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On this First Sunday of Advent, Pastor Ken begins a new worship series, "God With Us," by exploring Jesus's genealogy as documented in the Gospel of Matthew. 

Why does this gospel begin with a boring list of names? Why is Jesus's family tree so important? While we often focus on the shepherds and angels from Luke's telling of Christ's birth, the first chapter of Matthew presents a different kind of miracle — a genealogy filled with imperfect people, outsiders, and "scoundrels" who God chose to be part of the Messiah's lineage. Pastor Ken helps us explore some of these people as we discover how God uses broken histories to write beautiful stories of redemption. 

Whether you're struggling with your own family history or feeling disqualified by your past, this message reminds us that God works through real people, not perfect ones.

Sermon Reflections:

• Pastor Ken admits that genealogies can seem boring at first glance. How did the sermon change your perspective on why Matthew chose to open his gospel with a list of names rather than a dramatic nativity scene?
  
• Jesus’s family tree includes liars, cheaters, and outsiders (like Jacob, Manasseh, and Rahab). How does knowing that Jesus came from a "messy" family affect the way you view the imperfections in your own family or background?
  
• Matthew breaks cultural norms by including four specific women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba) in the genealogy. What common thread did the pastor identify among these women, and what does their inclusion tell us about God’s character?
  
• Pastor Ken used the metaphor of a bowl made of "spalted wood" — wood infected by fungus or disease — to illustrate how God works. In what ways have you seen God take something "diseased" or difficult in your life and turn it into something beautiful?
  
• Genealogy isn't just a record of the dead, but an ongoing story that we are invited into. How do you see your current life circumstances as a continuation of the story God began with Abraham?
  
• In Jesus’s family tree, barriers of gender, race, and moral failure disappear. Which of these barriers do you find hardest to believe God can overcome in your own life or in the lives of others?
  

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