Week 3

GENESIS 22:1-12

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

SYNOPSIS

• God tests Abraham
• God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac
• Angel of the Lord calls out to Abraham just before sacrificing Isaac
• God instructs Abraham not to kill his son

TALKING POINTS

• What have you sacrificed and is it worth it?
• Isaac is the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham
• Scripture parallels Jesus' passion
• God already believed in Abraham but this grew Abraham's confidence in his love for the Lord
• You're either all in or all out
• The word withheld
• not what are we giving Him, but what are we holding back

MUFFIN OF THE WEEK

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 qt strawberries, cleaned and diced
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Preheat over to 400F. Prepare muffin pan with paper liners and grease. Combine first four ingredients and set aside. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a smaller bowl, mix together egg, oil, milk, and vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Stir until just mixed. In another bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy; add egg and vanilla. Fold in strawberries. Fill each muffin tin 1/2 full with batter. Spoon in cream cheese and strawberry mixture. Top with additional batter until 3/4 full. Sprinkle streusel mixture over top of each muffin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.