Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

• As we head back into Genesis, read chapters 12-16 to revive your memory covering the material we have studied this summer through preaching and application.
• Read chapter 17 after the review chapters and focus on the age of Abram in verse 16:16 and then in 17:1.  How long has it been between these verses?
• What is God restating in verse 17:1-2?  What is Abram's response in verse 3? 
• What changes in verses 3-9 from the earlier promises?  Why is it important that God changes Abram's name?  What else varies between this and previous promises from God to Abraham?
• What does God say will be the sign of the covenant between Him and Abraham and all his offspring and every male between them? What kind of a covenant is this?
• In 17:15-16, the scene shifts to Sarai? What is the promise to her? What is Abraham's response in 17?  Verse 18?
• What does God reaffirm in verses 19-22 in response to Abraham?
• What does Abraham do in response to God's visit to him in verses 23-27?  Who is involved? 

Prayerfully Meditate

• We have discussed why God continues to reiterate his covenant to Abram and the cycle of obedience and disobedience to God as Abram grows in faith.  Read through the passage again and look for the following:
• How does God continue to show his covenant love to Abraham?  What does that tell us today about God in light of the New Covenant?
• How does Abraham respond to God the seemingly impossible task of having a child?  How have you responded to the seemingly impossible tasks set before you as try to walk according to God's Word?
• What is Abraham's final response to this promise and the sign that is given for the covenant? Why would Abraham adamantly obey this for all of those with him including himself? What does this type of obedience display to us today?
• How costly is obedience to a sovereign God who keeps his covenant forever with a slow and patient loving-kindness?  For what purpose are the love and obedience to God?