Every New Beginning Starts with Letting Go
Sunday, October 19, 2025
Scriptures: Genesis 11:31-12:3
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Summary: In the first sermon of our new series, Big Promises, Small Steps, Jeremy begins with the patriarchs and matriarchs of scripture by exploring the call of Abraham as the origin of God’s reconciling work in the world. He emphasizes that this story starts not with clarity or religious systems, but in obscurity with small steps and unexpected beginnings. Jeremy highlights the spiritual significance of “in-between” seasons like Abraham’s time in Harran, urging us to see these pauses as formative instead of wasted. Jeremy encourages us to trust that God is already present and active, even when the next step is unclear.
When the moon hits your eye: Jeremy starts with Abraham’s obscure origins with an ancient moon-cult and shows how God’s work can begin in unlikely places, with people who are unqualified by religious standards. The story of Abraham shows that divine calling can emerge from flawed theologies and unlikely places. This invites a posture of openness to God’s presence in every season of life.
Stuck in the middle with you: Jeremy reflects on Abraham’s time in Harran, where his father brought him and later died, as a metaphor for the transitional spaces in our lives. These seasons of our lives can sometimes take weeks, months, or years. These are not wasted or neutral seasons; they are formative and preparatory. God is often shaping us quietly in the background, even when we feel stuck or unsure.
The land beneath your feet: Jeremy explores how Abraham’s call begins with a series of departures from his land, his people, and his family. He challenges the idea that we can say yes to everything, highlighting our need to make space for what’s ahead by having to say goodbye to some things. Spiritual growth often requires intentional choices about what to leave behind.
Everything we leave behind: Jeremy encourages us to be active in our waiting. When things aren’t clear, our work is to prepare ourselves internally, emotionally, spiritually, and practically; then we can be ready when the moment does arrive. The work we do of preparing ourselves for God’s call is actually the first step of God’s call.
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Community is shaped by the conversations we share. These questions and reflections are a tool to help you meaningfully engage with the themes of this week's teaching.
If your group is meeting this summer and wants to talk about the sermons, here are a few questions that you could use to engage with our teaching.
What specific part of the message resonated with you the most? Why do you think that particular part, or idea, or story caught your attention?
Did the sermon speak into a particular struggle or question in your life or your faith journey right now?
What did the message challenge or encourage you personally? And what do you think the application could be for our church community? Was there anything that could strengthen or stretch us as a church?
How did the exposition of the scriptures used in the sermon provide you with a new perspective of deeper understanding?
It is good to remember that the conversation experience in the group is shaped by the personal stories of those who participate in it and how willing the people are to be open and vulnerable in the group.
So if you’re leading the discussion, feel free to model and encourage person-centred and story-centred sharing by reflecting on how some parts of the sermon resonate with you personally.Additionally, what contributes to a more authentic group discussion is when people can share not about the abstract and theoretical applications, but one or two practical things they are taking away from either the sermon or the discussion.
So, you can end your time together with this question:
What is one thing you are taking away from either the sermon or the discussion we’ve just had?
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CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 98
MUSIC Curated by Rebecca S.
Bethel Music - Goodness Of God
Brooke Ligertwood - Holy Song
United - Whole Heart
Brooke Ligertwood - A Thousand Hallelujahs
SERIES BUMPER
Big Promises Small Steps
