Beyond the Weekend: EPIC
Stories of Trust, Failure and Faith That Point to Jesus
What does it look like to believe God, not just believe in God? This fall, we're diving into the raw, unfiltered stories of biblical heroes who wrestled with doubt, took dangerous detours, and discovered that trusting God means following him even when you can't see the outcome. Their epic journeys of trust, failure and faith all point to the ultimate hero—Jesus.
Key Messaging Points:
- There's a difference between believing in God and believing God
- God speaks in life's detours and disruptions
- Wrestling with God transforms us
- Trusting God means obeying before you see the outcome
- Every story of human struggle points to Jesus
God’s Word at the Center
Read: Deuteronomy 17:14-20 Listen: Deuteronomy 17
It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees. Deuteronomy 17:19
God gave every king in Israel a specific command: write down the book of Deuteronomy. Copy it. Line by line. Word for word. This was not punishment. This was protection. God wants his word to be with every king, shaping how the king thinks, leads, decides and lives. God wants his word to form the king’s humility and guard the king’s heart from compromise.
Every king eventually failed to keep the word of God at the center, except one. Jesus is the only king who perfectly kept the word of God at the center. When Satan directly tempted him in the wilderness, Jesus didn’t give in. He simply answered with Scripture, specifically from Deuteronomy (see Matt. 4:1-11). Jesus showed he is the true king that God’s people have always longed for and needed—the king who faithfully knows and obeys God’s law. Further, he shows us what a victorious life looks like. And now, by the Holy Spirit, this victorious king lives in us and empowers us to do the same: to keep God’s Word central, daily, close, active in our minds and hearts. Because when his Word is central, humility grows. Compromise loses power. Freedom expands.
TODAY: Pick a brief verse and copy it down by hand (maybe Proverbs 4:23, a verse we considered earlier this week). Pray as you copy. Ask the Holy Spirit to form humility and strengthen obedience in you. Then thank Jesus for his help and victory by worshipping with the Ada Bible Worship Team as they sing “All Hail King Jesus.”
