Questions from God

Written by Cal Draper

When was the last time you had a question for God?

If you are like me, you may find yourself asking things like “What is your purpose for me today?" "Should I follow this career path?" or, more commonly, “What is your will for my life?" Then, when life hurls uncertainties at us, perhaps the questions intensify as we echo the cry of the psalmist, “How long, O Lord?” (Ps. 13:1). Maybe we have searched the pages of Scripture for answers to theological questions. Does Genesis suggest a young earth or an old earth? Why does God allow suffering? When will Christ return? What a gift that God has designed us as a people of wonder, longing to satisfy our curiosities.

But what happens when God has questions for us?

As Erika reminded us in her sermon on Genesis 16 a few weeks ago, the first words God utters to Adam and Eve after the fall take the form of a question: “Where are you?” (Gen. 3:9). On the surface, the question has often felt strange to me. Isn’t God omniscient? Doesn’t He know all things? And won’t David later proclaim, “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me…you discern my going out and my lying down. You are familiar with all my ways”? (Ps. 139:1-3). Or how about the rhetorical suggestion in Jeremiah 23:24: “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?” And just to pull another from the New Testament, “No creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13). If all of this is true, maybe it moves us to reconsider the purpose of God’s question to Adam.

Moments before God enters this scene, Scripture tells us that Adam and Eve isolated themselves in a remote corner of the Garden and covered their bodies with fig leaves. This is the very first human response to sin on record—guilt, shame, and hiding. Then God’s voice: “Where are you?” We might naturally expect Adam to give a direct answer: “I’m over here” or “We are behind this fig tree.” Yet, instead of a where, he offers a why: “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself” (v.10). God’s question draws something out of Adam that he was desperately trying to suppress and moves him to confront the heartbreaking rift between them. In many ways, this episode mirrors the narrative of the entire Bible. Over and again, we read that God’s people sin, turn away, and hide while God lovingly and relentlessly pursues them. He often does so with soul-penetrating questions.

When we look ahead to the New Testament, we find that the very first words of our Savior recorded in John’s Gospel bear an astonishing resemblance to God’s question to Adam after the fall. One day, after John the Baptist’s circle of disciples had grown, he glimpsed Jesus walking by and declared, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Upon hearing these words, Andrew and another unnamed disciple left John’s side to follow Jesus. The Savior, fully aware of their presence, turns to them and asks, “What are you seeking?” (Jn. 1:35 and 38). No immediate introductions, no casual greetings—just this searching question: What do you truly desire?

These are not only questions for figures in the Bible: they are questions for us. Where do you find yourself today? This week? This season? It’s easy to get caught up in the routines of life—going to school or work, caring for your spouse and family, spending time with friends, participating in weekend activities, planning vacations, and more. Yet often we can be so wrapped up in these wonderful gifts, goals, and pursuits that we miss the Giver’s gentle, persistent call: “Where are you? What are you seeking?” What an incredible Father and Savior we have, one who cares enough to help us see where we are, whether we are running from Him, hidden and afraid because of our sin, or too distracted by our personal goals and ambitions to recognize it. He exposes our hearts, yet, for the sake of Christ, He neither shames nor condemns us. Instead, He invites us to turn and follow Him, just as He did the earliest disciples, saying, “Come, and you will see” (v. 39).

Differences on Display

Written by Grace Childrey

When you enter through the back doors of Waypoint church, you may notice a new art piece hanging below the wooden cross in the alcove. Here is the story behind it: 

In November, I attended “The Guild” Creative Conference hosted in Raleigh. During one of the breakout sessions, professional visual artist Willis Norman and his wife led us in a contemplative collage activity. When he first explained that the individual collages we created would all fit together onto one large canvas, I was skeptical. How could a room full of people (of varying artistic abilities and backgrounds) create anything that would look well together?

Thankfully, I was proven wrong. The collages we made came together to make a much more visually interesting and appealing piece than we would’ve created on our own. As someone who values order and predictability, I was amazed at how the variables and unpredictability that come with creating a collaborative art piece added to its beauty. 

I was hopeful to replicate the activity at a future women’s event at Waypoint. In early 2026, we were able to do just that at the Women’s Create Event. I reached out to Willis (the artist and original creator of the idea for the session) and chatted through logistics of how we could replicate the idea for our event.   

The piece you see hanging in the hallway is the combined result of different members of the Waypoint community working together. The construction of the wooden frame, the donation of the materials for the collage, the scripture reading and guided contemplation read during the collage session, and the sixteen different tiles were all contributed by members of our church body.  

Under the piece hangs this description,   

“In response to Psalm 23, ten women in the Waypoint community participated in a contemplative activity where they were tasked with creating a collage based on the passage of Scripture and theme of rest.

The wide variety of images, colors, and styles used in these collage tiles are reflective of the different ages, cultural backgrounds, and life stages of the women who created them. While these collages are each unique, they come together to create a cohesive design.

The differences on display in this piece are meant to be a reflection of God’s design for humanity and vision for His church - not a group defined by uniformity, but a community that is made more beautiful, more full, and more complete in our diversity.”

In all areas, may Waypoint be a place where we value diversity and the different ways we experience God as we continue to grow towards glorifying Him together. 

Welcomed and Wanted

Written by Lawrence Yoo

Think of a place where you felt welcomed and fully at home. For me, growing up, that

was the Zimmerman house. The Zimmermans were family friends with four daughters,

two who were close to my age and one who later became my wife Jina’s roommate in

college. Mr. Zimmerman was the choir director, and they were active in our church. My

group of friends used to call their house “the time warp,” because you had so much and felt so comfortable there that time just flew by. It meant so much to me to have a safe, loving place to experience family and to learn and grow (and to have a lot of fun).

I have often thought about what made their house that way. Why was it a time warp? As I reflect now, I see they did certain specific things to achieve this result:

1. Their house was comfortable and inviting. It didn’t feel like a museum. You weren’t afraid to touch things. You felt at home.

2. They made gestures to let us know we were wanted: they always had snacks,

   they made space in their schedule, they moved the cars off the driveway so we

   could play basketball.

3. They let us into their family showing us both some of the highs and the lows.

   Teenagers have a radar for genuineness, and we all felt they were “real.”

What would it look like for our church to represent this type of hospitality?

1. You can help make Waypoint a welcoming place by arriving early and looking for

   people you haven’t met before. Most visitors come early, and they can feel

   awkward not knowing anyone. The staff can’t meet every new person, we need

   your help.

2. Hospitality can also be shown by small gestures like giving up prime parking spaces

   and seats. Visitors tend to want to sit on the edges and in the back. By simply

   scooting into the center, we can make things easier for new people.

3. We can also be welcoming by being vulnerable in our community groups, men’s

   and women’s Bible studies, and other spaces. We can’t be perfect, but we can be

   open, honest, and kind.

Waypoint Church, we have the call and the privilege of being a welcoming family to our community, especially as Easter approaches. What a joy to work towards that goal

together and see what God will do in and through us!