Lessons from God’s Basic Training Camp (Part 1)

"God’s intention has always been to develop a community of followers who would reveal to those who don’t know God who God is and what God is like. After God delivered the Israelites from slavery, and walked with them through the Red Sea, God brings them to God’s boot camp for basic training. God used every encounter on that journey to reveal something about Himself. God is doing the same thing today with you and I. From the experience of Israel, we can learn how God is teaching us to know God and be God’s people today. In God’s bootcamp for basic training, distractions are minimized so we can see, hear, and learn better. God gets our attention, even when life hurts so much that we clamor for God to speak to us. In God’s camp, it can get hot, so that it refines us, melts us, purifies us, and shapes us. We are wise if we learn from the examples of others so that we can save ourselves from some of the same pitfalls. There are at least 8 lessons we can learn from the examples of the Israelites for our benefit. This message covers the first 4 lessons, and next week’s message will cover the remaining 4 lessons..."