The Bible Study Podcast, episode 643. Today, the Bible Study podcast is a special episode, which is a sermon about beginnings and change.

Welcome to the Bible study podcast from your host, Chris Christensen.

This is a sermon that I preached this week at my church, which is Bethel Lutheran Church

in Cupertino.

There are slides that go with it.

If you're interested in those, you can go to bethelcupertino.org and see the video of this

particular sermon.

I want to read you the three different verses that

we read that are being talked about in this particular sermon. They are from Isaiah 49, 1st

Corinthians 1 and John 1. Isaiah 49 verses 1 through 7. Listen to me, O Coastlands, pay attention you peoples from far away.

The Lord called me, before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb, he named me.

He made my mouth like a sharp sword.

In the shadow of his hand, he hid me.

He made me a polished arrow.

In his quiver, he hid me away. And he said polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away.

And he said to me, you are my servant Israel in whom I will be glorified.

But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity,

yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward is with my God.

And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring

Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the

Lord, and my God has become my strength. He says, it is too light a thing that you should be my servant

to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore

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