Promise Road Exodus

The Bible is packed with stories about change and transitions in people lives, in leadership and in communities of faith. In relation to this project, I will discuss some of the texts surrounding the Exodus narratives in the Old Testament. In particular, the Israelites move from Egypt to the Promise Land (Exodus 14), their wilderness experience (Num. 32, Joshua 5) and entering the Promised Land. In the New Testament, I will discuss the leaving of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit recorded in the Gospels and Acts. Then move to Paul leaving Timothy to lead the church in Ephesus (1St Tim. 1). A key theme that will be examined is “fear” as it relates to change and transitions in the lives of God’s people recorded in the Bible. With that said,
God made promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua and many other patriots admonishing them to fear not (Gen. 15:1, Gen. 26:24, Gen. 46:3, Deut. 31:6, Isaiah 41:10). As the Israelites began their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, God encouraged Moses and Moses encouraged the people to “fear not” because God was with them (Exodus 14:15, Deut. 31:7-8). When they were in the Wilderness God continued to encourage them and he used Joshua to lead them into the Promised Land (Deut. 31:23). Jesus is the supreme example of coping with change and managing transitions in ministry. He prepared his disciples for change and transition as he told them of his departure recorded in the gospels (John 16, Matt. 16:21, Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22). Jesus also promised that he would send the Comforter (John 14:16) to help and never leave his followers. There is much evidence in the scriptures to show that change and transitions come to us all. This project will explore some Old and New Testaments passages that gives us practical ways to view, deal with and learn how to cope with change and manage transitions in ministry without allowing fear to control us in the