Welcome to our summer series entitled JOURNEY with the FAITHFUL. Over the next three months we are going to be looking at the lives of a number of men and women in the Bible. Each of them chose to leave their comfort zone to follow God and do what He wanted them to do.
Each person had to GET UP and GO; they had to move from HERE to THERE.

In the first two weeks of the series we've learned about Abraham and Barnabas. Each of them demonstrated an obedient commitment to the Lord.

Have you ever had to make a decision that affected the entire direction of your life? There are numerous life decisions that must be made; and the answer we attach to each will surely affect all of our life --- Here on earth and in eternity.
Author Stephen R. Covey has said, "I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions."
We are who we decide to be and become!

Today and next Sunday we are looking at the life of one of the greatest men in all the Bible. His name is Moses. Moses had to make a number of life-altering decisions over his 120 years of life, not just for himself but also for the people of Israel.

Moses was born during a time of great stress for the Hebrew people. They had been enslaved to the Egyptian empire for a long time. Exodus chapter 1 provides some background information that sets up the entry of Moses into history.
Moses was born with unique gifts and a set of incredible opportunities. He chose to maximize his gifts, seize opportunities, learn from his circumstances, and redirect his life to honor God and help people.
Luke 12:48

Today we are going to look at the gifts and opportunities that Moses had, so we can better understand the nature of his decisions, which made him a great man of faith.
Next week, we will focus on several of the major decisions that Moses made – and they will speak to the decisions we must make if we want to successfully complete our Journey of Faith.
Our main text today is found in Acts 7:20-22 [NLT]

First - His PLACE in time.
Acts 7:20a "At that time..."
Job 14:5
The Bible tells us that our time of birth and death --- our very existence, is known to God. We are created in His image and placed within a context of time and space.
We should ask ourselves what we will do with the time we have?

Second - His PURPOSE of birth.
Acts 7:20a "At that time Moses was born..."
Jeremiah 1:5
Throughout the Scriptures we see men and women recognizing God's purpose for their lives. That purpose is rarely convenient and almost always costly. It involves a reordering of our priorities around God's agenda.
Do you recognize your God-given purpose? Can you sum it up in a short phrase? Are you intentionally and passionately living to that end?

Third - His PARENTS and family.
Acts 7:20c-21 “His parents cared for him at home for three months. When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son.”
God provided the relational support structure that would nurture Moses and provide opportunities for his future.
From Exodus 2, Acts 7, & Hebrews 11 we see that Moses grew up understanding his Jewish roots but also learning about the customs of the Egyptians.
From this we can see the important role that parents and other adults have in the lives of kids.
We must take an interest in them and instruct them with values and beliefs that matter in light of eternity, and introduce them to Jesus.

Fourth - His PERSONAL characteristics.
Acts 7:20b "At that time Moses was born - a beautiful child in God's eyes...."
1 Samuel 16:7
Numbers 12:3
The Hebrew thought behind the words "beautiful child" means well-bred, courteous, polite, refined, elegant, clever.
When God looks at our heart, what does He see? Does He see someone who cares about Him and others?

Fifth - His PREPARATION for leadership.
Acts 7:22 "Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.”
As the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses would have been exposed to the highest level of education possible. And in a warrior culture he would have been trained to lead armies, even the nation.
He benefited from every social advantage, but also would have been subject to every temptation.
In the Scriptures we see numerous examples of the rich and famous who allow their fortune and fame to become idols and draw people away from God.
Imagine that you are standing in front of God today. How would you answer His questions about gratitude, commitment, ministry, and use of the Time, Talents, and Treasures He has entrusted to you???

Application and Discussion Questions:

1. What are some of the major life-altering decisions you’ve made?

2. Read Exodus 1-2 to better understand the back ground of Moses’ life.

3. Review the five points about the gifts and opportunities that were evident in the life of Moses (Acts 7:20-22). Which of these can you most relate to and why?

4. What did you learn from the message that challenges the current status of your life? What do you sense the Lord is saying to you?

Birthdays and Anniversaries this week:

Sunday, June 21 - Alida Gauss, Dave & Bonnie Roush, Josh & Amie Sensiba
Monday, June 22 - Denny Shaver, Ryan Hickey, Sarah Carpenter, Kaleb Denton, Oakley Reigler
Wednesday, June 24 - Molly Walker
Thursday, June 25 - Nora Odette
Saturday, June 27 - Kevin & Kim Stewart