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This week we trace two “perplexing” lines in Genesis 35:11 and follow them from Eden to Bethel to the cross to a global church. We wrestle with messy sons, a faithful God, and how “be fruitful and multiply” becomes everyday disciple making.

• creation mandate echoed in Genesis 35 and clarified in Christ
• the Seed as the true blessing to the nations
• one nation giving rise to an assembly of nations in Jesus
• true circumcision as the heart’s work by the Spirit
• repentance, new identity, and mission as the biblical pattern
• practical fruitfulness in family life and disciple making
• blessed to be a blessing across cultures and generations

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This week on Beyond the Pulpit we trace Jacob’s reunion with Esau to show why moving toward God means moving toward people. Scripture links worship, reconciliation, and everyday relationships, calling us to humility, restitution, and peace that shows up at home and at church.

• Jacob’s intentional detour to meet Esau 
• returning to God expressed through restored relationships 
• humility and restitution pictured in seven bows 
• Jesus prioritising reconciliation over ritual at the altar 
• peace with others as an act of worship 
• marriage conduct affecting the power of prayer 
• unity at communion prompting self-examination 
• discernment on timing: pursue or give space

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This week on Beyond the Pulpit we revisit why we paused deacons, build a clear biblical case for the office, and explain how character-qualified servants protect preaching, solve real problems, and strengthen unity. We outline our pathway, address women as deacons, and preview the first roles we’re commissioning.

• two biblical offices, distinct roles
• history of pausing deacons for clarity
• definition of deacons as servant leaders
• qualifications from 1 Timothy 3
• Acts 6 as a prototype for word and service
• case for women serving as deacons
• why deacons prevent distraction from preaching
• character testing and church affirmation
• five-step pathway to commissioning
• first assignments in men’s and women’s Bible studies
• partnership between elders and deacons
• upcoming midweek ministries and start dates

“Check out our website and get signed up for any of those that might serve you well”

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This week on Beyond the Pulpit, we trace Christmas back to the garden to answer why the world needed a Savior and how the promise in Genesis 3 points straight to Jesus. We talk about the serpent’s cunning, the Second Adam, and how to stand firm in a real spiritual battle.

• Genesis 3 as the true start of Christmas
• The serpent identified as Satan from Revelation 12
• Spiritual warfare as real yet under God’s rule
• Satan as created, limited, and dangerous
• How lies twist partial truths to tempt
• Jesus as the Second Adam who triumphs
• Hostility between the seeds and new birth
• Standing firm by knowing and trusting Scripture

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This week on Beyond the Pulpit we trace five clear reasons the Bible upholds monogamy and exposes polygamy’s harm, moving from Eden’s design to the church’s witness. Jacob’s family drama becomes a lens to see how Scripture warns, how leaders model faithfulness, and how the gospel changes cultures.

• God’s design for one flesh in Genesis 2
• Polygamy’s chaos in Old Testament stories
• Kingly limits in Deuteronomy 17 to guard hearts
• Elder qualifications as one‑woman men in 1 Timothy 3
• Pastoral wisdom where polygamy is cultural norm
• Marriage as a picture of Christ and the church
• How gospel transformation outlasts mere prohibitions

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This week on Beyond the Pulpit we trace the breakdown of Isaac’s family in Genesis 27 and follow its ripple effects into Genesis 37, showing how deceit, favoritism, and envy repeat across generations. The thread points beyond human failure to the one hero of Scripture and the new life he gives.

• Genesis 27 as mirror and warning
• One hero theme: Christ at the center
• Types and symbols that point to Jesus
• Repeating patterns of sin in families
• Favoritism as a seed of division
• Goat imagery linking both deceptions
• Joseph sold for silver as a foreshadow
• Freedom from generational cycles in Christ
• Practical steps toward a new pattern

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This week on Beyond the Pulpit we trace Genesis 26 through famine, fear, and a turn to worship, watching Isaac move from anxious survival to open-handed trust. God’s presence becomes the hinge: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you,” reshaping obedience, witness, and peace with former enemies.

• Isaac obeys without worship and lives small among the Philistines
• Fear drives deception and compromises witness
• God blesses amid failure, yet conflict rises
• At Beersheba God speaks and reestablishes presence
• Peace treaty and banquet echo Psalm 23
• Real change flows from reverent worship not mere rules
• Confidence shifts from human strength to God with us

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This week on Beyond the Pulpit we trace Jacob and Esau from Genesis 25 into Hebrews and Romans 9 to show how Scripture uses real events to reveal God’s sovereignty and our responsibility. We challenge fatalism, highlight faith alone for salvation, and show why right doctrine fuels urgent mission.

• Hebrews’ warning through Esau’s birthright
• Romans 9 and the oracle to Rebekah
• Why Paul chose twins over Ishmael and Isaac
• Election grounded in God’s call, not works
• Human responsibility affirmed alongside sovereignty
• Inclusion of Gentiles by faith alone
• Paul’s model: persuade, adapt, and “save some”
• Avoiding hyper-Calvinism and apathy
• Grace-driven effort in ministry and mission

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This week on Beyond the Pulpit we trace why godliness requires training, not drift, and how grace fuels effort without sliding into legalism. We unpack praying the Bible and meditating on Scripture with clear steps, real barriers, and practical next actions for our church family.

• Godliness as training with present and eternal value 
• The dangers of legalism and antinomianism contrasted 
• Grace that instructs us to deny ungodliness 
• Evidence of the Spirit in making war on the flesh 
• Praying the Bible through the Psalms, step by step 
• Meditation that renews the mind and leads to obedience 
• Simple tools: journaling, discussion, repetition, application 
• Resources by Donald Whitney available at the Welcome Center 

Join us next Tuesday at six thirty for our prayer summit

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This week on Beyond the Pulpit we walk through Genesis 24 to champion marriage as a good gift and explore how walking with Christ, working hard, and pursuing sexual purity prepare us to bless a future spouse. We wrestle with real questions about temptation, guardrails, and whether to date while struggling.

• Genesis 24 as a framework for dating and marriage
• marriage as a good, not a barrier
• be the best thing that happened to someone
• walk with Christ as the core preparation
• work hard and build resilience for covenant life
• sexual purity as virtue, not only avoidance
• fire in the fireplace analogy for blessing and danger
• cultural saturation, temptation, and wise guardrails
• self-control and lifelong battle before and after marriage
• should you date if you struggle with porn and lust
• 1 Corinthians 7, tension with fleeing immorality
• honesty, accountability, direction over perfection