Our God is the Creator of heaven and earth.

Our God rules over heaven and earth!

Our God sustains all things by the word of His power!

Our God is all-knowing!

Our God is all-powerful!

Our God is faithful!

Our God is eternal!

Our God is holy, gracious, merciful, righteous, and love!

Our God desires intimacy and relationship with each of us!

What Bible verses do you know to confirm these facts?

Our God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants, the Jews

Genesis 17:¹And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. ²And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. ³And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, ⁴As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. ⁵Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. ⁶And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. ⁸And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. ⁹And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. ¹⁰This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. ¹¹And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. ¹²And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. ¹³He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. ¹⁴And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. ¹⁵And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. ¹⁶And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

What do you learn about God from these verses?

Notice how many times God says: I will? What does that mean to you?

Amalek-15^th century B.C: Who is Amalek?-

Genesis 36:¹Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom. ²Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite; ³And Bashemath Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth. ⁴And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel;

¹⁰These are the names of Esau’s sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau. ¹¹And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. ¹²And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau’s wife.

Amalek is the grandson of Esau. Do you remember that Esau and Jacob were twins and Esau was born first? Jacob stole the birthright of Esau by fooling father Isaac, who was losing his vision.

Our focus – Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Our challenge – Dearly Beloved,
Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!
Run in faith that Jesus loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love; has uniquely designed  and created only one you; has a good plan for your life; runs with you; and will
accomplish His purposes for you and through you!
Run in His strength alone!
Run with your eyes on the prize!
Run with your focus on His mission: to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ!
Run with the desire to finish strong!
Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!
Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!
Run to His glory alone!
Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti