraham journey need going on still toward the south. And I think that is a promise to me for the middle of the journey. Most days I feel like on planet Earth as a mortal, just feel like a journey. And it feels like, oh, my goodness, when is this ever gonna end? When am I gonna get what I need? When are the prayers that I'm praying going to be answered? And this is a promise for those days when he will look down and say, I will give you what you need. And it might not be today, and it might not be in the next three years, and it might not be for the next five years. But the promise you can hold onto today is that there is something to look forward to. That's the Lord we believe in. He will do what he says he's gonna do. He will give his seed land. He will give you what you need. And that will sometimes seem sad, but. But what if you just switched that idea in your head and you said, oh, no, he's giving me something to look forward to. I can hold on for one more day. I can start the journey knowing something good is coming.

[A]

Yeah. And I think also someone who's in a circumstance where Abraham did have a land and he did have a family, and he lost them, and God is going to replace what was lost. And to those who feel like I. I have. I lost something that was very, very dear to me, God promises to restore that which was lost. All right, the next one is in 15. Let's go over to chapter 15, verse one. We're going to come back to chapter 15 at the end because it's so good. But in the beginning, verse 15, one, after these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, fear not, Abram, which is also a promise in and of itself. I am thy shield. And maybe we should spend a little more time on that. I don't know if it's coming back that. Fear not. That just everything is going to be okay, is the promise from God. Don't worry, I have the future. I am Jehovah. I know the beginning and the end. He says in the book of Abraham, you can trust me. You can set Your fears aside, but that's not what I was going to say. But fear not, Abram. It's a bonus. Yeah. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. And I love that it's both of those in there. I am a God who will protect you, who will rescue and save you from your enemies. That's what you need a shield for, is for those who your enemies your salvation. And I will be thy exceeding great reward. And that great reward is I will not just protect you and save you from your enemies, but I will also make you better. Like we were saying in that Abraham, chapter one, verse two. The word we use for that often within our church vocabulary is exalt. The word exalt is not a church word. It's a word that means to. To. To take to a higher station. So I will save you and rescue you, and I will also give you an exceedingly great reward. I will exalt your soul, exalt your experience, exalt your family. And that is actually the word of the week. And I think I would use this word. We have just that verse that I just read in there. But also in context of all of these promises that just God is promising something better. That's what we're learning in all of this. That word exalt in Hebrew room is to be high exalted, to rise, to bring up, to lift up, to hold up, to mount up. And this, this phrase, to be highly active. God is going to be highly active in this pursuit and in this journey to make you something, something better. So that is the lesson that you might want to teach on a Sunday. And leave this poster out as a reminder of that. And should you draw stars on this poster? Yes, I think you should.

[B]

And should you get the glow in the dark sticky stars from the dollar.

[A]

Store and put them on your kids.

[B]

Ceiling and put them everywhere.

[A]

Yeah. As a reminder of this lesson.

[B]

Why did we stop remembering that those exist?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's a side note. Well done. No, but I just wanted you to know that for the rest of this lesson, what I'll be thinking is like, how long does it take to Amazon those to buy home? I will be covering my ceiling with those. It's okay. It's not that serious, you guys. It is serious to me, but we don't need to be thinking about it. I just wanted you to know. Sorry. I'm so sorry. Is that all you have for 15? Because I was gonna go to 17.

[A]

We're coming back to 15 at the end.

[B]

