Podcasts about in genesis

Links For The Occult Rejectshttps://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Substackhttps://substack.com/@theoccultrejects?r=7auau0&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-pageCash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsGreek and Roman Primary SourcesAristotle. Generation of Animals. Translated by A. L. Peck. Loeb Classical Library 366. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1942.Galen. On Semen. Edited and translated by Phillip De Lacy. Corpus Medicorum Graecorum V 3, 1–2. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1992.Galen. On the Usefulness of the Parts of the Body. Translated by Margaret Tallmadge May. 2 vols. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1968.Hippocrates. Generation, Nature of the Child, Diseases IV. Translated by Paul Potter. Loeb Classical Library 520. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012.Hippocrates. On the Seed and the Nature of the Child. In Hippocratic Writings, edited by G. E. R. Lloyd and translated by J. Chadwick and W. N. Mann. London: Penguin, 1978.Soranus. Soranus' Gynecology. Translated by Owsei Temkin. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1956.Greek and Roman Medicine, Gender, and SexualityConnell, Sophia M. Aristotle on Female Animals: A Study of the Generation of Animals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016.Dean-Jones, Lesley. Women's Bodies in Classical Greek Science. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994.Flemming, Rebecca. Medicine and the Making of Roman Women: Gender, Nature, and Authority from Celsus to Galen. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.King, Helen. Hippocrates' Woman: Reading the Female Body in Ancient Greece. London: Routledge, 1998.Laqueur, Thomas. Making Sex: Body and Gender from the Greeks to Freud. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1990.Lloyd, G. E. R. Science, Folklore and Ideology: Studies in the Life Sciences in Ancient Greece. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983.Mattern, Susan P. The Prince of Medicine: Galen in the Roman Empire. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.Nutton, Vivian. Ancient Medicine. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2013.Ayurveda, Kāma, and South Asian Sexual TraditionsDoniger, Wendy, and Sudhir Kakar, trans. Kamasutra. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.Flood, Gavin. The Tantric Body: The Secret Tradition of Hindu Religion. London: I. B. Tauris, 2006.Meulenbeld, G. Jan. A History of Indian Medical Literature. 5 vols. Groningen: Egbert Forsten, 1999–2002.Sanderson, Alexis. “The Śaiva Age: The Rise and Dominance of Śaivism during the Early Medieval Period.” In Genesis and Development of Tantrism, edited by Shingo Einoo, 41–350. Tokyo: Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo, 2009.White, David Gordon. Kiss of the Yoginī: “Tantric Sex” in Its South Asian Contexts. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.White, David Gordon. The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.Wujastyk, Dominik. The Roots of Ayurveda: Selections from Sanskrit Medical Writings. 3rd ed. London: Penguin, 2003.Chinese Medicine and Daoist CultivationDespeux, Catherine. Taoism and Self Knowledge: The Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection. Leiden: Brill, 2018.Furth, Charlotte. A Flourishing Yin: Gender in China's Medical History, 960–1665. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999.Kohn, Livia. Daoist Body Cultivation: Traditional Models and Contemporary Practices. Magdalena, NM: Three Pines Press, 2006.Lo, Vivienne. “The Influence of Nurturing Life Culture on the Development of Western Han Acumoxa Therapy.” In Innovation in Chinese Medicine, edited by Elisabeth Hsu, 19–50. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.Pregadio, Fabrizio, ed. The Encyclopedia of Taoism. 2 vols. London: Routledge, 2008.Schipper, Kristofer. The Taoist Body. Translated by Karen C. Duval. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.Wile, Douglas. Art of the Bedchamber: The Chinese Sexual Yoga Classics Including Women's Solo Meditation Texts. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1992.Comparative and Methodological StudiesFoucault, Michel. The History of Sexuality. Vol. 2, The Use of Pleasure. Translated by Robert Hurley. New York: Vintage Books, 1990.Hopwood, Nick, Rebecca Flemming, and Lauren Kassell, eds. Reproduction: Antiquity to the Present Day. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018.Wiesner-Hanks, Merry E., and Mathew Kuefler, eds. The Cambridge World History of Sexualities. Vol. 2, Systems of Thought and Belief. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024.Also want to remind people about the website, if you're into reading we have tons of information by multiple contributors, and we got t-shirts up on the site if you're interested. Fun fact, the art is all based on the eyeball. 

In Genesis 1:1–2, the Spirit of God hovers over the waters as creation is about to unfold. Pastor Derek looks at the presence and power of the Spirit from the very beginning of Scripture.Purchase The Spirit Rhythm book on Amazon : https://a.co/d/0fMXInF1Learn More & Stay ConnectedPastor Derek: https://awakenlv.org/derekneider/Daily Devotional: https://awakenlv.org/devotionals/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derekneider/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DerekNeider/A ministry of Awaken Las Vegas: https://awakenlv.org/Purchase The Spirit Rhythm book on Amazon : https://a.co/d/0fMXInF1Learn More & Stay ConnectedPastor Derek: https://awakenlv.org/derekneider/Daily Devotional: https://awakenlv.org/devotionals/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derekneider/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DerekNeider/A ministry of Awaken Las Vegas: https://awakenlv.org/

In Genesis 12:1–3, God calls Abram and Sarai to leave the familiar and follow Him into the unknown, promising to bless them so that they might become a blessing to the world. This sermon explores what God's blessing really means, where it comes from, and how receiving His blessing calls us beyond comfort and into His mission. Ultimately, we are invited to stop striving to be the source of blessing and come to Jesus, the one who brings hope, new life, and restoration.

What can you expect when you ask God for direction? In Genesis 46:1–4, Jacob faces a life-changing decision about going to Egypt. Henry Williams explores what to do when God doesn't give us the specifics we want—and why knowing that God is with us is ultimately better than having a map.If you haven't already, click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to download the Sermon Application Guide to follow along.For more information on how to get connected with Five Oaks Church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fiveoaks.church/

How do you know when God is moving you into a new season?In Genesis 31:1-21, Jacob faces a major transition as God calls him to leave behind what is familiar and move forward in faith. His story gives us a biblical pattern for navigating change: notice what is happening, listen to God, remember His faithfulness, and obey when the path becomes clear.This message explores how God guides us through Scripture, prayer, godly counsel, and changing circumstances and why trusting God doesn't always mean having the entire plan.If you're facing uncertainty, a difficult decision, or a new season of life, this sermon is a reminder that God's past faithfulness can give you faith for your next step.⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIKTOK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YOUTUBE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WEBSITE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Every marriage struggles, and the reason often traces back further than we realize. In Genesis 3, a pattern emerges after sin enters the picture: altered sight, shame, secrecy, hiding, and blame. These five steps form a cycle that quietly drives wedges between spouses and between people and God. The good news is that grace breaks the cycle. When we see ourselves and our spouses through the lens of God's love, honesty becomes safe and intimacy becomes possible. Real change begins when we stop hiding and start extending the same grace God has extended to us.

