Christ enters history through a scandalous line calling into question his credibility. However, God defies human expectations. We expect the Lord to fail, but he succeeds. The Lord shows that he can take broken and sinful people and use them to secure his victory. He is bigger and stronger than his people. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba display that the Lord will not use conventional people to establish his promise through the Messiah. Joseph suspects that Mary was unfaithful to him and in love with another man. The genealogy could certainly lead one to easily draw that conclusion. However, by the Angel’s intervention, he learns that there is a bigger plan. Just like the story in Genesis when the seed of the woman dies or is hampered in some way it appears the serpent seed has won. The Lord shows that his purpose, his power, and is plan is not what human beings expect. The Lord wants his people to see that he has established his promise. Humans are used, and genealogy shows us that it is not always the cream of the crop. Yes, God’s people fail. However, by the grace of God, their overall trajectory is that the Lord’s strength is shown in the midst of human weakness. The Lord has been with his people in the high times of their history as well as their low times. Ultimately, Christ is the seventh seven. Christ establishes the kingdom, using a broken people, and slaying the serpent. Matthew captures the tension about whether or not God can establish his kingdom. The answer is yes! Against all hope, the Lord is always faithful. He secures, redeems, and makes his people alive to live unto him out of gratitude.

Paul opens the chapter by reminding believers of their freedom in Christ: “For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (v. 1). The gospel frees us from striving in the flesh that misses Christ, and the gospel as we conform in our power. It also shines a light so we see where we sinfully indulge selfishness and self-reliance to find joy on our terms. We must focus on Christ as we walk in His Spirit.

Paul contrasts two ways of living: life according to the flesh and life in the Spirit. The flesh, in Paul’s terms, is not just the body but our old, self-centered nature—our default way of living apart from God. It’s a life marked by striving, selfishness, and broken relationships. Paul lists the works of the flesh (v. 19-21), which include sins of self-gratification (like sexual immorality and drunkenness) and sins of self-righteousness (like envy, dissensions, and jealousy).

Living in the flesh is our attempt to build our identity apart from Christ’s power and Lordship. We can do this through moral performance or selfish indulgence. The flesh is fundamentally self-focused, driven by a desire to control our own lives and find meaning apart from the gospel and from submitting to Christ.

Life in the Spirit, by contrast, is marked by freedom, transformation, and love. Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit (v. 22-23): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When we lose sight of the to do list and focus on living for Christ we produce fruit just as the fruit grows naturally when connected to the vine, so the Spirit produces Christlike character in us when we abide in Him (John 15:5).

Life in the flesh is about striving, either through self-indulgence or self-righteousness, but life in the Spirit is about surrender—trusting the Spirit to work in and through us. The Spirit doesn’t just give us new behaviors; He gives us a new heart.

Paul’s command to “walk by the Spirit” (v. 16) is not about trying harder but about living in daily dependence on the Spirit. In the same way, life in the Spirit is about continually turning to God’s grace for every need, moment by moment.

The Spirit frees us from self-centeredness so that we can love sacrificially, reflecting the love we’ve received from Christ.

Galatians 5 teaches us that life in the Spirit is not about trying harder to be good but about being transformed by grace. The flesh leads to striving and self-destruction, but the Spirit leads to freedom, fruitfulness, and love. When we give up our control, submit to Christ, and walk in the Spirit we find the power to live out the Shalom, the peace, and the joy that God has created us to enjoy as we commune with him.

Genesis 21 recounts the fulfillment of God’s long-awaited promise to Abraham and Sarah—the birth of Isaac. This chapter centers on God’s faithfulness, the nature of grace, and the surprising ways God accomplishes His purposes.

The chapter opens with the Lord visiting Sarah, just as He had promised (v. 1). At the age of 90, Sarah gives birth to Isaac—a name meaning “laughter”—as a testament to the joy that comes when God’s promises are fulfilled, even in the face of human cynicism.

Isaac shows the Lord’s redemption: God moves his people from cynical laughter to joyful celebratory laughter.  God’s promises don’t operate on our timeline; they operate on His. Isaac’s arrival reminds us that waiting on God is not wasted time but formative time—teaching trust in His sovereignty.

Isaac’s arrival contrasts sharply with Ishmael’s, Abraham’s son through Hagar. Ishmael represents human effort—Abraham and Sarah’s attempt to secure God’s promise through their plans. Isaac, however, is entirely the result of divine grace, showing that God’s blessings come as gifts, not as something we can earn or achieve.

Isaac shows the impossibility of the Christmas promise.  The thought of the Lord establishing his promise through death seems absurd.  However, Abraham and Sarah testify that the Lord establishes life through death because the Lord knows the depth of sin, and what it will take to overcome it.  Isaac sets the joyful foundation, but Christ is the one who definitively establishes the foundation by fulfilling God’s promise.

Paul addresses a fractured church, divided into factions based on allegiance to specific leaders—Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or even Christ in a tribalistic sense. These divisions reveal the human tendency to seek identity and superiority in secondary things, even in the church. Paul responds by re-centering their focus on Christ alone, emphasizing that their unity and salvation are rooted not in the messengers, but in the message of the cross.

Human hearts naturally turn good things, like church leaders or even the gospel, into ultimate things that ironically look away from Christ. We are those who create idols that divide rather than finding significance in Christ. But Paul dismantles these divisions by reminding the Corinthians of the gospel’s leveling power: none of them were baptized into Paul or Apollos—they were baptized into Christ. The cross is not just the means of salvation; it’s the ultimate unifier, declaring that all believers are equally in need of grace.

