Seffner Church of Christ

09/05/2026

Seffner Church of Christ | 621 E Wheeler Rd, Seffner, FL 33584 | Tel. 813-684-1297 | Email: [email protected] | Web: www.seffnercoc.org | YouTube:

Bible Study Sunday 10:00 AM | Worship Sunday 11:00 AM | Worship Sunday 6:00 PM | Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 PM

09/03/2026

Our most recent messages have been based upon the great test of Abraham's love and faith, which is recorded in Genesis 22, wherein God commanded Abraham to take his son Isaac to the land of Moriah, and there offer him as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of that land.

Thus far, we have discussed the difficulty of the command itself, as well as the nature of Abraham's obedience, it being prompt, deliberate, and persevering.

Today, as we enlarge upon the events recorded in the 22nd chapter of Genesis, we note that upon their arrival to the land of Moriah that, Abraham said to the two men who had accompanied he and Isaac, "Stay here…, the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you” (Genesis 22:5).

AS Abraham and Isaac journeyed to the place where God had directed him, Isaac said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" (Genesis 22:7). Of course, you recall that God had told Abraham to offer his son, Isaac, for a burnt offering. In reply to Isaac's question, Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:8).

This statement reflected Abraham's great faith in God. Abraham at that point in time doubtlessly could not understand why God had made such an unusual demand of him, and one which seemingly contradicted the whole process by which God would make of Abraham a great nation -- but Abraham was not one to waste time trying to figure out why God made certain demands.

He knew that it was God’s right to command and his own responsibility to obey. Moreover, he also knew that God had never let him down; hence, he proceeded as charged, according to Hebrews 11:19, “…concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead…”

Thus, upon their arrival at the place in the land of Moriah which God had designated, Abraham built an altar, laid the wood in order, bound Isaac, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. Hence, all things were in readiness for Isaac to be offered as a burnt offering. Abraham then stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son. It was at this precise time that the angel of the Lord called out and charged him to lay not his hand upon the lad, and Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham, according to Genesis 22:13, “…took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.”

Indeed, God did provide a ram for a burnt offering, but it was not until Abraham's faith had been thoroughly tried and found to be genuine through and through. No wonder Abraham is regarded even today as a splendid example of obedience. Nothing stood between him and his obedience to God -- and friend, that is the way it should be with you and me.

--Bobby Witherington.

We would love to speak with you more about salvation from sins and other Bible topics. Please contact us or visit us.

Bible Study Sunday 10:00 AM
Worship Sunday 11:00 AM
Worship Sunday 6:00 PM
Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 PM

Seffner Church of Christ
621 E Wheeler Rd,
Seffner, FL 33584
Tel. 813-684-1297
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.seffnercoc.org
YouTube:

08/28/2026

08/26/2026

In our study last week, we read from Genesis 22:1-2 wherein God instructed Abraham to take his son, Isaac, to the land of Moriah and there offer him upon one of the mountains of that land. We discussed the command itself and some of the difficulties which such an unusual command posed to Abraham.

Today, as we discuss Abraham's obedience to this command, we call your attention to Genesis 22:3-4: “So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off” (NKJV).

From these two verses, there are at least three lessons to be learned about the obedience of Abraham.

First, we suggest that his obedience was prompt. Verse three begins with the simple statement of truth, “So Abraham rose early in the morning…” There was no hesitation. God had told Abraham to go and offer his son as a burnt offering, so Abraham started making immediate preparations to carry out this most difficult and emotionally agonizing command.

Second, we point out that Abraham's obedience was deliberate. Regardless of the anguish that must have been felt from within, there was no confusion in his matter for the text says he "…saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went…” Not one item was left out. Everything necessary to the offering of his son, including the son, was carried to the place where the sacrifice would be offered. Abraham regarded the command of God as a thing to be executed, not to be questioned.

And, third, we suggest that Abraham's obedience was persevering. A three-day journey had to be taken before arriving at the place where the sacrifice was to be made. During the whole of this time, Isaac was before him, and Abraham had ample time to reflect on the dreadfulness of offering the promised son of their love and old age as a burnt offering.

Upon their arrival at the prescribed place, Abraham said to the servants, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” In this statement, two significant facts stand out:

(1) Abraham regarded this as a means of worshipping or glorifying God, and

(2) Abraham's great faith, which was reflected in the statement that both he and Isaac would return.

Next week, we plan to read the glorious climax to this event, and then make application of these matters, as they suggest to us the nature of true obedience. Please check back then. Thank you.

--Bobby Witherington.

We would love to speak with you more about salvation from sins and other Bible topics. Please contact us or visit us.