What do we do when life feels like a dead end? In Genesis 11, Abram and Sarai's story begins with grief, infertility, disappointment, exile, and a future that seems to have run out of possibilities. Yet in the middle of their hopelessness, something changes: “The Lord spoke.” This message explores how God meets us in our own places of pain and uncertainty. He is the God who sees us, chooses the weak, and continues to speak hope, light, and life into places that feel lost. Our limitations and dead ends may not disqualify us from God's work, they may be precisely where He begins.

In Genesis 49, Jacob demonstrates his faith in God's covenant promises by prophetically blessing his sons and revealing the future of Israel

In Genesis 2, God gives us a closer look at His design for human life. Before sin entered the world, God established a rhythm of rest, created humanity for relationship with Himself, gave us meaningful work, established healthy boundaries, and declared that we were not meant to live alone. In this message from our In the Beginning series, we explore Genesis 2:1–25 and discover that many of the things we spend our lives searching for—identity, purpose, peace, belonging, and fulfillment—begin with understanding the One who created us. We don't have to invent the good life. God has already shown us what we were designed for.

In Genesis, God created male and female and brought them together to become one flesh. Marriage is God's institution because he created it.

What do you do when you're doing the right thing, but life still feels unfair?In Genesis 30:25-43, Jacob faces years of unfair treatment from Laban, yet he continues to work faithfully and walk with integrity. Instead of allowing someone else's character to change his own, Jacob does what is right and trusts God with what he cannot control.In this sermon, discover how to stay faithful when others treat you unfairly, choose integrity when compromise seems easier, and trust God with the outcome.If you're in a season where your hard work feels unseen or life doesn't seem fair, this message is a reminder that God sees your faithfulness.⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIKTOK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YOUTUBE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WEBSITE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

You slept 8 hours. So why do you still feel exhausted?Here's what nobody told you: sleep and recovery are not the same thing. You can lie there unconscious all night and still wake up foggy, inflamed, and running on empty, because the real restoration happens in the deep stages of sleep most high-performers never reach. That's when your brain finally switches on its overnight cleanup crew and clears out everything the day left behind.In this episode, Justin Roethlingshoefer unpacks the science of how your body actually heals itself at night and why Scripture pointed to this rhythm long before we could measure it. In Genesis, the day begins in the evening: you were designed to recover first, then pour out.Inside this episode: 

What do you do when you feel stuck?You've prayed. You've tried to do the right thing. You've trusted God. But nothing seems to be changing.In Genesis 40, Joseph finds himself in exactly that kind of season. He's been betrayed, falsely accused, and thrown into prison for something he didn't do. Then, just when it looks like there might finally be a way out, the man who could help him simply forgets about him.Joseph was stuck.But God had not forgotten him.Testing times will either lead to breakdowns or breakthroughs. The question is, how do we keep going when we reach our quitting point?Joseph's story gives us three powerful prayers for seasons of testing:“LORD, GUARD MY HEART.”Testing can easily turn into bitterness, anger, resentment, or discouragement. Joseph had every reason to become bitter, but he continued to trust God and care about the people around him.When life gets hard, ask God to keep your heart soft.“LORD, SHOW ME WHERE YOU ARE AT WORK.”Joseph couldn't see the whole plan, but God was already working behind the scenes.Even in prison, Joseph noticed what God was doing around him. The very people God brought into that prison would eventually become part of the plan to move Joseph forward.You may not understand your current season, but that doesn't mean God isn't working in it.“LORD, THANK YOU THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET ME.”The cupbearer forgot Joseph.God didn't.Maybe you feel stuck in a relationship, a job, a financial situation, a health struggle, or a season that just won't seem to end.You may feel forgotten, but you are not forgotten.God sees where you are. He knows what you're facing. And even when you can't see what He is doing, you can trust that He is still at work.Don't quit in the testing time. Your breakthrough may be on the other side of your quitting point.

Sept. 6, 2026 What do you do when life gets darker even though you're trying to do the right thing? In Genesis 39, Joseph shows us that God's presence is not proven by easy circumstances—but by His faithfulness in the middle of them. This week, we'll look at how Joseph navigated temptation, betrayal, and injustice without losing sight of God's goodness. And we'll discover that even in the dark places, the Lord is still with us. About This Sermon Series In The Story of Joseph, we'll follow a journey marked by dreams and betrayal, temptation and waiting, purpose and restoration—and discover how God was at work through it all. From the pit to the prison to the palace, Joseph's story reminds us that even when we can't see what God is doing, He is still writing a bigger story. Join us for this nine-week series as we learn to trust God's promises and see the bigger picture.Helpful Links for Newbreak Church   If you are new to Newbreak, we would love for you to fill out a connect card: https://newbreak.church/card​​​​​​​​​​​   Complete a Spiritual Gifts Assessment: https://newbreak.church/gifts/   We have Newbreak Church for your Kids too: https://newbreak.church/kids   Your giving helps bring life change to the entire world. Giving online is simple and easy: https://newbreak.church/give   Download the sermon notes for today's message: https://newbreak.church/sermon-notes   Download this week's Sermon Study Guide: https://newbreak.church/study-guides   Visit "Prepare the Way" today: https://newbreak.church/prepare-the-way

In Genesis 40, we find Joseph in prison, faithfully serving those around him even in the depths of his own suffering. He notices two fellow prisoners weighed down by troubling dreams, interprets those dreams with remarkable accuracy, and asks only one thing in return: to be remembered. But he is forgotten. And that forgetfulness costs him two more years in a dungeon. This message invites us to sit with an uncomfortable question: are we more like Joseph, or more like the cupbearer who walked into his restored life and simply moved on? Most of us would like to believe we are the faithful dream-interpreters, the ones who see God at work in the darkest seasons. But human nature has a powerful pull toward forgetfulness. When the struggle ends and life stabilizes, the hunger fades, the prayers grow quieter, and the people who fought alongside us slowly drift from our memory. The spiritual challenge here is not just about gratitude -- it is about recognizing that our forgetfulness can delay the very purposes God is working out through us and through others.  Join us for service live every Sunday at 10am at 5600 Route 34 | Oswego, IL 60543. You can expect passionate worship and a deep love for God's Word.  Connect with us at our website www.hopeucchicago.com

In Genesis 25 Esau is overwhelmed with his own hunger that he sells his own birthright for a bowl of soup. When you allow different hungers (temptations) in your life and you don't pray and seek wisdom, you are certain to make some bad decisions. We should look to Jesus Hebrews 12:2 and what he does for us so that we can serve others and have a clear Christ focused mind and as we remember to renew our mind daily (Romans 12:2).

What do you do when you've prayed, waited, and tried everything—but the outcome still isn't in your hands?In Genesis 30:14–24, Rachel and Leah show us how easily desperation can turn into a desire for control. But Scripture reminds us of something greater: God governs what we cannot control.In this sermon, we learn how to trust God's sovereignty, faithfully handle what He has placed in our hands, and surrender the results to Him.We grasp. God governs. We trust.Listen as we study Genesis 30 and learn what biblical faith looks like when you cannot control the outcome.⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIKTOK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YOUTUBE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WEBSITE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://square.link/u/UHRU92rp - Donate HereToday's reading takes us to Hebrews 2, where we are warned not to drift from the greatness of salvation. Drifting does not usually happen because we violently reject the gospel; it happens when we stop paying close attention and stop being amazed by what Christ has done. This salvation is too great to become ordinary.Hebrews 2 reminds us that Jesus stepped into humanity, tasted death by grace, and entered the battle to destroy death and its master. In Genesis 3, the serpent brought death; in Genesis 4, Cain spread death; but in Hebrews 2, Jesus enters death to break its power and bring His brothers home. So today, read Hebrews 2 and ask the Lord to make your heart amazed again: the Savior became flesh, defeated the enemy, and now calls us His own.

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (08/31/26), Hank answers the following questions:What is the biblical perspective on universal healthcare? Isn't conservative Christian opposition to universal healthcare a contradiction? Kurt - Billings, MO (0:45)Can you explain Revelation 20:3-7 where Satan is bound for 1,000 years? Josh - Springfield, MO (8:24)What is a good approach for witnessing to an atheist? Good core study for new believers? Resources? Jerry - KS (15:11)In Genesis 3, it says “the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field.” Could the other beasts talk like the serpent? Terri - TN (20:55)

It's Monday, August 31st, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Burmese military killed pastor and another believer The Burma Research Institute has confirmed that Rev. William, who used no last name, and another Chin Christian, Nam Ceu, were extrajudicially murdered on June 4th by the Burmese military dictatorship in Myanmar, reports International Christian Concern.  Rev. William had pastored the Chungcung Baptist Church in Chin State for more than 25 years. He was arrested with Ceu in May and had been detained by the military since then. Sources told the Burma Research Institute that Rev. William and Nam Ceu were killed for allegedly supporting the Hakha Chinland Defense Force, which is fighting against the Burmese military dictatorship. Psalm 116:15 says, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Zo Tum Hmung, President of the Burma Research Institute, said, “We call the Trump administration to protect the persecuted Christians in Burma.” Send a polite, 4-sentence note to Kyaw Moe Tun, the Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations.  Address it to the Myanmar Delegation, 10 East 77th Street, New York, NY 10075. Democrat James Talarico: Muslims and Christians worship same God James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator in Texas who is running against Republican Ken Paxton, the current Texas Attorney General, falsely claimed that Muslims worship the same God as Jews and Christians. Listen. TALARICO: “Christians and Muslims and Jews all worship the same God. Muslims love Jesus. They love Moses and Abraham. We are all branches on the same tree as the Abrahamic faiths.  “So. it's heartbreaking to watch extremists, whether they are Christian nationalists or whether they're the Taliban or al-Qaeda, perverting these beautiful traditions, that have so much in common, to attack others and consolidate their own power.” There are three primary differences between Christianity and Islam. First, regarding the nature of God, Christians teach that God is the Trinity—one God existing in three co-equal, co-eternal persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19) By contrast, Islam completely rejects the Trinity. Second, Christians believe that Jesus is the divine Son of God and God incarnate who physically died on the cross for the atonement of the sins of the elect and rose from the dead. (John 1:1,14) By contrast, while Islam reveres Jesus as a major, virgin-born prophet and messenger of God, it explicitly denies His divinity, crucifixion, and resurrection. And third, Christianity teaches that salvation is a free gift of grace received through personal faith in the finished sacrificial work of Jesus Christ, rather than by human effort. (Ephesians 2:8-9) By contrast, Islam teaches that salvation depends on total submission to Allah's will, adherence to the Five Pillars of Islam, and the final judgment of one's deeds. Therefore, Muslims and Christians clearly do not worship the same God. Georgia Democrat distanced himself from antisemitic leftist Georgia Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff has offered sharp criticism of President Donald Trump which generated buzz about Ossoff potentially running for president in 2028.   That, in turn, has attracted some left-wing figures who have lauded his messaging like left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, who told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in April that he was “intrigued” by Ossoff. There are two developments of note.  First, Ossoff, whose father is Jewish, is facing criticism from some of Georgia's local Jewish community over his votes to block certain arms sales to Israel. Second, Senator Ossoff has distanced himself from Hasan Piker over recent comments that many interpreted as justifying threats to American Jews,  reports the Jewish Telegraph Agency.   Speaking on a Twitch livestream on August 20th, Piker said this. PIKER: “If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone's going to come around and take action. Not against the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews.” Last Thursday, according to Fox News, an Ossoff spokesman said that the senator “unreservedly rejects reckless and dangerous rhetoric suggesting that policy advocacy invites violence against the Jewish community or any community.” In Genesis 12:3, God said, “I will make [Israel] into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on Earth will be blessed through you.” Undercover video exposes GOP Sen. Murkowski on SAVE Act And finally, liberal Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska stood on the Senate floor and painted a grim picture of the supposed damage the SAVE America Act, or the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, would do in her home state.  This is the bill that would ensure that American citizens — and only American citizens — should decide American elections. It would simply require: A valid ID before registering to vote in a federal election. Proof of citizenship. No Mail-in Ballots (except for illness, disability, military, or travel). Listen to Senator Murkowski's claim. MURKOWSKI: “What we're talking about right now is just the registration to vote. So, you're in Unalaska -- say you're a fisherman or a teacher -- the flight to Anchorage, because this is where you're going to have to go -- you're going to have to go into Anchorage: 800 air miles, $1,100 per seat, if you can maybe get on a charter.” James O'Keefe, an undercover journalist with the O'Keefe Media Group and the Justice League, flew to Unalaska to find out firsthand if Senator Murkowski's claim was true. Listen to his analysis. O'KEEFE: “I'm James O'Keefe, and I'm in the middle of absolutely nowhere, about 800 miles off the coast of Alaska, on a remote island in the Aleutian Islands. “Now, Senator Lisa Murkowski says that one of the reasons she's not going to pass the SAVE Act is because of people that live here on this island of Unalaska.  “Senator Murkowski saying if the SAVE Act passes, online registration goes away, and the residents here, the few thousand people that live here, are going to have to fly 800 miles and spend thousands of dollars to go to Anchorage to take care of their business.  “But all the people we spoke with here, they all said that that's wrong, including the post office, the library, the city clerk, the DMV. We didn't know there was a DMV here. Everyone we spoke to here said they're able to register to vote here. They're able to prove citizenship by going to the library.  “So, Senator Murkowski says, ‘If you're a fisherman in Unalaska, the closest election office is 800 miles away; it would cost $1,500. You would also need a hotel, cabs, and food while in Anchorage. But the librarian just told us differently.” Here is the portion of the undercover investigation with a female undercover agent, who accompanied O'Keefe, to the library in Unalaska. UNDERCOVER FEMALE AGENT: “Just wanted to learn a little bit more about the process to get an ID. “ LIBRARIAN: “We do passports here.” UNDERCOVER AGENT: “Oh, you do passports here.” UNDERCOVER O'KEEFE: “Mmm.” UNDERCOVER FEMALE AGENT:  “That's good to know, though, that if somebody wants to confirm their citizenship, they can do it here.” UNDERCOVER O'KEEFE: “To get the Alaska ID, do you get it here or back in Anchorage?” LIBRARIAN: “Oh no, here. The DMV should be the near the police station.” UNDERCOVER O'KEEFE: “So, we don't have to go to Anchorage to get it.”  LIBRARIAN: “No, no, no. As long as you have all the paperwork you need.”  UNDERCOVER O'KEEFE: “But I read in the newspaper that the senator [Lisa Murkowski], said, ‘Oh, they're going to pass this SAVE Act, and everyone's got to go to Anchorage to get it.'” LIBRARIAN: “I don't think so.” UNDERCOVER O'KEEFE: “Oh no. Okay.” Proverbs 12:19 says, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” Call liberal Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski's office in DC, 24 hours a day/7 days a week, and ask the live operator to connect you to her voicemail, urging her to support the SAVE America Act. Her number is (202) 224-6665. Tell her that you reject her false claim that people in the Aleutian Islands have to travel 800 miles by air to register to vote in Anchorage. Plus, call your two Senators at 202-224-3121 and ask them to vote for the SAVE America Act as well. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, August 31st, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ

