"Perhaps I can build a family through her." Five words that reveal how tempting it is to help God out when His timing doesn't match ours. In Genesis 16, Sarai's plan works—sort of. There's a pregnancy, but also despising, mistreatment, and a runaway slave alone in the desert. Yet in the mess of human impatience, God shows up in the most unexpected way. This isn't just Abram and Sarai's story anymore. It's also about Hagar, a woman who may not have even known God's name, but God knew hers—and He heard her misery.

1. The dangerous appeal of "perhaps I can" when waiting gets hard
2. Why Sarai's plan worked but backfired spectacularly
3. What happens when we rush what God has promised us
4. The woman everyone forgot about—and why God didn't
5. How God meets us in the desert even when we don't know His name
6. What the name "Ishmael" teaches us about a God who hears
7. Why our detours don't disqualify us from God's promises

"God had a promise to keep with Abram and Sarai, they tried to make something work but it seemed to backfire on them. Does that mean we missed God's purpose and plan for us? Does that mean God is giving up on us? No!! Absolutely not!!"

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A weekly podcast where we explore God's Word together, one chapter at a time. Every Monday, join me as I share what stood out to me in Scripture and challenge you to discover what stands out to you. It's about going deeper with God in authentic community—heel, toe, heel, toe, one step at a time.

Fresh off an impossible victory, Abram crashes hard with doubt and desperation. "What can You give me?" he asks the God who just called Himself Abram's great reward. Sound familiar? In Genesis 15, we discover that God's answers don't always match our questions—and that waiting on God requires more than just patience. It requires protection. When God asks Abram to bring Him animals and birds of prey start circling, one simple action changes everything about how we should approach our waiting seasons.

1. Why Abram went from hero to heartbroken in one conversation
2. The faith that made Abram righteous in God's eyes (and what that means for us)
3. God's bizarre answer to a straightforward question
4. What those circling birds of prey teach us about our waiting seasons
5. The difference between "not yet" and "no" from God
6. Why God might be asking you to bring Him something you already know how to do

"Birds of prey do not just appear, they take some time to actually find the prey. That means Abram was there for a while. He had to wait on God's timing. He had to protect what God asked of him."

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• Website: https://leaving-the-kids-table.captivate.fm/

A weekly podcast where we explore God's Word together, one chapter at a time. Every Monday, join me as I share what stood out to me in Scripture and challenge you to discover what stands out to you. It's about going deeper with God in authentic community—heel, toe, heel, toe, one step at a time.

318 men against an army that just crushed five kingdoms? Impossible odds. But what happens after the victory reveals something even more powerful about living for God's glory. In this episode, we dive into Genesis 14's epic battle scene and discover why Abram refused to take even a sandal strap from the king of Sodom. This isn't just ancient history—it's a challenge to examine where we're letting others take credit for what God is doing in our lives.

1. How 318 household servants defeated a conquering king's entire army
2. The moment Abram made a choice that defined his legacy
3. Why refusing a "thank you gift" mattered more than we think
4. The difference between pointing to God and truly giving Him all the credit
5. Where you might be giving someone else a foothold to steal God's glory

"Abram wanted everything that God had promised, accomplishments, and his life to point to God's glory. He wanted no one to take the credit for what God is doing, will do, or has done."

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• Website: https://leaving-the-kids-table.captivate.fm/

A weekly podcast where we explore God's Word together, one chapter at a time. Every Monday, join me as I share what stood out to me in Scripture and challenge you to discover what stands out to you. It's about going deeper with God in authentic community—heel, toe, heel, toe, one step at a time.

When everything gets bigger—your family, your responsibilities, your wealth—sometimes you need to go back to the place where it all started. Abram returns to the altar he built, the spot where God first spoke to him, and God says the promise again. Not because Abram forgot. Not because God changed His mind. But because dreams don't happen overnight, and sometimes we need to be reminded that the waiting is part of the journey. Where's your altar? And when's the last time you went back?

1. Why Abram returned to the exact spot where he first heard God's voice
2. The moment when success forces a family to split in two directions
3. What it means when God repeats a promise He's already made
4. The struggle of wanting the dream now versus walking through the steps to get there
5. Finding your personal altar—the place where you feel closest to God

"Things aren't just going to happen overnight. You've got to take that first step or two steps to get there. Go to your altar—go to a place where you can call on God's name, seek Him, and ask Him about your calling."

