Lessons from the Wilderness || Nourished for Discipleship

Sunday, September 20, 2026 || 11:00am

Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol || Pastor

Exodus 16:2-15

The wilderness is a dangerous place. It is one where we can become disoriented, hungry, thirsty, and afraid, a place where the resources we once relied upon no longer seem sufficient. And yet, in Exodus 16, the wilderness becomes the very place where God meets the Israelites, provides for them, and begins to prepare them for what comes next.

In our text this week, God gives the Israelites manna—bread from heaven that arrives as a fine, flaky substance that covers the ground each morning. But what if this story is about more than food?

What if the wilderness itself can become a training ground for discipleship, teaching us to depend more deeply on God while discovering what it means to love God and our neighbors more fully?

Lee Aber