As we look at the values that root us in who we are as a church, Surrendered Obedience means letting go of control and letting God take control. When life feels uncertain and the road ahead is confusing, the safest place for us to be is not in control but in a place of surrender. Real faith trusts God enough to obey Him, surrenders enough to let go, and believes God enough to expect Him to provide. In Genesis 22, God asked Abraham to do something that didn't make sense. Abraham's “yes” was already on the table. Surrendered obedience always comes before understanding. When God speaks, obey. Our part is to show up, take God at His Word, and follow Him one step at a time. Surrendered obedience isn't the absence of failures. It's choosing to trust God beyond our last mistake. What God wanted from Abraham was not his son but his surrender. What is it that God has asked you to do that you haven't done yet? Take the first step of obedience. Say, “God, here I am. Speak.” Whatever He says to you, do it.Check out our video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/awkL-0zuHg4Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/8wmeCwBf_zkLearn more about us at chestnutmountain.orgFollow us on Facebook & Instagram @chestnutmtn_

In Genesis 4, Cain and Abel reveal the devastating progression of sin and the importance of approaching God by faith. Abel's blood cried out for justice, but Scripture points us toward another blood that “speaks better things” the blood of Jesus. In Part Four of The Scarlet Thread, we follow the story from Abel's sacrifice to the cross and discover that salvation is not found in what we bring to God, but in the better sacrifice He provided for us: Jesus Christ.

Faith takes God at His word, trusts the salvation he provides, and obeys even when we cannot yet see the outcome. In Genesis 6, Noah believed God's warning and followed his instructions, trusting that God would preserve him through judgment. What might it look like for you to rely on God's promises, especially when obedience feels difficult or the future is unclear?

God did not create the world randomly or without purpose. In Genesis 1:14–19, we see God ordering creation, establishing rhythms and seasons, and pointing us toward the greater rest and joy found in Christ.In this message, Pastor Ricky Smith explores how God orders His creation, ordains our celebration, and offers us rest in Christ. The rhythms God built into creation remind us that we were not designed for endless striving. Our lives have purpose, our time belongs to God, and true rest is ultimately found in Jesus.Genesis points beyond creation itself to the work God continues to do in the hearts of His people. Just as God commanded light to shine out of darkness, He shines the light of the knowledge of His glory into our hearts through Jesus Christ.Find sermon resources and more at calvaryga.com

In Genesis 49, Jacob demonstrates his faith in God's covenant promises by prophetically blessing his sons and foretelling Israel's future.

Researchers discovered that the water anole can stay underwater for twenty minutes without a fresh gulp of air. The tiny lizard has water-repelling skin, and after taking a deep dive it exhales a bubble of air that sticks to its snout. The clever creature then rebreathes the bubble again and again—something scientists believe is the recycling of the trapped air supply. Although water anoles possess this special ability, like many creatures, they must breathe to live. In Genesis we read that God “breathed into [Adam’s] nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (2:7). As He created all things in “the heavens and the earth” (v. 4), He also created man from “the dust of the ground” (v. 7). But it took God’s breath of life to make His creation fully alive. He transformed the first human into a living being—a living soul. Later, He formed Eve from Adam’s rib (v. 22). As spiritual beings, we’re able to serve God and enjoy fellowship with Him by belief in Christ. Jesus “breathed on” the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 12:20). One commentator writes that this “ ‘inbreathing’ of the Holy Spirit is essential in order for people to enjoy fellowship with God.” Each breath we take is God’s gift of physical life. As believers in Jesus, it’s also a reflection of our eternal life and being indwelt by the life-giving Spirit (Romans 8:11).

