Abraham: One Nomad’s Amazing Journey of Faith

What does it take to be called the “friend of God”? In this 22-part epic study of Genesis, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explores the life of the great patriarch, Abraham. From his initial call to leave Ur to the ultimate test of faith on Mount Moriah, Abraham’s journey serves as a masterclass in trusting God’s promises when they seem impossible. By looking at his remarkable victories and his human failures, Chuck reveals that a life of faith isn’t about perfection—it’s about a persistent, adventurous walk with the living God.

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1. A Patriarch in Panorama (Genesis 11:27–32; Acts 7:2–4)

• Overview: Introduces Abram in the context of his family and his roots in Ur of the Chaldeans. It sets the stage for a man chosen from a pagan culture to become the father of a new nation.
• Key Fact: Being a friend of God starts with hearing His voice in the middle of a world that has forgotten Him.

2. Going . . . Not Knowing (Genesis 12:1–9)

• Overview: Explores the radical nature of Abraham’s call: to leave his country, his relatives, and his father’s house for a destination God had not yet revealed.
• Key Fact: True faith is often characterized by obedience without a map; it is going where God says while trusting Him with the “how” and the “where.”
• Scripture: Hebrews 11:8 – “By faith Abraham, when he was called… went out, not knowing where he was going.”

3. Never-to-Be-Forgotten Promises (Genesis 12:1–3)

• Overview: A deep dive into the Abrahamic Covenant. God promises to make him a great nation, to bless him, and to make him a blessing to all the families of the earth.
• Key Fact: God’s promises are the “unshakeable foundation” of the believer’s life; they provide security in a shifting world.

4. When the Faithful Fail (Genesis 12:10–20)

• Overview: Addresses Abraham’s detour into Egypt during a famine. To protect himself, he lies about Sarah being his wife, showing that even heroes of the faith struggle with fear and self-preservation.
• Key Fact: Failure is part of the journey of faith; God’s grace is big enough to recover us when we take matters into our own hands.

5. A Decision That Led to a Disaster (Genesis 13)

• Overview: The conflict between Abraham’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. Abraham chooses the path of peace, but Lot chooses the “well-watered plain” of Sodom, leading to future tragedy.
• Key Fact: Decisions based solely on outward appearance and personal gain often lead to spiritual disaster.

6. Abram, the Greathearted (Genesis 14)

• Overview: Abraham rescues Lot from captivity and meets the mysterious Melchizedek. He demonstrates a “greathearted” spirit by refusing to take the spoils of war for himself.
• Key Fact: A person who trusts in God’s provision doesn’t need to grab for worldly wealth.

7. Can We Talk? (Genesis 15)

• Overview: Abraham expresses his doubts and questions to God regarding his lack of an heir. God responds by showing him the stars and formalizing His covenant through a smoking oven and a flaming torch.
• Key Fact: Honest questions and doubts do not disqualify you from faith; God welcomes “big-hearted” conversations with His friends.
• Scripture: Genesis 15:6 – “Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”

8. Running Ahead of God (Genesis 16)

• Overview: The story of Hagar and Ishmael. Impatient for God’s promise, Abraham and Sarah try to “help” God out, resulting in centuries of family and international conflict.
• Key Fact: Running ahead of God’s timing always creates more problems than it solves.

9. Deepening Our Roots with God (Genesis 17)

• Overview: God reaffirms His covenant, changes Abram’s name to Abraham (“Father of a Multitude”), and institutes the sign of circumcision.
• Key Fact: Deeper levels of faith require a “cutting away” of the old life and a formal commitment to the new identity God provides.

10. One of Those Upper-Downer Days (Genesis 18:1–15)

• Overview: The visit of the three heavenly guests. They promise Sarah will have a son within a year, leading to her famous laugh of disbelief.
• Key Fact: Nothing is too difficult for the Lord, even when our circumstances and biology say otherwise.

11. What Happens When We Pray? (Genesis 18:16–33)

• Overview: Abraham’s bold intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah. It reveals the heart of a “friend of God” who cares about the judgment facing others.
• Key Fact: Intercession is the privilege of standing in the gap for others based on the character of a righteous God.

12. When the Cesspool Overflows (Genesis 19:1–11)

• Overview: A graphic look at the depravity of Sodom. It serves as a sobering reminder of what happens when a culture completely abandons God’s standards.
• Key Fact: God’s judgment is eventually triggered when the “cup of iniquity” is full.

13. A Wail of Two Cities (Genesis 19:12–29)

• Overview: The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the rescue of Lot’s family. Lot’s wife “looks back,” illustrating the danger of a heart still tethered to a sinful culture.
• Key Fact: To be rescued by God, we must be willing to leave our old “cities” behind completely.

14. Overcoming Depravity’s Dangerous Undertow (Genesis 19:30–38)

• Overview: The tragic aftermath of Lot’s life in the cave with his daughters. It shows how the influence of a corrupt culture can linger even after the city is gone.
• Key Fact: You cannot flirt with depravity without it leaving a permanent mark on your legacy.

15. Disobedience Déjà Vu (Genesis 20)

• Overview: Abraham makes the exact same mistake again with Abimelech that he made years earlier in Egypt, proving that old habits of fear die hard.
• Key Fact: We are never so mature that we are beyond the reach of our old temptations; we need God’s grace every single day.

16. It’s a Boy! (Genesis 21:1–7)

• Overview: The birth of Isaac. After 25 years of waiting, the promise is finally fulfilled, turning Sarah’s laugh of doubt into a laugh of joy.
• Key Fact: God is never late; His promises are always worth the wait.

17. Forgiven Sin . . . Lingering Consequences (Genesis 21:8–21)

• Overview: The painful departure of Hagar and Ishmael. It highlights the reality that while God forgives our sins, we often have to live with the consequences of our past mistakes.
• Key Fact: Grace provides a future, but it doesn’t always erase the friction caused by past disobedience.

18. When God Says, “Let Go!” (Genesis 22:1–14)

• Overview: The ultimate test—God commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah. Abraham demonstrates complete surrender, and God provides a ram in the thicket.
• Key Fact: The greatest blessings of faith often lie on the other side of our most difficult acts of surrender.
• Scripture: Genesis 22:14 – “Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide (Jehovah-Jireh).”

19. The Pleasures of Passing God’s Exams (Genesis 22:15–24)

• Overview: After passing the test of Moriah, God reaffirms the blessing with even greater intensity. Chuck explores the “pleasure” and peace that follow total obedience.
• Key Fact: Passing God’s “exams” leads to a level of spiritual intimacy and security that nothing else can provide.

20. On Finding Your Lifelong Companion (Genesis 24)

• Overview: Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac. It provides a beautiful blueprint for seeking God’s guidance in major life decisions like marriage.
• Key Fact: God is actively involved in the details of our lives, directing our steps through prayer and providential circumstances.

21. What a Way to Go! (Genesis 23; 25:1–11)

• Overview: The death of Sarah and the final days of Abraham. He dies “at a good old age, an old man and satisfied,” leaving a legacy that still impacts the world.
• Key Fact: A life of faith ends not in despair, but in the satisfaction of having walked with the King.

22. Portrait of a Hero . . . Warts and Everything (Summary)

• Overview: The series conclusion, summarizing the “warts and all” life of Abraham. He was a hero not because he was perfect, but because he was a “friend of God” who never stopped trusting.
• Key Fact: God uses ordinary, imperfect people to accomplish extraordinary, eternal purposes.