Grace Road Church

This week in our Genesis sermon series, Kevin takes us through the story of Hagar and her encounter with God in the wilderness. Though God had promised Abram an heir, Sarai disbelieves and cruelly uses her servant Hagar to marry Abram and bring this to pass. Hagar flees to the desert and is met by the angel of the Lord, who promises to take care of her if she returns to Abram and Sarai. Hagar is the only one in Genesis to give God a name: El Roi, "God who sees." How does the omniscience and omnipresence of God minister to us? How has Christ won for us adoption through His experience of abandonment on the cross? What would it look like if we truly believed God moves toward broken people before they are all cleaned up?

This week, our Pastoral Resident, Elijah Elmer, unpacks the narrative of Abram's victorious rescue of Lot in Genesis 14. Not only do we see Abram as a type of Christ's victory in rescuing sinners, but we are introduced to the righteous king-priest Melchizedek, who points to Christ as well. How does Abram's faith in God's promises teach us to rely on the Lord? How does the significance of Melchizedek carry forward throughout scripture and resonate the grace of Jesus?

This week, Kevin walks us through the beginnings of Abram's story in Genesis. Abram's story shows us much about the mercy and kindness of God. We see God bestow grace on Abram, calling him out from the land of Ur to follow the Lord in faith. God chooses Abram not because of Abram's own goodness, but because God Himself is good. How does our understanding of God's sovereignty over our salvation impact our faith? How might we grow in our trust of the Lord and His promises to us? What might our lives look like in return?

This week in our sermon series through Genesis, we see demonstrations of God's grace through the flood narrative and the characterization of Noah. Even in these early pages of Genesis, we see the doctrine of justification on display. The order of justification before sanctification sets Christianity apart from all other religions: God sets His grace and favor on us, and then He begins His work in us. How does understanding this strengthen our comprehension of the gospel? How does the ark remind us of the safety we have "in Christ?"

We continue our sermon series through Genesis this week with a look at the account of the nephilim in Genesis 6:1-8. Kevin walks us three different lenses by which to view this unique passage of scripture: the supernatural interpretation, the spiritual interpretation, and the royal interpretation. All three interpretations have distinctions, but what they share highlights mankind's continued desire to be like God and resist creaturely limits. How do we do so today? How might our culture's current interest in the supernatural highlight our human longing for the transcendent?

We take a look at the story of Cain and Abel in today's sermon in our Genesis series. The post-fall narrative now focuses on Adam and Eve's sons, Cain and Abel. Despite God's persistence grace toward Cain, Cain remains obstinate in his pride and sin. While we might see ourselves as Abel in this story, a truer measure of our state is really more like Cain. Anger, bitterness, and resentment are eager to destroy us, and we often try to foster and hide these sins in empty religious acts and efforts. Yet, Jesus' blood speaks a better word and is eager to welcome and restore us if we but turn to Him.

We continue our deep dive into the early chapters of Genesis this week with a focus on Genesis 2:4-25. In this passage, God says that it is not good that man should be alone and creates woman from Adam's side, a "helper fit for him." What does God's description of the woman as "ezer-kenegdo" mean? How does this impact the dynamics between men and women? How does God's design for marriage point to the greater reality between Christ and the church?

At the end of the creation account, God rests. In the giving of the Ten Commandments, He commands us to rest, too. Why is it significant that God rested? How does our obedience to the fourth commandment help us understand our creatureliness? No matter how we observe the Sabbath and keep it holy, Kevin reminds us that true rest is only found in Jesus Christ.

This week, we continue our progression through the first chapter in Genesis with a focus on Genesis 1:26-31. In this passage, Kevin unpacks what is referred to as the 'cultural mandate': God's commission for man to multiply and subdue the earth. What does healthy dominion over the earth look like? What is the value and purpose of man's work in the world? How does seeing all of our work as something commissioned by God, to be done as unto Him, change the way we engage our own jobs and vocations?

Our second Sunday in Genesis continues our journey through the creation narrative. This week, we look at God's creation of the natural world: the sun, moon, and stars, the waters and land, and all living creatures in between. It's here in these first verses of Genesis that we see God's sovereignty and power on full display: nothing is outside of His handiwork or control. How might we draw comfort and courage from the knowledge that God is in control? How might we draw near to Him, and how has He drawn near to us in His Son? Kevin walks us through these questions and more in Genesis 1:1-25.

Continuing our walk through Holy Week in Matthew's gospel, this week we look at the two highest commandments: "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," and "love your neighbor as yourself."While these commands are good, they don't give us the power to follow them. Further, they inspire our sinful hearts to will their opposite. It's God's grace, His one-way love toward us, that fuels our Christian life and inspires us to follow God's law out of love for Him in return. This deep awareness and satisfaction in God's grace shapes into people who show radical grace and forgiveness toward each other.

This week, we take a look at an exchange Jesus has with the Sadducees in Matthew 22:23-33. In this passage, the Sadducees pose a figurative supernatural predicament to Jesus regarding the nature of marriage in Heaven. Jesus responds with another "astonishing" answer. Why does it matter that our bodies will also be resurrected? What is the ultimate meaning and purpose of marriage? And how can our understanding of these things topple the idols of our hearts?