The Scarlet Thread - Finding Christ in Every Book of the Bible

Join us today as Dr. Becker continues our journey through the book of Exodus as we explore chapter 7 in his sermon titled "That You May Know I AM the Lord"Q1. God hardened Pharaoh's Heart to allow His signs and wonders to multiply, so that the Egyptians shall know that HE is the Lord. - What has God done in your life to show you that He is the Lord?Q2. Pharaoh responded to the signs and wonders with acts from his wise men. This only hardened the Pharaoh's heart that much more. - When your prayers go unanswered, do you harden your heart against God or do you trust in God's will in that unanswered prayer?Q3. Have you seen anyone who has continued to harden their heart against God despite God working in their lives? - How can you help them?Q4. When Aaron's staff as a serpent swallowed the staffs of the wise men, this is a symbolic gesture of Genesis and Revelation that the serpent will be defeated. - When God's Word is revealed to tie together in the Old and New Testament, how does that help to change your heart towards God's Word?Q5. What "Counterfeit Powers" are you tempted to trust in? (i.e., success, control, reputation, competency, passion) - Where are you getting your refreshment?For more information about Concord Presbyterian Church of Gulf Breeze, FL. visit our website at https:// concordpres.com

Join us as Dr. Becker continues with our sermon series in the Book of Exodus chapter 6 in his sermon titled, "Behold Your God"Q1. When God responds to my frustration, do I actually listen to His promises—or stay focused on my circumstances?Q2. Do I anchor my confidence in who God says He is, or in whether I can see immediate results?Q3. Which of God’s promises do I struggle to believe when pressure and discouragement are high?Q4. Like Israel, am I so weighed down by hardship that I become unable or unwilling to receive truth?Q5. Even when others are discouraged or unresponsive, am I willing to continue in obedience to what God has clearly said?For more information about Concord Presbyterian Church of Gulf Breeze, FL. visit our website at https://concordpres.com

Join us today as Dr. Becker continues with our sermon series on the Book of Exodus chapter 5Q1. When I step into obedience and immediately encounter resistance, do I question the calling or recognize I’m in the middle of the conflict stage of faith?Q2. How do I respond when obedience results in increased pressure rather than relief, do I stay faithful or begin to second-guess God’s direction?Q2. When things get harder, do I internalize blame, externalize frustration, or continue trusting God’s purpose is still unfolding?Q3. Do I identify more with the discouraged Israelites who lost hope, or with Moses who brings confusion honestly before God?Q4. In seasons where nothing improves despite obedience, do I believe God is still forming something deeper beneath the visible setbacks?Q5. For more information about Concord Presbyterian Church of Gulf Breeze, FL. visit our website athttps://concordpres.com

Join us today as we pick back up in the book of Exodus as Dr. Becker takes us through chapter 4, verses 18-3 in his sermon titled, "Moses & His Covenant Family"How can I faithfully respond to what I have learned from the Word of God today? 1. “Lord, I will honor you first in my home and in the ordinary relationships of my life.” -- Honor God in your covenant relationships God calls us to faithfulness in the relationships He has already given us Are you honoring Christ in your home? showing humility in your relationships? living graciously within the covenant community God has placed you in? 2. “Lord, I will trust your providence even when I cannot see your plan.” -- Trust God’s sovereign providence The circumstances of your life are not random -- God is working even through delays, disappointments, closed doors, and difficult seasons 3. “Lord, I will seek to obey you fully, not selectively.” -- Obey God completely The gospel reminds us that our salvation comes through the blood of Jesus Christ—but that grace calls us into lives of obedience. 4. “Lord, I will commit myself to Your covenant community.” -- Walk faithfully with God’s people In a culture that prizes independence, scripture reminds us that spiritual growth happens within the covenant community of God’s people. 5. “Lord, I will worship you now—even before I see the outcome.” -- Worship God before the deliverance comes Determine to worship God before the deliverance arrives – before Pharaoh is confronted, before the plagues, before the Red Sea is parted. “Biblical faith is not optimism based on circumstances, it is confidence rooted in the character of God.”Reflection questions for this week: Q1. Am I seeking God’s direction before major decisions, or simply informing others after I’ve already decided?Q2. Where might I be taking steps of obedience while still avoiding full submission in areas God has already made clear?Q3. Do I take God’s holiness and covenant seriously, or do I treat obedience as optional until it becomes urgent?Q4. When God provides confirmation or reassurance, do I respond with trust; or do I continue in doubt?Q5. Does my obedience lead others to worship God, or does my inconsistency create confusion about Him?