What do you do when you've been forgotten? In Genesis 40, we watch Joseph show care for his fellow prisoners, only to be forgotten when they receive their freedom. Pastor Tabitha Caplinger shares her own story of suffering and how God can work through our pain if we choose to trust Him through it.August 23, 2025

In Genesis 3, everything changes. Sin enters the human story, bringing shame, separation, suffering, and death, but even in the middle of mankind's rebellion, God reveals His plan of redemption. From the Garden of Eden to the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we begin to see the Scarlet Thread woven through Scripture: what mankind lost through sin, God restores through Christ. (Technical Difficulties: The first few minutes of the message did not record)

Do You Struggle with Your “Prayer Life”? Find a Quiet Place for Your Personal Relationship with God and Pray to the Universe's Creator MESSAGE SUMMARY: Do you struggle with your “Prayer Life”, even though you know it is the most important component of a life lived as a Jesus Follower? Abraham provides you with a model for a “Prayer Life” that works. Abraham was an awesome man, and he had things happen in his life that were both important for him and humankind down through the ages as a resultant of his “Prayer Life”. For the development of your own “Prayer Life”, you can learn from Abraham's “Prayer Life”. One of the first things Abraham did, when he went to a new location or was in a new situation, was to build an altar to the Lord and call on the Lord's name in prayer. In Genesis 12:8, Abraham's focus on and the priority given to his “Prayer Life” is described: “From there he {Abraham}moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.". Prayer was a priority for Abraham to build a place for God in his life and for his personal relationship with God. A way you can follow Abraham's example is to find an altar, a church, or a quiet place in your life to worship and pray, and to call upon the Lord's name like Abraham.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Genesis 12:7-8; Genesis 13:3-18; Genesis 22:9-14; Psalms 79:1-13. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Jesus says: “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division””, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Favoritism can be easy to justify. We naturally connect more with certain people, relate more easily to some than others, and over time, those preferences can quietly shape how we treat them. But when preference turns into partiality, the damage runs deep. In Genesis 37, Jacob openly favors Joseph, creating a family dynamic marked by jealousy, resentment, and division. What may have seemed like harmless preference becomes a spark for betrayal and violence. We may not see it as obvious, but we can fall into similar patterns—showing partiality in our families, our workplaces, or even our churches. And when we do, we shape environments where comparison grows, relationships fracture, and people are quietly pushed aside. Jesus calls His followers to a different posture—one of humility, where greatness is found in the last and least. What would it look like to confront our tendency towards favoritism, and instead reflect the kind of love that is not selective or self-serving, but shaped by the grace of Christ? 

Favoritism can be easy to justify. We naturally connect more with certain people, relate more easily to some than others, and over time, those preferences can quietly shape how we treat them. But when preference turns into partiality, the damage runs deep. In Genesis 37, Jacob openly favors Joseph, creating a family dynamic marked by jealousy, resentment, and division. What may have seemed like harmless preference becomes a spark for betrayal and violence. We may not see it as obvious, but we can fall into similar patterns—showing partiality in our families, our workplaces, or even our churches. And when we do, we shape environments where comparison grows, relationships fracture, and people are quietly pushed aside. Jesus calls His followers to a different posture—one of humility, where greatness is found in the last and least. What would it look like to confront our tendency towards favoritism, and instead reflect the kind of love that is not selective or self-serving, but shaped by the grace of Christ? 

Is your life random, or is there purpose behind it all? In Genesis 1:3–25, we see God bringing light, order, life, and beauty into creation. The world we live in was not formed by accident—it was created and ordered by a sovereign God.In this message, Ricky Smith walks through the creation account and reminds us that the world you live in is not random, the work you do is not random, and your worth was never tied to your work. Your identity and purpose ultimately come from the God who created you.Whether you're wrestling with questions about purpose, identity, work, or the meaning of life, Genesis points us back to the Creator who is in control and who brings new life through Jesus Christ.Find sermon resources and more at calvaryga.com

In this message from our series How to Build a Life, a walk through the book of Proverbs, Grant Clark extends our look at wise counselors by turning the question around: what about the voices we must never listen to? Reading Proverbs 5 alongside Genesis 3, this sermon traces how seduction works, why the way that "seems right" ends in ruin, and how the same chapter that records the fall also announces the grace that rebuilds a life.The sermon opens with Proverbs 14:12: "There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death." A path can look desirable at the entrance while its finish line leads to ruin. Grant illustrates this with Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, where Ebenezer Scrooge is shown the end of his road, his own neglected grave, and wakes up a changed man who chooses a different way. That is how the warnings of Proverbs work: the father shows his son the end from the entrance.Proverbs 5 gives a visceral picture of this. The forbidden woman's lips "drip honey and her words are smoother than oil," but in the end she is "as bitter as wormwood and as sharp as a double-edged sword." Her feet go down to death. The father pleads with his son to keep far from her door, because at the end of that road a person laments: "I'm on the verge of complete ruin before the entire community."Warnings of Proverbs 5:1) Don't listen to everything you think.2) Don't go after everything you desire.3) Don't trust everything you feel.From there the sermon moves to Genesis 3:1-13, the Bible's paradigmatic picture of temptation and seduction, read as both a warning and a playbook that unmasks the serpent's schemes. The serpent, identified in Revelation 12 as "the ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world," opens with the first question in the Bible: "Did God really say?" He does not start with a bold statement; he plants a subtle seed of doubt about God's word and God's character.Eve's reply distorts what God actually said. In Genesis 2:15-17 God's command is an abundance of yes with one small no: free access to every tree, with a single warning attached to one. Grant shares Joshua Ryan Butler's illustration of an all-expenses-paid vacation to anywhere on earth with only one dangerous destination excluded. The serpent's tactic is to zoom in: he narrows Eve's focus from a garden full of yes down to the one no, and the offer of abundance starts to sound like restriction.Two details in the text expose the play. First, until this moment God alone has defined what is good; now Adam and Eve take it on themselves to call good the one thing God said would kill them. Second, the narrator consistently names God "Yahweh Elohim," the Lord God, the covenantal and personal name, but the serpent drops "Yahweh" and speaks only of "Elohim," and Eve takes the bait and does the same. The serpent casts doubt on God's word, then denies it, then dethrones God in his language while elevating Eve. He is a dangerous counselor, and his voice is reshaping how Eve sees God, herself, and the world."Eve is talking to Satan about her problems with God instead of talking to God about her problems with Satan." - Philip BethancourtLocked in on the one forbidden tree, Eve sees that it is "good for food and delightful to look at, and desirable for obtaining wisdom." A good desire has become an over-desire, an idol, and she has become discontent in the middle of abundance."What the heart most wants, the mind finds reasonable, the will finds doable, and the emotions find desirable." - Tim Keller## Practicing the Absence of GodDrawing on Alan Fadling's book A Non-Anxious Life, Grant contrasts practicing the presence of God, living aware that God is with us and for us, with practicing the absence of God: losing sight of God in our circumstances and making decisions with no reference to him. In Genesis 3 Eve is practicing the absence of God. She is no longer listening to his voice or thinking about him at all; she has bought the lie that God is holding out on her. Adam, meanwhile, is silent and passive through the whole exchange. He never challenges the serpent and never speaks God's word. Ruin comes not only through active rebellion but through passive abdication.They eat, their eyes are opened, and for the first time they hide from the Lord God in shame."What is shame? Disgust over having disobeyed. Shame tells us we are nothing better than our worst moments… Satan shifts from using his powers of deception to instead accuse… The serpent easily moves from seducing to shaming, from deceiving to devouring, from alluring to accusing." - Philip BethancourtThis, Genesis 3 shows us, is how to ruin your life: don't listen to God's word or wisdom, walk your own way, be seduced by things that look great from the outside, practice the absence of God, and you will find yourself isolated, exposed, and ashamed.## How to Rebuild a LifeBut Genesis 3 also shows us how to rebuild a life. First, God pursues them. Adam and Eve hide, and God does not reject or stonewall them; he comes looking, calling "Where are you?" The question is not for God's information but for their diagnosis, an Ebenezer Scrooge moment: which path have you gone down, and what will you do about it? Second, God covers their nakedness and shame. In Genesis 3:21 the Lord God makes clothing from skins for them, which means an animal died so their shame could be covered, an echo picked up when John the Baptist announces in John 1:29, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." Ultimately Jesus dies to cover our shame and clothe us in his righteousness. Third, Genesis 3:15 gives the first preaching of the gospel, the protoevangelium: the offspring of the woman will strike the serpent's head while the serpent strikes his heel, fulfilled at the cross where Jesus crushes the serpent, is wounded in the process, and rises in victory over Satan, sin, and death. The serpent says God cannot be trusted; the cross says look how far God will go to save you.Reflection Questions:1) Name the Lie: In which ways are you currently tempted to DOUBT God's goodness to you? Are there any areas where you believe the lie that God is holding out on you? Or, that God is not for you?2) See the Entrance: Are there any specific areas where you are tempted to be seduced? To choose the way of Ruin, rather than the way of wisdom?3) From Ruin to Redemption: Are there any areas of your life where you need God's forgiveness? God to cover your shame? Or, to redeem a decision you have made?A closing word before communion adds one more observation: the devil tempts people with what they already have. He told Adam and Eve they would be like God when they were already made in God's image, and he offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world when every knee will already bow to him. Both Eve and Jesus responded to temptation with God's words; Eve changed them, Jesus did not. Know your Bible, not just for knowledge's sake, but to combat the lies of the enemy.Verses referenced:Proverbs 14:12Proverbs 5:1-14Genesis 3:1-13Genesis 2:15-17Revelation 12:9Genesis 3:14-15Genesis 3:21John 1:29Genesis 3:15Genesis 1:26-27Philippians 2:10-11John 3:16Romans 5:8