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• Website: https://leaving-the-kids-table.captivate.fm/

A weekly podcast where we explore God's Word together, one chapter at a time. Every Monday, join me as I share what stood out to me in Scripture and challenge you to discover what stands out to you. It's about going deeper with God in authentic community—heel, toe, heel, toe, one step at a time.

A 75-year-old man. No GPS. No address. Just God saying "go to a land I will show you." What happens next involves a famine, a lie, a palace, some plagues, and a mysterious ending where everyone walks away richer than they started. Abram's story isn't a roadmap for making questionable decisions—it's proof that God's plans unfold even when we can't see past the next step. And sometimes, especially when we mess up along the way.

• Why God chose retirement age to start Abram's greatest adventure
• The uncomfortable moment when faith meets famine and desperation kicks in
• How Abram's lie about Sarai somehow led to blessings (and what that means for us)
• What it means to say "yes" when God's only instruction is "go"

"God asks us to go, God has plans for us—do we know them? Do we fully understand them? Probably not, but God knows what He is doing and God works in mysterious ways."

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• Submit a prayer request or Tell us what stood out to YOU at https://leaving-the-kids-table.captivate.fm/

• Website: https://leaving-the-kids-table.captivate.fm/

A weekly podcast where we explore God's Word together, one chapter at a time. Every Monday, join me as I share what stood out to me in Scripture and challenge you to discover what stands out to you. It's about going deeper with God in authentic community—heel, toe, heel, toe, one step at a time.

Imagine finally getting the recognition you've been working for—someone you admire says "nothing will be impossible for you"—and in the next breath, they take away the very thing that made you successful. That's exactly what happened at the Tower of Babel. But here's what most people miss: God wasn't against their success. He was against their "why." And that distinction changes everything about how we chase our dreams today.

• The confusing moment when God compliments humanity then scatters them
• Why God cared more about their motivation than their achievement
• The four words that revealed the fatal flaw: "make a name for ourselves"
• What the Tower of Babel teaches us about ambition, unity, and misplaced focus
• How to check if your goals are building your name or pointing to God's

"God did not care that they were successful at building or working together. God's why in taking away this ability was found in their heart—they wanted to make a name for themselves."

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• Website: https://leaving-the-kids-table.captivate.fm/

A weekly podcast where we explore God's Word together, one chapter at a time. Every Monday, join me as I share what stood out to me in Scripture and challenge you to discover what stands out to you. It's about going deeper with God in authentic community—heel, toe, heel, toe, one step at a time.

What if the most boring chapter in Genesis holds the secret to transforming how you feel about Monday mornings? A unexpected name in a genealogy list—yes, the same Nimrod from Bugs Bunny cartoons—reveals something most of us miss about our daily grind. It's not about finding your dream job or doing what you love. It's about who's watching while you work. And that changes everything.

• The cartoon insult that accidentally preserved a biblical truth about excellence
• Why working "before the LORD" isn't about being religious at work—it's something deeper
• What happens when you stop seeing your job as just a paycheck
• The question that could turn your least favorite workday into something you never expected
• A morning habit that puts your 9-5 in completely different hands

"What if you chose to do this job 'before the LORD'? Work to be the living definition of your job so that God receives all the glory in what we do."

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• Website: https://leaving-the-kids-table.captivate.fm/

A weekly podcast where we explore God's Word together, one chapter at a time. Every Monday, join me as I share what stood out to me in Scripture and challenge you to discover what stands out to you. It's about going deeper with God in authentic community—heel, toe, heel, toe, one step at a time.

After the flood waters recede and the ark door opens, Noah's family faces a new world with nothing but questions. What now? What's next? In the aftermath of losing everything, God gives them more than just instructions—He leaves them a reminder in the clouds. Discover how the rainbow became God's covenant with humanity and what it means for checking the condition of your heart today.

In This Episode:

• The first rainbow ever seen and what it represented
• How God's covenant challenges us to examine our own hearts
• Fighting for the hearts of the next generation

"What condition is my heart in right now viewing this rainbow? Is it in a place that God would choose me to build an ark? Am I willing to lose it all for God's purpose?"

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• Share this with someone ready to go deeper
• Submit a prayer request or Tell us what stood out to YOU at https://leaving-the-kids-table.captivate.fm/

• Website: https://leaving-the-kids-table.captivate.fm/

A weekly podcast where we explore God's Word together, one chapter at a time. Every Monday, join me as I share what stood out to me in Scripture and challenge you to discover what stands out to you. It's about going deeper with God in authentic community—heel, toe, heel, toe, one step at a time.