Join us for our Resurrection Sunday service as Dr. Becker covers through John 1:17; Acts 13:38-39; & Luke 24:13-27 in his sermon titled, "Grace Greater than the Law" /or/ "The Day the Hope of Men (almost) Failed"Q1. Am I still relating to God through performance rather than grace? - “The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” - Do I measure my standing with God based on how well I think I’m doing? - Where am I subtly trying to earn what can only be received?Q2. Do I actually believe I am justified—or just trying to improve? - “By Him everyone who believes is freed from everything you could not be freed from by the law…” - Do I live as someone who has been fully justified, or as someone still trying to fix myself? - What guilt or failure am I holding onto that this passage says has already been dealt with?Q3. Where am I underestimating the limits of the law? - The law can define sin but cannot remove it. - Do I expect rules, discipline, or moral effort to produce transformation they were never designed to produce? - Where have I confused behavior management with heart change?Q4. Am I missing Christ even while knowing Scripture? - In Luke 24, they knew the Scriptures but didn’t recognize Jesus until He explained them. - Do I read Scripture as information, or as something that ultimately points me to Christ? - Where might I be knowledgeable, yet still missing the central reality?Q5. Has grace actually changed my posture—or just my theology? - If grace is greater than the law, it should produce freedom, humility, and gratitude. - Am I more marked by joy and assurance, or by pressure and self-evaluation? - What would visibly change in my life if I fully lived as someone justified by grace?For more information about Concord Presbyterian Church of Gulf Breeze, FL. visit our website at https://concordpres.com

Join us today as Dr. Becker teaches a Palm Sunday special message on Hebrews 3 1:11 in his sermon titled "The Centerpiece of Everything" Within a week of Palm Sunday, the same Jesus who entered Jerusalem as King, would be lifted up on a cross. The builder of the house became the sacrifice for the house. So that sinners could be come members of God's household forever. Q. How do we respond? A. The tells us to "..consider Jesus...hold fast...hope..."1. Fix your eyes on Christ - Spiritual drift happens when Jesus becomes familiar instead of glorious. The cure is contemplation - consider Him again!2. Trust the greater deliverer - Moses could lead people out of Egypt...but only Christ can lead you out of guilt, shame, and condemnation.3. Hold fast to hope - the Christian life is not sustained by willpower ...it is sustained by hope in a faithful Son.Q2. Am I truly “considering” Christ—or just familiar with Him? - The passage opens with: “Consider Jesus…” - Do I actively fix my attention on Christ, or has He become background noise through familiarity? - What would it look like to intentionally re-center my thinking on Him this week?Q3. Where am I tempted to value what Christ gives over who He is? - Israel experienced God’s works but still hardened their hearts. - Do I follow Christ for outcomes (relief, provision, direction), or for His authority and identity? - How would my faith hold up if the visible benefits were stripped away?Q4. Is there any area where my heart is becoming resistant or hardened? - “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…” - Where am I hearing truth but delaying response? - What patterns (comfort, control, sin, distraction) are slowly dulling my responsiveness?Q5. Am I persevering in trust—or drifting into quiet unbelief? - The warning is not about open rebellion alone, but gradual drift. - Where have I subtly stopped trusting God while still maintaining outward belief? - What would active, daily trust look like in my current situation?Palm Sunday celebrates receiving Christ, but Hebrews 3 asks whether that reception actually endures when tested.For more information about Concord Presbyterian Church of Gulf Breeze, FL. visit our website at https://concordpres.com

Join us today as Ruling Elder Tony Faggioni delivers a message from Psalm 73 titled, "God is My Strength and Portion Forever"Far too often in the news today, we see stories of people facing no consequences for their actions or charges dropped against them for crimes they've committed. It can be easy to let that view change our perspective on the Christian life. Q1. Where is envy quietly shaping my life? - Do I find myself comparing my life to people who appear to prosper without integrity?Q2. How have I allowed circumstances to distort my view of God's justice? - When life feels uneven, do I begin to question whether righteousness actually matters?Q3. What internal narratives am I rehearsing that are not actually true? - Are my conclusions based on partial perspective rather than the full picture?Q4. When I take a step back and read scripture, how does that reshape perspective? - Are my conclusions based on partial perspective rather than the full picture?Q5. Is God Himself my strength and portion, or is He just a means to other outcomes? - If difficult circumstances remained unchanged, would God still be enough?For more information about Concord Presbyterian Church of Gulf Breeze, FL. visit our website athttps://concordpres.com

