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

• Why does Abraham name his son Isaac? (Refer back to Gen 17:15-19, 18:9-15) What would this have been a constant reminder of?
• Why does Sarah tell Abraham to cast out Hagar and Ishmael? (v.10) How does this contrast with what we read in Genesis 16: 1-2?
• What is Abraham’s initial reaction? (v. 11) Why might Abraham have been hesitant to do that?
• Why does God command Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away? (v. 12)
• Read the account of Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness. (v. 15-21) What does God promise to Hagar regarding her son? Looking back at v. 13, why is God doing this for Ishmael?
• How is God’s protection of Hagar and Ishmael reminiscent of His care for Lot? (Refer back to 19:29)
• Why does Abimelech seek to make a covenant with Abraham? (v. 23)
• What was the stated purpose of Abraham’s gift of seven ewe lambs? (v. 30)
• The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper. Please review this week's notes to help study this passage. Click here for the notes.

Prayerfully Meditate

• What evidences of God’s faithfulness to His covenant do you see in the account of Isaac’s birth? Specifically, what does the account of Isaac’s birth tell us about God’s timing?
• How does the account of Isaac’s birth encourage your own faith in God’s promises and timing?
• How does God fulfill the promise to Hagar to make Ishmael into a great nation? What does this tell us of God’s sovereignty in accomplishing his purposes?
• What do vv. 25-34 teach us about God and his faithfulness?