Bible Study Sunday 10:00 AM
Worship Sunday 11:00 AM
Worship Sunday 6:00 PM
Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 PM

Seffner Church of Christ
621 E Wheeler Rd,
Seffner, FL 33584
Tel. 813-684-1297
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.seffnercoc.org
YouTube:

Our aim is to live and teach others to live eternally with God in heaven, believing in the all-sufficiency of the Bible as the sole authority to achieve this grandest of goals.

08/18/2026

For the past several days, we have been considering various events of which we can read about in the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis. Today, we are discussing the trial of Abraham's faith as it is set forth in Genesis 22.

“Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’
And he said, ‘Here I am.’
Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you’” (Genesis 22:1-2, NKJV).

In previous messages, we discussed Abraham and the great faith he manifested in going forth, at the direction of God, from Ur of the Chaldees to the land of Canaan. Further, Abraham continued to believe in the promise of God that he and Sarah, his wife, would become parents of a son in their old age. And that through that son and his posterity would come a great nation. But in the verses which we have just read, Abraham’s faith must have been tried as never before.

Looking at these verses a bit more closely, we note from verse one that "God did tempt Abraham" (KJV). The word "tempt,” as used here, means to try or to prove. In the events of this chapter, God would test or try the greatness of Abraham's faith.

In verse two, God told Abraham to take his son, Isaac, and to offer him as a burnt offering. In this instance, God did not require the sacrifice of Abraham’s bullocks, nor rams, nor one of his servants. Nor did he mention Ishmael, his son by the handmaid Hagar. God specified Isaac, the son of promise, the son of Abraham and Sarah’s love and of their old age. The duty enjoined was that he offer Isaac as a burnt offering. It would have been difficult to have devoted Isaac to a life of servitude, but to be the instrument for slaying his own son was difficult indeed.

In reply and response to this command, there were several arguments which Abraham could have made. He could have said that such a command was strange and unprecedented. No other person had been thus commanded. Abraham could have said that such an act would be contrary to the feelings of humanity. In fact, he could have declared that it was opposed to divine law, set forth in Genesis 9:5, forbidding murder. Or he could have remonstrated, saying that to offer his son Isaac would annihilate all hope with reference to the seed of Abraham. And he could have said it would render him odious in the eyes of his fellow man, or his own wife.

However, Abraham did not hesitate. He promptly set out to obey God, and in this chapter, we see the remarkable intervention of God and the blessings that follow, but that part of our discussion must wait until next week.

--Bobby Witherington.

We would love to speak with you more about salvation from sins and other Bible topics. Please contact us or visit us.

Bible Study Sunday 10:00 AM
Worship Sunday 11:00 AM
Worship Sunday 6:00 PM
Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 PM

Seffner Church of Christ
621 E Wheeler Rd,
Seffner, FL 33584
Tel. 813-684-1297
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.seffnercoc.org
YouTube:

08/11/2026

In recent messages, we have been studying God's threefold promise to Abraham. This promise is contained in Genesis 12:1-3, and it declared that the seed of Abraham would inherit a land (the land of Canaan), that they would become a great nation, and that through his seed all families of the earth would be blessed. This third promise would not be confined to one nation; it was to include all families of the earth.

The best commentary on the Old Testament is the New Testament. Hence, to learn the nature of the blessings referred to, as well as the particular seed of Abraham who would make these blessings available, we turn to the New Testament, specifically to Galatians 3. In verse 8 of this chapter, we read: "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’”

It is evident that this verse refers to the promise contained in Genesis 12:3, and in Paul's inspired comment on that verse, he showed that it had to do with justification. Thus, through the seed of Abraham, it would be possible for even the Gentile to be justified. But who was the particular seed of Abraham who would make this justification possible?

The answer is contained in Galatians 3:16: "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” Hence, it is apparent that the particular seed of Abraham through whom all families of the earth can be blessed (or justified) is Jesus Christ.

In fact, this is the approach taken in the gospel according to Matthew. In chapter one and verse one of that book, Matthew began by saying, "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham." And then in the following verses, beginning with Abraham, Matthew traced the lineage of Jesus Christ right down to Joseph, the husband of Mary. And then we read the angel's announcement that which was conceived in Mary was of the Holy Spirit, and that she would bring forth a son whom they would call Jesus because "He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

But how are people today saved by Jesus Christ? Turning again to Galatians 3, we learn in verses 26-27 that, through faith, one is to be baptized into Christ. This causes one to belong to Christ. Hence, in verse 29, the writer said: "And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

--Bobby Witherington.

We would love to speak with you more about salvation from sins and other Bible topics. Please contact us or visit us.

Bible Study Sunday 10:00 AM
Worship Sunday 11:00 AM
Worship Sunday 6:00 PM
Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 PM

Seffner Church of Christ
621 E Wheeler Rd,
Seffner, FL 33584
Tel. 813-684-1297
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.seffnercoc.org
YouTube: