March 2022 Bible Study | Missions Project - WMU

March 2022

                 Bible Study | Missions Project

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                     ©WMU, SBC 2022 WMU.COM

myMISSION Bible Study | Praying with Surrender                   By Chris Conrades      Passage: Genesis 22:1–19

Prepare
• Journal
• Pen/pencil

Get Started
What is your most prized possession? Do you have a friend or family member you could not imagine living without?

This month, look at Genesis 22, and reflect on the cost of obedience. Would you follow God’s call if it required great
sacrifice? How much or who would you be willing to part with in order to follow God’s plan for your life?

Study and Learn
Read Genesis 22:1–3.
God gave Abraham a promise when he was 75 years old that he would be father to many nations.
The problem was, Abraham did not have any children. It was not until Abraham was 100 years old
that his son Isaac was born. (See Genesis 12:1–3 and Genesis 21:1–7.)

God asked Abraham to do what would have seemed unthinkable—sacrifice his promised son.
He had waited 25 years for this son.

Abraham did not hesitate to obey, and he left the very next morning.
• What does this say about Abraham’s faith in God?
• Do you hesitate to obey when you know what God wants you to do?
• What steps can you take to act on God’s words quicker?

Read Genesis 22:4–8.
God sent Abraham, Isaac, and their two servants to Mount Moriah. This was a three-day journey.
Abraham’s obedience involved hard work and commitment. Obedience requires sacrifice of
personal comfort. Obedience is not our natural response. It requires giving of ourselves.
• How has God called you to give up comfort to obey Him?

Isaac carried the wood for the altar. This act points to another man who would carry His Cross in
obedience to God. Jesus gave His life so we might have a restored relationship with God.

©WMU, SBC 2022 WMU.COM                                                                                 Continued on next page...

Read Genesis 22:9–14 and Genesis 15:6.
In Genesis 15, we see Abraham already believed God’s words and had faith in God’s promise. In Genesis 22,
Abraham’s faith was put into practice. His faith directed his steps even when he could not see the final outcome.

God never intended for Isaac to be sacrificed. God provided a ram for the sacrifice and stopped Abraham before
he killed his son. God was deepening Abraham’s faith by requiring him to act.

Read James 2:21–23 and 26.
• How did Abraham live out his faith?
• How might God be asking you to obey in a difficult situation?

The Lord Will Provide is the name Abraham called the place of sacrifice. We see God provided a ram as a substitute
for Isaac, and this foreshadows how God would one day provide the ultimate substitute through Jesus.
• Spend a few moments writing a prayer of praise in your journal thanking God for providing salvation through Jesus.

Read Genesis 22:15–19.
God affirmed His promise to Abraham. He reminded him his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky
and the grains of sand on the beach. God also told Abraham there would be one specific descendant who would
bless all nations.
• Read Galatians 3:16. Who is this One?
• How have all nations been blessed through Jesus?

Apply
Abraham obeyed God even at great risk and sacrifice. Following God often requires hard choices.

Today we value family, friends, career, possessions, and even social status. God is calling each of us to
share the message of Jesus with those around us. Jesus made the greatest sacrifice so every nation could
be made right with God.
• Is there something or someone you are holding on to that is keeping you from obedience?
• Where or to whom might God be calling you to share the gospel?
• How can you put action to your faith by obeying God?

Follow Up
Pray for God to give you a willing and obedient heart. Pray God would give you opportunities
to live out your faith and share the gospel with others.

Commit to Memory
Verses: Genesis 22:13–14
Challenge: Genesis 22:13–14                    and James 2:21–23, 26

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Faith in Action | Helping Those Who Struggle with Financial Problems                                By Kay Rollings

Perhaps, like me, you have a friend who struggles to have enough money to live on. No matter what anyone does to help,
that household still has a need. It is hard to watch when the friend uses the available money for luxuries while bills are
neglected. Suggestions are ignored when they are offered.

CHRONIC FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
What are some things you can do to help those with chronic financial difficulties?
1. Pray earnestly for guidance about the best way to help.
2. Pay a bill. For one family, a Sunday School class arranged to pay a utility bill. The class worked this out with the church’s
   financial secretary so it could be anonymous.
3. Bring food. When you visit a friend who is struggling, go to the grocery store first. Pick up healthy items that provide
   protein, as well as nutritious fruits and vegetables and staples like milk and bread.
4. Offer help in finding a job. If getting a job is a need, keep your eyes open for opportunities that would be right for
    your friend.
5. Give monetary gifts with discretion. When there is a birthday, use that opportunity to give a reasonable amount of cash.
6. Help the children. If there are children in the home, ask the parents whether you can take them shopping for a new
    outfit to wear to school. When summer arrives, provide a “scholarship” to Girls in Action or Royal Ambassadors camp.
7. Give it to God. Often a person’s problem is just more than one person can solve no matter how much you want to help.
   When nothing you’ve tried seems to be enough, remember no one’s problem is too big for God to handle. Continue
   praying your friend would have wisdom to solve financial difficulties.

TEMPORARY DIFFICULTIES
Not all financial difficulties are chronic; sometimes circumstances cause people to have temporary financial problems.
A friend, for example, told me about her daughter whose husband had asked for a divorce. She did not have enough
money to get by on just her income. My friend gave her daughter a set amount she could count on each month. That way,
my friend didn’t have to worry, and the daughter knew what she could count on.

WHAT IF IT’S ME?
It can be easy for anyone to become overextended. What are some things you can do to dig out of financial problems?
Here are some suggestions.
• Pray God would help you be a faithful steward of your money.
• Don’t neglect your tithe. Even in the toughest times, you will feel blessed if you follow the biblical teaching on this.
• Get rid of the credit cards. For many, easy credit is the root of the problem.
• Create a spending plan that includes how debts will be paid.
• If possible, work a second job to help get rid of debt.

  Just as there are many causes of debt, there are many solutions. We must seek God’s guidance to find His will for us
and those we love.

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