The key takeaway is that the gospel creates a new identity transcending tribalism. In Christ, there’s no room for boasting in human leaders or factions because everything we have is a gift. This passage challenges us to examine where we are tempted to find our worth outside of Jesus and invites us to center our hearts and community on the One who unites us all.

In Acts 17:22–31, Paul addresses the philosophers in Athens, presenting the gospel, and calling them to see that they do not market god.  It is God who continues to uphold this creation whether we affirm it or not.

Paul begins by acknowledging the Athenians’ religiosity, even pointing to their altar “to an unknown god.” He uses their cultural and spiritual hunger as a starting point to reveal the true God — not a distant deity but the Creator who is near, sustaining all life.  Paul calls them to account for the fact that they do not discover and promote the gods but that there is one God who sustains all things.

Paul then calls them to repentance, announcing that this God has revealed himself in Christ. Jesus’ resurrection is proof that God will judge the world through him.

The resurrection isn’t just evidence of God’s power; it’s the assurance of his love and the hope of renewal for all creation.

The crowd is seeking signs, challenging their demand for proof, but Christ says they will receive the “sign of Jonah.” Jonah was the sign to Ninevah so Christ is the sign for the current generation. Then Jesus shifts to a metaphor of light and vision. The problem isn’t the light (the gospel) but the eye (our spiritual perception). If our “eye” is healthy, we’ll see clearly and live in the light. If not, we’re plunged into darkness. So, we are not to demand signs but to see the Gospel as the sufficient light pointing us to Christ. We are to have a singular focus on the kingdom. As we are focused on the Lord’s kingdom, his light will continue to conform. Ultimately, it is the call to give ourselves to the Spirit, the sole source of light and life.

We welcome Mr. Roy Kim to our pulpit while Pastor Paul Lindemulder enjoys a week off. In Job 3, we see Job’s raw and unfiltered anguish. After losing everything—his wealth, his children, and his health—he breaks his silence and curses the day of his birth. This chapter shows us the depths of human suffering and the honesty of biblical faith. Job doesn’t sugarcoat his pain or pretend to be fine. Instead, he expresses the full weight of his despair, wishing he had never been born and lamenting the darkness that has engulfed his life. God allows honest lament—Job’s words are deeply emotional and even shocking, yet God doesn’t rebuke him for pouring out his heart. This shows that God welcomes our questions and grief, even when they are raw and messy. Despair arises when suffering feels meaningless—Job’s cry is rooted in the feeling that his life has lost all purpose. He doesn’t yet see the bigger picture, but his pain foreshadows the human cry for meaning in suffering, ultimately answered in Christ. Job suffers, but he still prays—Though Job curses the day of his birth, he never curses God. His lament is directed to God, showing that even in his darkest hour, Job clings to the reality of God’s presence. We are encouraged to be honest about our pain while trusting that God can handle our darkest cries—and that He works even through suffering to bring ultimate redemption.

We welcome Mr. Roy Kim to our pulpit while Pastor Paul Lindemulder enjoys a week off. In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells the parable of the workers in the vineyard. This parable challenges our sense of fairness and exposes the radical nature of God’s grace. A vineyard owner hires workers at different times throughout the day, yet pays them all the same wage. Those hired first grumble, feeling cheated, but the owner reminds them that he gave them exactly what he promised. God’s grace is unearned and generous—It’s not based on merit or how long we’ve worked. Those who arrive late (like the thief on the cross) receive the same reward as lifelong believers because salvation is a gift, not a paycheck. Our pride blinds us to grace—The first workers represent those who feel entitled to more because of their perceived efforts. Their complaint shows a heart that values comparison and fairness over gratitude. Ultimately, this parable flips human values upside down. It invites us to rejoice in the generosity of God, rather than resent it, because none of us deserves his grace in the first place.

Psalm 55:22 is part of David's deeply personal and anguished prayer, where he laments betrayal and overwhelming sorrow. He describes the agony of war and ultimately being betrayed by a close friend. He wrestles with feelings of fear, anger, and despair. Yet, in verse 22, David pivots from venting his pain to expressing trust in God. David acknowledges the crushing weight of life’s burdens—especially those caused by betrayal and injustice—but points to the radical hope in casting those burdens onto God. The psalm reveals that we don’t need to carry the weight of our pain or solve every problem ourselves. Instead, we’re invited to entrust our struggles to the One who is both infinitely powerful and intimately loving. God sustains us not by removing all hardships, but by giving us the strength to endure and the assurance that He will uphold the righteous in His unshakable faithfulness. Truly, he is our powerful father because he is creator and continually cares for this world and his people.

Jesus heals a man who was mute due to demonic possession, sparking amazement among the crowd. However, some accuse Him of using demonic power (Beelzebul) to cast out demons, while others demand a sign from heaven to prove His authority. Jesus responds with powerful logic, exposing the absurdity of their claim—why would Satan work against himself? Instead, Jesus declares that His work is evidence of God’s kingdom breaking in.

He warns that neutrality is not an option; those who are not with Him are against Him. He further cautions that simply ridding oneself of evil without filling the void with God leads to greater vulnerability. A clean but empty “house” is an open invitation for even worse spiritual oppression. Finally, when a woman in the crowd praises Jesus’ mother for giving Him birth, He redirects the focus, saying that true blessedness comes from hearing and obeying God’s Word.

This passage reveals the radical claim of Jesus’ authority and the decisive nature of following Him. It warns against the dangers of superficial spiritual change—reformation without the Lord’s transformation. Jesus doesn’t just aim to remove evil; He wants to renovate and regenerate with the presence and power of God.