Okay. That's What I figured we. We were feeling like. But just to make sure, I'm gonna Skip ahead to 17. And I'm going to 17, verse two. And this is a moment the Lord is speaking, and I will make my covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly. And I think, like, automatically when you read that, that word multiply immediately when we read scripture, it's talking about posterity, and it's like, talking about, like, no, like, I will bless your seed. Which we need to pause and, like, remember that that was a remarkable promise for Abraham. And, like, some of us read that, and we're like, okay, well, great. Like, I already have a family. Or, like, a family's not in the cards for me right now. Or, like, I'm little. So, like, that's irrelevant to me. And it's like, okay, good promise. Not for me. That was for Abraham. And I think it's so cool to, like, pause right there. And that promise for Abraham would have been God looking him in the eyes and. And say, I am capable of promising what seems to be impossible. I am capable of giving you what you have always wanted. That never seemed realistic for you. That, like. We go back to the beginning of this lesson when we're like, oh, hi, my name's Jehovah. Let me introduce myself to you. This one right here should be way more about the Lord and way less about Abraham to you, because that's. That's good. That is really cool to like, talk about, like, posterity and all of that really good stuff. But to me, what makes that promise remarkably amazing, a promise that I want to hold on to is the fact that Jehovah's introduction. Hi, my name's Jehovah. I can do impossible things for you. That, to me, is a promise I never want to let go of. That's what I want to remember from verse number two, is that God will promise me things too good to be true, things that only he can promise.

[A]

And those things that are of a particular importance and loss. I. I love how you worded that. The promises that you feel are impossible to fulfill. That word multiply is like your seed, your children. And. And I just like that word multiply.

[B]

I love that word multiply that.

[A]

It's like, what, show someone a calculator and say, show me God's favorite but button on this one. It's for sure, not minus. Yeah, it's for sure not divide. It's for sure not cosine. It's to multiply. Not even to add, but to multiply. And. And you see that in this, this next one. I'm gonna link these next two together. 4, 5, where he's talking about, my covenant is with you. And thou shall be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name anymore be called Abel, but thy name shall be called Abraham, for a father of many nations have I made. The father of many nations is what Abraham means. He gets this new name. Many nations is a reminder, a promise of that multiplication. And I. I think the thing I want to say about this one is God promises us a new name. He promises us a new life, whatever it looked like before, childless, barren, will soon become something new and better, something different. So fantastic. I'm going to have to mark that moment by giving you a new name, because it's as if you are a new person. And moments when God gives us a new name are symbols of that, of a change so radical and so good is about to occur. You need a new name. This is so significant. We can't even call you by what your old life used to be. It's something entirely new that is the promise of a new name.

[B]

Verse number six, which.

[A]

Oh, should I add what Sarah's on there onto that same one?

[B]

Oh, yeah, go.

[A]

15 is when it happens for Sarah. So Abraham happened in 4 and 5, and then 15 also happens for Sarah. You will no longer be called Sarai, but Sarah will her name be. And we put these in the journal in the beginning where we give. Every chapter gives a name and the meaning of it in Hebrew and how that helps. And that word Sarah, means princess. That's so awesome. So I'm promising you a new life, and it's actually a royal one is what he says. So there's Sarah's.

[B]

