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

• Read Hebrews 11:17-22.
• Read Genesis 22:1-14. What did God command Abraham to do to his son Isaac?
• According to verse 18, what promise had God given Abraham regarding Isaac?
• What did Abraham believe would happen if Isaac were sacrificed?
• Read the account of Jacob blessing Joseph’s sons in Genesis 48. Which son received the right hand of blessing?
• What were Joseph’s “orders concerning his bones?” Where did Joseph want his bones to go?

Prayerfully Meditate

• Abraham did have other sons with Hagar and Keturah besides Isaac. Why do you think the author speaks of Isaac as Abraham’s only son?
• How might God’s command of Genesis 22:2 seem to come against the earlier promise made to Abraham?
• What does Abraham’s belief say about his faith in God and His promises?
• How was Isaac expressing faith in God through his blessings of Jacob and Esau?
• How do you see Joseph’s faith in his words about the future exodus?