Have you ever packed up your life and run away from the very place that was supposed to be a sanctuary? Across North America, tens of millions of souls have walked out of church doors with blood dripping from unseen wounds, crushed by spiritual manipulation, silent abandonment in crisis, or the hypocritical cruelty of people who claimed to speak for God. When religious institutions trade the quiet, patient work of grace for corporate branding and quick power, human beings get treated like disposable tools. In Genesis 16, an abused Egyptian slave named Hagar collapses into the scorching dust of the Sinai wilderness, fleeing the household of God's chosen family. She knows what she is running from, but she has no idea where she is going. On a bleak Monday morning when you feel invisible, burned, or cast aside by religious culture, this ancient story cuts through the haze with a shocking truth: God pursues the runaway. He does not defend human hypocrisy or turn a cold shoulder to your tears. Before Jesus ever took on human flesh, He walked into Hagar's desert, called her by name, and revealed Himself as El-Roi, the God who sees. Christ came into our wilderness, bore the shame of an outcast, and hung naked outside the city gates so that every discarded soul could find a safe refuge in His bleeding side.

In Genesis 48, Jacob demonstrates his faith in God's covenant promises and sovereignty by adopting and blessing Joseph's sons.

In Genesis chapter 27, Jacob deceives his father to inherit a blessing intended for his brother. Jacob and his mother both justified this act as a shortcut on the right path, but what happens when we try to steer the direction of our life instead of trusting that God will do what He says He's going to do?

What Happens East of Eden | Promises That Make Us Generous | Ethan BrickerWe all want God's promises—but what happens when the promise becomes more important to us than the God who made it?In Genesis 12–13, God gives Abram incredible promises of land, descendants, blessing, protection, and ultimately blessing for all the families of the earth. But when Abram and Lot face conflict over their possessions, we see two very different responses to God's blessing.Abraham lives open-handed because he trusts the God who made the promise. Lot chooses based on what he can see.In this message, we explore what happens east of Eden—and how the wilderness reveals what is really happening in our hearts.We'll ask:Have you been jealously guarding what God has given you?Do your possessions possess you?Who is the highest power in your life?The wilderness is where God stress-tests our hearts. It teaches us that the destination isn't ultimately the goal—the goal is walking with the God who designed the destination.Because when God Himself is our promise, we can finally hold His blessings with an open hand.“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:21

In Genesis 1, we see that God did not create humanity to simply survive. He made us in His image, crowned us with dignity and purpose, and gave us the responsibility to cultivate a world where life can flourish. In this talk, Pastor Ben Stuart walks through the creation account and reminds us that although we are lower, we are crowned. We were created to be near God, become like Him, and use what He has entrusted to us for the flourishing of others. Key Verses // Genesis 1:1-2:3 — With Passion City Online you can join us live every Sunday at 9:30a and 11:30a! Join us at https://passioncitychurchdc.com — Give towards what God is doing through Passion City Church: https://passioncitychurchdc.com/give — Subscribe to our Youtube channel to see more messages https://www.youtube.com/passioncitychurchdc — Follow along with Passion City Church DC: https://www.instagram.com/passioncitydc — Follow along with Pastor Ben Stuart: https://www.instagram.com/ben_stuart_ — Passion City Church is a Jesus church with locations in Atlanta and Washington D.C. For more info on Passion, visit https://passioncitychurch.com

In Genesis 32:22–32, Jacob wrestles all night with the angel of the Lord and refuses to let go until he receives a blessing. Dr. Joel Beeke preaches contagious perseverance, contagious prayer, contagious penitence, contagious power, and contagious price.