Beautiful. I'm gonna also combine Abraham's and Sarah's. I'm gonna do six and six, 16. Is that okay? Perfect together. And this one is, like, maybe a little bit. This one feels really tender to me for some reason, and maybe partially because when I was in high school, I remember so clearly, like, it was really important to me when I thought about my future, that I wanted to do something really incredible and that, like, mattered to me. Like, I was like, oh, I want to, like, go to law school and change the world. I want to do something that's remote. Like, I had this, like, inside of me. Like, I wanted to dream really big and accomplish really big things. And there was one day, I remember driving home from work and I was on the freeway, and I was thinking that, and I was like, well, like, how Do I even do that? And what does that even look like? And so randomly, I just thought, like, as I was driving, actually, there would probably. Probably be nothing more remarkable that I could ever do in my life than raise kids that do something more remarkable than me. And whatever I accomplished in Earth, like, I could be proud of it. But if I raised kids that did something even better than I could do, that would be more remarkable than anything I could ever possibly imagine. And it's so interesting because the promise that Abraham and Sarah get in verse 6 and 16 is, I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And there's just something that almost feels like that same whisper that the Spirit gave me to Abraham and Sarah that just said, like, what you will do is remarkable, but what will come from you will be even better. And to me, that's a promise. And I think a lot of moms and dads might really, like, resonate with that, obviously, because of children. But, like, what I was really thinking about that promise is how beautiful it is that the Lord is looking at them and saying, what you do right now will have generational impact, and it will be even better than you could ever imagine. And that doesn't always just need to be true for a mom and a dad. But that promise of a God who will look at an ordinary person, one individual, and say, what will be will come from you will be even better than anything you could ever dream up in your entire life. That is a promise of greatness that just one individual isn't capable of making for themselves. That is the. That is the promise of, like. That is the promise of, like, something so good that only God can promise it. Like generational goodness.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. I think that every time I see, like, the word everlasting, you see that in verse eight. Something that God's going to give as something, a gift that's everlasting. And I think this is maybe. Let's do one more. Oh, I was going to say this, too. I like every time it brings up your seed. I was thinking about this, reading it, you know, yesterday again, to think as a dad. Jenny and I say our prayers every night before we go to bed, and we pray for each of our kids by name. We just. It's in the nature of parents to want the very, very best for their kids, like you were just saying. And I would forego every blessing that God wanted to give me if he would give them to my kids instead. And God says I'm a multiplier. David. You actually both get Them. But it's so sweet to me to hear God promise Abraham and Sarah and I'll take care of your children, children and your grandchildren. And I will answer that prayer for you. That's something I've never really thought of before, but that's a promise of this God we believe in. And I want to just end on that 17 as our last one where he tells her this prayer, you've been praying for 90 years. I'm going to answer it. And you're going to have a son, Sarah, like you like, here, I'm going to give this to you. And, and I love 17. It says, Then Abram fell on his face and laughed. And she said, and said, in his heart shall a child be born unto him. That's a hundred And Sarah, that's 90. You know, like I just, I love that they. And Sarah in next time's lesson is going to laugh too. And that is why they named their baby Isaac, because Isaac means one who laughs. And I just think when I read that verse that they're 100 and that they're 90 years old. And first I say to myself, I give myself a rule, David, you can't complain about unanswered prayers until you're 100. Because that's how long they waited for theirs. And sometimes we do have to wait for the answer to our impossible prayers. But God promises laughter in the end. He says there will be laughter again where there was so many tears, I'm going to replace it with laughter. I remember my sister after she lost her daughter, my niece last year, just saying, I don't know if I will ever be happy again. And I love reading that verse and remembering a God who promises laughter again, that your impossible promise one day will be answered and you will have happiness again. There will be laughter again at the end of this story. And this is, this is the God we believe in. This is the one we're trying to remember when we talk about being in a covenant relationship of two way promises, let's not forget that one way of, of him toward us and what he wants to help our lives to become and look forward to. And it's just amazing. I feel like we should read this and think to ourselves, I, you, I actually feel sheepish with you giving me all of this because I'm so undeserving. And to feel undeserving means that your focus is on you and your focus is on your own efforts. But if we put our focus on how good God is, we won't feel sheepish about it, but will feel worship for his goodness and his generosity. That should be our feeling of, you are too good, God. And I, I, I love thinking that. And I think 15, chapter 15 shows this in a way because it's this chapter where Abraham, I almost, I called him Abram. Like, that's where I, I was just so weird there for a second. Just can't believe it. He can't believe it. He can't believe that God could do such things that he is promising. And he actually says in verse two, God, remember, you promised me children. Do you mean my, my steward, my little assistant Eliezer, who works in our house? Is that who you mean? He's kind of going to be my kid or whatever. Is that what you mean?

[B]

Which isn't that the most human experience ever? Yeah, like, like that is such a believing heart of someone that's like, I've been praying for an answer my whole entire life. And being like, oh, like, I want an answer so bad. Like, let me see if this is it.

[A]

Yeah, maybe it's him.

