We continue our exploration of Jesus' ancestry with the great-grandmother of King David, Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite and according to Hebrew law, Israelites were not allowed to promote the welfare or prosperity of a Moabite as long as they lived. And, yet, an entire book of the Bible is dedicated to the inclusion of a Moabite! Join Pastor Jacob as he opens up about how the birth of Jesus calls us to widen our circles of love and inclusion.

Have you ever noticed that Bathsheba is listed in Matthew’s genealogy as “The Wife of Uriah”? This title gives us deep insight into how our ancestors viewed her and understood her role in a patriarchal society. Join Pastor Jen as she illuminates the importance of being truth-tellers as we live out our faith

Matthew's story of the birth of Jesus begins with a genealogy listing the names of all of Jesus' ancestors from Abraham to Joseph. This year, rather than skipping over the hard to pronounce names, we are going to take a closer look at Jesus genealogy and lift up the five women that are strangely included to see what they might teach us about the Savior who enters the world this Christmas. First up: Tamar and Rahab.

Pastor Jen finishes our “Villains” sermon series with the tale of Delilah, but asks us to consider whether she is a true villain, or if the real saboteur of the story lives inside Samson’s own heart.

Goliath is a larger-than-life figure in our imaginations as the giant who towers over David striking fear in the hearts of all who see him. But did you know that according to the earliest Hebrew manuscripts, Goliath was only 6 feet, 6 inches tall. Not so much of a giant after all. Join Pastor Jacob as he debunks the myth of the insurmountable, giant challenges in our lives and in our world and as he tries to make a seemingly insurmountable and complex problem like the war in Israel and Palestine a little less giant by boiling it down to this: the violence must stop.

Rev. Dr. Jennifer Strickland delves into the timeless narrative of Genesis 3:1-19. In her sermon titled "The Snake," Rev. Dr. Strickland unravels the profound lessons embedded in the story of Adam and Eve's encounter with the serpent in the Garden of Eden. With wisdom and eloquence, she explores the nuances of temptation, the consequences of disobedience, and the enduring relevance of this biblical account in our lives today.

Judas is the Bible's persona non grata for his betrayal of Jesus. But why did he do it? Should Judas take all the blame for Jesus' death? And what happened to him afterward? Did Jesus forgive him? As our Villains series continues, Pastor Jacob suggests that not even Judas is beyond redemption. And if Judas can be forgiven, then perhaps we can be too

Pastor Jen examines the story of Cain, one of one the Bible’s most notorious villains. We may wonder why Cain was so angry at his brother, but Pastor Jen asks us instead to consider Cain’s rocky relationship with God. How do we respond in moments of bitter disappointment in our own lives?

Pastors Jen and Jacob kick-off their new sermon series on villains in the Bible with a look at the quintessential villain in Scripture: Pharaoh! When Pharaoh refuses to let the Hebrew people leave their captivity in Egypt, the Bible says that Pharaoh hardened his heart. But sometimes it says that God hardens Pharaoh's heart! What is going on here? And how might we, and even Pharaoh, try to soften our hearts?

Join Pastors Jen and Jacob as they celebrate Open and Affirming Sunday. Our Scripture reading today emphasizes how God intends for all people to flourish! When we publicly declare our love for and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community, we allow our church, ourselves, and our LGBTQ+ siblings to flourish in the ways God desires. When we don't, we sure are missing out