Family can be one of the greatest sources of joy in our lives, but it can also be the source of some of our deepest pain.Favoritism. Jealousy. Divorce. Rejection. Competition. Anger. Broken relationships. Patterns that seem to get passed from one generation to the next.Joseph knew what it was like to grow up in a dysfunctional family.In Genesis 37, we're introduced to a 17-year-old Joseph and a family filled with tension. His father, Jacob, openly favored him over his brothers. His brothers resented him. Competition and jealousy were everywhere. And before long, that family dysfunction would lead to devastating consequences.But Joseph's story also shows us something incredibly hopeful:Your family history does not have to determine your future.God can take someone from a broken background, transform their life, and use them for a greater purpose.As we begin Joseph's story, we'll discover three truths that can help us deal with the pain and dysfunction in our own families.GOD CAN USE YOU, EVEN IF YOUR FAMILY ISN'T PERFECTUnhealthy family patterns have a way of repeating themselves. Jacob carried dysfunction from his past into his own home, and his children suffered because of it.But you don't have to repeat what you grew up with.With God's help, you can be the person who says, "It stops here."You can break unhealthy patterns and begin a different legacy for the generations that come after you.GOD HAS A CALLING ON YOUR LIFEIn the middle of Joseph's chaotic family life, God began giving him dreams. Joseph couldn't see everything God was doing yet, but God was already preparing him for what was ahead.The same is true for you.God sees you. God loves you. And God has a purpose for your life.Your past doesn't disqualify you from being used by God.GOD'S PROVIDENCE IS AT WORK EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T SEE ITJoseph's story would include rejection, betrayal, false accusations, temptation, disappointment, and years of waiting. Yet behind everything Joseph experienced, God was working.Sometimes we can clearly see what God is doing. Other times, His work is happening behind the scenes.That doesn't mean everything that happens to us is good. It means God is powerful enough to take even the painful and broken parts of our stories and work through them for His purposes.If you've ever thought:"God can't use me.""I'm destined to repeat my family's mistakes.""Nothing good can come from what I've been through.""I'm all alone."Then Joseph's story is for you.Your story isn't over.God can redeem your pain, break unhealthy cycles, and use your life for something greater than you can see right now.

What does it mean to be a godly man? In Genesis, Adam was called to work and protect the garden, but when danger came, he remained passive.In this message, Minister Mark Ashton explores biblical manhood, the danger of passivity, and the responsibility men have to protect what God has entrusted to them. Ultimately, Jesus shows us what true manhood looks like: where the first Adam failed, the Second Adam remained faithful.Whether you're a husband, father, or single man, discover how to take responsibility, stay engaged, and become more like Jesus.

The Bible assumes that Christians are part of a war. The pastor and writer Paul says things like:  “Fight the good fight of the faith.”  “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes”  “Fight the battle well.” “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but…against spiritual forces of evil”  “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world,”  “Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” The assumption is there is a conflict going on that is not always perceptible to our eyes but still very real, and that we're swallowed up into it whether we like it or not. In Genesis we get some of the origins of this battle between God and spiritual beings who did what Adam and Eve did: they believed a lie and rebelled against God because of it. All of this leads to a strange story in Genesis 6 about sons of God, daughters of men, and some weird kids called Nephilim. In this message, Pastor Joel explains what's going on and how it tells us more about our own involvement in the spiritual warfare of being a disciple of Jesus.

Not all idols are obviously sinful. As Tim Keller has said, “an idol is often a good thing that becomes an ultimate thing. Even the best gifts—like family—can take a place in our hearts that only God was meant to fill. In Genesis 31, Rachel secretly holds onto her father's household gods, while Laban refuses to release his grip on his family and control. Beneath the surface, both reveal the same struggle: neither is ready to let go of what has always given them security and identity. We may not carry physical idols, but we can do the same—finding our worth in our roles, our security in our relationships, or our sense of control in how our family turns out. What begins as a blessing can quietly become something we cannot surrender. Yet Jesus calls His followers to a greater allegiance—one that places Him above even the closest family ties. What would it look like to receive our families as gifts, but not cling to them as ultimate—trusting Jesus alone with our identity, our security, and our future? 

Not all idols are obviously sinful. As Tim Keller has said, “an idol is often a good thing that becomes an ultimate thing. Even the best gifts—like family—can take a place in our hearts that only God was meant to fill. In Genesis 31, Rachel secretly holds onto her father's household gods, while Laban refuses to release his grip on his family and control. Beneath the surface, both reveal the same struggle: neither is ready to let go of what has always given them security and identity. We may not carry physical idols, but we can do the same—finding our worth in our roles, our security in our relationships, or our sense of control in how our family turns out. What begins as a blessing can quietly become something we cannot surrender. Yet Jesus calls His followers to a greater allegiance—one that places Him above even the closest family ties. What would it look like to receive our families as gifts, but not cling to them as ultimate—trusting Jesus alone with our identity, our security, and our future? 

In Genesis 5 if you look closely we see a lot of death, but we also see life. This chapter is a constant reminder of sins consequences, But it's also about God's faithfulness. And ultimately, if we look closely it points us toward the gospel.

Waiting on God can be one of the hardest parts of following Him. In Genesis 16:1–10, Abram and Sarai receive a promise from God, but when the fulfillment doesn't come as quickly as they expect, they take matters into their own hands—creating pain, conflict, and consequences they never imagined. Yet even in the middle of their self-made mess, God shows up with grace, purpose, and a plan that was never derailed. This message reminds us that while our impatience can complicate the journey, it cannot cancel God's faithfulness. If you've ever wondered whether you've made too many mistakes, gotten ahead of God, or taken a detour that feels impossible to recover from, this sermon will encourage you with the truth that God is still at work. He doesn't waste our failures—He weaves them into His greater story. When God is writing the story, even the chapters we wish we could erase can ultimately declare: It's All Good.

In Genesis 23 and 24, Abraham faces the death of his wife Sarah and the responsibility of securing a future for his son Isaac. Rather than retreating into grief or simply coasting through his final years, Abraham acts with intentional faith. He purchases a burial plot, the first piece of the promised land his family legally owns, and sends his servant on a mission to find Isaac a wife. Both actions reflect a man who believes God's promises extend far beyond His own lifetime. The sermon draws out three core truths from these chapters. First, faith invests in a future it may never personally see, like planting trees whose shade others will enjoy. Second, faith prepares the next generation to carry the promise forward, whether through parenting, mentoring, or discipleship. Third, after doing the faithful work of preparation, we must trust God with outcomes we cannot control. The story closes with Isaac and Rebecca beginning their life together, a picture of grief giving way to hope and one generation passing the baton to the next.

