Families - Expect the Unusual

Teachers

Clint Davison Preacher

Richard Sutton Preacher

Lesson Summary

The teacher presented a class on how God works in unusual and unexpected ways within families, using Noah's family as a biblical model. He opened with an illustration about Charlie Steinmetz, the brilliant electrical engineer, to demonstrate that true value often lies not in visible effort but in expert knowledge applied at the right moment—much like God's work in families. The main thesis centered on God as the designer of the family, referencing Psalm 127:1 ("unless the Lord builds the house...") to establish that family success requires God's guidance. The teacher emphasized that God operates through unsearchable and miraculous means, citing Job 5 and Romans 11:33 to show how God's ways are often topsy-turvy—lifting up the lowly while humbling the proud, contrasting with human expectations. The class then examined Noah's family as a case study. Despite living in an extremely corrupt and violent culture (Genesis 6), Noah and his family stood out as righteous and blameless (Genesis 6:8-9). They lived like "salmon swimming upstream" in a culture flowing toward depravity. The teacher noted that Noah's family, though common people like us, demonstrated willingness to participate in God's plan even when it seemed completely unusual and unprecedented. The application pointed out that modern families face similar challenges, living in an ungodly culture, yet we are called to remain open and willing to allow God to work in unusual ways in our lives and families.

Key Scriptures