And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. Hebrews 11:11 (NIV)

Sarah: God has graced me with the gift of laughter! To be sure, everyone who hears my story will laugh with me. Genesis 21:6 (VOICE)

I CAN LEARN FROM SARAH’S LAUGHTER WHEN I…

1. Realize My Faith Can ______________ Before It _________________.

Abraham and Sarah were very old. Since Sarah was past the age when women normally have children, ¹² she laughed to herself, “My husband and I are too old to have a baby.” Genesis 18:11-12 (NCV)

Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children. Genesis 11:30 (NLT)

Is anything too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18:14 (NIV)

2. Trust God’s ____________ Are Not ______________.

Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. ² Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. ³ Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him…⁵ Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Genesis 21:1-3, 5 (NIV)

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. ² “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” ⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. ⁷  The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” Genesis 12:1-4, 7 (NIV)

The message I give you waits for the time I have appointed. It speaks about what is going to happen. And all of it will come true. It might take a while. But wait for it. You can be sure it will come. It will happen when I want it to.  Habakkuk 2:3 (NIRV)

All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Hebrews 11:13 (NLT)

Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful… Hebrews 10:23 (NASB)

3. Surrender ___________ & Put My _________________ In God’s Plan.

Despite God’s promise, years went by. Still Abram’s wife Sarai remained childless. But she did have an Egyptian servant girl whose name was Hagar. Sarai had an idea so she approached her husband. Sarai (to Abram): ² You can see that the Eternal One has still not allowed me to have any children. Why don’t you sleep with my servant girl? Maybe I could use her as a surrogate and have a child through her! Genesis 16:1-2 (VOICE)

So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. ⁵ Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!” ⁶ Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away. Genesis 16:4-6 (NLT)

Wherever there is jealousy and rivalry, there is disorder and every kind of evil. James 3:16 (GW)

Before every person lies a road that seems to be right, but the end of that road is death and destruction. Proverbs 14:12 (VOICE)

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. ²³ His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise…²⁸ Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise…³¹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. Galatians 4:22-23, 28, 31 (NIV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)

4. Allow God To Turn My __________ Into ______________.

Sarah: God has graced me with the gift of laughter! To be sure, everyone who hears my story will laugh with me. Genesis 21:6 (VOICE)

Consider how Sarah, our mother, obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him “lord,” and you will be her daughters as long as you boldly do what is right without fear and without anxiety.1 Peter 3:6 (VOICE)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, ²¹ to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20 (AMP)

When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! ² We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.” ³ Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy! Psalm 126:1-3 (NLT)