This week in The Story we read about people who distorted God’s message. Webster defines distortion as follows: “To twist something out of its original shape.” The Church should be a representative of God. As the Church we are the body of Christ. We represent Christ to others. If we are the only Bible some people will ever read, then we don’t want to distort the image of Jesus to others. This doesn’t mean being perfect, it means not pretending we are! Authenticity is the mark of a true representative of Christ. Phoniness in Christians keeps people from Christ.

A letter came that had a postcard in it with these words “You’re accepted.” Those were powerful words. I knew where I was going and could not have been more ecstatic. A few days later another letter arrived – with the cost of going to university. Being accepted and knowing where you are going comes at a high price. This Sunday, in The Story, we discover a woman who found that she was accepted, knew where she was going, and it cost a high price. It is the story of Ruth the Moabitess.

In chapter 8 of The Story we come to a 300-year period known as the period of the Judges. A book in the Bible is named Judges. In the Old Testament while these judges not only could throw you in jail, they are known mostly for getting God’s people out of jail. Seven hundred years after God’s promise to Abraham, the people of God are in their own land, God is present in the tabernacle, a law guides their lives and a sacrificial system exists for forgiveness of sins. The people were truly blessed by God. But there is a problem. Sin. Sin still reigns in the hearts of the people.

Have you ever faced overwhelming challenge? How did you react? Did you attack or retreat? This week in The Story, we find Israel facing an overwhelming challenge. After 600 years from God’s promise to Abraham to make him a great nation, the children of Israel are ready to enter the Promised Land. But there is a problem, a big problem. There are wicked people already living in the land and among those people are some literal giants. Under Joshua, God tells them to take the land. Joshua is told 4 times by God to “be strong and courageous.” Now is the time for courage!

If Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was triumphal on Palm Sunday, what went wrong? Why did the crowds who adored Jesus on Sunday, turn on him by Friday? And what choice does Palm Sunday present to us today? This Palm Sunday, we will try to answer those questions and explore the reasons the Roman empire, the Jewish religious leaders, and the common people all turn on Jesus after that glorious Sunday.

Leading Israel was like herding cats. Moses had over 3 million kids on a road trip who were complaining and asking “Are we there yet?” The hard thing about road trips with little kids is their fussing, fighting and endless questioning. Another hard thing about road trips is taking a wrong turn and getting off the way to the destination. Every road trip includes a destination as well as the trip itself across the terrain. Thankfully we have GPS today – global positioning system – to help us as we travel. In chapter 6 of The Story, we come to the wanderings of Israel as Moses leads them toward the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey.

In Chapter 5, God wants to come down and dwell with Israel. This is the big idea, the big vision of the whole story of God. The trinity of God wants to extend their community to include people. God wants to come down and do life with us. That was the original vision of Genesis 1, and this is what God is desperately wanting to do, in page after page in scripture, chapter after chapter of The Story, he wants to get us back.

The number one barrier between us and God is sin. We all are in slavery to sin. And it is because of sin that the destroyer – death – is coming. We need the blood of a lamb just as the Israelites did. Where will we get it? John 1.29 “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5.7, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” One of the biggest clues in the Story is in the deliverance: the blood of a lamb.