Since the Christian has been grafted into the people of God (Galatians 3), we can receive the promises to Abraham as our promises to us as well. This also means that what Abraham went through, we can fully expect to go through like-trials and testings as well.
This first sermon on the story of Abraham examines the call of God on His life. He did not choose God, God chose him. Likewise, when God has a call on the Christian's life it is the same scenario. God calls, we respond. Knowing that God has a call on our lives and it is not our "choice", then we also know that the trials and testings of the faith we go through are to strengthen that faith and it will see us through.