‘Houston, we have a problem’, three hundred thousand kilometres from Earth, in the crippled Apollo 13 capsule, three astronauts begin a fight for survival. From that scene the sermon takes us to the shore of the Red Sea (Exodus 14), where the Israelites stood in a humanly hopeless situation: the sea before them, Pharaoh’s army behind. This story shows that God is never taken by surprise by our crisis, that hard moments reveal what is truly hidden in the heart, and that He can open a way where no one else sees one. Listen if you too are standing with your back against the wall today.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Exodus 14 it is God who tells the Israelites to camp by the sea and announces Pharaoh's pursuit. What does it tell you about God that He leads His people into a place that looks like a dead end?
- Pharaoh first rejects God's warnings three times on his own, and only then does God harden his heart. What does this teach you about the effects of repeatedly refusing God's voice?
- The Israelites leave Egypt with a raised hand, yet a few days later they blame Moses. What does a crisis reveal in your heart: where do you first look for rescue and whom do you blame?
- The speaker compared our view to a telescope that we flip around in a crisis, so it becomes a mirror showing only ourselves. What helps you turn your eyes back to God and to what He has already done for you?
- The stories of Joni Eareckson Tada and George Müller show that God proves to be all we need when He is all we have. How do you understand this idea, and where do you see it in your own life?
- Which of the practices mentioned in the sermon (reading the Word, prayer, worship, fasting, community, serving) would best prepare you for a hard season, and how do you want to practice it this week?
