"Advent" means a coming or arrival. It's the season where we remember Jesus' first coming and look forward to his coming again. We'll take a break from our Romans sermon series to consider the Old Testament promises (and images) of Jesus' coming. This week, we begin, well, at the very beginning.
When people encountered Jesus, they noticed His kindness, the gracious words that came out of his mouth, His compassion for people. Jesus was someone you wanted to learn from and to hang out with. There was something about Him that drew you in. He wasn’t like other people. Jesus somehow consistently lived a beautiful life?
Are you living a beautiful life? How do we even define a beautiful life in 2024, given the numerous options and definitions swirling around us? Regardless of the definition you choose, why does it end up producing selfish people, who don’t act like Jesus, even those who believe in him? How did it all go so wrong? To answer these questions we need to go back to beginning, to the garden of Eden and allow God to unpack this dilemma for us.
How do you live differently in light of your faith? What does true faith in God's promises look like? This Sunday, we conclude the book of Genesis with two pictures of how believing in the saving promises of God can change the way we live.
Have you ever wished you could predict the future? In our passage this Sunday, the great patriarch Jacob delivers his final words to his sons. It's a blessing, sort of, but more of a prophecy about the future of God's people--even about our future, Ruggles Baptist Church, today.
Have you ever considered what you might say on your deathbed? What would be your last words? In all of the Jacob’s long life it is what happens on his deathbed that the New Testament book of Hebrews records as his greatest act of faith. We’ll see how Jacob trusted in God’s will, God’s plan, and God’s choice even more than his eyes could see.
How should we think about material prosperity? Should we desire it? Work for it? Pray for it? In this Sunday's passage we see a picture of prosperity provided by the Lord. We'll consider how and why the Lord prospers us and others around us.
What do you do when you come to a crossroads in your life? A crucial decision that must be made that will have far-reaching consequences. How do you discern God's will in it? In Sunday's passage, Jacob comes to his own crossroads--the edge of the Promised Land--and he is afraid. What comfort does the Lord offer him? What does He offer us? We'll consider this as we continue the story of Joseph: the favorite son, rejected by his brothers, thought to be dead, but is alive to bring salvation to his family.
As Christians, we're commanded to forgive one another. But that can be easier said than done. Have you ever found forgiveness difficult? What can empower us to release our grip on revenge and forgive even those who sin seriously against us? We'll consider this as we reach the climax of the story of Joseph this Sunday—Joseph's revelation and reconciliation with his brothers.
How do people change? There are many in our culture who doubt people can truly change their ways at all, and the annual failure of most New Year's resolutions seems to support this. Yet as we dive back into Genesis this Sunday, we'll see a radical transformation of Jacob's sons—and one son in particular. What can we learn about how we might change for the better?
This Sunday we're taking a break from our sermon series in Genesis to welcome back Pastor Ron Bouthillette. Pastor Ron served for many years as Senior Pastor of The Bridge Community Church in Milford, New Hampshire. He is currently Associate Executive Minister of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts (TABCOM) and is a former member of Ruggles from back in the 1970s!
How do you view yourself before God? How does God view you? In Sunday’s passage, as Joseph’s brothers reluctantly return to Egypt, we’ll see that like us, their need for mercy was greater than they could have possibly imagined.
Can guilt be a good thing? The focus shifts in this Sunday's passage from Joseph to his 10 brothers, who have been covering up their guilt for decades. We'll see that guilt (and godly fear!) are essential steps along the path of repentance to receive the grace of God.
No one likes to wait. In our passage this Sunday, we'll see that the Lord always works good! But not on our timeline—in his perfect timing. Indeed, we'll see how the Lord sent, prepared, and raised up Joseph at just the right time for his good, redemptive purpose.
How do we respond during times when we feel forgotten, let down by others, or just all alone? This Sunday's passage from the story of Joseph is a picture of how we can faithfully follow the Lord even when it seems like we've been forgotten.
This Sunday, God's word takes us back into the story of Joseph. We'll consider the secret of success for the one following the Lord. What causes us to succeed? And what does success look like in our lives as we walk with the Lord?
*Source: Pastor Kevin DeYoung’s sermon on Genesis 39 at Christ Covenant Church
In this Sunday's passage the story of Joseph seems to be bizarrely interrupted by the sordid tale of Judah, Jacob's fourth son. It contains sexual immorality, deception, and injustice. Why is this account in the Bible? Ultimately it's a story of glorious hope for those caught up in shameful sin.
"God has a wonderful plan for your life." Has someone ever told you that? Is it true? I guess it depends on how you define "wonderful." What happens when God's plan for us doesn't seem very wonderful? We'll consider these questions as we begin the account of Joseph's life this Sunday.
*Source: Pastor Kevin DeYoung’s sermon on Genesis 37 at Christ Covenant Church
We begin our new spring/summer sermon series in the concluding portion of Genesis. We'll recap the overall message of Genesis as we prepare this season to hear and grow from God's word through the story of Joseph.
"Everything will be alright." Are you sure? This Sunday we come to the conclusion of the focus on Jacob's life in Genesis. You might think that this story would end well--Jacob is in the Promised Land, reconciled with his brother, and grown in his faith and character. Instead we find betrayal and death. We'll recap chapters 25-35 and consider the significance of this sad conclusion.
What is the purpose of your life? After a disastrous stay in Shechem, the Lord calls Jacob to finish his journey back home to Bethel. This is where God first revealed himself to Jacob and where Jacob first worshiped the Lord. We see in this passage at the end of Jacob's journey that worship is the ultimate goal of his life and our lives. What do we learn about how God calls us to worship him?