Dr. Richard Swenson, author of The Overload Syndrome and Margin, writes that we need room to breathe—freedom to think, permission to heal, and space for relationships that can easily be starved by the relentless pace of life. That may describe more people today than ever. Many of us are physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially overloaded. There never seems to be enough time, money, or energy left at the end of the day to recover before everything starts again at full speed. The answer, at least in part, is something our culture often neglects: margin. Margin means leaving enough room in our lives to rest, reflect, recover, and reconnect with what matters most. It is, in a sense, taking a break before you break. The Cost of Living Without Margin A life without margin can carry serious physical, emotional, relational, and even financial consequences. Consider sleep. According to the Sleep Foundation, many Americans regularly struggle to get adequate rest, with a significant number of adults sleeping fewer than seven hours each night. Chronic sleep deprivation has been associated with health concerns including diabetes, obesity, anxiety, and heart disease. Lack of sleep also affects emotional health, relationships, and decision-making. That means rest is not merely a luxury. It is part of living wisely and caring responsibly for the bodies, relationships, and responsibilities God has entrusted to us. Perhaps life simply feels too fast right now. Working late nights and weekends may occasionally be necessary, but continuously burning the candle at both ends eventually becomes counterproductive. Exhaustion leaves little energy for the things that matter most—especially our relationships with others and with the Lord. God Designed Us for Work—and Rest Scripture consistently affirms the goodness of work. God calls us to provide for our families, serve others, practice generosity, and faithfully use the abilities and opportunities He has given us. We work to pay bills, save for future needs, give generously, and contribute to our communities. Productive work is part of God's design. But work is not all there is. Rest is God's idea too. In Genesis, God rested on the seventh day of creation—not because He was exhausted, but because His work was complete. He blessed the seventh day and set it apart. Later, Sabbath rest became part of the Ten Commandments given to Israel. Rest reminds us of an important spiritual reality: our worth does not depend on how much we accomplish. Author Rich Villodas has observed that Sabbath reminds us that our standing in Christ is not based on our works. A day of rest allows us to stop producing and remember that God's love for us has not changed. That can be especially difficult in a culture where technology makes it possible to work almost anywhere, at almost any hour. But just because we can keep working does not mean we always should. Healthy margin allows us to return to our work with purpose, energy, and gratitude, doing it “as for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). Professional progress can be valuable, but chronic stress, damaged health, and neglected relationships are a high price to pay for it. Rest Is Not the Same as Laziness Biblical rest should not be confused with laziness. Laziness means neglecting the responsibilities God has given us or consistently refusing to do what needs to be done. Scripture repeatedly warns against that kind of idleness. Paul tells believers in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 to admonish the idle. In 2 Thessalonians 3, he addresses those who were refusing to work and instead becoming busybodies. There is an important distinction here. Rest restores us so we can return faithfully to the work God has given us. Idleness avoids that work altogether. Proverbs 31 gives us another picture of faithful diligence. The noble woman cares for her household, conducts business, helps the poor, and looks after those entrusted to her. Proverbs 31:27 says, “She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Fruitful labor honors God. But so does recognizing when it is time to stop. When Busyness Becomes Another Form of Distraction There is another danger worth recognizing: constant activity can sometimes disguise a lack of purpose. We may appear busy without actually being productive. Without intentional rest and reflection, our activity can become aimless distraction rather than faithful work. We move constantly but rarely stop long enough to ask whether we are moving in the right direction. Laziness can sometimes take an unexpected form as well. Instead of doing nothing, we may spend hours scrolling, shopping, watching, or distracting ourselves while neglecting relationships or responsibilities that matter more. Proverbs 24:30–34 paints a memorable picture of a neglected field covered with thorns and weeds. The lesson is simple: neglect eventually has consequences. If you struggle with procrastination or laziness, the answer is not shame. Bring that struggle to Christ. He offers forgiveness, wisdom, and strength to grow in faithfulness and diligence. Finding a Rhythm of Grace The encouraging news is that God's grace meets us in both extremes. Some of us are exhausted because we never stop working. Others feel stuck because we continually avoid the work before us. Christ invites both groups into something better: rhythms shaped by grace rather than guilt. Rest is not something we earn after proving ourselves productive enough. It is something we receive as a gift from God. Jesus gives this invitation in Matthew 11:28–30: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” If your life feels overloaded, perhaps the next faithful step is not finding a way to accomplish more. It may be creating enough margin to remember who you are, what matters most, and Who ultimately sustains you. Work faithfully. Rest gratefully. And remember that your security is not found in how much you accomplish, but in Christ. In Him, there is room to breathe. On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions: Someone I know has seen their credit card debt grow from about $10,000 to $25,000, and the account is now closed. I suspect missed payments and interest are driving the increase. How can I help them understand what's happening and make a plan to deal with the debt? My husband and I are both 77 and would like to avoid probate, but we don't have significant assets. Would an irrevocable trust make sense for us, and how can we find a qualified elder law attorney in Texas to help us understand our options? I'm retired and living comfortably on my pension, with about $125,000 in savings and $19,000 in checking. My bank keeps encouraging me to put the savings into CDs, but the rates don't seem very attractive. What should I consider doing with this money? I'm 59, debt-free, have a fully funded emergency fund, and am contributing to my 401(k). I also have about $200,000 to invest. I want reasonable growth without taking excessive risk. How should I think about investing this money, especially compared with options like fixed annuities or crypto? Resources Mentioned: Faithful Steward: FaithFi's Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner) Christian Credit Counselors AdelFi Christian Banking Eventide | Praxis | GuideStone | OneAscent | Timothy Plan FaithFi Field Guide: How Much Money is Enough?  Our Ultimate Treasure: A 21-Day Journey to Faithful Stewardship by Rob West Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on Money Look At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and Anxiety Rich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich Fool Find a Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA) FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every weekday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God's resources. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. 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As Genesis comes to a close, Joseph looks back on a life marked by both suffering and flourishing and declares with confidence that God has been at work through it all. What others meant for evil, God meant for good—and nothing was wasted. In Genesis 50, we're reminded that God will accomplish all that He has promised. Like Joseph and Jacob, Christians can live with confidence in the midst of suffering because we already know the end: Christ has conquered, resurrection is coming, and God will surely bring His people home.

What are you willing to trade for temporary relief?In Genesis 25, Esau exchanged his birthright for a bowl of stew. What looked like a simple moment of hunger became a costly decision that reminds us: you're worth more than temporary pleasure.In “Protect the Promise,” we're challenged to guard our purity, resist compromise, and recognize that holiness isn't God keeping something from us—it's God keeping us for something.Don't let exhaustion, loneliness, lust, or temporary pleasure convince you to sacrifice what God has placed inside of you.Don't give up your promise for S.T.E.W. — Short Term Escape from Weariness.