[B]

Like, maybe it's that. And like, I, like, that is the most faithful response. I think in all of scripture that he's like, no. Like, I know it's not what I expected it to be, but I bet this is your answer, God.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And then he says, so because I have no kids and I don't know how you're going to fulfill that promise. I don't know what you're going to do to do it. And then God says in verse five, look now toward heaven and tell the stars and tell me if you'll be able to number them. Look at the stars, Abraham. That's how great your posterity shall be. That's how good my promises are. And I love verse six. It says, and he believed. And what a great line. And that word believe is actually where some people think we get the root word of it's aman is what it means where we get amen from that. Some Bible scholars think that's where we get that name from. It has the picture image of open hands and just putting it into God's hands and saying, I believe you. I believe you can do this. And isn't that cool to think about? I hope that's where amen comes from. If not, that's what I want to think about. Whatever I'm asking for at the end, I just am going to say, and I believe in you. I believe in, in your goodness. But then he says, okay, but what about the land you promised? So now he's like also the land. Someone lives there. I checked on Zillow and I. I just. I, you know, not available. And then he says this, which is our question. How? Verse 8. How shall I know how? How? These promises are too big. How shall I know? I don't want to believe in a fairy tale. I don't want to get my hopes up, you know, kind of feeling. And the Lord says in verse nine, Abraham, go get a goat and a cow and a ram and a turtle dove and a pigeon. Go get these animals. And he says, and that's the answer to his prayer, how do I know, Lord? And he says, go get the animals. And you and I read that and we're like, that's a. Not a good answer. But Abraham knows exactly what's happening. Because in ancient times there, if whenever you made a promise with somebody, whenever you entered into a binding agreement and covenant, you performed a ceremony called cutting the covenant is what you did. And you would take these animals and you would divide them in half. It says in verse 10, he took all of them and he divided them in the midst. Don't worry, they ate them after every, everybody. And you laid out them. And it seems gruesome. And what would happen is you would walk through the middle, or you would meet in the middle with the other person that you're making that promise with. And essentially you would say, if, If. If I don't fulfill my end of the promise, may my blood be spilt, is what you were saying. And it was serious. You serious, you know, like. And so he did it. So he laid out the animals and it says the fowls came upon the carcasses, and he had to drive them away all the way until it was dark, like it feels like. And a horror of darkness fell upon him, like the kind some feel while they're waiting for promises. And God speaks of 400 years and long distance and four generations. But then in 17, it says, and it came to pass when the sun went down and it was dark. Behold, a smoking furnace. Or you might translate, a pillar of fire came and passed between those pieces. And in that same day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram. And in that moment on that night, God came down and walked through the pieces, walked, cut, cut the covenant with Abraham and. And. And said to him, if I don't fulfill my end of these promises, may my blood be spilt. But what's interesting is, as ancient people would have read this chapter, they would have been surprised because God walks through and not Abram. And that would be odd. Sometimes just the servant walks through and not the king, but never just the king. This would have surprised people directly read it that the Lord only walked through the pieces. And that's because this is, as a favorite Bible scholar of mine calls this, a covenant of grace where God walks through for himself and for. And in behalf of Abraham. And says Abraham, I will fulfill every one of my promises. And Abraham, I'll fulfill yours. And if you don't keep your end of. Of the promise, Abraham, may my blood be spilt for in behalf of you and in your place, that even in your mistakes, my promises can still be held true. This, of course, points our hearts and minds forward to the Savior, who not only promised it, but then fulfilled it. And his blood was spilled in our place. So that every single one of these promises we've talked about today are guaranteed by the blood of the Lamb that He laid his life down on the line to ensure that every one of those promises that we've talked about today can be fulfilled. That's the guarantee. That's the. The pro. That's how you and I can take it to the bank. Not because we are good, but because he is. And he laid down his life to prove it and to guarantee it. So you can live in hope this is not a fairy tale. And you and I can live in these promises and look forward to something better to come. He put everything on the line for it and gave us his word, his heart, and his life.

[B]

And every night when you need a reminder, don't worry. Just go look at the stars.

[A]

All right, we will see you next week. If you want to follow along in everything we're doing, you can find us on Instagram @don'tmissthis study at this week's Grace&rdavebutler.

[B]

And if you want to subscribe to the app or get our weekly newsletter, all of the information can be found@don'tmissthisstudy.com.

[A]

See you next week.