Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Do not come closer,” he said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he continued, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God. —Exodus 3:1-6
Because God
“Here I am.” —Exodus 3:4
“I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” —Exodus 3:6
“I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors. I know about their sufferings, and I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey…” —Exodus 3:7-8
“I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” —Exodus 3:10
“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh…” —Exodus 3:11
“What is
name?” —Exodus 3:13 “What if they won’t believe me…” —Exodus 4:1
“I have never been eloquent…” —Exodus 4:10
“Please, Lord, send someone else.” —Exodus 4:13
“Here I am.” —Exodus 3:4
True self knowledge comes through
“Our true self - the self who we are becoming in God - is something we receive from God. Any other identity is of our own making and is an illusion.” —David Benner
Knowing who we are important when
Opportunities can cause us to remember our
Opportunities can incite
Opportunities reveal our lack of
Opportunities can expose our
“I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” —2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Opportunities can reveal our
To walk in faithfulness, we must rest in the power of
Because God is who he is, we can
Because God is, we can be
“The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.” —Billy Graham
For further study:
Scripture: John 18:1-11; 2 Corinthians 12:1-12
Resources: “The Gift of Being Yourself” by David Benner
Community Group Guide:
Have someone tell the story of Moses in Exodus 3-4.
How would you feel if you were Moses in this story?
Which question of Moses do you most resonate with?
Do you feel like you know yourself well?
What are ways that you have learned about yourself?
How does your relationship with Christ inform who you are?
How do you respond to opportunity?
Do you remember past failures, begin to fear, feel a lack of control, see your weaknesses, or experience obstinance?
How can remembering who God is help you be faithful?
To prepare for next week: Moses vs. Pharaoh; Exodus 5-11