First Church Charlotte

July 26, 2020 | Pastor Nathan Elms • Bethel is a place of heaven connecting with earth… • Bethel is where the desperate individual, pursued and threatened, becomes aware of the world above this world… • Bethel is a place of dreams... not a place of mission. • Bethel means the House of God, yes… • But notice, Bethel is not heaven... Bethel is solidly on earth... but it has a heavenly ladder As a church, we want to be a place of connection… But Jacob must pass through Bethel... he cannot stay there... and later, Jacob must return to Bethel… Ai is first mentioned in the book of Genesis in connection with the life of Abraham. Ai means, “a heap of ruins.” Israel suffered a tragic defeat at Ai. 36 men died. Because of hidden sin… There are two traps for the person who is trying to overcome a spiritual setback. 1.) Fear 2.) Discouragement • Fear or anxiety often leads to sin. • Fear will immobilize your spiritual life. • Fear will also make God’s Word unproductive in our lives. Why are both of these things