Join us today as Dr. Becker starts in Exodus 4, verses 1-17 in his sermon titled, "The Reluctance of the Deliverer"If we examine our own hearts, we will find the same excuses Moses offered. We say: “Who am I?” “I don’t know enough.” “People won’t listen.” “I’m not gifted.”“Send someone else.” And God’s answers remain the same -- ‘I will be with you.’ ...that’s God’s presence:  ‘I am that I am’ ...that’s God’s name ‘I will show my power’ ...that’s God’s power ‘I made your mouth’ ...that’s God’s sovereignty ‘I’ll provide what you lack’ ...that’s God’s graceThe burning bush reveals a God who calls ordinary, hesitant, flawed people into His purposes. Not because they are strong. But because He is. The God whospoke from the bush is the God who ultimately spoke through His Son. And that means the same promise given to Moses is given to us: “Certainly, I will be withyou.” (Exodus 3:12) And if God is with you, you have everything you need.Moses had many objections to his calling from God, how can we learn from Moses in his reluctance and apply that to our own lives?Q1. Moses' first objection: "What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice?" -- How often do we make the same argument to God, "How often do I avoid obedience because I'm pre-imagining negative responses?"Q2. God asks Moses a simple question, "What is in your hand?" - Moses already possesses the instrument God will use, his shepherd's staff. -- What abilities, resources, or experiences are already "in my hand" that I underestimate?Q3. Moses changed his argument with God saying, "I am not eloquent... I am slow of speech and tongue." -- What perceived personal limitations do I put on myself to avoid responsibility?Q4. Moses finally drops the argument with God and simply says, "Please send someone else." -- Where in my life and I resisting something I know is right?Q5. God finishes this with, "Take this staff in your hand, with which yo shall do the signs." The same staff from earlier is now a symbol of authority. -- What ordinary things in my life might become meaningful if used in obedience to God?For more information about Concord Presbyterian Church of Gulf Breeze, FL visit our website at https://www.concordpres.com/

Join us today as Dr. Becker takes us through Exodus 3, in his sermon titled, "The Call of the Deliverer"God Interrupts our routine. God appears in the ordinary. God invites our attention. God demands our reverence. Q1. What “burning bush” moments might I be ignoring because they interrupt routine?Q2. God commanded Moses to remove his sandals because the ground is Holy, which begs the question; Do you approach God with casual familiarity or reverent awareness of His holiness?Q3. In verses 7-9, God states that He has seen, heard, and known Israel's suffering, Do I believe God actually sees and knows suffering, mine and others?Q4. If God is the eternal “I AM,” what areas of my life reveal that I live as if I am the one in control?Q5. What part of this chapter most exposes something in my own life; attention, reverence, fear, or obedience?You can visit our website for everything you need to know about Concord Presbyterian Church of Gulf Breeze, FL.https://www.concordpres.com/

Join us today as Dr. Becker continues in Exodus Chapter 2, verses 11-25 in his sermon titled, "The Descent of the Deliverer"Q1. What visible fear must you re-orient in your life? Q2. What in your life is causing you pain and how are you giving it over to God?Q3. Read Psalm 79: How does David start end cry to the Lord and what does this teach us about how and when we should trust in the Lord?Q4. Why does God kill the visions he plants in our life?Q5. What can we learn from Moses’s experience in trying to handle things justly in his own strength?

Join us today as Dr. Becker begins teaching through Exodus 2:1-10 in his sermon titled, " The Birth of the Deliverer"Question: What does this mean for us?1. God works in hiddenness - the most important event in Israel's history begins in obscurity - in a nursery, not a palace - your quiet obedience matters. 2. God works through weakness - a crying baby defeats an empire, and a crucified carpenter defeated sin.3. God turns death into deliverance - the Nile meant death, but it became the means of salvation; the cross meant execution, but it became redemption.4. You must be drawn out and rescued too - Moses could not save himself, even he had to be drawn out ...we are not merely oppressed - we are spiritually dead in sin - and we need someone greater than Moses to draw us out.

Join us today as Dr. Becker continues through Exodus 1 in his sermon titled, "The Tension Between Promise and Deliverance.Q1. Will you trust the sovereignty of God in political upheaval? - Regimes change. Policies shift. Cultural climates grow hostile. But the church does not rest upon the favorable legislation. It rests upon divine decree. Your confidence must not be in princes, but in providence. Q2. Will you refuse the idolatry of control? - Pharaoh's sin was not merely cruelty - it was usurpation. He sought to control what belongs to God: growth, life, destiny. When we attempt to secure ultimate control over our careers, families, reputations, we mirror Pharaoh more than we realize. Repent of the illusion of sovereignty . God alone reigns.Q3. Will you cultivate a reverent fear of God, above the fear of man? - If you do not cultivate reverence for the holiness of God, you will inevitably bow to cultural pressure. A diminished view of God always produces compromised obedience. Recover a robust, trembling awareness of divine majesty. Q4. Will you understand that opposition does not signal abandonment? Israel's suffering did not contradict God's promise - in confirmed its significance.

Join us today as Dr. Becker begins our series in ExodusQ: How do we reconcile Exodus 12:40?              “...the time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years...” – Masoretic Text (MT)                “...the time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt and Canaan was 430 years...” – Septuagint (LXX) and Samaritan Pentateuch                                 Paul’s interpretation in Galatians 3:17 clearly assumes this broader timeline                                                ...the 430 years does not begin with Egypt                                                ...it begins with promise – Egypt is part of the sojourning, not the starting line                                God’s promise to Abram (Gen 12:6) when he entered Canaan is the beginning of the 430 years                                                ...Israel is defined by promise, not by geography -- Israel is a people counted before they are a people enslaved                       ·         The promise to Abram in Canaan                         Gen 12:7                                                                                               The START of the 430 years·         Sojourn in Canaan by the Patriarchs    Gen 12:8 – 45:28  ·         Descent into Egypt by Jacob (Israel)                     Gen 46:1 – 50:26·         Enslavement, affliction, & the Exodus Ex 1:1 – 18:27·         Mt. Sinai and the giving of the Law                      Ex 19:1, “...on that very day...”                       The END of the 430 years Q: Why does this matter (theologically)?Paul’s point (in Gal 3:17) is that Israel was God’s people before Egypt. They were heirs before the Law. Redemption flows from promise, not performance.                                ...God did not rescue Israel because they kept the Law                                ...God gave them the Law because He had already redeemed them                The Bible is showing us that God’s promises are never rushed, God’s deliverance is never late, and redemption happens “on that very day” that He appoints.                                ...the Exodus wasn’t random; it was a scheduled grace. Q: How do we construct a conservative, Bible-believing chronology for the Patriarchs with key dates leading up to the Exodus?1.       Determine an anchor point date for the Exodus: date of the Exodus is 1446 BC (See 1 Kings 6:1, “...480 years from Exodus to Solomon’s 4th year...” in 966 BC) 2.       Work backward using Paul’s 430 years: date of the Exodus is 1446 BC minus 430 years = date of Abram’s promise is 1876 BC (See Gal 3:17)3.       Check it against Abram’s age: Abram’s call in 1876 BC minus 75 = birth of Abram is 1951 BC (See Gen 12:4, “...Abram was 75 years old when he departed”)                 Timeline:·         1951 BC                                        Birth of Abram·         1876 BC                                        The promise to Abram in Canaan                                                                                 The START of the 430 years·         1876 -- 1660 BC                           ~215 years in Canaan·         ~1660 BC                                      Jacob (Israel) enters Egypt·         1660 -- 1446 BC                           ~215 years in Egypt·         1446 BC                                         The Exodus; the Law given at Sinai                                                                                     The END of the 430 years  Q: Why this matters theologically (again, Paul’s point)                ...the clock starts with grace, not bondage; with promise, not law; with justification by faith, not works.                ...Israel is God’s people: before slavery, before Sinai, before obedience -- which is precisely why Paul goes back to Abraham when explaining the gospel!                                ...the Exodus isn’t the beginning of redemption; it’s the fulfillment of a promise made centuries earlier.

Join us today as Dr. Becker preaches through Genesis 50, titled "What Was Meant for Evil, God Used for Good"(Gen 50:8) “...only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen...” -- Jacob goes home by faith; Israel waits by faith.Q1. What key points can you identify regarding the relationship of waiting on the Lord and faithfulness? Find your favorite bible commentator using resources tab: https://www.concordpres.com/--Gen 50:15-16 “...when Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him…”Q2. In what ways can our personal assumptions regarding God’s grace effect our ability to forgive ourselves and forgive others?--(Gen 50:10-11) “…they came to the threshing floor” - - Use Blue Letter Bible tool found in Resources tab: https://www.concordpres.com/Q3. How many times does threshing floor appear in the Bible and how do these stories tie to the Gospel of salvation?--(Gen 50:17) “...say to Joseph, ‘(I beg you) forgive, please, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.’...”1. (v. 17a) I beg you, forgive, please, the transgression --ע פֶּשַׁ) peh’shah) “a revolt; rebellion, transgression, trespass”2. (v. 17b) I beg you, forgive, please, their sin --ת חַטָּאָ) khat-ta-aw’) “sin, an offence”3. (v. 17c) I beg you, forgive, please, the evil --רעַ) rah) “evil, wickedness, pain, misery, malignancy”4. (v. 17d) And now forgive, please, the transgression --ע פֶּשַׁ) peh’shah) “a revolt; rebellion, transgression, trespass”Q4. What verses in the Bible point directly to Jesus dying for our transgressions, our sin, and evil that has entered the world through the first Adam? Use Bible Study Tools found in Resources tab: https://www.concordpres.com/--Read Gen 50:22-26 --Q5. What do these verses teach us about the nature of adoption into God’s Kingdom?Use Bible Study Tools found in Resources tab: https://www.concordpres.com/ to identify instances adoption is mentioned in scripture. 

Join us as Dr. Becker teaches from Genesis 49, titled "A Fathers Blessing"In God's providence, the method He has chosen for us in sharing in His blessings and the gift of salvation requires a responsiveness to believe in His Son Jesus Christ. Acts 16:31, Hebrews 11:8.Questions to consider from today's teaching.Q1. If belief is the method, who or what is the means of regeneration, salvation, and sanctification?1 Corinthians 12:13; John 14:26; Acts 2:4, 10:47, & 15:8; 2 Timothy 2:10, 3:15; Titus 3:5.Q2. What is the disposition of man prior to salvation?Ephesians 2:3; Romans 3:11, 5:15.Q3. Who can change the heart of stone into a heart of flesh?Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26Q4. What role do we play in our own salvation if not by works and why can your answer to this question render conflicting theological interpretations and potentially lead to heresies within the church body?Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-14; Ephesians 2:8; Hebrews 11:8 -- contrast with James 2:18.Q5. How do we, who are chosen and predestined by God, no identified?Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:29-30

Join us as Dr. Becker teaches from Genesis 48, titled "One Last Word (...well, almost the last word)"Questions to consider from today's teaching.Q1. In what way does God's grace offend our sense of fairness? Read Genesis 48: 12-14, How does this challenge your approach to sharing the gospel?Q2. Read Genesis 48: 15-16 use Bible study tool or Bible Gateway and look up all the times the angel of the Lord appears in the Bible. What attributes of the angel of the Lord can be attributed to Christ?Q3. Genesis 48:16, Use Blue Letter Bible app or website to look up the Hebrew meaning for redeemer. What does it mean to be redeemed and who is the initiator?Q4. In Genesis 47:17-19, Joseph was displeased, yet Jacob replied with confidence and humility in what God had taught him. How do we respond to our wives, children, subordinates at work, etc. When confronted with an uncomfortable truth, what is the biblical way of responding?Q5. In what ways have you resisted biblical truth this week? Dedicate 5 to 10 minutes to confess your sins and prayer to Christ Jesus and read 1st Peter 5:5-6, James 4:6-7, and Psalm 51:17.

Join us as Dr. Jon Becker teaches from Genesis 47, titled "Grace in a Foreign Land"Questions to consider from todays teaching.Q1. How can you sojourn in a land that demands you to dwell? What can we do practically as Christians to draw the line between sojourning and dwelling? How can we focus our hearts, minds and actions toward the eternal and away from the temporal?Q2. What does Jacob's answer to Pharoah in verses 7-9 tell us about this life? Does his answer remove our responsibility as Christians to persevere?Q3. Does God cause us to settle in uncertainty? What can we learn from Jesus's statements in Matthew 6:25-34?Q4. What do verses 13-26 teach us about our carnal perspectives on security?Q5. How do verses 23-25 tie into Christ's work as a penal substitutionary atonement for our sins?

Join us as Dr. Jon Becker teaches from Genesis 46, titled "The Promise of a New Beginning"

Follow along with Elder Tony Faggioni as we go through the Book of Matthew, Chapter 25 verses 31-46